Today, I'm gonna tell you a story about my harrowing quest
to create a useful, versatile, and uniquely affordable
motion-control system, by combining the recent MOZA
releases-- like the Slypod and the AirCross 2.
Let's get undone.
[offbeat music] ♪ Gerald undone ♪
♪ He's crazy ♪
What's happening, everybody? I'm Gerald Undone,
and I'd rather have my city burned down
than hand over my pistachios. So, our story starts back
in April when I reviewed the MOZA Air 2,
and when MOZA showed their sliding monopod at NAB.
I really enjoyed the MOZA Air 2, save for a couple small issues.
It's one of the best Gimbals I've ever used,
and I thought the Slypod was one of the coolest products
at the NAB show. I asked MOZA at NAB
if they had any plans to integrate control
of the Slypod with the Gimbal, like the MOZA Air 2,
for a complete motion-control system
because that seemed like a really useful combination.
Rather than spend thousands of dollars on a dedicated system,
just re-purpose an already great gimbal
for only a few hundred dollars more.
And I was told at that time that they were already
thinking about that, and were busy developing it.
So, fast-forward several months to the beginning of September,
which is about seven weeks ago now. I finally receive
my Slypod in the mail, but the excitement was short-lived,
because the performance was very disappointing.
You might remember reading a slightly cryptic tweet from me,
saying that I would recommend holding off
on buying to Slypod until further notice.
So, let me show you why I said that:
Here's a shot with the original Slypod.
Do you see how badly it's moving back and forth
and creating this very jittery result in the final sequence?
This happened in pretty much every situation,
unless you did a completely horizontal slide
with a slow speed. But any kind of angle or faster
movement, or vertical, and the shot was completely unusable.
And it wasn't just my copy; I reached out
to three other people who I knew
had the Slypod, and they reported the same issue.
Caleb from DSLR Video Shooter and I
spent an afternoon trying to see if we could
diagnose the problem, but had no luck fixing it.
I then informed MOZA, and they were seemingly
aware of the issue, and said that they were already
working on it, and would send me another one.
They claim that very few units were affected by this issue,
but if you happen to experience this shaking
that I showed you here with your copy,
I would recommend contacting MOZA to get a replacement.
Because I can say that the new one I received
did not have those issues at all.
Alright, so now in the story, it's around the middle
of October, and I finally had a working Slypod.
I'd been testing it for a few days and was mostly satisfied
with the results. So, it was time to combine it
with the MOZA Air 2 to get that sweet motion-control action.
Except there was no way to connect the MOZA Air 2
to the Slypod. So, I talked to MOZA about this,
and about my goal to accomplish what they showed in their
product videos on their website. There's several videos
and graphics that MOZA put out to demonstrate
the compound movements of the gimbal and Slypod,
and suggesting the integration of multiple pieces
of MOZA equipment to make that shot happen.
And the response I received from MOZA was,
So I figured, I'd come this far, I might as well
get an AirCross 2. And when I asked about
achieving the shots demonstrated on their website,
I was given the link to an app with the email reading:
This was in response to me asking in what ways will it be
compatible; is there combined motion-control for them?
And now it's today. I've got the MOZA Slypod--
well, two Slypods, actually.
I've got the MOZA AirCross 2, I've got the Focus Module,
the phone holder, the extension and adapter cables,
and the MOZA Master App. And guess what?
They still don't work together effectively.
There's no way that I know of to connect the AirCross 2
to the Slypod. None of the cables they sent me
would physically connect the two, despite there being
an illustration on the website showing a cable connecting them.
And there's no way to link them in the app.
And switching from one device to the other
in the app essentially resets whatever
you were doing with the first device.
And if I have the app connected to the Slypod,
you can't use the manual controls on the Slypod.
So, that's not a workaround either.
Basically, you can either control the slider,
or you can control the pan and tilt of the gimbal.
But not both at the same time, unless you wanted to
physically adjust both controls on
two different devices simultaneously.
But I don't think that qualifies as motion-control,
and good luck getting a smooth shot.
