Tilta Hydra Motorized Slider

The Tilta Hydra motorised slider mounts to a vehicle by tow hook or hitch adapter and braces against 50 mm speed rails with suction cups. It carries a camera and gimbal up to 30 kg (66 lb) and is driven by cable or wirelessly from inside the car — speed, damping and A/B points it travels to on its own. Four 14.8 V V-Mount batteries power it; four 270 Wh packs last a shooting day.

Tilta Hydra Motorized Slider (HDA-T04) is the motorised slider from the Hydra Car Mounting family — without the shock-absorbing arm. Travel is 1.8 m, covered in four seconds, and it is driven by cable or wirelessly from inside the vehicle, including programmed A and B points. It travels in two cases and runs on four V-Mount batteries.

Three ways to mount it, 1.8 metres of travel

The rig attaches to the vehicle in three ways: at the front through the front tow hook adapter, on the roof through 50 mm Speed Rail tubes with mounting suction cups, or at the rear through the tow hitch adapter. Travel is 1.8 m (5.9 ft), which the manufacturer says covers most of the angles used in automotive cinematography — from just above the tarmac to a high shot over the roof.

The full travel in four seconds

The slider covers the full travel from its highest to its lowest point in four seconds; the manufacturer quotes a descent rate of 0.45 m/s. Speed and damping are set on the control module, so the same move can be repeated take after take.

Control handle and A/B points

A control handle and a control module are included. The slider is driven by cable or wirelessly from inside the vehicle — you set speed, damping and two end points, A and B, between which it then runs on its own at given time intervals, with no operator input. The system is prepared for future firmware updates.

Four V-Mount batteries for a full day

The whole system runs on four 14.8 V V-Mount batteries — no vehicle supply, no generator. With four 270 Wh (18,600 mAh) batteries the manufacturer says it lasts a normal shooting day without a swap; real runtime depends on load, temperature and how often the slider moves.

Operates from −30 to 80 °C

Both the shock-absorbing arm and the slider are made of aerospace-grade aluminium alloy and 304 stainless steel. The manufacturer quotes an operating range of −30 to 80 °C (−22 to 176 °F) and resistance to wind, rain and snow, so the shoot does not end with the first shower.

Custom rigs for live broadcast

Without the shock-absorbing arm and with optional accessories, the slider can be mounted on a vehicle roof for live broadcast, for example of marathons or cycling races. Tilta builds such rigs to order. The accessories for the broadcast setup are not included — the manufacturer's sales team has the details (sales@tilta.com).