There are loads of different motorized sliders out there. Big ones, small ones, complex ones, you name it. And yet, the guys at Smart View Intl’ thought that something is still missing. That’s why they’re introducing the Smartta SliderMini, a seemingly versatile and easy-to-use motorized slider for everyday use. The Smartta SliderMini really is, just as its name suggests, mini. But it seems to be very capable, too. It’s app controlled, or, if you wish, by the press of a hardware button on the unit itself. It can carry up to 15kg (33 lbs), it fits into your pocket and the built-in 1500mAh Li battery lasts for about 48 hours. Sounds decent! Smartta SliderMini The company behind the SliderMini, Smart View, was just established recently and its first brand name is Smartta. Their social media pages went live around June 2018 and their first product, the SliderMini, is being heavily featured there. Since we at cinema5D are very into clever filmmaking tools which makes our lives (and daily jobs) easier, a review unit was requested (which will arrive soon!). So say tuned for a full-fledged review following this first look. The SliderMini is just 26,2 cm (10.3″) in length and the resulting maximum camera travel is only 20,3 cm (8″) but I can tell you from experience that these 20 cm will make a difference! I used to own a giant 2 m (almost 80″) motorized silder so that thing was huge! And heavy! As a result, I barely used it on set and if I did, the actual camera travel almost never exeeded 50 cm.. I sold it in the end. So, 20 cm might not be a lot but in order to get that cinematic movement into your shot, it’s more than enough, most of the time. The good thing is, this tiny slider can live in your bag all the time and you won’t even notice it. And if you need it, it’s right there. The max load capacity depends on the incline of your given shot. Pulling off a flat movement with a camera up to 15kg (33 lbs) isn’t a problem, and that’s quite the payload! For more angeled shots, the load capacity decreases drastically, but, and that’s pretty cool, you still can pull off a vertical slide with a light (1kg / 2.2lbs) camera package. The whole unit consists of CNC machined aluminum with some stainless steel parts. In terms of speed the SliderMini is capable of very slow moves (6 µm/micrometer per second) up to its maximum speed of 1 cm/0.4″ per second. The slider just weights about 0,6 kg (1.25 lbs). Controlling the SliderMini The unit can be controlled in two ways, basically. If you’re a minimalist you can control the slider with nothing but a small button on the unit itself. Basic A/B moves and timelapses can be configured that way. For more advanced features you’ll need the Android/iOS app which connects via low-energy Bluetooth. Programmed moves can be repeated, different timelapse modes can be loaded/tweaked/stored and moves can be transformed into stop-motion moves. The app seems to be pretty non-nerdy and easy-to-use. The beauty of such apps is their future-proofness: Features can be added over time, custom moves can be stored for later use and the slider will stay away from obsolescence a little longer. A 3/8″ thread for mounting the slider on a tripod is located on the bottom of the unit, a camera (or smartphone holder) can be mounted via 3/8″ or 1/4″ screw to the top of the sliding carriage. Pricing and Availability We’re approaching the twist of this story. Although the company claims that after a comprehensive research on motorized camera sliders in the market, SMART VIEW found that most products were too expensive, bulky, complex and not user-friendly, there’s no pricepoint defined for the SliderMini, yet. Instead, the Smartta SliderMini will be the subject of an imminent Indigogo crowdfunding campaign. If you’re interested, you can join a waitlist over at ismartta.com in order to receive a limited 50% off (!) discount once the campaign has launched. UPDATE: The campaign is now live and the pricing looks interesting, indeed: Early Bird: $199 (that’s the aforementioned 50% off), regular campaign price: $259, MSRP once the campaign is over: $399. Since other solutions seemed to be too expensive for the creators, this quite low price point is really impressive! For reference, the well-established Edelkrone SliderOne PRO is about $700. So this SliderMini is less than half the price but, to be fair, Edelkrone is a long-term innovater in the market while Smart view is a relatively fresh startup. Links: ismartta.com | Indiegogo campaign page What do you think of this new slider? Share your thoughts in the comments below!