So, I reached out to MOZA again.
And it took me asking a very specific question
three different times to get an answer,
and that answer was still pretty vague. I asked:
To which they responded:
So, that's pretty much all I know as of today.
Perhaps this'll be a terrific motion-control
option in the future. For less than $1,000,
you can get a pretty decent gimbal in the AirCross 2,
combined with an innovative slider that has the potential
to give you the most affordable and versatile
motion-control system available. But as it currently stands,
they're just two independent devices.
Not unlike using a Ronin-S on your Slypod,
or using the AirCross 2 on your Rhino.
There's no real advantage to having the pair
as it currently stands, but I'm hoping there will be soon.
So, to help facilitate that, let's go over some of the issues
I had trying to achieve the shots they advertised
on their website, so they know what to add
to the app and firmware to make this happen.
Alright, so let's start at the top, and work our way down.
So, this first shot here is just a basic dolly.
They've got the gimbal attached to the Slypod
in the flashlight position, and they're just sliding out.
This one's easy, and you don't even need the app,
'cause one of the things that I like about the Slypod,
compared to a lot of other stuff out there, is that you
can control it pretty well from just the device, which is great
when you don't wanna fuss around with an app.
So, first we're just gonna put a quick release
on the base of the Slypod, and then attach this
to our tripod, and then attach the head.
Now, I find this head to be kind of weird.
It slides in with this odd nub and groove system,
which then needs to be tightened down by spinning this collar.
But it still has more play than I'd like,
and I think it puts more emphasis on interchangeability
than necessary. But it does work.
Then we just need to take the quick release
from the top of the head, and attach it to the AirCross 2,
and then slide the gimbal into the setup.
And then we have the basic configuration
for the majority of the shots that I wanna demonstrate.
Now, I don't wanna give a full review on the AirCross 2,
because pretty much everything's already been said. My plan
for making a unique video was to make it on motion-control.
But since it's not gonna happen, I highly recommend
that you watch Brandon Li's video on the AirCross 2 instead.
I think he really nailed all the obstacles
that you're likely to face, and how to deal with them.
And for a product breakdown, I think Tommy Callaway
and Chris Brockhurst both have great videos on the subject.
My opinion is that form a design standpoint,
I love this gimbal. There's so many really smart ideas.
I love the locks on all three motors.
I love the fact that they combined a lithium battery pack
like the Ronin, but also made it removable and swappable.
And the charging port is really clever: it's in the battery,
so you can charge the battery when removed,
and when it's in the gimbal handle you can charge it
using this little port-hole. Very smart.
Although it is hard to see the charging lights when it's
in the handle, so I wish that area was a little less-tinted.
It's also very light, and offers a good payload
for its weight class, and the price is very fair.
So, it's all wins in that department, but the truth is,
it's just not as smooth or as stable as the MOZA Air 2,
and this is why I recommended Brandon's video.
We both tried to use the Sony a7 III,
which is this little 35mm f/1.8,
and it was still noticeably shaky at times.
And I even struggle to balance the smaller combos like this.
I found in order to get the a7 III to balance well,
you have to mount it directly onto this L-bracket,
and forgo the included quick release.
And you also really have to jam it all the way
over to the far side. Now, when you do get it going
with a compact load, it's quite nice.
Like I said: lightweight, good design, but it just doesn't
give me as much confidence as the MOZA Air 2 did.
And for that, I have to take points off.
It also has a rather aggressive auto tune that tends to set
the levels in a place that make it easy for the motors to freak
out and start shaking or spinning uncontrollably.
So, I think that tuning needs to be adjusted in firmware.
Also, judging by the reviews online,
it would appear that some users have experienced
rapidly diminishing battery life to where
the battery is mostly useless after just a few months.
Now, I can't really speak to this, as I've only owned it for
a few weeks, but it's something you should be aware of.
Overall, the gimbal definitely shows a lot of promise,
but it certainly has some kinks that need to be ironed out.
Anyway, moving on to the camera moves.
So, to carry out this shot, all we have to do is press
the plus-sign on the Slypod, and it does the rest.
