Introducing the OliviaTech Motorroid by Varavon – OliviaTech Pricing 24% Off
The mystery Motorized Slider is no longer under pixelation- introducing the OliviaTech Motorroid by Varavon! In the video below I explain in detail for you guys all of the features on each part of the OliviaTech Motorroid, from the motor itself with variable speeds to the assembly.
For the OliviaTech Motorroid, Varavon will be giving all customers 24% off of their purchase on this product at the Varavon website. The retail value of the Motoroid + Slidecam LITE800 at Varavon.com is currently around $650, however if you purchase the OliviaTech Motorroid (that is the complete motor + slider kit), you will automatically receive the 24% off of your purchase.
Slider – The OliviaTech Motorroid comes with the Slidecam LITE800 32″ steel roller bearing slider. The trolley on this slider has a payload capacity of 6 – 13 lbs. and is equipped with a breaking system and bubble level. There is a 3/8″ male screw on the trolley for attaching standard fluid or ball heads.
Legs – The legs on the OliviaTech Motorroid are articulating at two points. You can adjust the span vertically or horizontally. There are also micro adjustments on the feet to dial in precise leveling on uneven terrain.
Belt – The belt that will ship with the OliviaTech Motorroid is 1 meter in length. Or 3.28 inches.
Motor – This motor is has Variable speeds controlled by a dial. You can also adjust the speed of the ramp. This means that if you want to accelerate or slow down your start or stop, you can control these with the dedicated speed control dial. At the fastest speed setting, the motor will carry the trolley 32″ in 20 seconds. At the slowest setting, the motor can carry the trolley 32″ in 5.3 minutes. The maximum load capacity is approximately 6.2 lbs. at a 90º angle.
Tension adjustable – You can simply adjust the tension on the slider with a phillips screw driver from the opposite end of the motor. This action will give the belt more or less tension.
Limiters – The provided limiters can be easily moved to any location on the belt. This makes it possible to command the start and stop at any position you desire. It also prevents you from overdriving the trolley.
Saddle – The saddle that carries the slider’s trolley can be secured with the provided phillips screw. This prevents the belt from coming off the track while in transit.
Traveling Case – The travel bag that the OliviaTech Motorroid ships in is a heavy duty, two section bag with a padded separator to keep your gear protected against any additional tripods, light stands or gear that you have packed in the bag. There is also a zippered mesh pocket and fastening straps to keep your OliviaTech Motorroid from shifting in the travel bag while you’re mobile with it.
Battery – This is optional. Varavon offers a 12V External Battery to power your OliviaTech Motorroid. In the video I am using two Tekkeon myPower ALL Plus External Instrument MP3450i Batteries.
OliviaTech Motorroid by Varavon (International Shipping Available)
Awesome!
Good to hear that.
it looks just great, however, maybe a bit too fast even at slowest speed. 5min30 seems rather fast for me.
Is there a step by step mode to allow for use of ND filters and therefore long exposures while the slider is stopped?
And the winner is… ?
@Raul I chose a winner. Once he receives the OliviaTech Motorroid, I will create a public post with pictures.
Can the speed of the motor be slow enough to capture hour-long time lapses?
mike_tee_vee, this 32″ slider will take about 5 minutes from end to end.
doing the math, you could take 12 photos every minute for an hour long timelapse
If you take 12 photos a min, you’d get 60 frames by the end of 5 minutes. That’s at max a 2 second long timelapse
forgive me, i am an art student
Wasn’t meant to ridicule. Apologies if it came across that way
Superb kit at a superb price!
~Olivia, I believe there’s an error in the blogpost where you state the belt is 1 meter in length, or 3.28 inches……I believe you meant to type ” 3.28 feet.”
I look forward to your next collaborations and tech reviews.
Cheers~
The site is actually stating a 28% discount instead of 24% !
$50 for the Varavon Battery (which you’ll want since the tekkeon costs $100+) & $80 for the S&H gets put back onto the price when it’s all said and done.
I suggest people hop on NOW and get the deal to offset that cost.
That’s the only negative I see (more $ is always a negative). ;-D
This is a pretty ideal setup, Olivia.
I love the speed wheel.
Realistically, how long do you think the motor will last?
Do you think they’ll ever offer a hard case for better protection?
Glad to see you’re putting your name on this.
It gives the product credibility.
Will we see an entire OliviaTech Lineup?
