Slider Hyperlapses: My New Obsession!

Level Up Your Timelapses: Building My Hyperlapse Slider

I’ve been shooting timelapses for a few years now, and the idea of adding some motion to them has been buzzing in my head for quite a while. But wait, what exactly is a timelapse? Simply put, a timelapse is a video that shows reality sped up. Technically, you just need to capture images of an event at regular intervals (say, one shot every 5 seconds) and then stitch them together into a video at a much higher frame rate (like 25 frames per second). The result is pretty impressive, even if we’ve all seen them nowadays (they’re quite the trend on some TV channels!).

Timelapse shot in 2011 at Pic du Midi:

The idea of building a device to move the camera during a timelapse struck me after watching the film TimeScapes. That’s when timelapses take on a whole new, much more dynamic dimension, and they even get a new name: hyperlapse. This term really captures that extra dimension added to traditional timelapses. After a bit of research, I decided to build a motorized hyperlapse slider.

I placed an order for a guide rail and a linear slide from Igus. I also picked up some pulleys, a belt, and a small motor from Conrad. For the electronics side of things, I initially started developing an Arduino-based controller. But then, while digging around online, I stumbled upon the MX2 DollyEngine kit offered by Dynamic Perception.

The result? Not too shabby at all! The rail fits perfectly into a large suitcase, so it’s ready for checked baggage. The motor is powerful enough to move a DSLR and lens vertically, and the MX2 kit works like a charm.

For anyone out there looking to build their own hyperlapse slider, here are a few detailed shots. FYI, the motor is a geared motor with an 800:1 ratio.

Attaching the sliding carriage was probably the part that required the most head-scratching… Feel free to draw some inspiration from it!

Here’s the very first result. It’s a bit slow, and wouldn’t you know it, the automatic sprinkler system decided to kick on at the worst possible time!

Photo credit: Mikel Martinez, Julio Corredera, and Cédric Thomas: