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Kessler Oracle, ElektraDRIVE & CineSlider Motion Control Time Lapse Video Blog
When I first started working with the Kessler CineSlider a few months ago (see full blog demo here), it changed the way I think about producing television. For the first time, a simple dolly move did not involve a large amount of hassle, people and time to set up. I am very impressed with the portability and durability of this Kessler product and the idea of using it runs through my head when chatting with a client about a project. I have been working on an astro-time lapse project for the past six months. I have been using motorized telescope heads (removing the telescope) to move a camera very slow while time lapsing with ok success. The system was flawed and I had no idea what it would do. Sometimes it worked, and other times entire nights were wasted. I attempted to make a DIY motorized dolly but it kept breaking down. Just trying to get a camera to run down a dolly track during a time lapse very slow has been a big challenge for me. Until now…  Kessler Crane has developed (over the past two years) an excellent out-of-the-box solution for motorized time lapsing. A controller called “Oracle” and motor called “ElektraDRIVE” are sold to offer motion control to Kessler products. In addition to the CineSlider portable dolly system, Kessler also makes a motorized pan and tilt head called “Revolution”. You can also use the Oracle controller for motion controlled moves using this head. I have only used the CineSlider and the following blog will describe how it works.   The CineSlider is a manual, belt driven slider that is about 36 inches long. It is light weight and portable. It is built well and has a metal frame that protects the inner rails which the carriage wheels ride on. This metal protects the rails so they do not get damaged. There is nothing worse than a bump in your dolly move!    You can install almost any type of mount to the dolly carriage using bolts, screws or clamps. I like using the Kesser Hi Hat with a Vinten Vision 10 AS head for stability when using large HD broadcast cameras. Kessler sells a fast and easy quick release plate (pictured above) that bolts right to the CineSlider. I use a Bogen Magic Arm when shooting with smaller cameras like DSLRs. The Bogen arm is fun to use and you can do almost anything with it.   The Kessler CineSlider comes with the manual crank for moving your camera system down the track. I use this crank for dolly moves and sometimes I just use finger tips on the camera to smoothly preform the shot. The out riggers are an add-on accessory and I highly recommend them when using the CineSlider on the ground or other surface. They are easy to install, add stability and they balance the track very well with threaded adjustment on each leg. You can use the slider on a tripod, but for this blog I kept things ultra portable.  The belt has a friction control. This knob can be tightened and works quite well. This bit gets removed when you want to turn the manual CineSlider into an electronic motion controlled dolly system.       I will go into great detail about how to change the CineSlider over to the ElektraDRIVE motor in the video at the bottom of this page. These pictures will show you how simple it is to do. The video will show you how fast you can make the modification. No problem doing it in the field because the change over requires zero tools!   It is important to add a bit of measuring tape to the side of the CineSlider for calibration and general understanding of travel distance. Kesser sells stick-on 4 foot tape, but I found a piece of aluminum with markings on it at Home Depot. It also helps to have units of measure on the slider when you program a dolly move into Oracle to be played back over and over. You must reset the carriage to the start point of the recorded move! I go over this in more depth in the video blog below.  The battery that runs the system is not too heavy. It charges in a few hours with a lighter a/c adapter. A red light turns green and charging stops when completed so you cannot over charge the battery. I ran three days of time lapses and did not have to charge the battery at all. I only just had to charge it because I left it plugged into the Oracle controller for a week on my switcher coffee table!   Speaking of my ABC New York Grass Valley Production Switcher Coffee Table… I made it in college. The picture above shows you what it looks like underneath! Lots of wires for sure. I can even light up some of the buttons with a 9 volt battery! I spilled many-a-beer on this table in college! Ok, back to the blog…    The Oracle controller is the heart of the system. It is loaded with programs and software to make your life easier! It is intuitive and simple. You just press the number 1,2 or 3 buttons to move through the menus and move the joystick to adjust values. This is not a do-it-yourself Home Depot/Radio Shack special. Serious thought, time and development has gone into this controller and it is basically a computer in a little black box. It even has a calibration program you can run to make sure the numbers on Oracle are accurate based on the weight of your camera, angle of the track and discrepancies in the motor. When you type into Oracle “30 inches of travel in 2.2 hours” using a heavy camera, it will do exactly that! I am very impressed with this motion controlled system. The time lapses I have been capturing with the Canon 5dmk2 (taking a picture every 5 seconds) are amazing. I feel that the price is very fair for this system (yea, I know I did not pay for it). It has good build quality, a ton of accessories, loads of menu options for simple and advanced control. It is modular and upgradeable. You can get different geared motors like the ElektraDRIVE 200 series. Faster and quieter! Yes, there are cheaper options out there, but once you use them and get hooked on motion controlled timelapsing, you will find yourself ordering this system. Plus this stuff has a lifetime guarantee! Please order through the banner below if you are interested: I posted a preview blog a few days ago and I offered a Apple ProRes 422 file for download. Please feel free to copy it to your computer and see how smooth the Kessler gear operates.
