Deep dive into the ZEAPON PONS PT motion control system

[@BretSnyderMusic]

As a perfectionist myself, even I laughed a little when you pointed out its big flaw. That minuscule jitter at each waypoint is so insignificant, especially if you weigh out the pros of an automated system like this. It really is an incredible piece of kit. You can spend 4-5x this cost on a Rhino rig and have real problems like motor grinding. Great review though. I enjoyed it. 👍

[@GeraldBertramPhotography]

Probably not the most exciting video because I put this together specifically for folks thinking about purchasing the PONS PT and wanted to provide as much information as quickly as possible. These are all my first impressions having the PONS PT for around 3 days. More videos on this setup to come.

[@careywest]

Do you have a link for the slider as well? My goal is to get a nice timelapse slider thats fairly portable

[@GeraldBertramPhotography]

@@careywest Good point. I just added that to the description of the video.

[@MatthewGore]

I've been using the PONS for a few weeks now, too. After you set the "B" waypoint, if you press the "A" waypoint button again (rather than pressing play), it will return the camera to that position, quickly. Then if you press "A", it runs the movement as expected. Since you had "B" highlighted, it treated that as the starting point, and it basically runs the movement backwards.

[@GeraldBertramPhotography]

Ahhh! That makes sense. Thanks for the info! If you have any more tips and tricks for the PONS please let me know!

[@MatthewGore]

@@GeraldBertramPhotography Will do. I'll be publishing my own video on it before too long. Zeapon did send me this to test/review, but I'm really slow at making videos :-)

[@GeraldBertramPhotography]

@@MatthewGore They are in short supply for sure. I'm looking forward to your video! Not many folks on KZbin doing much with it. Which Zeapon model slider are you using with it? If I can help in anyway with your testing or video just let me know!

[@MatthewGore]

@@GeraldBertramPhotography I have the same setup as you. In fact, if you take a look at my channel, I do have a video about the Zeapon Micro 2 slider up 😃

[@MatthewGore]

@@GeraldBertramPhotography Just one more related thing. It actually IS possible to add more waypoints after you have pressed "play". Suppose you add the A and B waypoints, and then press play to test out the motion. You can then add "C", but first, you have to press the "B" waypoint button to move the camera to that position, then use the controllers to move it to you next desired position, and then you can press the "C" waypoint button to set it. Good luck!

[@nicklaytonUK]

Superb review. My ideal would be to combine a time lapse sequence with live action shot against green screen, but the moves from this thing at 25% look superb. Thanks for your time and expertise on this.

[@GeraldBertramPhotography]

Thanks for you kind words! It is truly appreciated!

[@proper4036]

Great video! I wasn't even aware of their motorized panhead, I've been keeping my eye on the YC Onion Chips 3.0 but I think I'll get this combo instead.

[@GeraldBertramPhotography]

Thanks so much! Yeah even with some of the little things that weren't so great, that setup has been a real workhorse for me.

[@TheFalaah]

I have it (PONS PT & E600) and it is very frustrating at times but he is correct the guys at Zeapon are very responsive and I believe they really are trying to make a mark in the industry with this combo. All and all I really like this set up and I am very egar for what awaits! All the other systems are far more exspensive and have their own issues as well.

[@johnlocke3481]

I'm curious, what are the main frustrations? I'm considering buying this.

[@namsomirak8972]

Thank you for your review! Could I use this set partially, for example without pan head. Just brackets with tilt head mounted directly into the slider without one more head. The benefit - it will be less heavy if I don’t need pan feature and I need just sliding with tilts. But I don’t see in the video, that bracket can be mounted without pan head. So I hope you know more than I see :) Thank you very much!

[@LeechTM]

Uihh, thats actually quite a lot of quirks. Sync Issues, are a killer argument. I dont think i would get this combo right now. It feels like the first Edelkrone System, that wasnt really that great as well. Hope they get all of this fixed in future versions.

[@GeraldBertramPhotography]

Thanks Leech! Thankfully the guys over at Zeapon have been really responsive so I have high hopes

[@LeechTM]

@@GeraldBertramPhotography id love to see a follow up after 1-2 months of use :)

[@GeraldBertramPhotography]

@@LeechTM I'll do that!

[@mossiegee4674]

Just bought the full system (Micro 2+ & PD E1) for a really good price (Under €700) and very excited to see what it can do, at that price though it would be hard to pass up

[@GeraldBertramPhotography]

Please let me know how it works out for you!

