edelkrone SliderPLUS v2 Medium

During the past several years, the slider dolly has become increasingly popular for camera support, as cameras have gotten smaller and lighter while still maintaining high quality visuals. For a fraction of the cost, slider dollies can fill the same role as larger dolly systems on tracks while also being easier to transport and assemble. The edelkrone SliderPLUS v2 Medium is a new slider dolly that has 12 inches of track, but uses a unique mechanism that lets your camera travel 24 inches, twice as far, when mounted on a tripod. This feature alone is a great reason to look at the SliderPLUS v2, but that is just the beginning.

Brilliant Design

The edelkrone SliderPLUS v2 medium is presented in a sleek, solid white box and comes fully assembled. In addition to the actual slider dolly itself, edelkrone also provides a few allen wrenches for minor adjustments and both 1/4-inch-20 and 3/8-inch-18 thread mounts for attaching a pan/tilt head to the mounting plate. On the bottom of the slider is a single mounting point for the base plate for your tripod and there are also two adjustable feet on each end for use on a flat surface. Light in weight, thanks to the CNC machined aluminum parts and reduced size, the SliderPLUS v2 is easier to carry and takes up much less space than other sliders in the two feet class. The SliderPLUS v2 could even fit into a medium-to-large sized bag or backpack – unheard of for a slider dolly with 24-inches of travel.

The sliding mechanism makes use of steel ball bearings and a clever tracking system that allows the rails of the slider to move with the camera. This is done by having two thin bands of braided material that are connected to each side of the mounting plate and base plate.

When the SliderPLUS v2 is on a table, if you move the mounting plate in one direction, the base plate moves in the opposite direction because of this pulley system. The two pieces move in perfect harmony, with no strain or snags, even when moved very quickly. When the SliderPLUS v2 is mounted on a tripod, the movement of the base plate is effectively restricted, instead causing the rails themselves to pass through the base plate as the mounting plate is moved across the rails. This design means that when the mounting plate is on the far right of the rails, the base plate is at the far left of the rails. As the mounting plate with your camera is pushed leftward, the rails move slowly to the left as well, reaching their furthest point leftward just as the mounting plate reaches the end of the rails.

The Test

After mounting the SliderPLUS v2 on a tripod and attaching a camera via a small pan/tilt head to the mounting plate, we proceeded to take some test shots. When relocating the tripod, there is a lock mechanism that can be engaged to keep the slider from moving if the tripod becomes unlevel. As we slid the camera from one end to the other, we found the action to be very smooth and easy going. There is no drag adjustment on the SliderPLUS v2, but the ball bearings and construction provide a very controllable experience. It was just as easy to move fast or slow.

The sliding mechanism makes use of steel ball bearings and a clever tracking system that allows the rails of the slider to move with the camera.

While the pulley mechanism that doubles the travel distance sounds complicated on paper, in real life it was nearly transparent. When moving the camera from one end to another, we never really noticed the complexity of the SliderPLUS’s mechanics; it felt the same as using any other slider with 24-inches of travel. The solid aluminum construction held up the weight of the camera very well. When the camera was at the extremities of the rails, the SliderPLUS v2 didn’t sag or feel unstable in the least, even when quickly moving the camera across the rails.

Final Thoughts

The effective pulley tracking system on the SliderPLUS v2 works wonderfully, but we think that the thin, braided fabric straps that the mechanism depends on could be subject to easy breakage by snagging on other equipment when it is being moved. This issue could be alleviated by transporting the SliderPLUS v2 in its box, but you still need to be mindful of all the moving parts while operating it on a tripod or on its feet.

The SliderPLUS v2 may be priced a bit higher than other sliders with 24-inches of travel, but this is the only one that can do it while physically being 17-inches long. If you’re looking for a slider dolly that can fit in a medium-to-large backpack, but doesn’t compromise on travel length, the edelkrone SliderPLUS v2 Medium is an excellent choice.

edelkrone SliderPLUS v2 Medium
www.edelkrone.com
$600

TECH SPECS

Load Capacity: 16lb.
Total Length: 17.2”
Travel Length: 12” travel on ground, 24” travel on tripod
Sliding Drag: No
Sliding Lock: Yes
Adjustable Feet: Yes
Collapsible: No
Leveling Bubble: No
Mounting Plate: Non-removeable
Tripod/Pedestal fitting: 1/4”-20 and 3/8”-16
Material: Black Anodized Aluminum, Steel Ball Bearings
Weight: 3.7lb.

STRENGTHS

• Ingenious, space-saving design
• Smooth mechanisms
• Compact and portable

WEAKNESSES

• No drag adjustments
• Potential weakness in tracking system materials

 

Adam Vesely is a Videographer/Director of Photography and Still Photographer in Northern California.