02Sep Closer Inspection – 360VM Video Camera Crank Slider
Here’s a more personal look at the 360VM Video camera slider with belt driven Crank. There’s no denying from the exterior that it has been influenced by the Kessler Pocket Dolly V1 which was based on IGUS rails. Don’t change the channel just yet. At closer inspection the 360VM slider does not appear to be using IGUS rails, and most importantly they are not using IGUS Drylin bearings. I’m not sure which extrusion this is or if it’s been completely custom made, but the biggest difference is the bearings used are large Teflon blocks. The teflon blocks wrap around the rail, so the carrier cannot be removed without tools. No worries about your camera falling off.
On one end, we see the crank pulley. The pulley handle can be removed and there is also a small guide hole which allows the crank to be ’strung’. Using heavy thread you can wind the crank and control the movement through string pulling as seen in Kessler’s old video here.
On the opposite end, we have a free wheeling pulley. Looking closer at the top of the end plate, there are several pre-threaded 1/4-20 mounting holes. This is an expensive addition for any type of manufacturing to be done without reason. Possibly it has been pre-designed to support mounting for future motion control hardware?
There are two different sizes available in 28″ (shown) and 38″. The rail itself is just over 3″ wide with 3/8″ and 1/4″ pre-drilled threaded mouting holes on each end and in the center. I’ve mounted a 717AH quick release to the center (shown below).
The Teflon blocked sliding carrier is very wide allowing better balance over the rails. The carrier only allows for a 3/8″ mount for use with a full sized Photo/Video head.
There are small rubber feet at each end of the slider so that it can be used without a Tripod. As you can see from the photos, there is still enough clearance for the quick release plate to remain on the rail. Since there are no adjustable legs for this slider, you would need to be aware of uneven ground. One options some slider companies use is the Manfrotto half bowl adapter. This adapter will allow you to quickly get your camera level even if the base is slightly uneven.
They provide a tool-less adapter for the Carrier that allows you to mount and remove your Video head without tools when it’s time to pack things away.
With only a 3/8″ mount, you will not be able to mount a camera directly should you require. Luckily Manfrotto has a small 3/8″ to 1/4″ adapter which will allow you to mount your camera directly or small ball head.
Surprisingly there are not very many Ready-Made Crank pulley sliders available. The ones that are available are still quite high in price. It’s highly possible to build your own belt driven Crank Pulley using the IGUS Drylin system, which works well for light to medium cameras. As noted earlier, the 360VM Slider is not using IGUS rails or the Drylin W bearings, and instead have moved to Teflon blocks which slide very smoothly with little to no noise (unlike bearing based sliders). So far excellent build quality, and by hand the system operates very nicely. I still have to load this up with a Canon DSLR and take her out for a test drive – possibly will have time tomorrow.
360VM Video Camera Slider with Belt Crank Pulley
September 3rd, 2011 at 1:49 am
Great to see yet another slider option! This may be the best one yet. Gonna have to save for this before it catches wind and the seller increases his price.
September 3rd, 2011 at 4:11 am
Hey Emm, I would love to see a test footage with a DSLR, can you do vertical mount as well and see how well it holds up? thanks!
September 3rd, 2011 at 6:08 am
Which type is better ? Roller Bearings, igus dry in bearing , or Teflon blocks?
When i read the article the main take I got, are the telfon blocks are quieter.
Which continues to work longer and problem free. Ie bearings rust if not lubed vs Teflon coating wears off?
I haven’t bought a slider because
1) lack of money
2) too many other things I need glass, rig, FF, arms, led lights, stabilizers, etc…
3) lack of knowledge.
Thanks emm!
September 3rd, 2011 at 7:14 am
So do you recommend this over the Konova slider?
September 3rd, 2011 at 7:53 am
@Rina – I suggest that you practice with both friction and bearing sliders. There’s a mixed bag of users out there who prefer one over the other. The Konova is a great slider. The bearings allow the slider to move effortlessly even with a good amount of weight. Some people hate bearing sliders because it lacks friction and usually creates a bit of noise and is usually heavier. I’ll have some samples up from the 360VM when I can.
September 3rd, 2011 at 7:56 am
@Luke – The Teflon blocks are definitely quieter than the Konova bearing slider. The problems people run into are consistency of movement, especially when operating by hand. Even though the Konova is smooth and moves very easily, some people don’t like the fact that there isn’t a good way to add friction adjustments.
September 3rd, 2011 at 8:24 am
This looks great. I want to buy a 38″ but they are sold out. Very diverse offerings by this company. Check out their other products…. I hope that there is a future stepping motor.
September 3rd, 2011 at 9:32 am
It looks like there is an “upgrade” carriage coming out for the original IGUS slider. Its heavier and uses a mixture of the dry friction and bearing wheel technology. Sounds interesting and is supposed to be very smooth…
September 6th, 2011 at 2:58 pm
I don’t know if this is a dumb question as my use and knowledge of sliders is very limited but since this is a crank slider, is it also possible to use by hand and just the normal Teflon friction?
September 6th, 2011 at 3:15 pm
@Derek – Yes you can operate the slider by hand. I think there’s some links here which shows how crank sliders work. http://cheesycam.com/360vm-video-camera-slider-w-crank-pulley/
September 6th, 2011 at 4:46 pm
Can a WF717A tripod hold the slider without the need for another tripod/light stand for support?
September 6th, 2011 at 5:07 pm
@Liz – The metal tripod with the 717AH bowl mount can support it alone. The one used in this video will work with the slider alone. http://oliviatech.com/glideshot-portable-4-video-crane-jib
September 7th, 2011 at 2:14 pm
I have this version of the 717A:
http://www.ephotoinc.com/pro-heavy-duty-video-tripod-fluid-drag-head-kits-wf7717.html
Will this work?
