Shark Slider (1 of 4)-2

I think the Shark Slider S1 is now my new favorite motion device. It showed up right before I left the country so I’m just now getting a chance to play around with it. Beautifully constructed, ultra smooth operation, extendable to 47 inches of travel, and it breaks down into a nice 31 inch bag.

Shark Slider (4 of 4)-2

The carriage on the Shark Slider S1 is made from a solid piece of machined aluminum and uses V-bearings to travel across a very nice set of 22mm carbon rods. Build quality and design are excellent and travel motion is smooth a silk. This is quite possibly one of the nicest sliders I’ve seen for under $1000.

Shark Slider (3 of 4)-2

Travel on the Shark Slider is controlled by this medium sized flywheel attached to a toothed belt. Once you’ve locked the belt into the carriage, the flywheel allows you to ramp up with a smooth start and slow down your cameras travel toward the end of the slide. It works almost as good as the $3500 slider I tested at NAB last year.

Shark Slider (2 of 4)-2

The price tag on the Shark Slider is a bit higher than offerings in similar lengths from Konova. A 47 inch Konova slider will set you back around $540, while the 47 inch Shark Slider will run you $640, but the extra $100 is money well spent. The Shark Slider folds down into a 31 inch travel bag making a lot more convenient than the 47 inch Konova slider and with the Shark’s flywheel system, motion is much easier to control. 640 dollars is a big investment for a slider, but the Shark Slider is well worth considering. So far i’m very impressed. I’ll be taking the shark slider out with me on a shoot I have coming up this weekend, footage and full review to follow. I’ll have to be careful not to go overboard with the slider shots.

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