Black Diamond Camalot Z4 Cam
Ensuring easy handling for a solid placement you can rely on, the Camalot Z4 cam stays rigid while you're placing it yet flexes when you climb past.
- RigidFlex stem stays rigid in-hand for easy placement, but flexes once placed to reduce walking
- Dual twisted cable construction on larger sizes provides uniform flex; single cable construction on smaller sizes avoids buckling and reduces trigger profile
- Narrow head width for tight placements
- Sandblasted lobes provide holding power
- Lightweight yet durable Dynex™ sling with a unique color scheme for easy identification from other Camalots
Made in USA.
View the Black Diamond Camalot Product LineView all Black Diamond Cams| Best Use | Climbing |
|---|---|
| Expansion Range | 0.1: 8.8-13.8 millimeters 0.2: 10.4-16.3 millimeters 0.3: 12.4-22.6 millimeters 0.4: 15.3-27.7 millimeters 0.5: 18.8-33.9 millimeters |
| Strength | 0.1: 5 kilonewtons 0.2: 6 kilonewtons 0.3: 8 kilonewtons 0.4: 9 kilonewtons 0.5: 10 kilonewtons |
| Weight | 0.1: 45 grams 0.2: 48 grams 0.3: 54 grams 0.4: 61 grams 0.5: 77 grams |
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Great idea, poor quality
I had C4s for years with no issues and X4s filled out the rack. I was excited for the Z4s as they continued with a history of great cams with excellent features. However, I was disappointed to find the Z4 lobes used a softer aluminum which significantly decreased the durability that had long been a BD signature. I acquired the range of Z4s and each one of them have gouges on the lobe faces. The worst damage was in the 0.75 as one of the lobes bent and must now be taken out of service. The worst part is the damage did not come from a fall. In summary, I had hoped BD would continue to create high quality cams that would be reliable as it the gear we choose to use should save our lives. I’m not exactly sure I can continue to trust an inferior product.
awesome length
one of the things that is a stand out for me is the length pf the Z4's. It gives you a wider range to find the best placement for your gear. That also helps a lot as a follower for retrievability. That extra inch or so allows for easier placement and retrieval.
Great cam, lobes not as durable.
These cams are a step above the X4s or C4s. With a handful on my harness along with the older style, myself and my climbing partner found ourselves saving them for the crucial placements. Like magic, they actually get a little smaller than the equivalent X4s, giving you more options to find a placement. The downside of the soft, alien-like lobes is that they are a lot less durable. My partner took two good-sized whips on a brand new grey Z4 0.4 and the lobes look worse than the .4 that's been on the rack for the last five years. It's a trade-off, and I'd rather a cam held and got beat up than pulled but looked brand-new, but the lobes are absolutely softer and won't stand up to fall after fall in the same way as other cams.
IMHO, the best small cams out there
I have used (and own) small cams from Black Diamond, Alien, DMM, Wild Country, and Metolius. The cam I consistently rack up with are the Black Diamond Z4s. The narrow head-width allow them to work in placements where other cams will not, and the double-axle design in sizes .3 and up offer piece of mind in case the cam walks to a larger position in the crack/pod. Photo below is immediately after falling off my first attempt of Medicine Man, 5.13d. Had this .2 Z4 blown, I would have decked on the ledge and likely tumbled further (depending on the micro-nut below it holding). I snagged the FA of this route shortly after.
The Best Small Cam
In my completely biased opinion, these are the best small cams on the market. The new stem which combines rigidity (for making them easier to place) and flexibility (less chance of walking) is a massive step forward for cam technology. I have used these a TON and they continue to impress me, particularly with how easy they are to place and how well they sit in the rock. Also, as someone who has taken far too many whips on the smallest cam sizes, I've found that the little green 0 can take far more whips than the old purple c3 could handle before the lobes started to get bent out of shape. Now is the time to upgrade your small cams! The Z's are here!
Huge Improvements - Way Less Durable
These cams really do excel above the C4's and X4's. The head is substantially narrower, allowing tighter placements. The cam is actually close to an inch longer in the larger sizes, which means it can bend around edges in horizontal placements better. The action is slightly stiffer than an X4, but I still found them fairly flexible when retracted (contrary to what is advertised). While I love these cams, they will not replace the C4 and other cams on my daily rack. They have shown substantial wear after about a month of climbing, and I don't expect them to hold up to more than a couple seasons of heavy use, especially aiding.
New favorite cam!
Possibly my new favorite cam. I can't get over how the small the heads on these are. They're so compact! Makes it so much easier to get good placements if (like me) you're not always climbing in areas with perfect, Indian-Creek splitters. The cams are also very lightweight, and still well when racked on a harness. I feel much less bogged down casting off an a climb racked up with these than I do when racked up with other cams. The "stiffens when retracted" feature is maybe a little over-sold, but there really is something to it. They're easier to place than the x4's, and seem just as flexible (if not a little more) once placed. I don't find them quite as easy to place as Totems, but there are other attributes that make me like these a slight bit more (the cam lobes aren't nearly as long as on an equivalently-sized Totem, which can also be really helpful for shallow placements). Overall, really enjoying climbing with these. The smaller ones are good, but the 0.4, and especially the 0.5 and 0.75 are really something special! The only disappointment with these is that they don't manufacture them in a #1. The 0.75 is just so great, I can hardly imagine what a #1 would be like.
Love the Z4's!
SUPER flexible and lighter that my C4s. Took a 10ft whip between placements on a .4 on lead a couple weeks back and I didn't die. I'm ~6'6" 220lbs.
Excellent cam
Already had the opportunity to use my new cam while guiding and found an okay .4 placement under a roof. Even with the piece extended, I was worried about walking. Upon cleaning my piece, I gathered a few observations 1. The flexible stem did a lot to absorb pull from rope drag and the cam stayed placed in the pod that I left it 2. I noticed a bit of bite while pulling the cam out that I wasn’t expecting, and realized that the sandblasted lobes offered a considerable amount of friction compared to the other cams on my rack If you haven’t dipped your toes into the world of Z4s yet, what are you doing!? Get you some.
Great cam, but needs an durability upgrade
I've put this cam through its paces, using it for two full time seasons of guiding in Squamish BC. The cams are light and fit in tiny placements. I appreciate the narrow head and the flexible stem. The problem is that the trigger wires are insanely thin, and they've started to fray on 3 out of the 5 that I own. What's worse, is that these wires are not serviceable at home, so you have to send them in to get done. If you're sending them in every 2 or so seasons like it seems I would have to, that sucks. These should get the same treatment that the C4 Ultralights get, and have a protective coating put over the wires.