As with most tech or gear, in the film and video industry, you’re often left deciding between good and affordable. Usually, there are high-end products that are smooth, smart, and easy to use, and then there are cheaper products that offer much of the same functionality, but with sometimes lots of compromises.
Aiming to provide filmmakers with the best of both worlds, Accsoon has announced that they’re releasing two new motorized sliders that are designed to be good and affordable. The new Accsoon TopRig S40 and S60 are motorized sliders that have smooth automated motion controls and physical buttons on the unit (always a nice touch) along with a clever built-in parallax system.
Let’s take a look at these new motorized sliders and see if they’re going to be able to live up to their promises, and your video production needs.
The Accsoon TopRig S40 and S60
Designed based off of Accsoon’s company philosophy of always making standout products that directly answer the needs of the filmmaker, these new motorized sliders are aimed to significantly improve on the existing alternatives. And, in particular, they’re designed to remove any unnecessary slider vibrations or judders which can be hugely annoying while on set.
These S40 and the S60 sliders can be used for smooth horizontal moves as well as vertical moves and have camera travel distances of 22.5cm (for the S40) and 42.5cm (for the S60). They’re designed for near silent operation and the motorized movement speed ranges from 0.1 cm/s to 5 cm/s.
They’re also both very portable sliders and small enough to be carried inside or strapped onto most backpacks. The TopRig S40 is just 41 cm long and the S60 is 61 cm long, with both being made from metal for professional quality and durability. Even so, the TopRig S40 weighs in at only 1.4kg and the S60 comes in at 1.5kg, making both lightweight enough for lots of travel.
Parallax and Controls
However, what’s really going to make these motorized sliders stand out (and perhaps worth the budget investments) has to do with the movement controls and features. An automated panning parallax movement type is easy to achieve with these sliders.
All users need to do is place the slider square on your subject, make sure both ends of the slider are equal distance from the subject, then move the camera to one end and use the adjustment bar to angle the camera in towards the subject.Once this process is done the camera will slide up and down its length while continually aiming the camera at the subject for a cool, and professional, parallax effect.
The TopRig S40 and S60 sliders are also controllable via Bluetooth by using the TopRig app. They’re also both conveniently powered by a single Sony NP-F type battery (which is included). And Accsoon reports that a single NP-F 550 battery can run one of the sliders for up to 60 hours.
Alternatively, both can also be powered by using 7.4V-16.8V DC via a barrel connector. Both sliders also have handy 5V USB-C output as well to power accessories.
A look at the Accsoon TopRig S40 on set.
Accsoon
Price & Availability
Just recently announced, the TopRig S40 and TopRig S60 motorized sliders will be available at all authorized Accsoon dealers here soon. The TopRig S40 is set to retail at $349 and the TopRig S60 is set to cost $399 at launch.
If you’d like to find out more and explore purchase options right away, you can look up these new sliders on Accsoon’s website here.
