Shootools Slider One 40 — a Teeny-Weeny Portable Slider!

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by Fabian ChaundyAugust 15^th, 2017

The Shootools Slider One 40 is a petite 40cm slider ideal for travelling light and with a payload heavy enough for professional use.

Image: Shootools

As you’ve learned in our latest episode of our YouTube series “Essentials” about sliders, it’s not always the length that matters for the best result! And here’s a new product to prove just that.

Italian manufacturer Shootools has recently released the latest addition to its catalogue of camera-movement accessories: the Slider One 40, a small and portable slider of only 40cm in length and 84mm in width. This makes it an ideal size for shooters who want to keep their kit light, those shooting fast-paced environments like weddings, or those in need to keep a small kit footprint when travelling.

The Shootools Slider One 40 features a carriage made out of a single block of CNC-machined aluminium, and sports a set of knobs that allow you to adjust the friction along the track, as well as locking the carriage in position.

Image: Shootools

Shootools seem to have really put extra care on the quality of their materials, with each piece going through treatment processes such as shot peening and anodising to guarantee extra rigidity. In addition, the wheels are made with “an innovative ST-66 technopolymer studied by ShooTools” which, along with a double steel ball bearing system, allows for maximum smoothness of movement.

All this together results in a small and unobtrusive product with a claimed payload of up to 20kg, allowing for an ample variety of uses with cameras in the DSLR/mirrorless form factor and beyond. Although the Shootools Slider One 40 doesn’t feature feet for ground-level use, its reduced size means you could probably use a single tripod to support it, further adding to its portability by doing away with the need to carry an additional tripod or light stand.

Image: Shootools

The Slider One 40 is part of the Shootools Modula family, meaning you should be able to purchase the 80cm track and simply change the carriage if you need the longer reach. Neat!

Although 40cm may sound rather limiting for a slider at first, don’t be so quick to dismiss it. If you plan your shots well, then it may be more than enough for your needs. For example, you could exaggerate the parallax effect with the use of foreground elements near the camera and a clearly-defined background.

Do you have any tips on shooting with shorter sliders? Let us know in the comments!