Moza has been making some interesting and weird products for a while, some of which I’m sure you haven’t heard of yet. One of their more niche products is the Slypod Pro, a slider/monopod/jib combo item. It’s definitely not on your average list of equipment for film and video production.
If something like this piques your interest, then this video overview from Armando Ferreira is worth watching. He goes over some potential use cases and simply how well the product works. It’s also nice to know that Moza is continuing to develop the Slypod series with more models and upgraded versions.
A good thing about this review is that Armando has been using Slypods for a year at this point. He also admits that the earlier Slypod wasn’t quite to a point where he would recommend it to everyone due to the many quirks it has. Now with the Pro model he does find it worthwhile to talk about and it should be interesting to hear about what’s good (and not so good) with the latest release.
In the most basic explanation, the Slypod is a monopod that is motorized, allowing it to effectively function as a slider or jib as well. It’s not quite any of those things, but it can fill the role in a lot of cases.
One thing to note is that the Slypod can get loud when moving quick – you can hear it in the video. The new Slypod is lightweight, made of carbon fiber, has multiple Arca-type and threaded mounting points for balance, and can extend out about 20”.
There are a few different buttons for control. One is a power button with some shortcuts and two others are simple extend/retract controls. Some cabling can connect it to a camera for added camera control.
It’s an interesting device.
Image Credit: Moza
A new head solves a lot of the issues with the first. It is a fluid head that can be adjusted in nearly any direction. This allows you to create different shots that you wouldn’t normally be able to get with conventional devices. An example is an overhead slider move. Sliders have tracks and such that would show up, but the Slypod can just extend straight out over the subject.
There is a mobile app that can bring out additional control options for the Slypod. Opening it up you can quickly see the battery level along with some menu shortcuts. One option for basic movement will provide some excellent control for making movement. You can select speed and location, allowing you to only extend out a part of the way instead of just running the entire length of the Slypod.
Another mode called Gearshift allows for ramping upwards and downwards for an ease in/out type move. Acceleration Mode does similar, but simple eases in or out in one direction and holds the final speed for the remainder of the move.
Image Credit: Moza
Other modes are a Silent Mode which limits speed to keep movement quiet, Creative Mode which connects to the camera to do things like time-lapses, and Linkage Control which allows you to add a Moza gimbal in conjunction with the Slypod for 5-axis of movement.
It’s a niche product for certain moves, but if you need that move then it becomes invaluable. In the big picture it is a fairly affordable option.
What do you think about the Slypod Pro?
[source: Armando Ferreira]
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