Trost Motion have announced the availability of a new kind of camera slider, tough enough for antarctic expeditions but so precise that it can be used for long lens and macro photography.
Although it weighs only 15 pounds, a Trost can support fully-kitted RED and Alexa packages up to 560 pounds. Camera motion is so precise that it opens a new world of product photography – slow tracking shots across the face of a wristwatch, the bubbles on top of a caffe latte, or a gemstone set in a ring – all of these shots become possible and repeatable.
Trost sliders can also be combined in a 2-axis configuration, giving camera operators remarkable flexibility and lightning-fast setups.
“The design of the Trost slider was informed by three principles,” said Derek Trost, Lead Designer at Trost Motion. “Smooth, flawless camera movement; durability and reliability in the field; and a simple, elegant aesthetic. In the process, I think we’ve created a truly remarkable new tool for filmmakers.”
“We believe that this is a new kind of optical instrument, as significant as a new kind of camera,” said Gabriel Cheifetz, co-founder of Trost Motion. “If you think of all the camera slider shots you’ve ever seen, they are almost all wides and mediums. Camera movement in long lens and macro shots has been nearly impossible to achieve. We’ve now changed that, and the new filmmaking possibilities are very exciting.”
Trusted by the Experts
For the last two years, Trost sliders have been field-tested by some of the most demanding camera operators in the world. Emmy® and BAFTA award winning cinematographer for National Geographic’s “Untamed Americas”, David Wright, took a Trost 100 to the Bering Strait to film walrus for the BBC.
“Using a short slider mounted on top of a fluid head is a great way to quickly and easily adjust the camera position to ensure that you never miss a shot, even if an actor doesn’t quite hit their mark,” David says. “The quality engineering of the slider ensures that camera motion is precise and repeatable.”
Cotton Coulson, photographer/videographer for National Geographic and co-founder of Expedition Workshops (www.expeditionworkshops.com), shot on a Trost in Antarctica.
“The slider was beautifully constructed and smooth, and provides great opportunities for ‘reveal’ shots. Very solid construction, precise, and smooth,” Cotton said.
“This is the only field-ready camera slider out there,” said Michael Ascher of Warm Springs Productions, an early field tester for Trost. Warm Springs used Trost sliders to shoot “Mountain Men” for A+E Networks.
Revolutionary Design
The design of Trost sliders combines several innovative features:
– Precision steel movement makes ultra-smooth camera motion possible, even in the case of long lens and macro shots using CMOS camera sensors.
– A unique rotating quick release system allows Trost sliders to be quickly set up and repositioned quickly by a single operator, saving on-set time and expense.
– Two Trost sliders can be combined to provide 2-axis camera positioning (patent pending).
– A self-centering drag control allows the operator to dial in precise amounts of friction, making extremely slow camera moves possible (patent pending).
– Baseplates offer 3/8″ and 1/4″ holes, as well as concave wells accommodating c-stand ends, and allow the slider to be repositioned radially without being detached.
Trost sliders are available in three configurations:
– Trost 100 – 1 meter slider
– Trost 75 – 75cm slider
– Trost 100×50 – 2-axis slider pairing a 100cm and 50cm axis
Trost sliders are available for purchase at the Trost Motion web site (www.trostmotion.com) in packages starting at US$1,299.
Please see Trost Motion for more information about their Trost slider range.