I’ve been creating static time lapse videos for a few years and would like to add motion control. I hope to eventually create 3 axis videos using a slider and a pan/tilt head but I would like to start slow and purchase just one item first. I have seen wonderful single motion videos using a slider (i.e., DP Stage 1). I have also seen great videos using a pan/tilt system (i.e., eMotimo TB3).
I am looking for advice, what would be the easiest way to enter the world of motion control. I am overwhelmed with the choices. The limiting factor is NOT money, it is mobility. I do everything myself so size and weight is my most important consideration.
I shoot with a Canon 5D M2 and M3 in case that matters. I shoot outdoor astro and landscape time lapse.
Slider or Pan/Tilt as first motion control device?
Rich
I would start with a slider, it gives the more impressive effect to start with.
I agree - start with a Slider/Dolly and keep in Mind that you'll update with pan-tilt. Really a lot of products out there but be careful with homemade products. If money is not the first matter, give Dynamic perception a try. Lightweight, transportable, expandable and great in combination with the Emotimo later.
I would also start with a slider with an MX2, you can then add the TB3 later and still use the MX2 for focusing & zoom.
Hi richparry,
If mobility is the limiting factor, a panhead is the winner for sure, but i guess you know that.
Generally, i would say there is 1 fundamental difference between slider and panhead:
A slider creates nice effects if part of your scenery is close to the cam and the other part has some more distance, in other words if you have foreground and background. An extreme example: a slider has no effect if you shoot stars in the sky, but a good effect if there is for example a tree in the foreground.
A panhead does the opposite: it creates nice results for a scenery that is far away (sky, distant landscape..)
And what i have seen when watching other peoples work is that many people who use a slider tend to have a lot of static foreground in their movies (for a "good" slider-effect), and the moving part (clouds or whatever) is far and tiny in the background. That can create really boring videos in my opinion.
So i believe beside size and weight, your decision should also depend on what kind of scenery you want to shoot.
hi,
just read the thread, well i have the same problem, slider or emotimo,
emotimo is more portable, i have 2 axes possibility, also 360 pan with tilt etc...
but i also wanted to use the emotimo for smooth video motion, so i am not sure if a slider is here better,
perfect would be slider and emotimo; i read all reviews and watched all videos but
still no decision,
I wrote the original post months ago, let me share my experience since I now have both a slider and the eMotimo and can answer my own question.
I have had both a slider and the eMotimo for a few months and am no expert but here are my thoughts. If a scene is setup nicely, I find the slider gives very dramatic results, but it takes more work. For a slider, it is useful to have a wide angle lens and important to have something in the foreground to act as a reference to give the feeling of movement. The slider has restrictions, but the results can be very good.
The eMotimo is extremely portable and useful for both timelapse and video and can be used almost anywhere. Having a foreground subject for reference is not as important.
In summary, if you have time and people to help you then maybe a slider is the solution, but I would suggest the eMotimo as a first purchase. You can carry it easily and because you can use it for both timelapse and video, I would vote for the eMotimo if you can have only one motion control device. If you will get two motion control devices, I would start with the eMotimo and get the slider second.
Rich in San Diego, CA
(2013-06-24, 20:07)richparry Wrote: [ -> ]I wrote the original post months ago, let me share my experience since I now have both a slider and the eMotimo and can answer my own question.
I have had both a slider and the eMotimo for a few months and am no expert but here are my thoughts. If a scene is setup nicely, I find the slider gives very dramatic results, but it takes more work. For a slider, it is useful to have a wide angle lens and important to have something in the foreground to act as a reference to give the feeling of movement. The slider has restrictions, but the results can be very good.
The eMotimo is extremely portable and useful for both timelapse and video and can be used almost anywhere. Having a foreground subject for reference is not as important.
In summary, if you have time and people to help you then maybe a slider is the solution, but I would suggest the eMotimo as a first purchase. You can carry it easily and because you can use it for both timelapse and video, I would vote for the eMotimo if you can have only one motion control device. If you will get two motion control devices, I would start with the eMotimo and get the slider second.
Rich in San Diego, CA
hi Rich,
thank you for sharing your experience, well i am also thinking like you, emotimo is more portable, and very versatile, no maths needed for complex calculation just set it and it runs, but i am thinking also if i can replace a slider video movement with the emotimo, ( i guess really not two different ways )
so as you say perfect would be both, a stage one / zero for video & timelapse and the emotimo;
do you own the black one emotimo?
Yes, I got the black eMotimo. I really hated the orange color. I call enough attention to myself from spectators without have a loud orange box adding to it.
One other thing about the eMotimo is that it is wireless so there is no need to worry about a cable getting caught during the middle of a two hour time lapse and having to start over again.
There is one other point, a slider nearly always needs two tripods, which is more equipment to buy and carry. FWIW, I use one tripod, but that is only because the slider is 2 feet, if it is longer, two tripods would be a must.
Rich