Congratulations Olivia!! Can’t wait to win this nice piece of Production Tech!
I guess now it will be difficult for you to be seen carrying other brand sliders:) Congratulations Olivia!
One question – can the slider be used without the motor?
@Tom Yes, it can be used without the motor.
I’m trying to place an order via their site but upon checkout it adds a $205 “International Shipping” fee despite my being in NY…since their contact number seems to be California based I’m not sure this charge is accurate…..perhaps a site error…..left a voice message, hopefully they’ll return the call.
Cheers guys~
Im having the same problem. I cant imagine that this $206 shipping charge is accurate (Atlanta,GA,USA). I will be listening out to what happens with this before I purchase.
@Mikey Looks like there was something funny on Varavon’s end. The issue should be fixed within a day!
Great! Thanks Olivia! Great product. Keep the good stuff coming!
Thank you for your calling, and I got back to you. There was a some kind of error on our website, and now we fixed the problem which charges extremly high shipping cost. Now you guys can see considerable shipping price for it.
not a bad price for a complete motion control system… now all you need to do is marry this to the servo city pan tilt head. then you will have a 3 axis moco system.
Congrats for your Motoroid!
So, which one is better and you recommend? The Philip Bloom kit, Konova or your Varavon kit?
If your answer is “yours”, why is it? What are it’s advantages over the other (besides the low price)?
@Stefan I have not used the Bloom kit so I can’t say. I’ve used and really enjoy Konova’s kit. I only really used it for time lapse. I know that Varavon is coming out with a motion controller as well, so if you’re looking for something with a separate motion control, Varavon could be an option for that as well. It’s hard to say… I honestly think it depends on what you’re looking for. There can be more of a fair comparison once I’ve used the time lapse remote from Varavon. What features are you looking to use?
I will use it mostly for slow timelapses. And I see the Motoroid moves for about 5min from side to side, which may not be the best choice for me.
What will do the timelapse remote? Can you slow down further?
I like the built quality and smooth movement of the Bloom’s slider, but it comes with it’s price.
And most of the time we have to do compromises (unfortunately).
This Motoroid looks really amazing – especially for video shooters!
@Stefan There is no remote for time lapse on the OliviaTech Motorroid. Varavon is working on a time lapse controller and that should be coming out fairly soon!
I replied yesterday, but I don’t see my post today, so I’ll repeat – sorry if at some point it double the posts.
I want to use it for long timelapses. And this slider moves too fast for that – about 5min from end to end.
I see this Varavon as excellent tool for video shooters, I hope they will come up with solution for timelapse.
What is the MAX weight (camera + lens) it can hold if used vertically (or sideways)?
@Stefan Just slightly over 6 lbs is what we tested. Also, Varavon will be coming out with a remote for time lapse on this motor.
The MX2 engineer could be used with motorroid and then it could be set as SMS mode -shot move shot. I hope this could help you. THANKS
Varavon claims to sell the motor assembly separately but there’s not listing for it. And they have no email contact info. Seems weird.
@Fish The Motorroid as a stand alone unit hasn’t shipped yet. I’d reach out to them for inquiries regarding the solo motor.
Congrats!
Can we get more sample shots, especially 90 degrees with a 5D or something with decent weight?
@Vinh We have some more videos coming out with tips and tricks on using sliders like this.
Olivia! You are awesome! Congrats on your very own line, girl! What a great product!
The fine folks over at Varavon contacted me and told me there is indeed an error in the shipping costs as calculated when trying to order…..because they are based in Korea, they will need 8 hours plus to correct the error, so if anyone gets the same error, rest assured they are aware and are fixing it!
for a limited time only?
@furb As of now, the $499 sticker price should be the final retail price.
Congrats on the slider Olivia
Question… Im pretty sure you already own a Konova slider and in the video you say the motorized kit can be used on other brands besides the Varavon… have you actually tried the motorized set up on the Konova?
Will different belt sizes be available for different length sliders??
I wish this was around when i got my Konova
… i would have definitely picked this up
Sorry if this is stepping on any toes asking about a competitors product… but any plans on doing a video of the Varavon motor mounted on a Konova slide?
@Ian Yes, the Motorroid fits on Konova. Yes, if you check out Varavon’s website (linked in this blog post) you will find varying sizes of belts.
