ZEAPON Micro 2 Slider – An Affordable Tiny Camera Slider

News

by Jeff LochNovember 20^th, 2019

ZEAPON Tech, a Chinese company specializing in camera accessories, just released a new tiny camera slider: the ZEAPON Micro 2. This compact slider is only 33cm long, and it can carry cameras up to 8kg/17lbs, which is pretty impressive. Let’s take a closer look at it!

ZEAPON Micro 2 – Double the Distance

How many times did you leave your slider at home because it is too long, too heavy, or too cumbersome to bring with you? I think that the best slider (and pieces of equipment in general) is the one that you always carry with you.

Image credit: ZEAPON

The ZEAPON Micro 2 is a manual slider that measures only 33cm long, but it gives you a slide action of 54cm, nearly twice the physical length of the device. Indeed, the rail moves as you push/pull the camera, which is very similar to Edelkrone sliders. Please note that the maximum travel is for when the ZEAPON Micro 2 is center-mounted on a tripod. For ground operation, the travel length is limited to 33cm: the physical length of the slider.

The rail of the ZEAPON Micro 2 is made of aircraft-grade aluminum alloy, so it will not bend.

Image credit: ZEAPON

The Carriage

The center part of the ZEAPON Micro 2 is where half of the magic happens. This center part is where you attach it to your tripod via a 3/8”-16 mounting hole. But this is also where the carriage is to mount your camera to the slider.

On top of that carriage that moves along the slider, there is a 1/4″-20 mounting screw (it also comes with a 1/4″-20 to 3/8″-16 adapter) to mount your camera or tripod head. Inside the carriage, there are 36 bearings for maximum fluidity.

Image credit: ZEAPON

Also, there is a built-in “automatic dust scraper” inside the rail to make sure that the slider stays smooth as long as possible. It is the first time I have seen something this, and it is brilliant. According to ZEAPON, this feature “allows for smoother sliding by effectively scraping away all kinds of dust and grime without adding extra friction.”

Image credit: ZEAPON

The central part of the slider also features a self-locking key to lock the carriage. These locks are especially useful when you need to move quickly on set and don’t want your camera to fly all over the place.

Image credit: ZEAPON

Fluid Damping Technology

On the sides of the ZEAPON Micro 2 is where the other part of the magic happens. As you probably noticed, the carriage is attached to a rubber belt that goes all around the slider. But, on each end of the slider, there are fluid damping pulleys to smooth out your movements.

Image credit: ZEAPON

This fluid dampening technology allows you to get smooth shots quickly. Unfortunately, you can’t adjust the tension of the drag dampening. In short, this is like a built-in flywheel, but it takes less space and less weight.

Talking about weight, the Micro 2 weighs only 1.1kg/2.2lbs, and it can take up to 8kg/17.6lbs. It means that you can mount anything on it from a mirrorless camera to a (lightweight) cinema camera.

Image credit: ZEAPON

ZEAPON Easy Lock Low Profile Mount

The center base of the ZEAPON Micro 2 makes it nearly impossible to use it on the ground. To solve that problem, ZEAPON launched the Easy Lock low profile mount. This low profile mount attaches to the bottom of the Micro 2 via a 3/8″-16 screw creating a much larger baseplate.

Image credit: ZEAPON

Under the Easy Lock low profile mount, there are four retractable legs with spikes. These legs deploy for shooting directly on the ground.

Pricing and Availability

The ZEAPON Micro 2 is available now and retails for $229.99/232.91€. Also, bundles are available with the Easy Lock low profile mount for $299.99/302.79€.

What do you think of the ZEAPON Micro 2? Do you think it is a good value for the price? What other portable sliders do you use? Let us know in the comments!