[@mossiegee4674]

@@GeraldBertramPhotography Well after a few supply hic-ups (They sent the Micro 2 and not the micro 2+) it took a couple of weeks to get the right slider, i have to say i'm fully happy with the system. The jitter issue seems to be fixed or i just don't notice it it's a massive upgrade from my old GVM slider with it's own motorized pan/tilt head....both used wired controllers with no way to set way-points so the Zeapon offering is a real God-send. Currently using both systems for video archiving of products for insurance & auctions (musical instruments/antiques etc) and the micro 2+ is a pleasure to use

[@GeraldBertramPhotography]

@@mossiegee4674 That's fantastic to hear! I do admit, for the price this really is an impressive system.

[@leemjdaley]

Great review, I have the same issue with the system and feel the same, it works for me as it is with the few flaws so I'll keep it. I've not tested it yet but I'm sure you can add at least 2 more motors to the set up as there's space for them on the app for 2 turn tables would be interesting for product videos

[@amaninfilms8577]

Nice review! Do you know if it fits the black mapgic pocket cinema camera 6k?

[@prasannashrivatsan4681]

Hi Gerald.. in the sample footage, do we see a small consistent shake or a jump in the video.. is it the micro 2? i see that especially at slower speeds.. is that the case?

[@KTHKUHNKK]

Awesome Gerald seems to me like a nice smooth robot. Keith

[@D_L_J_83]

Have they updated firmware for that pause between waypoints?

[@PipCritten]

Great review. many thanks

[@bjouxservicioalcliente9263]

I bought the Micro 2 Plus a long time ago, but PONT PT took too long to go on sale. Now I have the solution of MOZA Aircross 3 + Slypod Pro. The movement is much smoother but its app is very complicated.

[@GeraldBertramPhotography]

I had the original Slypod but I found it too loud and difficult to get smooth shots. How's your experience been with the new Pro as far as those things go?

[@bjouxservicioalcliente9263]

@@GeraldBertramPhotography Very solid with a single video tripod. The noise is much lower with the silent option activated. I have never used it more than 25% speed and there is no problem in the shots. Fluid... very fluid. with the Micro 2 plus pauses are noticeable in some advances when the slider. They have the same 52cm range and it is much easier to use the Slypod pro.

[@bjouxservicioalcliente9263]

@@GeraldBertramPhotography The Zeapon app is spectacular. MOZA has a bad app.

[@bjouxservicioalcliente9263]

Hello again. I just saw more videos of the motion control. Can you perceive small pauses? Scrolling has a few micro pauses.

[@GeraldBertramPhotography]

Yes the pauses are still there. Still not perfectly shoots when transitioning between way points. That being said I have found that I rarely ever shoot video of the waypoint transitions so that bit hasn't really impacted me.

[@Trevellian]

Great review. Was about to buy one, but now will wait to see if they fix the (many) issues. Consider posting an update if they do fix the inadequacies.

[@GeraldBertramPhotography]

I have a feeling we will see several updates and for sure I will post follow ups.

[@Trevellian]

@@GeraldBertramPhotography As you point out, this is an add-on to a 2 year old slider. And it is about 1/3rd the price of the Arc II. Viewed in that light, the limitations are understandable. Though wish that Zeapon would create an integrated version in addition to this add-on product. A version in which the slide, pan, tilt, and follow focus were built into one, with a single point of power and control.

[@GeraldBertramPhotography]

@@Trevellian That's exactly the point I was trying to make. The fact that I can get 3 axis repeatable movement at this price point is pretty impressive. Plus those waypoint transition issues are really minimal if you are moving slowly as you would in a interview shoot. I fear I may have not made that point clear enough in the video. In my follow up video I will try to demonstrate that more.

[@Mastroprimo]

Love the product just miss a lot power imput dc / usb to cut away batteries and dummy batteries in studio

[@sergiorjs]

Is it possible to start/end video recording in zeapon app?

[@GeraldBertramPhotography]

No, not that I have seen. There is a new version of the app (not sure if it's come out yet or not) that is supposed to work with some of the new features of their upcoming Micro 3 slider but I haven't used that version yet.

[@remdell]

For product shots, do you think that this Zeapon combo (motorized Micron 2 plus + Pons PT PD-EQ Pan Tilt) is better than my current Shark Slider Mini Complete (shark slider mini + x2 mini pan + tilt)? The Zeapon combo takes up less width, easier manual control + smooth, dampened slides, and extends without adding any additional rails or tripods for stability. The only thing holding me back is knowing how flexible the software is with creating all the product shots I need. Every other 3-axis viable options, as you've noted, cost much more.

[@GeraldBertramPhotography]

The big question is how important is smoothness between waypoints to you? While I expect it to get better as Zeapon sends out updates, and at slow speeds it's not bad right now, there is some issues currently with those waypoint transition smoothness. For me and the product videos I produce, I can't remember a single time where I used anything more that an a to b point. So waypoint transition smoothness wasn't a deal breaker for me. Taking that out of the equation and I was incredibly impressed with this setup even more so considering the price. I used the pricey Edelkrone system a while back and I can say this Zeapon setup was smoother that that was. I don't know if Edelkrone has updated that system or not so I'm not sure what it's like now. I can't compare to the Shark slider mini as I haven't used that one before. I used the Zeapon setup on an interview yesterday using it as a slider with some additional pan. Everything worked great, was super quiet and very easy to travel with.