I have the Konova K5 47 inch slider. It looks like the Varavon motor assembly will fit. However, the Varavon website is confusing on the different lengths of belts. I was ready to order the belt size of 59 inches. But, in their description they state, “Pulley Belt length = Slider length x 2 + 0.5m”.
@Uwe If you have Konova’s K5 47″ Slider, you would want the Motorroid with the 59″ belt HERE.
Looks great for product shots etc, but can you use this while recording sound for interviews or dramatic filmmaking? How loud in the motor?
@David You will hear the motor. Although not very loud, I would advise against recording sound while a motor is running that close to your camera. In my opinion, you should be recording sound separately.
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saludos!!
Hi! Gracias por la foto! Es muy bonito
Hmmm, I’d love to add the motor/belt rig to my 39″ Konova slider but the mounting holes on the ends of the Konova appear to be 1/4″. I wonder if there’s a way to adapt the system to make it work…
@Dean There is a 3/8″ port on the Konova and most other industry standard sliders. Can you locate it?
Hi, Olivia. On the Konova I have (recently purchased 39″ K5) the threaded mounting port that you indicate in the video for the location where the motorized assembly mounts is definitely 1/4″. There is a 3/8″ port on the side (where the leg assembly attaches) but that’s obviously in the wrong place for this. I’m thinking it could still work by using 1/4″ bolts through the MotoRoid instead of 3/8″, and hopefully that will be strong enough.
@Dean This is from Varavon: “Varavon motorroid also could used in 39 konova slider, we will provide a 1/4 inch screw together with motorroid. So, please do not worry about it. Thanks”
Varavon motorroid also could used in 39 konova slider, we will provide a 1/4 inch screw together with motorroid. So, please do not worry about it. Thanks
How much does the entire MotorRoid weigh?
(Slider and the motor only)
I’m trying to decide which tripod I should buy, the Road Trip or the GlobeTrotter. Thank you Olivia.
-Joe
@Joe I’ll be back in the studio next Monday and I can weigh it out to double check. According to Varavon’s site, everything together for the OliviaTech Motorroid will be around 9 lbs.
Ordered one- can’t wait for Olivia to post more videos on using this!
Olivia, will there be a line of “OliviaTech” products?
@Steve Thank you for supporting us! Maybe, we shall see
I have the Konova K5 47.2 inch slider. It looks like the Varavon motor and belt size of 59 inches will fit. However, when I go to the Varavon website they state “Pulley Belt length = Slider length x 2 + 0.5m”. I’m not sure that the 59 inch belt would fit based on that formula. Any advice is appreciated.
I already own the Slidecam LITE 600 and I’m wondering if the motorroid would work out of the box on the shorter 600? I know it might not be long enough to make a decent time-lapse (duration-wise), but is it even compatible with the motorroid within 39”?
@Marcus Yes, the Motorroid is compatible with the Slidecam LITE 600.
Hey Olivia,
I bought a Varavon Slidecam S1200 a year ago based on one of your earlier reviews. I opted for the longer length to be able to do some doorway dolly shots without the dolly. It’s been a great slider but really requires two tripods.
I just happened to visit the Vifocam site today and saw your special. Since I’ve found that I need a shorter slider to fit on a single tripod, I decided to pre-order the OliviaTech Motorroid. I can’t wait until it arrives. Such a great deal and comes with the battery for the pre-order!
Thanks for the great reviews and posts!
Also, do these come with the “OliviaTech” branding on them?
@Robert Thank you for supporting! Yes, the OliviaTech Motorroid that you preordered comes with the OTech logos.
i want to use this on my 47 inch konova slider?
any chance of seeing you demonstr8 this in the super near future?
thanks
@adic The Motorroid will work on the 47″ Konova with the 1.4-20″ male screw that comes with the unit.
I am new to filming and looking at a slider. Watching your review this looks like a great option, the reviews here give it credibility. Using this in manual mode, how nice is the slider; is it friction based or does it use bearings?
@Doug This slider uses steel roller bearings. The shafts are chrome coated to prevent rusting and the body is made from aluminum alloy. The slider alone weighs 3.3lbs.
Hi Olivia,
Just ordered mine. What head are you using to attach your camera to the slider in the video? Can you recommend a good priced tripod to support it?
