DSLR Kits

Zacuto USA has recognized that video DSLRs have changed the game and we have just the support you need to shoot steady, stable video. One of the main problems with DSLR cameras is that they were designed for taking photographs and do not have the correct form factor for shooting video. When shooting video with a DSLR camera, you must hold the camera out in front of you so that you can focus on the LCD screen. When holding the camera out in front of you, the camera becomes very unstable and produces shaky video. Therefore, some kind of support gear that stabilizes the camera and more importantly gets the camera into a proper position for correctly and comfortable shooting video is needed. Zacuto has a whole product line of DSLR accessories and kits to cater to your various type of shooting styles. We have developed two different product lines of ready made DSLR kits, our Gorilla and Cinema lines. We understand that finding the correct kit for your shooting style can be frustrating and difficult. Let us explain the difference between the two product lines to help make your decision easier.

Gorilla Kits

Gorilla Kits are simply “points of contact” kits. These rigs have been developed to be lightweight for a more “on the go” gorilla shooter. We recommend the Gorilla kits for journalists as well as event and indie shooters who might be doing a combination of still photography and small clips of high definition video. Gorilla kits are extremely light weight. These kits are not necessarily designed for long periods of shooting, for that, we recommend our shoulder mounted kits in our Cinema line. The Gorilla Kits are easy and light to handle because they do not have accessory rods built into the Gorilla baseplate, therefore you cannot mount any film accessories like a matte box or follow focus. The Gorilla Kits give you just the stability needed to shoot small segments of HD video and keeping your overall rig compact, light and small.

The Gorilla kits have a unique design, by attaching your tripod plate to the bottom of the Gorilla plate you can go from the tripod to handheld just by hitting your tripods quick-release button. The Zacuto accessory port with red locking lever allows you to remove or install the entire Gorilla mounting system. Speed is the name of the game if you are a Gorilla shooter and these kits have it. The Gorilla line kits are compromised of theTarget Shooter and The Striker.

Target Shooter

The Target Shooter uses a gunstock pressing up against your shoulder with both hands on the camera to help stabilize the camera; one hand is focusing the lens and the other is operating the video controls on the right side. This gives you three points of contact. If you add our Z-Finder Pro or Jr., DSLR optical viewfinders, this will give you extra stabilization by pressing the Z-Finder up against your eye as well as bringing the camera closer to your body. The Z-Finders will help with focusing by shading out all light sources and magnifying the screen so you can make sure your shoots are in focus.

Striker

The second kit in our Gorilla line is the Striker. The Striker uses a gunstock pressing up against your shoulder and one hand on a handgrip and the other hand focusing the lens. The less hands holding the actual camera, the more stable the video will be. By adjusting the many Zacuto red levers, the kit is infinitely adjustable to work with any body type or shape. The handgrip and gunstock uses a ball joint so you can rotate them 180 degrees for user comfort. gimble’s in them to articulate to the desired angle. The handgrip can also be positioned on the left or right side depending on what hand you like to focus your lens with and can also be configured for a left eye shooter. The Striker gives you three points of contact. Like the Target Shooter, you can add the Z-Finder Pro or Jr. for extra stabilization and as an aid to help with focusing.

Cinema Kits

Now let’s take a look at our Cinema Kits. It all starts with our Zacuto DSLR baseplate which has a platform that allows you to grow your kit into anything you want it to be. All of your Zacuto components are usable to go from one kit to another or create your own custom kit (even if you have previously purchased Zacuto components). The DSLR baseplate is height adjustable and can accommodate every video DSLR on the market with and without battery grips such as the Canon 5DMKII, 550D, 7D, and all others. It can also accommodate taller body cameras such as the Canon 1D Mark IV and Nikon D3s.

Integration of the DSLR baseplate to your system is easy, screw your tripod plate to the bottom of the DSLR baseplate and you are ready to go. Now you can go quickly from tripod to handheld. Let’s say you want to remove your entire camera with Z-Finder and leave your DSLR kit behind for quick down and dirty shots. Turn the red knob and pull your camera up and it releases. The DSLR baseplate gives you two levels of rod support to mount additional accessories for a more cinematic shooting style. You can mount items such as a matte box, follow focus, single or double handgrips at any height, sound recorders such as the Zoom H4n or Beachtek, and HD monitors. It has 15mm rod holes on all sides of it to create your custom camera package of your own design; add handgrips at any angle, cages for mounting accessories, counter balance weight for shooting handheld; the possibilities are endless. This is truly a new and unique design.

Let’s take a look at each individual Cinema Kit:

Single Action

The Single Action is a tripod only kit with a follow focus. This kit is great for tripod use as it gives you rod support to accommodate accessories. For example, you can add an articulating arm and a HD monitor for focus assist, clients or directors. This kit uses our DSLR baseplate so you can easily build up your rig to become a shoulder mounted rig or anything you want.

