Varavon Slidecam V800 Slider Review

Dolly Slider by VaravonSlidecam V800 Varavon Dolly SliderV800 Varavon Slidecam Dolly

The first thing that I noticed when I got the Varavon Slidecam V800 slider was it's weight. Or its lack thereof.

This baby is ultra light. And I'm saying this with excitement because I've been carrying the motorized slider quite a bit these past two weeks. So having a light slider is good for a change.



Canon 60D on Varavon SliderFolding Legs in Varavon SliderVaravon Slidecam V800 Camera Slider

Lemme just get into the pros and cons coz your time is precious.

Pros
  • Light
  • Sexy - it does look cool, doesn't it?
  • Fold-able legs for maximum versatility
  • Comes with a carrying bag
  • You get a sling follow focus for free
  • Threaded holes to mount it on a tripod (in the middle and at both ends)
Cons
  • The holes in the rail (even though they shed some weight off) allow grass blades to come trough and you loose the smooth glide. I'm gonna cover the holes with duct tape to fix this.  

Varavon Dolly Slider V800Constantin Gabor Varavon Camera SliderConstantin Gabor with Varavon Slider

Conclusion

This is just great for those on the fly manual shots where you need a slider. Please understand that I'm coming from a few years of using my clumsy DIY slider and lately I've been using the motorized DigiSlider so I'm a bit overly excited to use the Varavon.

The fact that it's shorter (80 cm) than the regular 1 meter rail makes it even better for carrying it around. And most of times, anyway, 80 cm is enough for taking those reveal shots.

But it's clear for me now: you need a ball bearing slider for smooth shots. And this one is great!

Slider Varavon Slidecam Constantin GaborShooting Video with the Varavon Slidecam V800Varavon Slidecam V 800

Of course, I'll want to combine the smoothness and weightless of this dolly with the high torque slow motor from DigiSlider. So I'll probably use a rope or something to drag the carriage along the rail - the rope will coil on the motor gear and hopefully I'll be able to get dynamic timelapse shots with this setup.

They also have their own versions of motorized sliders called MotorRoid and Timeroid (for timelapse photography). Check them out if you're into this timelapse thing.

Varavon Slidecam V800 is a cool indispensable slider for any videographer (you should get one) and the DigiSlider is a timelapse machine. This is the distinction you must make between these two.

You can also find Varavon products (a South Korea company) on Amazon and Ebay, BHPhotoVideo.

Varavon Ball Bearings Slider Slidecam V 800Gabor Constantin Varavon Slidecam V800Slider Rail Varavon Slidecam V800Constantin Gabor Testing Varavon Slider

Varavon Camera Slider for DSLRVaravon Slider V800 SlidecamVaravon Slider Details Folding Legs


Thanks for stopping by! Share this article with your friends.

4 comments :

  1. Great write-up Constantin!

    Varavon makes good products. I love the T2 Jib and L800 Slider I purchased from them. They are very light, portable, and built well ...key things I look for since I work outdoors.

    I've been looking at their Wirecam and can't wait to see your write-up on it.

    Kudos man! ...keep them coming!

    PS: Video produced using their jib and slider. http://vimeo.com/68991307

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Love your video, Manny!

      Yup they make quality stuff. South Korea has become this hub for high end video gear - other cool companies are based there as well.

      Testing a Wirecam would be the SH..T!!! :-)

      Cheers!

      Delete
  2. Great video, thanks very much.

    ReplyDelete

Please use your personal name and NOT your business name to comment. Enjoy the blog, the T-shirt designs and thanks for joining the conversation!