This post was last modified: 2016-10-27, 11:42 by Gunther.

How have you found the Spectrum, Gunther?  I understand that it does not do bulb ramping and trying to understand all of the necessary components to pull off day / night, night / day timelapses with using something like the Spectrum?  I guess you would have a completely separate intervalometer controlling the camera?  Is it possible to tell the Spectrum to NOT control the shutter but still do a move shoot move with it?

The Spectrum is a great motion control device. If does everything you need on a very professional level. I'm really happy with it.
You should never let the motion control device control the camera. It will only take care of the triggering and motion.
The camera settings (exposure, iso, aperture) will be done directly on the camera and can then for example be controlled via qDslrDashboard to do the ramping. Please watch my tutorial about this. This technique is independent from the motion control device
that you use.
http://lrtimelapse.com/gear/dslrdashboard/

Thanks, Gunther.  I have watched that helpful and funny (beer.. : tutorial before and attempted to use DSLRDashboard with AutoHolyGrail mode, but am having some challenges with my Sony A7R II.  At least the last time I tried (last month) it could not automatically change ALL of the exposure settings - only shutter speed.  

I have just updated my camera's firmware and the Sony remote control app (needed for dashboard) and am going to try again.

That should help...

Nope.  Tried this morning.  Same results.  I emailed Zoltan and donated some Euros to the cause...   And I've read that some of these challenges is just due to the way Sony is "different" in their design and implementation of their camera systems (vs. Nikon and Canon)...

Has anyone been comparing the eMotimo Spectrum vs. Dynamic Perception's Sapphire Pro?  I am engaged with their support folks on both sides discussing the pros and cons of their competing products.  They've both been very helpful in this "pre-sales" process, but I'm having trouble deciding which one is better.  One of my major concerns is weight and portability because I want to be able to take this on hikes and backpacking trips (I hope).  The Sapphire Pro seems to be the less bulkier of the two.  And then with the slider rig itself, I want that to be 1) expandable and 2) to be able to strap it to my pack with minimal setup / breakdown.  I'm trying to see what combination of those things would meet my requirements.  

Thoughts welcome!

The Sapphire is great if you need minimal footprint in your backpack - but you will have a lot of cables to be connected between the controller and the motors & camera. If you power the Spectrum with a professional V-Mount battery mounted on the head as I do, you can keep cabling to a minimum: one for the slider motor, one for the camera (with an external battery it would be 3 cables. )

I terms of weight, the Sapphire is a bit lighter and it is still pretty robust. The motors are outfitted with DP's pro connectors, which are similar (but not the same) as the ones on the Spectrum. What a lot  of people like about DP's NMX controller is the ability to control it via smartphone, which can be comfortable when your rig is high up (or way down on the floor). The Spectrum can be controlled remotely by the PS4 controller, but if you can't see the display, it is quite hard to get around the menu if you don't really, really know what you are doing.


Price wise, the Spectrum is more expensive. But it is also more capable as it has a 4 channel motion controller, which allows to easily add a lens control axis later on. The NMX on the other hand is daisychainable, so with a second controller, you get up to 6 axis and end up in the same price region as the ST4.  And with the desktop software Graffik, you get a powerful tool for the studio, if that is of any interest.

I use a DP Stage One Plus slider and I am more than happy with it. Make sure you get the wedge plate , bi-pods and the motor drop adapter as well. It's a costly solution, but it has proven to be rugged and reliable many, many times with timelapsers all over the world.


The Shark slider eMotimo sells is pretty good as well, what I don't like is that the motor does not travel with the cart, so there is a long cable from the cart/Spectrum to the motor, which might get caught somewhere. DP's motor is on the cart, allowing for short cables.

In general, both heads have their pro's and con's - if you want ultimte flexibility and minimum footprint, the Sapphire is your champion. If you need a rugged and reliable, almost cable free tool, go for the Spectrum.

Hope this helps.

This post was last modified: 2016-11-13, 13:28 by Gunther.

Thanks Matthias for this very good, in depth comparison, that I agree to from my experience.

That was a great write-up and now that I actually have the Sapphire Pro myself, you were spot on with your evaluation.  I have only been out twice with the Sapphire Pro and the Slider One PLUS and I already love what it can do.  And for me, the best part is that I can break down the pan / tilt head, slider motor, power and cables and fit all of that PLUS two Sony mirrorless cameras in an f-stop gear Medium ICU!  I carry the slider separately in a light stand bag, but that's only because I want to keep it assembled.   

Also, Dynamic Perception's support is super-responsive and very helpful.  The founder, Jay, was even willing to get on the phone and talk through the more advanced details of the NMX controller and slave mode (for use with external bulb ramping devices, etc.).  Can't wait to get my Timelapse VIEW to get it working with this new rig!

Hey gwenger, KidsOfAllAges, crdeantonio --

I'm looking at purchasing either the Dynamic Perception Sapphire Pro or Emotimo Spectrum for time-lapses.  I'll be taking it backpacking some of the time.  It's been about a year since you have left your last comments so I am interested to hear if any of you have additional thoughts on the decision after working with your gear for the last year. 

Thanks!