By Kendal Miller, August 21, 2007
There is a growing contingent of shooters who, while preferring the imaging quality and affordability of smaller cameras, also prefer the stability and weight distribution that a full-size handheld rig can offer. When you combine this school of thought with the growing 35mm lens adapter movement, the need for a well-engineered shoulder-mount system becomes obvious.
Zacuto Manufacturing offers an incredible solution to fill just that need. Infinitely configurable and modular, it offers the type of design that begs to be used and abused in a rugged environment.
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A soft shoulder mount—which attaches in seconds, without needing to remove the tripod plate—allows you to place the full weight of your rig where it’s most comfortable.
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Essentially, the Zacuto system is a counterbalance for handheld cameras such as Panasonic’s HVX200 and Sony’s Z1U. Everything is built on and around the company’s base plate and rod system. The base plate—completely universal with extensive adjustments on both the horizontal and vertical axis—can be easily adjusted to accommodate any camera. You can thread together the lightweight rod segments (available in lengths from 1” to 12”) to add or subtract length without resetting the system. The rods lock solidly into place, such that you’ll never question their security or stability.
Once you have mounted the camera to the base and set your rods, the real fun of customizing your system with a range of accessories begins. Zacuto offers a wide variety of tools, arms, and plates to configure your rig to your unique shooting needs. You can add a soft shoulder mount that attaches in seconds without needing to remove your tripod plate, allowing you to place the full weight of your rig where it’s most comfortable. Other options include hand grips, battery plates, counterweights and a “Zamerican Arm,” Zacuto’s version of an Israeli Arm monitor mount. As with the rods, all the accessories instantly snap and lock into place via Zacuto’s quick-release system, and adjust without the use of tools.
I found every piece of the Zacuto system to function as designed without any modification required. I tested it with a Panasonic HVX200 outfitted with a Cinevate Brevis 35mm adapter and Zeiss 85mm PL-mount lens, monitoring with an Ikan V8000HD. The added weight and configurability of the Zacuto system allowed me to maneuver the rig with the smoothness and inertia of a larger handheld camera. Its design made setup and teardown simple and efficient, and allowed for quick adjustments to the rig configuration for different shot setups. Shooting at the speed that I did without the Zacuto rig would have been nearly impossible.
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All rods and accessories instantly snap and lock into place via Zacuto’s quick-release system, and adjust without the use of tools.
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The Zacuto system features the type of ingenuity and design work that’s a pleasure to use. Outstanding as their manufacturing may be, all Zacuto parts carry a lifetime warranty to help protect your investment.
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