Take a look at the video blog I hosted, shot and edited myself. This kit is very portable and precise. Let me know what you think and please feel free to post any questions at the bottom of this page.
UPDATE: The bit I am using to mount the Manfrotto (Bogen) Magic Arm to the Kessler CineSlider is from the BH Video kit. The receiver stud can be removed off the little floor tripod that comes with the kit. This stud is not totally necessary since the built-in stud on the magic arm has a small 1/4 20 screw hole in the bottom. You can simply attach the magic arm directly to the CineSlider carriage. you can find the magic arm kit (w/ floor tripod and receiver stud) here: Manfrotto 143 Kit 31 comments to Kessler Oracle, ElektraDRIVE & CineSlider Motion Control Time Lapse Video Blog |
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Copyright © 2012 Tom Guilmette - All Rights Reserved |
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Im sorry this doesn’t have anything to do with your awesome setup, but that coffee table is so cool! Did abc just give it to you or what? I wonder what they would use 4 mle’s for. Just wondering.
i got it out of a dumpster. 4 MEs is not enough for todays demands! our new switcher has 6!
Cool coffee (or is that beer) table! Of course, if this is in your living room you are definitely NOT married!
yup. the lady would never let me keep that!
Hey great blog Tom. How does the motor hold up to a heavy load like an ENG camera/lens?
the motor is very powerful! it would work fine with a big camera. the belt would skip teeth before the motor quit.
hahhaa, I laughed my ass off again at the end. Seriously Tom you’re the Bear Grylls of pro video accessories. I’d watch this show if it was on TV, you need to put all of your stuff in a podcast that I can subscribe too. Very technical and honest, explained the product in great detail and showed the practical use of it in the field. That last shot was absolutely gorgeous BTW.
gonna do a bear grylls/les stroud internet tv show this summer for my website. shall be fun!
Truly fantastic video blog and timelapses
especially the last one
I want one !
Tom, I think it’s very reasonable for you to ask that Kessler GIVE you the set-up, just for the films you’ve made so far.
I recently bought a Pocket Dolly Traveler™ (which I love) but, had I known you were an affiliate, I would have ordered it through you. Honestly, had I not seen your short films on the Cineslider, I don’t think I would have bought it. Kessler’s website, in my humble opinion, is really difficult to get the info I needed to feel comfortable about buying the product. The pictures give no reference to size, to compare the models you have to click back and forth between different links… eventually, after watching the films you made I was able to understand how the item worked.
This particular film answered questions that the sales people couldn’t answer for me. (i.e. you can run the Cineslider upside down!) (I still don’t know if I can do that with my Pocket Dolly Traveler but, the Manfrotto “Magic Arm” will do the trick… thanks.)
Anyway, I’m glad to know you are an affiliate, NOW, and I’ll be making my purchases from them through you, in the future. Kessler makes a superior product, it’s only fair that the guy who sells them gets a taste. (what’s that expression… “just let me get my beak wet.”
Thanks again, Tom, you’re really helping all of us.
no prob! hoping to keep the kit for sure. thanks for the comment and good luck!
Whooa, I need a table like this. Better Ideas than buying a broken switcher on ebay?
look in a dumpster at a tv station. when they went hd, a ton of old analog stuff got thrown out!
ebay may work.
First of all I would bet that Eric is going to give you that setup along with a bunch of other gear!!! IMO- Your video was demo was pretty extensive & very well done!!! It will translate into real sales for Kessler!!!
Question- do you think the CineSlider w/ motors is robust enough to handle the Red along with all the weight that goes on it??? PL Primes, rods, FF, MB, etc…????