@Tommy I was using the Manfrotto 701HDV Pro Fluid Video Mini Head. The Professional Heavy Duty Video Camcorder Tripod Fluid Drag Head Kit WF717 will hold this setup and it’s under $150 for the kit.
is there a way to get a longer slider when getting the special edition bunndle?
thanks
@Adic Unfortunately as of now, no. Only the Slidecam LITE 800 is being offered by Varavon for the bundle deal for now. You can purchase the OliviaTech Motorroid MOTOR ONLY separately though.
Two questions if someone can answer:
1. What is the warranty in Canada if something wrong with it?
2. Why the Timeroid is no longer available on their website? Would like to have one although I can pre-set it in the DSLR.
Thanks for your help.
@BW I will get your questions over to Varavon now and see what they have to say. I believe the warranty is valid internationally and the Timeroid should be announced and released soon.
@BW We give 1-year international warranty, and as Olivia says timeroid will be released shortly.
one more question and thanks for taking the time to answer.
if i get the special edition one can i get a longer Pulley Belt and use it with the same motor that comes with the special edition.
i dont see why not but just checkin to be sure.
thanks!
@adic Yes, the pulley belt will work on any Motorroid system.
in addition to my last question can the MX2 Motion Controller be used with this motor?
thanks
@adic I’m not certain as our MX2 is out on loan now. If you can check back in a few weeks I can test it to see. Or you may want to contact Varavon directly and see if they know.
ok thanks for all your answers
One of the companies I work for tired to order the slider yesterday and Varavon said it was still not in stock. They can only pre order. We need a good slider and the Motorroid 800 model is the one I recommended to buy. If you have any further information please keep us informed.
man i was about to order the special addition when i realized that the free battery is no longer available.. dang. i was trying to get the info i needed before i purchased to avoid any regrets since they have a restocking fee.
any way to work something out?
also i noticed a time lapse controller… any more info on this?
thanks
@adic I would contact Varavon directly to see if you can still order with a free battery. No more info on the time lapse controller at this time, however I’m sure we’ll be hearing more closer to NAB!
When I add one to my cart on the Varavon website, the option for shipping to Canada is FREE SHIPPING ($0), which I know can’t be right. Is there something wrong with the site, or am I just getting a great deal?
Never mind! My session had timed out and my cart was empty, but I didn’t realize it. Shipping is still $80. Good to know.
Hi Olivia,
any good news with the Time Lapse controller ?
Thanks
@Nir Yes, Varavon officially announced the Timeroid at NAB 2013. As soon as they have all details on their site and confirmed, I will post a blog about it. Should be soon!
Do you know how long you are supposed to charge the Varavon battery for? It doesn’t say in the instructions. Thanks!
@Tommy From empty, it takes 3-4 hours to make the battery fully charged. There is no time limitation on how long you should allow it to charge.
Looks good but I record drama and do use separate sound but when using the boom or wireless mics how far from the action would the camera need to be for the motor noise not to be picked up? Has anyone tried that yet?
@Olivia
Great package – a few questions.
1. The Slidecam Lite 800 is a bit too short for us. Can a similarly discounted package be made available with the Lite 1000? We’re prepared to buy two of them, like, immediately after our Kessler died today (shipped to two different locations though).
2. Not having a remote to control the motion is a bit of an issue. Sometimes we shoot rooms with mirrors and the reflection would show us controlling the slider since all the buttons are on the slider itself. With the Kessler we can hide around the corner since the remote is separate.
I was thinking, since the battery pack is separate, is it possible to use *that* as a on/off switch? Have the slider turned on and the speed settings all dialed in, *but* have the battery be disconnected at the wire. Then, after we hide around the corner we can plug in / turn on the battery to start the entire rig. Would this work?
@Victor
1) I have just contacted Varavon in regards to this. I will email you directly in regards with an answer. Is the email you’ve registered this comment with good?
2) Since the Timeroid has not yet been finalized, I’m not 100% certain whether or not you will be teathered to the motor or if/what the extension options might be. Again, I am contacting Varavon with this and will get back to you shortly.
3) There may be a better solution than the battery work-around. Email coming to you asap!
@Olivia
Yup! The email is good to go! Thank you!
And if you could give me an ETA on a Lite 1000 package if it’s in the works that would be swell. I’m not too sure why having the two in a package wouldn’t be possible right this second actually…
@Victor Awaiting on Varavon’s reply… this is entirely up to them in terms of pricing. Will let you know as soon as I hear back.
@Olivia
Thanks so much! Really looking forward to the answers