Edelkrone announced yet another motion control device as an addition to their lineup. The Motion BOX is tiny, modular and impressively versatile. On closer look it is more a system than just a product. Edelkrone just did it again, they lived up to their claim (“reinvent”) once again and have rethought the motion control system. This time, it’s modular, tiny and one component becomes more imortant than ever: the app. Edelkrone Motion BOX The Motion BOX is a 1-axis motion control device with a footprint of 3.90 x 3.75 x 1.48 inches (99 x 95 x 37.5 mm) and a weight of 18.3 oz (520 g). it contains a DC motor with 2 high-res encoders and a Li-Ion battery which powers the device for up to one hour at top speed or up to 48 hours while in timelapse mode. Connectors for charging the device and triggering a connected camera are located on the back, a 1/4″-20 screw for mounting the camera protrudes from the top and a 3/8″-16 mounting port is located on the bottom. That’s it. The real magic is not to be seen with the naked eye. In order to unlock the full potential of the Motion BOX, you’ll need a decent smartphone (iOS 9.0 / Androin 5.0 or later) and the accompanyingg app. And now we’re talking: Precisely repeatable 360° pan shots? Not a problem! A 2-axis programmable pan/tilt head? Yes, sir! A tiny, yet super-accurate tabletop dolly? Certainly! The Motion BOX is designed to play well with other Edelkrone products. Add a second Motion BOX and the Tilt Kit for an additional tilt axis, add a SliderONE PRO and get a fully programmable track-pan solution. Dual high-res encoders assure flawless and precice operation. You can even add more axes to the system such as a turntable for creating stunning packshots. All you need is an additional MotionBOX and the so-called Product Turntable Kit. Create Your Own Setup Whatever shot you want to get done, chances are that the Motion Box can help you getting there. Just bulid you own custom set which fits your needs best. That’s the beauty of a modular system. You’ll be stuck to Edelkrone’s products, obiously, but since these have a reputaion of being well-made and carefully thought out the Edelkrone ecosystem might not be the worst choice here. For starters, Edelkrone have designed 5 setups: 1-Axis pan: That’s the most basic way to use the Motion BOX, because it’s just that: One Motion BOX. If you’re out and about, you might want to add the Edelkrone StandONE for placing the Motion BOX on rough terrain. Also, the FlexTILT Head seems to be an almost mandatory addition in order to align your camera. 2-Axis pan-tilt: This setup incorporates 2 Motion BOXes and the so-called Tilt Kit. This allows you to mount one Motion BOX vertically over another. Both devices will talk to each other via Bluetooth and make use of built-in accelerometers. When used vertically, the Motion BOX knows that it is being used for tilting and adjusts itself. You can also use a single Motion BOX just for tilting, of course. Two Motion BOXes, held together by a Tilt Kit. SliderONE PRO & Motion BOX: When attached to the SliderONE PRO, the Motion BOX will act as a pan axis for your slider. Both units communicate via Bluetooth. Motion Box with SliderONE PRO and StandONE. Table top dolly: This setup contains one Motion BOX and the SKATER Kit. Again, the FlexTILT Head seems to be the most logical addition to this setup, Edelkrone does not suggest using a regular tripd head. However, you can use a magic arm. The angle of movement can be adjusted by simply turning the two outboard wheels. Motion Box with Skater Kit and FlexTILT Head. Turntable: For this setup, you’ll need one Motion BOX and the so-called Product Turntable Kit. Again, the now rotating Motion BOX will communicate with the other devices via Bluetooth, no cables involved. Perfect for fancy packshots. The Kit comes with two pads, one white matte and a glossy black one. The heart of the whole system is the app. With it, you can control all the devices you have for your setup in from the palm of your hand. The Edelkrone App The app becomes the command center for all of Edelkrone’s products. Just like the DJI app or the GoPro app, this piece of software is essential. You can perform all kinds of movements, from simple start-stop movements to sophisticated programmed (and repeatable) movements for FX recording. Each