[@remdell]

@@GeraldBertramPhotography 80-90% of the shots I do is just A to B, so as you say, waypoint transition isn't a major dealbreaker. Most shots that involve more than A to B are robotic movements that will only take up a few seconds in a video. I'll probably wait a few more months to see more videographer reviews pouring in, but the support for this combo is looking great so far. The price and in-stock availability for the features we're getting is definitely the best part. A lot of my friends can't get their hands on any motorized iFootage sliders at retail because they're always sold out (wait time is also 3 months+ after ordering), and dropping 3k+ on rhino, genie, or edelkrone isn't great for semi-professionals when the 2k can be spent elsewhere (lighting, sound, lens, etc.)

[@GeraldBertramPhotography]

@@remdell Here's a little some else for you. Once the PONS PT comes back in stock on Amazon I was told they are going to drop the price to $500 for a good while.

[@rsuanes]

I have the non-motorized version of the slider. Will it still work if I do the slide manually?

[@GeraldBertramPhotography]

There shouldn't be any reason why it wouldn't. When you use the app it will connect to the slider and the 2 PONS PT units separately. On several occasions I have just used only the pan head and not the tilt with no issue so I would imagine using this without connecting to the slider wouldn't be a problem either.

[@cheesedust-n3w]

Did the Zeapon come with a mounting plate? I'm just trying to mount my secondary tripod head to it but it seems t be missing that initial attachement.

[@GeraldBertramPhotography]

There should be a mounting plate that attaches to your camera and then you slide that into the top arm of the PONS PT. If you don't have that plate (it looks just like a typical Ara Swiss plate) then you should definitely contact Zeapon.

[@lovettd]

Nice review.. Does this Zeapon lab app work with the Android OS or only works with Apple iOS. Can you help confirm please

[@GeraldBertramPhotography]

Works on Android and Apple IOS

[@colestudios]

Great video! Have Zeapon fixed these issues yet?

[@GeraldBertramPhotography]

Thank you! I have to say there has probably been at least 3 or 4 firmware updates since this video. Things has improved a good bit, certainly many of the issues within the app have been addressed. Perfection has not been acheived as of yet, in particular with the issue between way points. However I must admit this particular issues hasn't impacting me much if at all. All of the movements I actually record on video are just the movement between the waypoints. So kind of yes and no?

[@richpfeifer7791]

Any idea on the battery life? Are the NP-F550s enough? Thanks

[@GeraldBertramPhotography]

The 550s SHOULD last you for a typical 1-2 hour shoot. However I would recommend at least the 750 size. They aren't much more than the 550s and last a good bit longer. Those are what I use and with the amount I shoot I only find I need to charge the batteries maybe once a week. Should be able to find them on Amazon for like $15 a pop.

[@BranRistic]

PD powerbank can run the slider, not sure about pan/tilt unit

[@GeraldBertramPhotography]

Good question. I'll try that out. Might be tricky to run the wires so it doesn't impeed the movement.

[@BranRistic]

@@GeraldBertramPhotography tricky indeed, lol... Looking forward if you decide to make a video on the remote, I see it was paired on the app.. I'm just a hobbyist and had the slider for a while now, just got the PONS PT and ordered the remote.. I will be testing the slider to certain vertical degree as possible, it worked fine pulling up the weight of my X-T4, but adding extra 2.5KG's of PT (batteries included) will be interesting..

[@GeraldBertramPhotography]

@@BranRistic I don't think the remote is available here in the US yet. I don't do a ton of time lapses so I'm not sure I will grab it. What I AM looking forward to is the follow focus attachment I believe they are working on. I am VERY interested to hear how your vertical tests go!

[@robertochaves4535]

Thanks for the review. The mechanics seem good for the money. The software seems terribly limited (this goes for most sliders). With a background in 3D graphics development I’m surprised that they don’t support Bézier curves to control movement and speed ramping, or even allow simple ease in/out. That the movements don’t sync up is a real worry, then you can’t do repeated shots changing parts or the scene between them for special effects, or is it at least exactly repeatable in the losing sync? I’m worried it is a mechanical problem that they are trying to compensate with programming, but afraid their programming skills aren’t the best. Can you ask them about this? And have they done any software updates in the three months since you did this review? I would be really happy if they could solve these things, and present a plan with their goals plus see continuous fast software updates

[@chuafamily2092]

I was hoping that it will come with the camera sync cable 😂

[@davidp158]

This system is potentially a great value, but Zeapon really need to fine tune the app. The glitch between waypoints is a deal breaker for me. I would like to see individual spped and pause controls for each way point. I would like to get this slider and just the pan head for shooting interviews (no need for the tilt head), to loop back and forth as a B-cam shot. It took Zeapon quite a while to release the pan and tilt motors, so I'm a bit weary about investing in this system until they work the bugs out. I wrote to customer service a few times, but never got a reply.

