Well, if portability is your number one concern when it comes to using gear, you might want to take a look at edelkrone's newest motion control device from their Pocket Series, the PocketSlider.
edelkrone has made it kind of their thing to make their products as small and effective as possible and the PocketSlider is no different. We talked a little bit about it back during NAB, but few details were available at the time, but now that it has been officially released (as of yesterday), we've learned that apart from just being so small that it can fit inside your pocket, it has a bunch of other useful features, too. This pro camera slider has a built-in camera head that allows you to pan and flex-tilt (good for macro shots), it only weighs a pound, and has a travel-length of 8" (which is more than enough for a lot of the shots you'd use a slider for).
It can also carry a load of up to 4.3 lbs. (though the intro video claims it can do 6 lbs.), which means it can handle many different kinds of DSLRs, like the a7S, GH4, BMPCC, C100, and 5D Mark III, with enough left over for the rest of your camera setup's load (lenses, monitors, mics, or whatever else you want to mount). If it really can handle a 6 lbs. load, you could potentially use this little guy with a larger camera, like the Blackmagic Cinema Camera or C300.
It can also be mounted to any tripod, so no -- you don't have to use their PocketStand if you don't want to -- in fact, it looks a little too much like Babyface, the Erector Set spider baby from Toy Story.
Technical Specifications
- 13 cm (5.1 inches) in actual size yet gives 20 cm (7.9 inches) of camera travel.
- 550 grams (1.2 pounds) in weight.
- Carries camera load up to 2 kilograms (4.3 pounds).
- It Includes a unique flat camera head with a 1/4” mounting screw that lets you do pans and flex-tilts.
- It also has a 1/4” threaded hole and will mount on any tripod (or on the PocketSTAND)
- All parts are made of CNC machined aluminium. It is durable, precise and smooth.
Despite its small size, the PocketSlider is not cheap. You're looking at a $499 price tag here, which, in the world of well-made, super-portable sliders, isn't really that bad. Consider also that edelkrone has an entire line of Pocket add-ons and accessories, like the PocketStand, PocketSkater, and PocketMoco -- a slide control and timelapse module, so you could potentially build a camera setup that does quite a number of tasks for you and still fits in your pocket.
To learn more about the edelkrone's Pocket Series, check out this promo.
If you're interested in learning more about the PocketSlider and the rest of edelkrone's Pocket Series, or if you're interested in pre-ordering, click here.
Do you think the PocketSlider is practical for everyday filmmaking, or is there such a thing as too small? Let us know your thoughts down in the comments!
Source: edelkrone