and every move can be transformed in either a timelapse or a stop-motion sequence. Speaking of timelapses, Edelkrone let’s you perform fancy timelapse 2.0 moves such as time-warps or motion-warps. Complicated setups become very easy thanks to this app. Since all the Edelkrone devices are meant to play well together, the app offers pretty cool features while the whole system stays compact, modular and versatile. Differnet screens of the Edelkrone app. The nice thing about apps is that they can easily be upgraded. So whenever Edelkrone comes up with another fancy feature, they can just implement it and your investment pays off a little longer. Conclusion The Edelkrone Motion BOX seems to be pretty cool piece of equipment. It’s tiny, it’s lightweight and it can add production value to your work. Just put it in your bag and forget about it until you need it. For me this seems to be a piece of gear I would always carry around with me, just like my DJI Osmo. It doesn’t take up too much space so if you don’t need it, fine. But if you do, it’s right there. The one thing that worries me a little is the internal battery. Hopefully it can be charged with an external battery while operating. Otherwise you’ll have to wait until the unit is charged again (up to 4 hours) before using it again. That would be a real downside. Pricing and Availability The Motion BOX ships early May but you can preorder it now. Edelkrone offers several kits with a discount. Just head over to Edelkrone.com for all the details. Motion BOX: $299 (pre-order now for $284) Tilt Kit:  $99 (pre-order now for $94) Skater Kit: $199 (pre-order now for $189) Product Turntable Kit: $69 (pre-order now for $65) Links: Edelkrone website Do you think this piece of gear is worth a closer look? Share your thoughts in the comments below!

Edelkrone – known for its innovative, slick, durable and user-friendly camera motion accessories – has unveiled the SliderONE Pro, the advanced and more versatile version of the SliderONE. SliderONE Pro – What’s New? Although the Pro version is pretty similar to the original version, there are some significant improvements: Built-in motion module, as opposed to the original SliderONE that had a separate motor unit. The new version offers improved motor speed and integration with the slider.  5cm of extra travel, which can be a major advantage if you need camera motion for macro shots. More powerful coreless DC motor with improved position control capability. Increased incline capacity. Thinner and lighter body. Improved vertical layout and time-lapse app features. Interface Watch the product demo below: Time-Warper and Motion-Warper One of the coolest new app features is the time and motion warper. With Time-Warper, you can change the speed of time, but without changing the slide speed. Motion-Warper does the opposite, means time-lapse speed is constant, but the speed of camera motion is changed. The operator controls both warpers using the same interface. These great options reward filmmakers by helping them unleash their creativity when shooting time-lapses, delivering some very cool-looking shots. Watch the video below for further explanation about the Time-Warper and Motion-Warper: The SliderONE Pro also has an increased incline capacity, which allows cool motion shots in the Y-axis. Increased incline capacity The slider is capable of moving as slow as 27 μm/Sec (micrometer per second). Although that’s super accurate and more than enough for most applications, the older version was even slower than this, offering movement down to 10 μm/Sec. For the full specs, check out the picture below: SliderONE Pro Spec Price: $590 (battery not included). It seems that Edelkrone has nailed it again with a super useful product that matches exactly the needs of the independent filmmaking community. The main advantage is that this product will allow you to deliver good and professional results in one-man-band production scenarios. Also, this product is robust enough to handle larger cameras than just DSLRs, such as those from RED and other heavier cameras. Personally, I’m not a fan of sliders because I feel they somehow limit creativity. However, I do see myself using the SliderONE Pro when macro shots are needed. Would you use this product in your productions? Let us know in the comments!

