Do you want a motorized camera slider without the large expense? Build your own for $75

 

 

There are many motorized slider options available, but they can be very pricey. For photographers who want the advantages of a motorized slider but don’t want to shell out big bucks, a little DIY knowledge, some supplies and about US$75 is all you need.

What do you need to make your very own motorized slider? A manual slider, for starters. In addition to the obvious, you will need an Arduino Micro, four toggle switches, a 12-volt battery pack, timing belt, two pulleys, a stepped drill bit, soldering iron, A4988 stepper driver (one is required, but more than one may prove helpful), a center punch, metal saw or angle grinder and finally a drill press or handheld drill. Provided that you have access to some of these tools, your total cost will be around $75 without much looking around. You can find links to many of the required products and tools here. If you want to save even more money, you can find a knock-off version of the Arduino Micro for as low as $5.

Check out the video from MAX Maker below.

To see the full step-by-step instructions for this project, see here.

If this seems too complicated for you but you’re interested in a motorized slider, you can see a variety of options here.

(Via DIY Photography)