Moza Slypod Pro Review A Premium and more powerful slider-monopod by Gudsen

Today we are looking at the Slypod Pro, a motorized monopod that combines sliding and lifting movements, and promises to simplify motion control. This is an upgraded version of the original Moza Slypod we tested here back in 2019.

The Slypod story

The Slypod Pro is an upgraded version of Gudsen’s previous Slypod iterations. This pro version is more premium, more powerful, has a weatherproof design with a longer reach and faster motors. Closed down, it’s only a little longer than the original Slypod E, but it gives double the extension, due to an extra telescoping section.

The Slypod Pro with the head and legs attached

Slypod Pro

Slypod Pro Overview

The Slypod Pro is a 3-in-1 camera support tool. It’s a sturdy monopod with extra-long tripod legs that can quickly be setup as a slider or provide a jib-like lift.

Closed down, the monopod measures 65cm (25.6’’), without the added tripod legs and camera head. The whole setup weighs around 2kg (4.4lbs).

Build and Materials

From the first look, the Slypod Pro looks impressive, with a thick carbon fiber tube and beefy metal couplers with incorporated mounts. The base is made of metal and houses the 2600mAh battery and controls. The monopod features a hand-fitted rubberized grip for extra ease of use.

The Slypod Pro head

Slypod Pro head

Setup and options

To use the Slypod Pro as a monopod, Moza offers optional tripod legs that get attached to the telescoping end of the unit, putting the controls at reach. These are metal legs with rubber feet and a two-way folding mechanism – a nice touch.

In order to set up the unit as a slider, there are two integrated Arca-style plates on the body. This is important for sturdy support of the setup during operation, especially at odd angles. There are plenty of mounting holes on the bottom of these plates to make setup easier.

Features

Another optional accessory Moza provides for this setup is a pan and tilt head. This feels like a quality product in an all-metal construction with a nice smooth motion. The head uses a metal Arca quick release with stoppers.

One of the two Arca style connectors and the base tripod legs

Slypod pro dual Arca bases

Functions

On the base of the monopod there is an LED indicator light ring that indicates when the unit is in operation and shows charging status. The color of the indicator is customizable in the app.

The internal battery promises up to 5.5 hours of operation. In our testing, we didn’t get this much out of the battery, but this is probably not a tool that you would use for prolonged periods of time, anyway. In any case, the use-while-charging capability will come in handy if the battery runs out. Just keep in mind that charging the unit takes up to 4 hours.

Operating the sliding function is very simple. There are three buttons on the control unit. The power button also acts as a stop and return function.

The other two buttons extend or retract the telescoping section. These are rubberized buttons without much of a tactile recognition. We felt that the plus and minus signs on the buttons are not prominent enough, and it’s hard to differentiate between the two without looking at them.

Fully extended, the Slypod Pro gives 53cm of travel, measuring around 150 cm from the ground to the top of the camera. The speed of travel is adjustable from .5mm/sec to 40mm/sec, It takes around 10 seconds at medium speed to extend or retract fully. The operation at full speed is pretty noisy, though. There is a silent mode that can be set up in the app, but that limits the speed to less than 50%.

The Slypod Pro grip

Slypod pro grip

App

You can adjust controls and operate the movement through the Moza app. The interface is pretty intuitive and works without any problems.

The most important part of the app is the interlock function that allows linking the slider with the Air Cross gimbal to create a motion control setup. Our Moza Air 2S isn’t supported, so we weren’t able to test this function. We hope that Moza adds support for some other gimbals in the future.

We did try some manual follows with Moza’s gimbal control app while operating the Slypod Pro from the onboard buttons. This was a cumbersome operation and the gimbal was pretty hard to control even in mimic mode, which made us appreciate the interlink functionality even more — that is if Moza upgrades to using other gimbals with it.

Use cases

As far as other use cases for this tool, other than the obvious sliding and reveal shots, it’s helpful for a vlogging setup. Since the monopod is quite sturdy, you can set up the camera to record you, while remotely controlling the height of the camera. It’s not ideal, since you have to have your phone in your hand to operate it.

Conclusion

In conclusion, the Slypod Pro is a sturdy lightweight monopod with some interesting features that allow for creative camera control. It’s very well built and small enough to pack and carry. We’ll just have to wait and see how Moza expands the interlink functionality.

The Slypod Pro Kit

Slypod Pro kit

Pricing

As for pricing, the Slypod Pro bundle that includes the tripod legs and the pan/tilt head sells for $600.

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Art Podolski is a photographer and video editor with an interest in marketing, technology and all things cinema. After shooting wedding photography for 5 years, he transitioned into creating video content for online projects and collaborating with various production companies.

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