With the best camera sliders, you can add professional-looking movement to your video without spending a fortune. Tracking shots and other types of camera movement are some of the most effective ways to add production value to your video, and the best way to achieve them is with a smooth, well-balanced slider.
Whether you're using a mirrorless camera, DSLR, smartphone or action camera, the sliders (and one dolly) on this list will give you a range of options – at all different price points – for adding movement to your videos.
While a good solid video tripod with a great fluid head is an essential for filmmakers and aspiring video pros, if you want to add real depth and range to your videography, a good camera slider is a must.
This is especially true if you want to create product videos. You can track towards an object to illustrate the way that light hits a textured surface, or mount the slider vertically to capture height and depth simultaneously. You can use a slider as a sleight-of-hand trick, slowly panning back from an object in the foreground to reveal something unseen in the background. A slider is a really effective way of making your videos stand out from the rest – and many of them are small and light enough to throw in a kit bag and take with you wherever you're going.
Sebastian Oakley
For nearly two decades Sebastian's work has been published internationally. Originally specializing in Equestrianism, his visuals have been used by the leading names in the equestrian industry such as The Fédération Equestre Internationale (FEI), The Jockey Club, Horse & Hound, and many more for various advertising campaigns, books, and pre/post-event highlights. He spends his spare time using his trusted Leica M-E or Leica M2 shooting street photography or general life as he sees it, usually in black and white.
We reckon this slider offers the best value out there: it’s manual operation rather than motorized, but the action is lovely and smooth. Read more below…
If you’re after a motor-powered option, this option takes a reasonable weight and includes a remote control handset for easy operation. Read more below…
While this motorized slider works just fine with cameras, we think it’s at its best with smartphones, and a ready-to-use mount is included.Read more below…
As an alternative to a slider, this compact three-wheeled contraption won’t take up much space in your kit bag, and is a versatile tool. Read more below…
Best camera sliders in 2024
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Best slider overall
(Image credit: James Abbott / Digital Camera World)
This carbon fiber slider offers great value, providing an impressive 80cm of camera movement along its rail. But despite this, it is extremely light for its size, only weighing 3.5lb/1.6kg, and can support camera rigs up to 17.6lb/8kg when used horizontally. This is the best bang for your buck camera slider out there; it's suitable for both prosumer cameras and smartphone users and has the added benefit of not needing any tripod support for its operation, thanks to its ball feet.
The large carriage accommodates fluid heads and tripods of various sizes and glides smoothly along the rails thanks to four aluminum bearings, it has a maximum camera travel distance of 80cm and the carriage features 1/4"-20 and 3/8"-16 tripod mounting threads on the bottom, and features a 1/4"-20 camera/head mounting screw, while a 1/4"-20 to 3/8"-16 screw adapter is also included.
At each end of the slider are height-adjustable rubber feet for leveling on uneven terrain. On each end, 1/4"-20 and 3/8"-16 threads can be used to mount additional accessories or to mount the slider vertically onto a tripod if you wish, but be careful, there are no motors here, so any movement you make will have to be done manually, the old-fashioned way. A carry case is also included to store and transport the slider conveniently, along with a smartphone holder to mount your smartphone onto your camera or rig.
Constructed from aluminum alloy, this motorized slider is lightweight and designed for video and time-lapse photography. It supports loads up to 11lb and features a 1/4"-20 and 3/8"-16 screw holes for use on the floor, on the table, or via a ball head connected to the camera.
it also supports vertical, horizontal, and 45° shooting, making this the perfect all-rounder for a motorized slider right out of the gate. it comes with an included controller, capable of programming many movements, so it can be set up and left, which is handy if you are filming a two-camera interview, for example, and want a wide sliding shot of both presenters for B-roll.
Included is a lithium-ion battery, a battery charger and a carrying bag, making this a really good solution for anyone wanting to take their videography to the next level with sliding or dolly shots.
The Edelkrone SliderPLUS v5 PRO Long is designed with movable rails that travel during a slide. This gives you extra travel distance while keeping the slider compact – perfect for tight spaces or when you need a compact solution while traveling.
Used on the ground or another surface, it has a travel length of 1.3 feet and supports up to 40lb. Mounted on a tripod, it provides a travel length of 2.6 feet with 20lb loads supported, so you can work with some pretty heavy camera rigs. The movable rail design also works well for dolly shots: since the rails move along with the carriage, they won't get in the shot as you dolly in and out.
The SliderPLUS v5 PRO Long is a manual ball-bearing slider, but it does support the optional Slide Module v3 attachment for motion control, and other Edelkrone motorized add-ons can be incorporated, for fully synchronized multi-axis motion control operated via a single iOS/Android app. So you’ve got a compelling upgrade path as your videography ambitions grow.
