If you're a one-man band, you know how tough it can be to simultaneously handle the camera, capture sound and interact with your subject. More often than not, you'll have to settle for a static shot, or hide behind the camera while trying to speak to the person you are interviewing. Redrock Micro's new "parabolic track slider" -- the One Man Crew -- aims to add graceful motion to your shots, while freeing your hands to focus on other aspects of the shoot. How? Check this video out:

Video is no longer available: vimeo.com/63545139

The big difference between this slider and others on the market is the parabolic curve -- with no need for an operator, you can get nice slider moves while keeping the subject anchored in frame. Beyond that it has a lot of the features you would expect from higher-end portable real-time sliders -- speed control, automatic easing in and out of stops, a good amount of track (36"), camera weight limits of up to 20 lbs, etc.

It should be a nice tool for folks looking to spice up their interview footage or add some dynamism to their product shots. For folks who can justify its use over several shoots, at a price of $1500, it doesn't break the bank. Having been on documentary shoots that required laying down track and bringing in a dolly to achieve similar effects, I can see this being very handy.

One possible drawback may be for folks looking for a combination live-action/time-lapse slider -- this is strictly live-action. However, I wouldn't be surprised if we start seeing more sliders built with parabolic curves, that is if Redrock Micro doesn't lock the idea down with their pending patent.

For more details, check out the product page here.

Does this look like something you could use? Does that sound like a fair price point? Would you rent or buy?

Link: One Man Crew — Redrock Micro

[via Cinescopophilia and Planet 5D]