In comes another product by Edelkrone! The company seems to be on a fast-paced and never-ending quest for the most innovative device to add engaging motion to otherwise dull and static shots. Let’s see what the self-sliding, programmable SurfaceONE is capable of! Sliding moves are cool. Or wait, are they? Maybe you want to check out Nino and Li-Lian’s latest episode of cinema5D Essentials on that topic. However, adding motion to your shots is almost always a good idea. But what if you are on location and that bulky camera slider with all its tripods and extra stuff is still in the back of your car? Maybe something more compact could be the right solution. Edelkrone SurfaceONE The SurfaceOne is a relatively small device that’s equipped with two wheels underneath it and a 3/8”-16 screw for mounting accessories on top. You can mount a camera on it and program it with any iOS (9.0 and above) or Android (5.0 or above) device to perform and even repeat a variety of moves – it’s that simple. However, there’s more to it as you can see in the introduction video below. The whole unit is powered by a standard Canon LP-E6-style battery (not provided) that can keep the unit running for about 4 hours at full speed or 48 hours’ worth of time lapsing. All you need is the SurfaceONE itself, a decent phone and – due to the absence of dedicated tracks – a super-smooth surface for the slider to, well, slide on. You will also need some kind of mount for your camera. Edelkrone has been using its own FlexFit Head 2 on all their marketing images and videos, so that will add $159.99 to the already somewhat pricey SurfaceONE, which goes for $689.99. Shooting Modes The SurfaceONE offers a number of different shooting modes, such as Targeted Slide, Free Slide or Auto Pan Mode. And then there’s time lapse, of course. In target mode, a built-in laser pointer determines the correct settings in order to keep your subject dead center while moving. In Free Slide mode the SurfaceONE will slide as far as you want as long as the surface stays smooth. The third mode, called Auto Pan Mode, enables you to create perfectly controlled pans. All these modes are available for time-lapse shooting, too. There are two types of speed adjustment provided: angular speed or percentile speed. With angular speed adjustment you can maintain the same slide feel while varying the distance to your target. The SurfaceONE’s Maximum speed is 8.66″ (220mm) per second, with a minimum speed of about 0.007″ (0.2mm) per second. Watch the video below to get a brief idea of the sound levels of the SurfaceONE. That’s important if you’re planning on using this device to shoot interviews in quiet environments. Pricing and Availability At $689.99, the SurfaceONE is not exactly cheap. On the other hand, it does seem like quite a capable and versatile device, so maybe its price tag is quite reasonable. You have to keep in mind that you’ll need some kind of camera mount or tripod head unless you want to screw your camera directly onto the 3/8”-16 screw, which I wouldn’t recommend. The SurfaceOne will be available around mid September. You can pre-order it directly from Edelkrone.com. Links: Edelkrone.com | FlexTilt Head 2 Do you have any Edelkrone products in your gear bag? What do think of this new device? Let’s hear your thoughts in the comments below!

Director Michel Gondry utilized the iPhone for his latest short ‘Détour’, highlighting just how important your story is over the gear that you use. Known for his directing many short independent films, music videos and of course Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind and The Science of Sleep, Gondry has now directed a new short film called Détour using just the iPhone. This demonstrates how an engaging narrative makes all the difference, no matter what camera you shoot with. The story of Détour is told through the eyes of a child, and the journey of her treasured possession: her tricycle, thus giving life and meaning to the journey of an inanimate object. It revisits Gondry’s like for whimsical childhood narratives. Gondry used a variety of techniques to tell the story, including timelapse, stop motion and slow motion, all of which are features that are built into the iPhone. Practical effects prominent in his earlier work such as scale and perspective are also. These simple yet effective techniques all contribute to the child-like view of the film, and can also be created with relative ease. In the short Behind The Scenes films, Gondry talks about using the iPhone to incorporate slow movement just like with a heavy cinema camera, but still being able to create unique in-camera effects thanks to the small size and weight. Such effects include rotating the camera on a bicycle pedal or using a gimbal for smoother movement along the river. Practically, the iPhone proved to be a relevant tool for filming this short, but more importantly it highlights that a great story is much more important than the equipment you use. There is an emotive connection between the audience, the little girl and the bike, regardless of the camera. The mis-en-scene helps tell that story too; the little girl always wearing her tricycle helmet, the point of view of the tricycle, and also the happy and carefree soundtrack. Yes this could be seen as a marketing stunt by Apple, but at the end of the day, the story can put a smile on your face, and leave you thinking: “If Gondry shot this with ah iPhone, then why can’t I? For an insight into the production of Détour, here are the links to the other behind the scenes films: Through the eye of Michel Gondry: Time-lapse, Stop Motion, Slo-Mo, Night Scenes, Perspective Tricks Source: Today at Apple

