Fotodiox Pro SlideCam 1000-39" Video Slider Stabilizer, DSLR Camera Track Slider, Linear Stabilization Rail System with Ball-Bearing Slide Mechanism, Adjustable Legs and Carrying Case

I've used all sorts of camera slides and figure I'd throw my thoughts on this one out there.What is is: A light weight slider that uses 4 metal v-bearings to ride on two side rails.What's good: very compact and light weight. The rail is only about 1.5" wide. As such, they are meant to be 'light duty'. Good with most camcorder, DSLR, etc. Not really stable enough for anything heavier than say 7-8 lbs. In case you're wondering, this is the exact same rail system used by other more manufacturers such as Varavon, etc. The carriage has a 3/8 mounting screw, and a friction brake to lock it in position. I find that the main differences between the manufacturers are actually the legs. These are one piece, non-folding legs with screws that adjusts the level. My Varavon variant has similar, but fold-able legs. There's a clear advantage to fold-able legs since they fold away and doesn't need to be removed for packaging. However, the one piece legs that come with this package is solid. I bought the 24" version of this slider to use on a tripod during my travels. There are 1/4 x 20 threaded holes on each end and in the middle so you can attach your quick release plates. Functionally it's pretty smooth, and very usable if you take your time to adjust the bearings before first use (see below).What's not good: Out of the box, this slide was unusable. There must be 1/4" of wobble and play. Luckily, with a little effort and lots of patience, you can adjust it so that it's completely smooth. I'll show you how. Take off one of the end stops so that you can remove the carriage from the rail. Then take the four hex screws off the carriage. You'll find two shiny, round aluminum screw mounts. Each has a tiny set screw. Loosen that. Then using some straight pliers and rotate the screw mounts clock wise or counter clockwise. This adjusts the way two of the bearings ride on the rail. You'll have to play with it to find the best setting. I had to make adjustments, slide it on and off the rails several times to achieve a smooth, non binding travel with little to no wobble. It's going to take a bit of time. But it's doable. Once you find the correct adjustments, don't forget to tighten up the set screw. FYI, this will throw the bearings out just a trace, but enough to effect the alignment. So test it again, then mount the carriage cover back on.Once set up correctly, it's very,very smooth. It's no Kessler, but for a cheap, compact, easy to pack slide, this is hard to beat.

This is my first slider so I have very little to compare it to. I have been really enjoying using this in my video rig lineup so far and can see the slider being one of my go to stabilization devices. There are a few things I like and do not like after playing with this slider for a bit.PROS:-Seems to be very well made/machined.-Came with a carrying case-SUPER LOW PRICE-Far sturdier on the legs as opposed to tripod mountedCONS:-I have problems with it sticking while my ball head is tilted at extreme angles.-Wish there was a spring cushion at the end of each side instead of a hard stop-Not the most stable mounted a single tripod-Slight smoothness issues in certain spotsOverall for the price I cannot complain too much about the function. At less than $100 I can't picture this performing much better than it does. It will definitely work until I can afford a professional grade slider. I feel safe adding my 8 lb + video rig to this slider.

4 Stars for the build3 Stars for quality controlPros:- Smooth- Lightweight- Locks in place- Feet swivel/lock in place. No need to remove them fit the slider back in the carrying case- Carrying case- Mounting threads on all sides- Good value, worth the priceCons:- Wasn't smooth out of the box. Dirt it the bearings made it very bumpy. Had to take it apart and clean it out.- Bubble level has no fluid, rendering it useless. Very disappointing.Notes:- My friend has had a bigger version of the same slider for a couple years. By now, it's no hardly usable because the bearings have been pushed slightly out of place, making the carriage wobble on the track. This is user error. Avoid this by not putting to much weight on it and keeping it clean.- Don't over tighten the locking knob, this also puts pressure on the bearings, which can loosen the carriage over time. It's not worth trying to fix it once it's loose.

Really bad Slider... my slider came right out of the box with a slide defected on the rails, and it was shifting while moving it around qith my BMPC 4K... and plus it didn't come with the bubble to stabilized it! just not bubble!! definitely find another one that really work!! DON'T WAST YOUR MONEY!! I will be happy to pay a bit more money but at least it does work!!

This slider is getting a 2 star rating because it's built fairly sturdy and it slides. That being said it's a royal pain in the rear end to actually get it to that point. The design of the actual slider is horrible. You cannot tighten anything down on the bolt (such as a baseplate) solid without a ton of work because the screws to hold the cap on the slider are located right next to it on the top not allowing for access once the plate is in place. The only thing you can do is screw the plate on about a million different times to try to get it tight in the direction you want it. Want to put a ball head on this slider? Forget it. You can I'm sure if you want to spend a ton more money and DIY something to rig to it but in my opinion it's not worth it. Buy a better slider and save yourself the headache.