Check Out the New Black Diamond Z4 Cams

Black Diamond is releasing a new line of small cams called the Z4 expected out at the end of 2019 or start of 2020. The new cams will replace the X4 and C3 cams, two micro-cams that were much-loved by many trad and aid climbers.

One of the most innovative features of the cam is the new RigidFlex stem system. The stem stays rigid when the trigger is pulled for easier placing, but less rigid once placed to avoid walking. The number zero Z4 is the smallest cam Black Diamond has ever made.

Other features include dual twisted cable construction for uniform flex on bigger cams, single cable for smaller; sandblasted lobes; and lightweight durable Dynex slings with new colour scheme: 0-green, .1-red, .2-yellow, .3-blue, .4-gray, .5-purple and .75-green.

Black Diamond Says

Born from a heart-to-heart with our top trad-climbing athletes Hazel Findlay, Carlo Traversi, Sam Elias, and Babsi Zangerl, the Camalot Z4 is the realization of a dream: to have a single-stem cam that stays rigid in-hand, but flexes once placed. Behold—the patent-pending RigidFlex stem. Thanks to the independently floating trigger wires, the Camalot Z4 doesn’t bend while under tension and retracted, but once placed allows the stem to move, ensuring a placement that stays put and doesn’t walk when pulled directionally.

The stem on the larger sizes also utilizes dual twisted cable construction, which provides uniform flex in all directions, while single cable construction is implemented on smaller sizes to avoid buckling when pulling hard on the trigger and to reduce trigger profile.

Featuring a similar head-width as our old Camalot C3 design, but with four lobes that are sandblasted for better holding power, the Z4’s are not only an upgrade, but are also available in smaller sizes—starting from #0, our smallest cam ever made, and ranging to .75, allowing you to dial in the rack, whether you’re gunning for a tips crack in the desert, or going light and fast in the Bugs.