Rhino’s ROV Everyday is a beautifully crafted motorized slider that is the perfect fit if you’re after a high-quality option for your smartphone or action cam. With its unibody CNC milled rail, 24-hour battery life and lightweight body (clocking in at under 1kg), its specs read like a slider dream perfect for travel or just having in your bag, just in case it's needed.
The ROV accepts DSLRs and mirrorless cameras, but also ships with a handy phone mount, and it’s with smartphones that it really shines. Phones that feature three optical zoom ranges (such as the Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max),can take the limited sliding range of 20cm and work wonders with it.
There is an app for remote control, although that of course means that you’ll need a second phone or a tablet if you’re filming with your phone. But if you’re after a great automated choice to elevate your videography with your mobile or digital camera, it’s definitely worth checking out the ROV Everyday. If you need more range, the slightly pricier ROV Traveller offers a full 40cm of travel.
A miniature slider designed for the smartphone filmmaker, the Swing doesn't give you a very long tracking range, or particularly fast camera movement. But what it does give you is a highly portable and easy-to-use slider system that comes with everything you need in the box. It's pretty affordable too, and the JOBY Motion app makes it easy for even total novices to get to grips with.
Using the app, you can precisely choose the start and end points of your motion, meaning your compositions can get very precise indeed. You can easily set the Swing up to run through a timelapse sequence, and the supplied GripTight ONE phone mount keeps your phone snug and secure on the slider.
Folding down to 17cm and expanding to a length of 42cm, the JOBY Swing is an ideal slider to throw in a kit bag and take out on a day's filming. It doesn't give you a great deal of versatility, but that's an unavoidable trade-off for such a compact slider. It always tracks at the same speed, which restricts your options, but does make it very easy to produce multiple shots with a consistent look and feel.
This affordable dolly works wonders with smartphones and GoPros
Specifications
Ideally suited for: Smartphones, action cameras
Skill required: Beginner
Extra accessories required: Yes
Bearings: N/A
Smartphone app: No
Reasons to buy
+
Affordable
+
Motorized
Reasons to avoid
-
Not as smooth as competition
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Suited to smaller devices
If portability coupled with affordability is what you are looking for, the Andoer L4 Pro is a three-wheeled wonder. It folds up small enough to fit in a small bag or even a big jacket pocket. Unfurl it, and you can thread on a ball head and a smartphone grip for an excellent mobile dolly.
Smartphones like the Sony Xperia Pro 1 and action cams like the DJI Action 4 have excellent image stabilization, and this makes them perfectly suited to the L4 Pro, which is only as smooth as the surface it’s traveling across.
Thanks to its size and remote control functionality, you can get fantastic motion shots in extremely tight spaces, and what’s even better is that with its repositionable wheels, it also offers a lot of versatility.
While it’s definitely best suited to smaller cameras – it won’t take a C500 with a 400mm lens – you’ll still be able to get a mirrorless camera on it with a 50mm lens onboard if the need arises.
This list contains a mix of styles of sliders, as there's a lot of variability in the category. One of the products we've included isn’t technically a slider, but a dolly – a wheeled tool with repositionable elements that make it highly customizable for different shots. Some more sophisticated (read: expensive) sliders incorporate bearings, while the simpler and more affordable ones just slide against friction. Ultimately though, they're all out to achieve the same thing.
As with most things, the more you pay, you the more you get. Pricier sliders will offer functionality like remote control via a smartphone or tablet app. But still, if that's not necessary, a simple manual dolly can do the job just fine.
For nearly two decades Sebastian's work has been published internationally. Originally specializing in Equestrianism, his visuals have been used by the leading names in the equestrian industry such as The Fédération Equestre Internationale (FEI), The Jockey Club, Horse & Hound, and many more for various advertising campaigns, books, and pre/post-event highlights.
He is a Fellow of The Royal Society of Arts, holds a Foundation Degree in Equitation Science, and is a Master of Arts in Publishing. He is a member of Nikon NPS and has been a Nikon user since the film days using a Nikon F5 and saw the digital transition with Nikon's D series cameras and is still to this day the youngest member to be elected into BEWA, The British Equestrian Writers' Association.
He is familiar with and shows great interest in street, medium, and large format photography with products by Leica, Phase One, Hasselblad, Alpa, and Sinar. Sebastian has also used many cinema cameras from the likes of Sony, RED, ARRI, and everything in between. He now spends his spare time using his trusted Leica M-E or Leica M2 shooting Street photography or general life as he sees it, usually in Black and White.