Cross Fire

The Cross Fire is a combination of the Single Action and our Striker kit from the Gorilla Line. This kit allows you to use a follow focus when shooting in compact handheld mode. This type of kit is requested a lot as people want a simple, compact rig for Gorilla handheld but want to use a follow focus. If that is you, this is just the kit for you! The Cross Fire also uses our DSLR baseplate so if you wish to expand into a shoulder mounted rig down the road, you can do so! This Kit does not include a Z-Finder Pro but we strongly recommend using it with this configuration as it will add another point of contact and give you the correct video factor to really make the kit work comfortably for you. The Cross Fire can quickly go from handheld to tripod by mounting your tripod plate to the bottom of the DSLR baseplate.

Fast Draw

The Fast Draw is our simple handheld rig. It includes our DSLR baseplate, single handgrip, shoulder pad and our 7lb counterbalance weight. The 7lb counterbalance weight balances the rig which lessens user fatigue. The shoulder pad is offset so you can comfortably get your eye behind the camera LCD; however it may be very difficult to see if your picture is in focus because of the razor thin shallow depth-of-field and screen glare, especially outside. Therefore, we strongly recommend using a Z-Finder with this configuration.

Double Barrel

The Double Barrel is our complete handheld rig. It includes our DSLR baseplate, dual handgrips, shoulder pad, 7lb counterbalance weight and our Z-Finder Pro 2.5x, DSLR optical viewfinder. It also includes our DSLR handle for shooting low mode shots. The DSLR handle also helps with taking the rig off and on your shoulder. The Double Barrel also includes our follow focus unit. This rig, like all the other Cinema rigs, can quickly go from handheld to tripod by mounting your tripod plate to the bottom of the DSLR baseplate.

Bolt Action

The Bolt Action is Zacuto’s most basic in-line dual handgrip shoulder mounted system for DSLR cameras. Like many of our DSLR shoulder mount rigs, the Bolt Action begins with our height-adjustable DSLR Baseplate. Attach your tripod plate directly to the bottom of the DSLR Baseplate using your standard (2) ¼ 20” and (1) 3/8 16” tripod screws. Turn the red knob on the DSLR Baseplate to quick release your camera right off of the rig. The DSLR Baseplate is designed to function with any DSLR camera with or without battery grips. The Zacuto dual handgrip system, the Zgrips V3, help to stabilize your shots and make your long shooting days more comfortable. For additional comfort and padding for your hands, check out our Zgrip Gloves. The Bolt Action’s shoulder pad and counterbalance weight make this rig completely balanced with minimal front heaviness and arm fatigue. The Bolt Action can be used on either your right or left shoulder and is ideal for use with a Zacuto EVF because it is in-line with your shoulder. Adding the Z-Finder EVF Pro and EVF Standard Mount will line the EVF directly up to your eye. The DSLR Baseplate also comes with a set of 3.5” rods just if you would like to add a follow focus or matte box. Additional rod extensions may be purchased to accommodate longer lenses or any other 15mm lightweight accessories.

Stinger

The Stinger rig is our solution to shoulder mounted shooting with DSLR camera while using an EVF or small on-board monitor. This system includes Zacuto’s height-adjustable DSLR Baseplate, follow focus, dual handgrips, shoulder pad and 7-pound Z-Lite counterbalance weight for a fully balanced in-line rig. The Stinger also comes with Zacuto’s DSLR Handle, which makes for great for low mode shooting and easy carrying. This new camera support kit is designed to function with any DSLR camera or tripod and is compatible with any 15mm lightweight accessories. The difference between the Stinger and the Double Barrel is that the Stinger is configured in line rather than offset. Anyone who already owns a Double Barrel can simply reconfigure their rig into a Stinger by rearranging a few parts.

Scorpion

The Scorpion is Zacuto’s most versatile DSLR shoulder mounted rig. This system includes Zacuto’s height-adjustable DSLR Baseplate, Zgrips V3 with 4.5″ Rods, an EVF Scorpion Mount, a Z-Lite Double plus the Scorpion Shoulder Assembly. The Scorpion’s new form-fitting shoulder pad is what sets it apart from other Zacuto DSLR shoulder mount rigs. The new Zacuto shoulder pad uses a cutting-edge permeable gel padding that conforms to any user’s body providing maximum comfort for long shooting days. This unique design lets the user articulate the shoulder pad in multiple directions allowing the rig to fit any shooter’s body type. The Scorpion’s also collapsible handle is another modernized feature. This handle can be used for lifting the rig onto your shoulder or for capturing low sweeping shots. When not using the handle, simply fold it up and tuck it away for a more compact camera stabilization system.

If none of these rigs are something you are looking for, keep in mind that all of these pieces can be purchased individually so you can configure your own rigs! Or you can purchase an existing kit and then customize it to your specific need. You can never have enough Zacuto components for creating custom solutions for different shots in the field; think of it as Tinker Toy’s connectors and rods. For a better idea of all the different rigs you can make, take a look at our photo gallery. Just remember, Zacuto has a rig for you no matter your shooting style. If you need help designing a custom rig, please contact sales@zacuto.com

Zacuto products are designed, manufactured and assembled in the USA and carry a lifetime warranty.