Thanks in advance for your reply!!
Prio
yes. the elektraDRIVE motor is very powerful and will move a larger, heavier cameras on level ground or even no-so level.
it will even move a large camera like the red in near vertical conditions. but be aware, the belt will skip a tooth before the motor stalls or quits.
the belt skipping protects the system and only occurs if the carriage hits the end of the track or the weight is too much when track is near vertical.
Excellent, Beautifull, exiting, come to Argentina to make time lapses.
It consults, How I can suppress the flickeo of timelapses?
Saludos.
Hey Tom,
Ecellent work! Where can I get a “receiver stud mount” to mount the arm onto the Cineslider. The Magic Arm doesn’t come with one. Nor is there one on the Kessler Crane site that I could see.
Thanks in advance,
Beau
i answered this question at bottom of my post.
Nice V-Blog, Tom. You got me sold on a CineSlider and if you can make a little something from them, I will definitely drop your name. I wasn’t necessarily sold until I saw your V-Blog. One burning question, once i get the CineSlider and the Manfrotto Magic arm. What is that silver thing you connected it with and where do I locate one? Thanks a bunch, and happy shooting.
Amir
MAGIC ARM “RECEIVER STUD” !!!!!!!!!!
Hey Tom, I’m curious like Beau Holland was above on where and what the receiver stud you are using for mounting the magic arm to the cineslider. Can you please enlighten us!
Cheers,
jared
I third this… what is that part used to attach the magic arm?
Hi Tom: congratulation for the great work you do, you are really an inspiration, I think I have decided to go for the cineslider vs the pocky dolly, I think is more heavy duty, more easy to use, I am oriented to take short cuts, wedding photograph and for sure my hobbie(thanks to you) will be to take timelapses from my country(Mexico), what motor would you recommend me to get? the 100,200 or 500, also please direct me on what controller to buy,willI be ok with the basic controller? or should I get the oracle controller? I feel the oracle has to much tricks I will never use, I want to limit my budget but at the same time to get the best, if you think Dolly pocket is better than Cineslider for my objetcive I would like to hear your honesty, thanks,
Hi Tom, could you tell me name of the “receiver stand mount” which hold the “Manfrotto 143A Magic Arm” and where i can buy it ? please
the bit i am using is from the bogen magic arm kit. the receiver stud can be removed off the little floor tripod that comes with the kit. this stud is not totally necessary since the stud on the magic arm itself has a small 1/4 20 screw hole in the bottom. you can simply attach the magic arm directly to the cineslider carriage.
you can find the magic arm kit (w/ floor tripod and receiver stud) here: http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/325440-REG/Manfrotto_143.html/BI/5632/KBID/6489
this is very appreciate info
i know, you are very busy man, so double thanks Tom !!!
Great gear reviews as always Tom! Thanks for sharing.
Question, do you think the Cineslider is quiet enough to use when in close quarters? For example, a scene where talent is within 4 feet of the lens and audio is being recorded (not on camera but typical lav mic or overhead boom). Obviously, I would not be using the electric motor, but just the Cineslider itself. Does the belt, handle or carriage make a lot of noise that would make you choose another tool to get the shot?
Thanks again.
the cineslider is almost totally silent when moving the carriage and belt drive by hand. there is a bit of noise produced from the elektra drive motors. if you are using the cineslider manually, you will not have any trouble with audio on your shoot.
[...] I first figured out how to setup the Kessler Cineslider Motion Control Rig myself. Head over to Tom’s Blog to read more about his incredibly detailed [...]
Hi Tom,
Thank you for the informative video and blog. Learned a lot from it. I do have a question though. I can’t seem to figure out on the Oracle, but how would you set a specific time for the move? For example, if I want to set it to move 20 inches within 30 seconds, it wouldn’t let me choose anything less than 5-10 minutes, seems like it’s defaulted in there….. Is there a way to change that timing function? Thank you in advance.
CMH
Hi Tom,
Great video..better than kessler DVD.
Question:
When you do a 20 second exposure, is the cineslider moving at the same time as the exposure? If so how come the shots aren’t blurry? Or are you doing a combination slide-stop slider (20second exposure)-start slide etc? Or is it as simple as letting it go the length of the slider with 20 second exposures and that’s that?
Thanks
John