♪
The more you press the plus, the faster it goes.
It's audible at all stages, but the volume definitely
-increases the faster it gets. -[loud whirring]
At higher speeds, I would call it noisy and not usable
in a scene where you were recording dialogue.
But the slower speeds are usable,
unless you require absolute silence.
This is on the first mode here, and the mic is very
close to it, but this is what it sounds like.
-[very faint whir] -This is super-slow.
And if we go up to second-notch...
[louder whirring]
...gets a little bit more audible.
This is still pretty slow, and then about
three notches in is a pretty decent slide speed.
But it starts to make a little bit more noise at that point.
Here's what it sounds like. [louder whirring]
And then anything beyond this, and...
-[screeching whir] -[laughs] It's pretty loud.
-And it gets louder... -[louder whirring]
And then to have it come back in, you just use
the minus-button, and the same speed rules apply.
You can also have it loop in and out by holding the plus
and minus, until the light ring turns blue.
And then you adjust the speed as you would normally.
The Slypod itself is an interesting animal.
It's well-built, looks cool and is unique,
but at the same time you can look at it and ask:
who the hell needs a monopod and a slider in one?
When it's integrated with the gimbal, I get it.
But as a standalone device,
it's kind of limited as a slider.
It on has a 28 cm, or 11" travel,
so if you're doing basic, horizontal slides,
it's probably not ideal. But it is weather-proof,
has manual controls, and a decent max payload
of four kilos, or nine lb, when horizontal.
But what it does do that most other sliders do not,
is a 9 kilo, or 20 lb pedestal movement, or vertical slide.
The ability to lift 20 lb vertically
over 11 inches in this form factor is unique,
and might be useful to you as a shooter.
And now that that shaking probably is fixed,
there's nothing wrong with the Slypod. It's just peculiar.
Again, though, if they can figure out how to combine it
with the gimbal for unified motion-control,
then they'd really have something.
So, let's get back to the shots
and see what obstacles we'll need to overcome.
Okay, so this next one adds an inception-mode twist
into the equation. Now, this one's easy enough
as well using manual controls, because both of these movements
can be set to infinite looping.
But this is one area where the app fails.
Like I said earlier, you can't program
both devices at once using the app.
So, the easiest way is just to enter inception mode
using the dial on the AirCross 2, choose the speed you want,
and then make the Slypod loop in and out like I showed
you before by pressing both the plus and minus buttons.
This one works. No problems there.
♪
The next shot, however, drove me nuts: The Vertigo shot.
Now, there is a dolly zoom option in the AirCross 2 menu,
but I couldn't get it to work.
I would set the A & B points for the focus module,
set the duration and then press start,
but it just wouldn't do anything.
I have a theory that it doesn't work unless you have
two focus motors attached, one for zoom and one for focus.
I only have one motor, as that's all that comes
with the kit that they advertise, so it would be kinda
stupid if you need a second one to use that function.
You should be able to use what you have.
You should be able to attach the motor to your zoom,
and just use autofocus if you want, or just use focus
and not zoom. But the gimbal doesn't provide
a prompt explaining why it won't start; it just won't start.
And after about two hours of trying and reading
every piece of documentation I can find, I gave up.
But even if I got it to work, it wouldn't have accomplished
the dolly zoom anyway, because, again, there's no
way to synchronize the movement with the Slypod.
So, I'd be zooming at a different rate that
the Slypod moves, unless I got really lucky with timing.
Now, there is an alternative method by recording
focus motor movement, but this one is subject
to how well you turn the wheel.
It basically records your wheel movement,
and then plays it back. This is a fun idea,
but in practice it was jerkier than I'd like,
because I was trying to time how I move the wheel
with how long it takes the Slypod to move.
And it created little pauses and jitters
that were visible in the final shot.
The whole advantage of motion hardware is you don't
have to rely on human manual synchronization.
Because of the single-shooter, it's very, very difficult.
So, in my opinion, the dolly zoom on their website
is a bit misleading in its current state.
