By technical editor Matt Allard:
Longtime Newsshooter contributor Clinton Harn has just posted a review of the S1 Shark Slider from iFootage. The S1 Shark is one of a new generation of sliders that uses twin carbon fibre rods for reduced weight. The Chinese made slider also features a flywheel and belt system for smoother moves. Clinton has been using the slider for several months not on jobs and seems to be happy with the results. In the video he runs through the main features of the slider and explains what he likes about it.
The S1 Shark to be very compact and light weight. All excess weight has been trimmed off the design, making it easy to carry around in its custom carry case. The company claim that the carbon fibre they uses has eight layers which enhances the stability of the track and makes it less susceptible to warping in the long term. The slider can be deployed from the carry case – it can simply be placed on the ground using the built-in leg supports, or attached to a tripod or light stands.
The problem with most conventional sliders are that they are fixed length, which either means they are either quite short, or so long that they don’t fit into a suitcase when travelling. One incredibly useful feature of the S1 Shark is the ability to extend the length of their slider by attaching extra carbon fiber rods and exchanging the rubber drive belt for a longer one (these are optional extras that can be bought separately of as part of a kit). Adding an extra extension kit to the basic S1 Shark will make it to 1200cm long. Add yet another extension and you get a massive 1800cm of slide range. Extending the rods is however a little fiddly as you have to change the drive belt each time you add a section. Also the stability of the slider does diminish as the length increases and I would recommend sturdy tripods or stands to brace the slider as the length increases. Even so it does allow for a lot of flexibility for such a lightweight and compact system If you travel regularly and need the sort of slide distances the S1 Shark offers, then it is certainly worth a look.
The S1 Shark is certainly an interesting option for the shooter on the go. It faces stiff competition from the likes of the Varavon, Konova, the Cinevate Duzi, and the ever popular Kessler range. One thing that the iFootage does have in its favour is the price. You can purchase the slider directly from their online store on Amazon. The bundle kit is available for $700US and the standard version is $630US.
