What’s up guys, welcome to another Tech Gear Talk video. Today I want to talk about an awesome camera slider from Cinevate called the Duzi 4.

One of the best ways to add interest and style to your videos is to add camera movement. There are different ways to do this now, ranging from gimbals to drones. But even with all of this new technology, most of us still include a nice camera slider as part of our everyday kit.

I recently started using the Duzi 4 from Cinevate and I wanted to share some of the features I really like about this slider.

So as the name suggests this is the 4th iteration Duzi line of sliders. I lareally like the simple design of this slider, it still uses 15mm solid carbon rails that are extremely strong and are the foundation of a solid base. The base itself is a little wider than the previous version which adds stability, especially when larger rigs are used.

The Duzi 4 comes with adjustable feet which let you level the slider when it’s used on slightly uneven surfaces. You simply twist the feet until you get a solid base.

FLYWHEEL

But probably the most exciting feature about the Duzi 4 is the integrated flywheel system. In case you don’t know why a flywheel would be important on a slider, let me just spend a few moments explaining it as well as what is so unique about Cinevate’s particular implementation.

When we use a slider, our goal to have smooth and consistent camera movement. Assuming that you have a good slider, the camera should be able to travel smoothly from side to side, but the consistent part is sometimes hard to achieve. The reason is that as you’re pushing the cart across the rails there are slight variations in the amount of force that you’re applying. And those variations can cause the cart to accelerate and decelerate throughout the slide.

So rather than getting motion at a constant speed, you get a shot that is a bit jerky because the camera speeds up and slows down. You may not notice it while you’re shooting or even when previewing the footage on your camera, but I promise you’ll notice is when you start editing.

With that in mind, the aluminum flywheel on the Duzi 4 helps in several ways. First, it adds mass to the carriage which is very important if you’re using a very light camera. It’s much harder to push a light cart across at an even speed because the lack of weight means that even a slight variation in the force you apply can have a significant impact.

In addition to adding mass, the flywheel harnesses the force being applied to the cart and then helps you apply it in a way that is more evenly dispersed. Even if I apply a little less force there is enough momentum in the flywheel to help keep the slide moving at a consistent speed.

This type of inertial dampening is critical when you start and stop your shots. You can see that with very little force I can get the cart to move and when I let go, it gradually slows down instead of coming to an abrupt stop.

Now that you’re hopefully sold on the flywheel design in general, let’s get back to this particular one.

What I really like about Cinevate’s implementation of the flywheel is that they were able to do it with no belts. I’ve seen other sliders that have a flywheel built into the slider itself or they can be added as a module on the side but they all use a belt that attaches the cart to the flywheel. And don’t get me wrong, there is nothing wrong with those.

With the Duzi 4, Cinevate decides to integrate the flywheel into the cart itself which is a very elegant solution and helps you keep things simple. You don’t have to worry about the belt, or any additional setup, you’re always ready to go.

This flywheel lets you do something else that super cool, a hands-free shot. You can simply elevate one of the slider slightly and then let go of the cart and the flywheel will do the rest.
This is awesome because now you’re removing any fluctuation in speed that you may inadvertently introduce. If for some reason you do want to remove the flywheel, you can just unscrew it at the bottom and it will come right off.

THE BRAKE

To lock the cart in place, there is a brake on the front. You engage it by sliding it over and the cart can now be locked in any position along the slider.

ALL TERRAIN LEGS

Cinevate offers uses rapid stow all terrain legs which are a really nice if you plan on using the the slider on uneven terrain, want to raise it a bit or want to widen the base. I didn’t originally think I wanted them for this slider because I mostly use the slider on flat surfaces or mounted. But now I’m second guessing that decision.

What’s great about the all terrain legs is that you don’t have to remove them. They simply fold in and you can keep them mounted on and still easily fit the slider in a bag.

MOUNTING

Speaking of mounting there several ways you can mount the Duzi 4. You can mount it directly to your tripod legs using a ball. Just thread the ball directly to the mounting plate and then attach it to your tripod. Now you can level the slider using the bubble level.

I really like this method, it’s super solid because the entire top of the ball is flat against the slider.

Another option is to use a quick release plate and mount the Duzi to a fluid head. If you use this method, I suggest that you use a longer plate with 2 screws and connect the quick release plate in 2 points.

Mounting the Duzi 4 to a fluid head adds some flexibility in terms of the angles you can achieve but you are also introducing some additional flex points because potential movement from the head.

If you don’t want to use a single point of mounting and would rather distribute the weight you can use 2 C stands or light stands. This is a feature that was an upgrade on some older Cinevate sliders but now it’s part of every Duzi 4. You can just put the slider right on the C stands and then tighten it in place. And now the weight of the slider and rig is evenly supported from both sides.

Overall the Duzi 4 is a great slider. It really is a pleasure to work with. It’s light but provides exceptionally smooth movement. The integrated flywheel is absolutely killer and was what ultimately sold me on the Duzi 4.

If you’ve used sliders in the past or not, I’m confident that you’ll be able to get steady, smooth shots using the Duzi 4. It comes in 24” or 32” and there are some accessories that you can add like the all terrain legs, motion control for time lapse an extension arm called the grip reacher and a carrying case. Please give this video a thumbs up and hit that subscribe button.

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