The campaingn’s founder, Ryan Stout, claims that Arsenal is an intelligent camera assistant. The DSLR add-on helps you capture the perfect shot every time with the help of image analysis and machine learning. With the accompanying app for your smartphone you end up with an actual smart DSLR. Let’s have a look! Meet Arsenal There is a new gadget in town. Well, almost – but if you happen to be brave enough for another Kickstarter campaign, the Arsenal might be worth a closer look. The so-far very successful campaign is about to hit the home stretch and the product itself looks very promising: a tiny device which is connected 1) to your DSLR via USB and 2) to your smartphone wirelessly. The unit is programmed with thousands of images which are then compared to the current framing of your DSLR. It adjusts several settings accordingly in order to get the perfect shot, so all you have to do is frame your picture and the Arsenal will take care of the (technical) rest – just like an actual camera assistant. Too good to be true, right? Different Modes The Arsenal is capable of several shooting modes: HDR stacking, long exposures, focus stacking, you name it. The good thing is, you don’t have to think about it. All you have to do is let your creativity flow while Arsenal takes care of the technical execution. Here is a list of things the Arsenal algorithms process while striving for that perfect shot: Compares current scene with thousands of past images using a convolutional deep neural network (the same algorithm used in self driving cars) Optimizes settings based on 18 different factors Avoids settings that produce weak images on your specific camera and lens Uses image recognition to identify subject-specific needs (e.g. fast shutter for birds) Shows safe ranges for each setting based on situational constraints (e.g. vibration) Gives you the ability to change the settings you care about most Controlling the Arsenal is easy: just download the android or iOS app and you’re good to go. All the settings can be accessed and changed via the app, and you’ll get a live preview from your DSLR and a convenient viewer for the pictures you’ve already taken. And since we’re living in a social-media world, you can upload your hero shots straight from the app, of course. The most interesting feature for me personally is the ability to create fully-automated timelapses. Even the so-called holy grail (transition from day to night or vice versa) is supported. I’m very curious how well the Arsenal handles that tricky type of timelapse! Specifications, Pricing and Availability The Arsenal supports a whole range of DSLRs. Canon, Nikon, Sony, Fujifilm, they are all aboard. Check out this webpage and search for your DSLR make and model. The campaign is live until Thursday, June 22th 2017 4PM CEST. While writing this, the “Get Arsenal – Kickstarter Exclusive” tier is still available. That one will set you back $150. The estimated delivery date is January 2018. Just a word of warning: This is still a Kickstarter campaign, not a retail offer, so naturally there are risks. I had a few disappointing Kickstarter experiences myself, so be advised! If you love the thrill, go get one. If you want to play it safe, wait until the actual product is ready and check if it still pleases your needs. If so, go and get one for a slightly higher price. links: Kickstarter campaign | Website What do you think? Does this look like the gadget you were waiting for? Share your thoughts in the comments below!

A Taste of New York is a new time-lapse film that has been getting a lot of attention since it was published. It features some new and interesting techniques and a lot of motion designing. We had a quick interview with the creators of the video. The times when time-lapse videos were just simple compilations of tripod clips with music in background are long gone. Today’s best time-lapse videos are all about motion, story and sound design – something that Austria-based video production company FilmSpektakel is well aware of. Their latest piece is the third instalment in their independent A Taste Of… series, and this time they bring us to New York City. Peter Jablonowski, Thomas Pöcksteiner and Lorenz Pritz are the filmmakers behind this time-lapse film. They spent ten days in NYC in September 2016, during which they set out to collect a lot of great angles – including from an actual helicopter. They shot 65,000 photos, which took up 2,6 TB of storage space. The final 3-minute video took 36 hours to render on the best-equipped iMac available. Skyline timelapse clip. Image credit: FilmSpektakel One of the most interesting shots in the video is the clip of the yellow cabs. The guys took photos of yellow cabs whenever they got a chance, covering them from as many different angles as possible. They gathered 2,000 photos in total and compiled them into a hyper lapse around a cab in post production. It took them 5 whole days of post work to get this one shot. We asked Peter Jablonowski a few questions about the video: c5D: How did you come up with the idea of going to New York to shoot the next episode in your A Taste Of… series? Peter: We always had the plan to try our A Taste Of… series on an