Video sliders allow for precise control of the camera’s movement, but a new modular slider system allows for up to 30 different configurations, from manual control to motorized camera rolls. The Starslider system is a plug and play customizable video slider, expected to hit Kickstarter on January 11, 2017.
The basic slider allows users to mount their own ball head and move the camera down the track manually. Adding the first modular mortar allows linear control — while a second system adds pan and tilt movement.
Controlling the system via Wi-Fi and an iOS or Android app, the slider can hit up to five different points in a single move. Along with basic slides down the track, the monolight add-on rotates the camera, from panning and tilting to completely rotating just the camera in a full circle. Mounting the track vertically expands the slider’s creative range even further.
The app can control up to four different motors on the modular system, including manual control and preset moves. Videographers can customize the motion by adding in each move, then saving and replaying the sequence. The app also controls the speed of each motion.
The system is controlled through a power pack with multiple outlets, including a spot to add an intervalometer to customize the position of the camera during time lapses and an outlet for attaching a monitor to watch the shots.
The add-on system can be deconstructed back into a manual slider by removing the motors and adding the fly wheel. Starslider says the construction allows for fluid control over manual movements.
With the company only releasing teasers before the Kickstarter launch, there’s no technical details yet on exactly how much the slider can hold — or how much it will sell for. The slider is shown using several different advanced camera set-ups, however, including midsize DSLRs and a cinema camera.
The Starslider is expected to head to crowd funding next month.