September 7th, 2011 at 2:16 pm
@Liz – It might not be strong enough.
September 7th, 2011 at 4:39 pm
How about if I stick a 5lb sandbag on the hook? Will that help?
September 7th, 2011 at 4:56 pm
@Liz – Yes that would work. But that means carrying around another 5lbs.
September 7th, 2011 at 6:43 pm
Yeah, but I don’t have much choice other than that
Not going to buy the other tripod version just for a slider…
September 7th, 2011 at 8:03 pm
Are there any other sliders that you could recommend?
September 8th, 2011 at 6:42 pm
EMM,
do you think this process will work for this slider as well?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q9fA48Vylxg
could you experiment with it? =]
September 8th, 2011 at 7:16 pm
@Chris – It should work if you can adapt the right sized allen key.
September 11th, 2011 at 6:04 am
can you please do a full review of this slider?
thanks
September 14th, 2011 at 1:06 am
I picked one of these up last week. Initially, I was very impressed but after taking this out on the filed, I’m concerned about the belt bearing build. Both spools that hold the belt on both ends are canted which give an uneven tension. I emailed 360vm but haven’t heard back yet.
September 17th, 2011 at 4:19 pm
I bought this last week based on your review. Maybe yours was fine but mine is a POS. Every turn on the wheel it wobbles. It is not machined well at all. BEWARE buyer. this unit is a POS. I hope I can force ebay to have them refund my money. I felt compelled to come on this website and say this to any potential buyers out there. And please reviewer, make sure you cover all the basis. $300 is a lot of money to be out for a unit that is completely useless.
September 17th, 2011 at 6:38 pm
@David – Sorry you’re having issues, mine is working fine. So far my review wasn’t anything more than just highlighting the basic parts and features of the slider. Is it possible for you to show some examples of your issue before returning the item?
October 5th, 2011 at 8:22 am
He agreed to take it back but I am still out a lot of shipping money. I would love to be able to keep it. He said it is adjustable and I tried to adjust but it was not possible after loosing all the allen screws. Here is a short video of the wobble. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ywfZuXYm6uk
It is hard to see but each one turn of wheel it pushes back on the smooth motion, so you get like 7 spurs across, since the wheel spins 7 times. If you know how I can fix it let me know before I return it.
October 5th, 2011 at 11:01 am
@David- did the ebay seller ship it from Hong Kong? Just wondering because I have not received mines yet.
October 16th, 2011 at 8:50 pm
Hey! Any updates on this slider? I was just about to pick one up too. @EMM How do you feel about yours? @David did you feel that was a defect or due to a packaging/shipping accident?
October 16th, 2011 at 9:27 pm
@L – I don’t think they are available any longer. The Konova still performs very smoothly. Here’s a recent video Olivia did http://oliviatech.com/techniques-and-tips-on-the-konova-dslr-video-camera-slider
October 16th, 2011 at 10:59 pm
Maybe. It is not packed very well at all. Just some one layer of bubble wrap in a loose box. But I think it was actually machined improperly, one of the stems was not cylindrical. But that is just a guess. Ebay is being helpful. I should be getting all my money back soon minus the shipping back which cost me $55. Kind of a lot of money for it. I bought a Opteka 23 and waiting for it. I hope it will be good alternative and easy entry into slider world.
I can’t recommend this 360 slider.
October 24th, 2011 at 5:06 pm
Fancy schmancy! I think servo would work way better. Also it’d be cheaper with my igus.
October 24th, 2011 at 7:43 pm
@Emm – What case or bag did you use to store the 360vm slider for traveling? Thanks-
October 24th, 2011 at 11:27 pm
@James – I often use my speaker stand bags light stands, tripods, sliders, and small jibs.
October 27th, 2011 at 6:32 am
Update: I sent back to Hong Kong after he agreed to refund. I spent $50 for shipping. He failed to refund me. Ebay Buyer Protection got involved and refunded me the cost of the slider only. Not the $45 shipping here and the $50 shipping back. I have been on ebay over 10 years and never had such bad communication and customer service. You are warned.
October 27th, 2011 at 9:07 am
@David Whalen – Sorry to hear about the seller you’re dealing with, and glad that eBay is working with you. 360VM is actually USA based. Maybe you can provide that overseas seller name so that we can stay away.
October 28th, 2011 at 8:57 am
OK. It his ebay name is printerkingsusa
http://feedback.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewFeedback2&userid=printerkingsusa&_trksid=p3984.m1497.l2776
November 26th, 2011 at 2:54 pm
So, would you recommend the 360vm slider vs the Konova slider? I do like the feature of A crank pulley but what about the bearings and lack of in the 360vm slider?
November 26th, 2011 at 3:22 pm
@Oleg – 360 no longer available.
November 26th, 2011 at 4:42 pm
Even through this link ?
http://store.360vm.com/cart seems like I could add it to the cart.
November 26th, 2011 at 5:00 pm
@Oleg – I guess they restocked? i thought they were out.
November 26th, 2011 at 5:16 pm
So what would your thoughts be? I’m quite new an this would be my first slider
. I would like to spend my $ on something good yet affordable.
November 26th, 2011 at 5:27 pm
@Oleg – I think the 360 is much better than the DIY IGUS http://oliviatech.com/drylin-w1080-c-diy-slider-by-igus
but if you can stretch for the Konova, I would go with that http://oliviatech.com/techniques-and-tips-on-the-konova-dslr-video-camera-slider
December 6th, 2011 at 8:09 pm
It does look like they are selling again, any recently purchased the slider?
January 8th, 2012 at 9:31 pm
I just got mine now, it looks pretty sturdy and slide movement seems reasonably smooth.