international level, so we were looking for a country or city to do this experiment in. We’ve been to New York two times before so we already knew the city, which made it easier for us to accomplish this project. c5D: I guess that the Yellow Cab clip was the hardest and most time-consuming clip in the video, especially from a post-production point of view. Are there any other clips that were also difficult to shoot? Did you have to overcome any extraordinary obstacles to get the exact angle you wanted? Peter: The helicopter ride was one of the best and at the same time most challenging things we experienced in NYC. We had never been on a helicopter before and flying in between those skyscrapers is pure adrenaline. Trying to take stable pictures while having the doors off is extremely difficult. We first tried it with the help of a single-handed gimbal (CAME-TV Single) which worked fine when the helicopter hovered above one place, but during movement it failed completely because of the strong winds. Most of the helicopter shots in the video are hand-held and stabilized in post production. The helicopter shot was handheld. Image credit: FilmSpektakel c5D: Did you have any problems with the police or other authorities when setting up tripods and all the gear on the streets? Did you have to get any permissions for all that? Peter: Luckily we had no problems with police at all. We were well aware of where tripods are allowed (on the streets, etc.) and where and when tripods they are forbidden. In these cases, we knew how to make do with sand bags, magic arms or even with a stack of tissues. For each location we tried to bring as little gear as possible so we wouldn’t attract too much attention. The authorities were very friendly and appreciated our awareness of the rules and laws. c5D: Any funny BTS stories of your NYC shoot? Peter: Building security kicked us out of our Airbnb after a few nights because it was being let illegally. We didn’t know anything about that, so we had no plan B when security told us to be gone within one hour or else the cops would show up. Airbnb handled it very well and booked us a hotel right next to Times Square, so we were lucky after all to be right in the city center. c5D: Do you already have a plan for the next episode in the A Taste Of… series? If you do, which location do you have in sight? Peter: Yes, we are continuing these A Taste Of… videos, and in fact the next episode has already been shot. To be honest, we are not quite sure when to release it… It will be in a few more months in the future, I guess… Where the next one will take place is still a secret, but if you are following us on Facebook, you could already take a good guess ;-) Getting multiple clips at once. Image credit: FilmSpektakel In terms of equipment, FilmSpektakel used a Sony A7R II, Sony a6300 and two Canon 6D bodies. There is a full list of equipment along with other additional information directly in the video description on the Vimeo link. All episodes of A Taste Of… have received a Vimeo Staff Pick award, so it is really worth watching the older pieces too. Links for those are also in the Vimeo page of the video. Feeling inspired to shoot a time-lapse video now? Do you have any samples you would like to share? Let us know in the comments below!

The Syrp Genie II, the new version of the motion controller by the New Zealand-based company, has been announced during NAB 2017. The all-new Syrp Genie II is a motion control device that improves on the first generation and brings more possibilities in motion control for video and time-lapse. A couple of months ago, we heard about the Syrp Slingshot, a wire cam for dynamic time lapses. Now the company has introduced their new Syrp Genie II time lapse motion controller device. The new Genie consists of two components: Linear drive system that makes up the base of the Genie. It can be attached to any slider on the market and allows you to achieve linear motion control through the string just like the first generation Genie. You can use the base only and attach camera head directly to it if you just want linear motion. Pan/tilt component which can be attached to the base and brings full 3-axis motion control. The new Syrp Genie II claims to be faster, quieter and more powerful than the first generation, and has WiFi and Bluetooth connectivity, which serves for communication between the linear base and the pan/tilt module of the product for precise 3-axis control. WiFi is used for high-speed transfer of footage and for communication with the Syrp Genie app. It has two USB-C ports on the linear base and three USB-C ports on the pan/tilt module. It is capable to control camera settings like aperture, exposure time and ISO directly through the Genie app, and works with exchangeable Lithium batteries. We can certainly see that the new locking mechanism is very nice, the linear drive system offers a smaller footprint and the whole system is lighter than the first generation. As a first look, also the pan/tilt head seems like a powerful tool for time-lapse photography as well as video applications with its low noise design, though only a proper field test will provide the necessary insights. On a side note, we have high expectations for products coming from Syrp. Both the Syrp Genie II Linear Drive System & Pan/Tilt Component will cost about $2,000, but will also be available as separate products. Syrp plans to start shipping in November.