♪
Next up, we have these pan and slide combos
that you can use for fixed-point parallax.
Now, this is not something that you could do manually,
so it requires that app. But, again,
you can't control both devices at once in the app,
so you'll have to use the slypod manually
with its buttons, and then use the app to set
the A & B points for the gimbal to pan.
But the problem is, once again, trying to sync up the starting
point of the gimbal with the starting point of the Slypod.
And when you press start in the app,
there's a delay in sending the command.
So, you actually have to start it, like, 2 1/2 seconds
before the Slypod is about to loop back out,
which is very tedious, and if you were working with talent,
you'd look decidedly unprofessional.
♪
Now, using the object tracking mode,
you can kind of make this work.
The app allows you to track an object using
your phone's camera, and then tries to keep
its position consistent as the gimbal moves back and forth.
This is the closest I got to a decent parallax effect,
but the actual mounting of the phone was a problem.
Their phone holder comes with a shoe mount,
which I assumed was to go into the hot shoe of your camera,
as that would be ideally placed for the object tracking.
But this made the balancing issues
I mentioned earlier so much worse.
The motors gave out on me twice, one time
nearly cracking my phone screen. So, I wouldn't really
recommend this approach, as it's way too precarious.
And again, I'd call this shot a failure,
not accurately depicted, and one that could be easily
remedied by allowing you to plot both the Slypod
and the AirCross's movements simultaneously in the app.
And while they're at it,
allow us to program focus positions, too.
Because as it stands right now, the app doesn't even know
that you have the focus motor attached.
You can only control the focus motor or set A/B points
by entering the menu on the gimbal itself.
The app needs to be able to control up to two focus motors,
but not restrictively requiring both,
while also controlling the pan and tilt of the gimbal,
And the movement of the Slypod in a single interface.
And you'll have yourself some magic.
And all of these advertised shots will be easy money,
and not seem like false advertising
like they currently do. Lastly, let's look at this one
that they're calling the Jib Shot, which when combined
with the camera movement that a gimbal's capable of,
kinda makes it a tiny techno-crane.
Unfortunately, there's two key components
of a Jib that are missing on this combination,
and those are balance and lateral stability.
A Jib generally has a way to add counter-weights
to achieve balance. But with the gimbal,
camera and most of the Slypod on one side,
this setup is significantly front-heavy.
Now, we can counteract that by strapping some weight
to the handle-side, but it's not made to do that natively.
However, I found that if I put two 3 lb dumbbells
in this empty satchel I have, I can achieve
a pretty good balance. That's probably close to 3 kilos
to counterweight a fully extended Slypod, AirCross 2
and a7 III combo. And then it feels good,
and you can Jib it with minimal pressure.
But we're still lacking that lateral stability I was talking
about, as it noticeably wiggles from side to side.
So, it works, but we'll have to be very
careful about how we move it.
Credit to the AirCross 2 though.
It's ability to quickly lock whichever access you want,
makes this whole thing possible, because we can
just change the tilt from follow to lock
with one button, and we're ready to Jib.
Now, throw in some camera movement using the app,
and we've got some groovy mini technocrane shots.
♪
Alright, I think that's enough for one video.
This was a frustrating one for me.
I like the products individually,
and I think for the most part they're worth their price,
but I don't find them to be revolutionary or must-buys.
However, I think the potential for them to work together as
one of the most affordable and independently useful kits
of motion control is what makes them so tempting.
Unfortunately, I was put off by the graphics
and marketing that make it seem like
that functionality is as easy as buying both products,
and that it's ready to go as of now, which it's not.
And my inability to get a clear answer from
the company makes it impossible for me to guarantee
that we'll ever see that functionality in the future.
I want them to, and it would definitely make
these products exponentially more compelling, but for now...
we'll just have to wait and see.
But that's gonna be it for me. I hope you found
this video entertaining or at least helpful, and If you did,
make sure you leave it the ol' thumbs-up
and consider subscribing if you haven't already.
But if you did not find this video helpful or entertaining,
then you probably need to re-balance your Jib.
Alright... I'm done.
♪