Prosumer-level video equipment is getting cheap enough that serious image quality is well and truly within the reach of the hobbyist. And thus, you've got a whole new market of amateur videographers trying to work out how to get pro effects like sliding dolly shots into their work. Devices like the UKP175 GlideTrack SD strike an excellent balance between smoothness, quietness, portability and low cost - and the results look amazing, as you'll see in the demo video after the jump.
The GlideTrack is quite a simple device - a sliding carriage and rail system that can be attached to a tripod or simply set on the floor. You attach the head of your tripod to the sliding carriage, and you've instantly got the ability to smoothly move your camera the length of the rail as you're shooting, producing a very workable dolly effect.
The carriage slides on high-load, low-friction, corrosion-free iglide plastic bearings, which make the movement quiet enough not to interfere with the audio of a shot.
Placing the GlideTrack side-on to a subject allows very nice sideways tracking shots or track-and pan combinations. You can also point the track at the subject and use the movement to bring items in and out of focus for another very pretty effect.
The GlideTrack might find its place in a pro's van as well, due to its tiny size and huge portability, opening up viewpoints that might not be accessible with larger equipment.
Check out how the use of simple sliding dolly shots spruces up this rockclimbing video:
Fantastic stuff. Check out the range at the GlideTrack website. Or if you're feeling like a bit of a handyman, you might want to try building your own.