[@GeraldBertramPhotography]

Thanks for the detailed comment, Dave. I agree with you on the points you made. Some further development of the app would make a night and day difference in this system. I also agree that simply getting the slider with the pan is a good choice. Honestly I find myself rarely using the tilt.

[@GRAWLIXph]

Will a BMPCC 4k fit on this? TIA

[@GeraldBertramPhotography]

Unfortunately no, I don't believe so. That horizontal arm that mounts to the camera isn't long enough. I have to imagine there might be a way to extend it somehow because it's just a standard 1/4 20 mount at the end of it....some kind of adapter or something but out of the box I think you are out of luck.

[@GRAWLIXph]

@@GeraldBertramPhotography thank you for the info, hopefully someone will test it on a bmpcc4k with a modifier..

[@careywest]

Ah I see you're a man of class. Freewell filters separate us from the animals.

[@GeraldBertramPhotography]

It is our refined tastes that keep us above the riff-raff.

[@RodrigoSilvaFilms]

Can I put Blackmagic Pocket cameras on this?

[@BillHoward3]

I may have looked at it incorrectly, but does it start on the end way point and work backwards, or does it actually start on the A way point?

[@GeraldBertramPhotography]

It actually stars on the A point then moves to each waypoint you set after. Clicking the loop icon and it will then go back through all the waypoints you set.

[@PaulMrPKcom]

Dear Gerald, did you manage to get the app running ? Not working for me and most other users despite the latest android app 1.03 and firmware v2.5(20211119)... Any help would be very appreciated. Thanks!

[@GeraldBertramPhotography]

Yes, I have been using the app. Are you getting an error message when you try and start the app?

[@PaulMrPKcom]

@@GeraldBertramPhotography Thanks for quick reply The app simply does not detect anything... BT however did paired with Zeapon. I tried with old firmware and now i have updated the firmware, unfortunately no change :(

[@GeraldBertramPhotography]

@@PaulMrPKcom Hmm...Are you using Android or an Apple device? I have a contact over at Zeapon and I can reach out to him once I have enough information.

[@PaulMrPKcom]

@@GeraldBertramPhotography Android 10

[@PaulMrPKcom]

@@GeraldBertramPhotography Just found out that it does actually work on old Android 8 phone (Samsung Galaxy S7). But it's like running Windows XP... not many of us does it. The app on Android 10 is not working... I hope they can work on that App and release an proper update.

[@RonnelCuison]

Any jitter or vibration issues?

[@GeraldBertramPhotography]

Like you would see on some gimbals? Nope, I haven't experienced that at all.

[@muziektelevisie]

Has the issue with hiccup been resolved in the meantime?

[@GeraldBertramPhotography]

Honestly I have been using sliders less and less over the past year. However as of several months ago, the issue was still there.

[@AlrosAvellana]

I want to buy this but I wanted to make sure there’s proper support for it in case somethings not working, any thoughts on support ? And what’s the warranty on it?

[@GeraldBertramPhotography]

Actually I have an issue with another Zeapon product right now and I just reached out to them today. Of course they are in China so the earliest I expect a reply is late this evening. So as soon as I hear back from them I will let you know how the support process is! I BELIEVE I heard the warranty was 1 year but I will confirm that as well.

[@AlrosAvellana]

@@GeraldBertramPhotography awesome thanks!

[@GeraldBertramPhotography]

@@AlrosAvellana So I heard back from Zeapon support. That's a response in less than 24 hours. Looking at the time difference they basically replied to me as soon as they got into the office around 9AM or so China time. The support staff has gone above and beyond to help me resolve my issue. I dealt with Hans who I believe may head up their support group. Incredibly friendly and incredibly helpful. It was by far the best support experience I have had with a company, large or small. They really do seem to care about their products and more importantly their user's experience with their products. I have no reservations in saying their support is top notch.

[@OriginaldoBo]

This review just made me click Buy

[@GeraldBertramPhotography]

Hey Ken! I've been a big fan for your channel for a long time and I really appreciate you taking the time to leave a comment!

[@OriginaldoBo]

@@GeraldBertramPhotography appreciate how detailed you made this, furthermore I know you came at this as a consumer that bought this. Thanks man!

[@gekalskip]

There is no longer a pan function in the app, only slider left and right and tilt up and down. This app is absolutely garbage

[@TIME-4689]

모터 노이즈는 쌉구라 ㅋㅋ