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The Smartta SliderMini 2 is a conveyable, motorized, iPhone-controlled model of a chunk of movie-making package that’s normally none of these issues. It can be utilized with something from an iPhone to a mirrorless digital camera to a DSLR …
What is it?
A slider is designed to offer you smooth panning shots by permitting the digital camera to slip alongside rails. Large ones might be a number of ft lengthy and require a talented operator; the SliderMini 2 is a little bit over 10 inches lengthy, and utilizing it requires nothing greater than urgent a button – both on the slider itself or within the companion app.
You can use it with a traditional digital camera, or along with your iPhone in a smartphone adapter. The SliderMini 2 helps a most weight of 33 kilos, so you should utilize it with a mirrorless digital camera, DSLR, or, certainly, chunkier filmmaking cameras.
The commonest slider shot you’ll see is a horizontal pan, however you may also shoot within the path of journey for a zoom in or out. Add a ball-head, and you’ll transfer vertically too, although with a a lot lighter payload. You can see examples of every within the video beneath.
Look and really feel
The slider is a comparatively featureless hunk of black metallic with a moveable base sitting atop it. In manufacturing fashions, you may unscrew the quarter-inch thread to disclose a tripod screw beneath. Mine was a pre-manufacturing one, so I needed to connect the included rotating mount on the highest. This provides flexibility anyway, as you may mount the digital camera at completely different angles.
There are L and R markings for left and proper, a single (very delicate) button at one finish, and equally delicate (and completely tiny) battery-life LEDs.
Smartta makes a lot of the portability of the system, suggesting it may be carried in a digital camera bag, connected to a tripod, after which utilized in outside shoots. This is true, however whereas the system in all fairness compact, its stable metallic building signifies that it’s fairly heavy, at round 1.5 kilos, so it’s not one thing you’re going to hold casually.
On the plus facet, it feels actually stable and effectively-constructed.
In use: Standalone mode
The SliderMini 2 couldn’t be simpler to make use of in standalone mode. Attach your digital camera and press the button. The slider will then transfer slowly from left to proper, taking 20 seconds to finish the journey. Press the button once more, and it’ll do the identical factor from proper to left.
The 10-inch observe size is rather a lot when utilized in a studio surroundings, near the factor you’re taking pictures. It is, although, fairly delicate in most outside shots. That stated, you may positively use it for reveal shots in some settings – the place you begin with the digital camera across the nook of a wall, for instance, then slide the scene into view.
In use: Using the app
The Smartta Go app in fact provides performance.
I really like the design of the app: it’s minimalistic, clear and very easy to make use of. The important display is a rotary pace management for the slider. You can freely alter this wherever between the utmost pace of 20 seconds right down to the minimal of 33 minutes and 20 seconds. Once you’ve set your pace, simply hit the appropriate or left arrow to start out. An indicator within the app exhibits you the place of the slider.
There are additionally 4 extra modes:
- Curve mode, to ramp pace up or down throughout the motion
- Time Lapse, for automated movement time-lapse shots
- Stop Motion, which strikes the slider in tiny increments between nonetheless images
- Loop Mode, the place the slider strikes repeatedly again-and-forth
I bought the possibility to do some experiments, which galvanized me and made me fairly excited to make use of it for one thing actual. I hoped to get the possibility to place collectively a video that included MiniSlider 2 footage, however the newest London lockdown and being left with no mirrorless digital camera whereas doing a commerce-in conspired to place paid to that.
I have already got a few clips I’m going to include right into a small studying venture, and can little question share some leads to a future iPhone 12 Diary piece – however for now, you’ll find some pattern footage in Smartta’s promo video.
Smartta SliderMini 2: Pricing and conclusions
The Smartta SliderMini 2 isn’t low-cost. At $399 ($379 till January 10), it positively falls into the ‘serious videographer’ class, relatively than one thing a extra informal shooter would possibly purchase.
But should you do have severe videographer ambitions, a slider is certainly an ideal device to have. Watch any YouTube product video, and there’s virtually a 100% likelihood it can embrace a number of slider shots: the flexibility to easily pan previous a product is one you’ll worth in each product video you’ll shoot.
More informal shooters can get comparable outcomes for much less cash. If you have already got a gimbal for both iPhone or mirrorless digital camera, for instance, then a talented consumer can get smooth pans with that – particularly when taking pictures at excessive body-charges for gradual-movement footage. Other price range choices are a guide slider or low-value dolly, both of which might be had for a fraction of the fee.
But in case you have the price range and the necessity, the SliderMini 2 is a really good piece of package, and one I’m positive will see a good quantity of use.
The Smartta SliderMini 2 is out there direct from the corporate’s web site for $399 – or $379 between now and January 10. There are additionally some bundles out there with ball heads and smartphone holders.
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