Here is a short review of the slider in german. English subtitles are available.
This is also the case with the new camera slider model that YC Onion gave me for this test. It is the 52 cm Chocolate Pro Cheese Motorised Slider with Supporting Stand, the second longest model in the Chocolate series, which also includes 20, 30, 40 and 70 cm models. The “cheese” is a removable motor with a touch display for programming directly on the appliance. there is also control software for Android and iOS that can be used to control many other YC Onion appliances.
The motor can be inserted into the slider from above and is then locked with a small lever. For the power supply, Sony NP rechargeable batteries can be inserted at the side, which supply the slider with power for between 4 and 10 hours, depending on the size and mode. This is also sufficient for longer time-lapse recordings. If it takes even longer, the motor can also be powered via the USB-C socket with a power bank or mains adapter. Programming with the touch display on the motor is intuitive and self-explanatory. First select one of the 3 modes. Video, timelapse or stopmotion. In video mode, you then use the arrow buttons to move to the start point and confirm it. Then select the end point and confirm this too. On the next menu page, you can then set the speed and activate the loop mode. The other two modes work in a similar way.
If you address the motor via the app, it can be completely remote-controlled. Six waypoints are then also available. For timelapse mode, there is also a mini jack socket for camera trigger control. And it is possible to couple the controller with various gimbal models. This allows complex camera movements with pan and tilt functions to be realised. The slider itself can also be “pushed” manually and is made entirely of metal. It has four fold-out feet so that it can be placed stably on the table or floor. Of course, there is a thread on the underside for tripod mounting. With a sturdy stand, the slider can also be moved at an angle or vertically. As the base and tripod plate travel with the slider, the travelling distance almost doubles in relation to the length of the slider. The maximum weight is reduced from 8 kg to 2.5 kg in vertical mode, but for a DSLR camera, such as the GH5 in my case, the force is easily sufficient. The operating noise of the
Motor is very quiet and hardly disturbs interview recordings.
The compact slider is a real asset when shooting with a DSLR camera, but it can also provide a cinematic look when shooting with a mobile phone or Osmo Pocket. The length of 52 cm and the distance of 88 cm due to the travelling base and on a tripod are a good compromise between a mini slider and a long rail slider. Supplied in a compact bag, the device can also be carried in small luggage. And it’s fun to watch the cheese slowly glide over the chocolate. Incidentally, the menu combination presented here costs just under 1000 euros. On my postproduction-tutorials.net page there are some videos on the subject, including the YC Onion Stand.
