Cinevate Duzi Slider – Video Review

by Tim FokFebruary 3^rd, 2014

Cinevate sent over their brand new Duzi slider for me to try out. The Duzi is an interesting one, it opens up a new line for Cinevate as their entry-level slider, however carries many traits that better its next in the line – The Cinevate Atlas FLT.

The Duzi utilizes all metal components, with the exception of the 24″ 15mm carbon fibre rails, and urethane anti-scratch ball feet.

Below are the base specifications of the Duzi:

Weight: 3.6lbs/ 1.6kg
Weight capacity: 75lbs/34kg
Length: 24″
8 precision bearings (correction to my statement in the video review)
Multiple 3/8″ and 1/4 20″ mounting holes top and bottom
3/8″ mounting stud
6 micro adjusting urethane ball feet

In comparison to Cinevates Atlas FLT (Cinevate’s previous entry level slider), the Duzi is 40% lighter and cheaper, and has 3 times the weight capacity. The difference lies in its compatibility; the Duzi is more of a stand alone product, it’s not designed in conjunction with any of Cinevates motion control or vertical counter balance systems.

However, Cinevate has just released some all terrain legs for the Duzi, which weren’t available at the time of the review; the above video has been adjusted to suit. The new legs work great, bolstering the spec list of the Duzi even further.

The Duzi has a great action, it’s incredibly smooth to operate and due to its wide carriage it offers a very sturdy base. It’s very lightweight, noticeably lighter than my Atlas FLT; I didn’t hesitate to carry it around on my shoulder mounted to my tripod.

I don’t like the braking system. Much like the Edelkorne Slider Plus (which utilizes a similar 15mm rod wide base design) the lock only works when the carriage is in the central position. This is not always ideal, I regularly store my slider in my bag with the carriage at one end to accommodate the fluid head; you can’t do this securely with a central locking system.

Unlike the Edelkrone Slider Plus, the Duzi offers a plethora of mounting options on the underside. This is essential in ensuring a proper mate with the tripod plate; this was a big let down with the Edelkrone Slider Plus which only has one 3/8″ hole.

Back to the locking system of the Duzi, it’s fiddly to use, the thumb screw is time costly and if not secured after the brake is released, it can catch on the carriage and ruin your shot. A spring-loaded system, or one that’s reminiscent of the Cinevate Atlas design (where the brake works anywhere along the slider) would be much more effective.

If you’re not looking for a modular system (motion control, parallax bar) if you’re looking for a compact slider to work as-it-is, the Duzi has to be close to the top of your list. It’s a relatively low priced slider, and (in regards to similarly priced sliders) has the smoothest and sturdiest action I’ve used to date.

The Cinevate Duzi is currently priced at $399.99.

Additional equipment used in the review

Canon 5D mark III
Canon 70-200mm f/2.8 IS II
Canon 24-70mm f/2.8 II
Tiffen 77mm Fader ND
Cinevate Simplis Plate
Cinevate Universal Arm
SmallHD DP6 Monitor (discontinued)
Sachtler Cine DSLR head (discontinued, but FSB 8 is next best in line)
Miller Solo legs
Manfrotto 500 head
Think Tank lens changer 2
Zoom H1 with Sennheiser Lavalier

Additional camera work by James Haddock