Most excellent baseplate find for video-form factor and large cameras.

Michael Carter

Michael Carter

Veteran
Just got one of these from overseas eBay seller.

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It's fantastic for the $$. (Price went up recently from $60-something to $80. Got here fast though).

Basically a manfrotto male QR plate on the bottom, and a manfrotto-style quick release on top with rod fittings fore and aft. Absolutely no bowing or sway, sucker is solid as a rock. If you use the manfrotto QR gear, this is a no-brainer for video form-factor cameras if you use rods.

Release knob is different that Manfrotto - if you've ever fought to loosen the tiny manfrotto lever when it's hidden under a big camera, you'll appreciate this one.

(I use rods to shoulder mount things like the AC-160, and I could see this working for Af-series bodies as well).

Not optimal for DSLRs if you use a follow focus - the plate's the full manfrotto length so you may not be able to get a follow focus aligned with a short prime or pancake lens.

Here's a link - not affiliated with the seller, just been looking for something this simple and solid and affordable since I had a DVX.
 
Every camera is a different height, but the standard for lightweight 15mm rods is 85mm vertically from the center of the rods to the center of the lens. How do you adjust the rod height on this rig? If you don't adjust then a matte box won't line up and it's a good chance a follow focus won't fit.
 
Nope, no height adjustment for the rods (though every matte box I've owned has height adjustments, never thought of that being an issue).

My FF aligns fine on this for video-style camera bodies that are long enough to clear the baseplate (vs DSLRs which are more wide than long).

Generally when I'm using rods with a video-style camera, I've got the electronic focus/iris remote attached near the handgrip. If I had a Scarlet or an AF-series, I'd be more concerned about a real FF.

Still, everything I've looked at that's this solid has been in the $300 range, really pleased with this thing.
 
Do the threads on the screws/bolts appear to be that soft steel that is the bain of some of the Chinese stuff or is it up to Zacuto quality?
 
Screws feel like your regular hardened steel to me. Everything came together very tight, no problem tightening the heck out of 'em.
 
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