Zacuto Rapid Fire - Test Footage

chris f

chris f

Veteran
My Goal
To put together a small, discrete rig that will allow me to shoot hand-held documentary footage with my Canon 7D that contains no jello, only acceptable camera movement.


Criteria
*Price is not a factor
*Must let me have a free hand at all times to change focus (both hands on camera is preferable)
*Must get rid of >80% of Jello
*Must be stable enough for me to shoot on long lenses >85mm
*Must draw as little attention to itself as possible (if I can't be indiscreet then there is no point)
*Must be ergonomically comfortable for extended shoots (not long takes, but all day shoots with lots of takes)
*Must have solid, long lasting build quality (Sustained resale value would be very nice, but not a deal breaker)


Other Points of Interest
*I have the shakiest hands of any shooter I know, I won't get into details, but health and hereditary conditions are mostly to blame. However, when using larger video cameras with IS, this rarely produces undesirable footage.
*In the past I have always bought cheaper, good-enough equipment, sometimes with great success and sometimes with great failure. For this particular rig, I'm not looking to cut corners to save a buck.

Thesis
A Zacuto Rapid Fire, Zacuto Z-Finder, and lenses with IS/VC will allow me to successfully use the Canon 7D for hand held documentary shooting.


Stage 1: Zacuto Rapid Fire




Stage 2: Zacuto Z-Finder
Coming soon...


Stage 3: Zacuto Rapid Fire & Z-Finder Combined
Coming soon...


Stage 4: Zacuto Rapid Fire, Z-Finder, & IS/VC Lens Combined
Coming soon...
 
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I still can't figure out why almost every DSLR rig is designed for hand held shooting. I'd rather have something with a flat base and a pair of hand grips that I could hand hold AND easily mount and unmount to a head (or whatever).

Also, does aesthetics mean anything to shooters? It should. All I think of when I see that Zacuto stuff is this:

TinkerToy.jpg


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chris f said:
As noted on the video post, I think I have the shakiest hands out of any shooter I know and this test was without a loupe and without a lens with IS/VC. Overall I'm definitely encouraged, and can't wait to see what adding my Z-finder (in the mail) and an IS/VC lens can do.
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Have you looked that these guys?

http://www.bushhawk.com/

Seems like the same thing only not modular but the Bushhawk stuff seems more comfy.
 
Chris Santucci said:
Also, does aesthetics mean anything to shooters? It should. All I think of when I see that Zacuto stuff is this:

TinkerToy.jpg


.
Click to expand...

You could probably build a hand held rig with that tinkertoy and some glue.
Overall though, not that impressed with these solo rapid fire results. I think the neck strap trick would do a similar job. An lcdvf and an IS lens would do a much better job.
 
bimdas said:
Overall though, not that impressed with these solo rapid fire results. I think the neck strap trick would do a similar job. An lcdvf and an IS lens would do a much better job.
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Exactly. A little more mass would help also. Since these cameras already weigh like 2 pounds, wouldn't it make sense to avoid a stick-rig and use a real baseplate and rods setup that would increase length and mass (ya know, like a "real" camera)?

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to rich for my blood. I built a DIY version out of PVC after a trip to home depot.
Canon-7D-Shoulder-mount1.jpg


I modified the original design to include a quick release and a padded shoulder rest


Ill have to get a pic of my modified one. Works just as good IMO, and total cost was about $15
 


This is my latest handheld effort - doing a BTS at an 'art happening' in my studio

the video above trying to hold a lockoff is tough - here I keep the camera moving a little

- the shots need to be super smooth if you speed them up!

S
 
chris f said:
Just got my rapid fire a few minutes ago, here's the first test:
As noted on the video post, I think I have the shakiest hands out of any shooter I know and this test was without a loupe and without a lens with IS/VC. Overall I'm definitely encouraged, and can't wait to see what adding my Z-finder (in the mail) and an IS/VC lens can do.
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My $20 Monopod from amazon.com gets footage thats just as stable. Glad I didnt pay $500 for a Zacuto Product
 
Everyone loves to justify their own purchases eh? Haha...this thread's about the Rapid Fire and out of 7 posts, all of them are about other rigs.

You people...geez...

Kegan
 
Hunter007 said:
Everyone loves to justify their own purchases eh? Haha...this thread's about the Rapid Fire and out of 7 posts, all of them are about other rigs.

You people...geez...

Kegan
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People should know there are much cheaper alternatives to the $500 & $2000 Zacuto products
 
Yes, I agree. I will DIY when its appropriate and fitting of my needs.

On the other hand, this thread is about a Zacuto product - why talk about your monopod here? Have you seen anyone, including the OP ask for alternatives or what he should buy? He already HAS one.

Kegan
 
Hunter007 said:
Yes, I agree. I will DIY when its appropriate and fitting of my needs.

On the other hand, this thread is about a Zacuto product - why talk about your monopod here? Have you seen anyone, including the OP ask for alternatives or what he should buy? He already HAS one.

Kegan
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Hopefully his return policy is still valid ;)
 
chris f said:
Just got my rapid fire a few minutes ago, here's the first test:

As noted on the video post, I think I have the shakiest hands out of any shooter I know and this test was without a loupe and without a lens with IS/VC. Overall I'm definitely encouraged, and can't wait to see what adding my Z-finder (in the mail) and an IS/VC lens can do.
Click to expand...

Your "stabilized" footage looks what I get out of pure hand held shooting. Your hands really seem to be more shaky than average, guess another supporting point as the viewfinder loupe or even better a shoulder rest will help.
 
I bought the Zacuto Tactical Shooter 2 weeks ago. I'm totally in love with it. It's pricy for sure, but it's very well made, and it breaks down so small that I don't think much compares to it. I don't really know that it's any more expensive than my photo gear. I'm a completely satisfied customer.
 
Hitek79 said:
I bought the Zacuto Tactical Shooter 2 weeks ago. I'm totally in love with it. It's pricy for sure, but it's very well made, and it breaks down so small that I don't think much compares to it. I don't really know that it's any more expensive than my photo gear. I'm a completely satisfied customer.
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It may not break, but it can always get lost or stolen.
 
I think his point is, you can pay half for the same quality and functionality and hence lose half if the item got stolen or lost. I think...

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...where can I get the same quality for half the price? I would say that most of their products are well worth the price (speaking from my own experience with Zacuto products and products from other companies).
 
cordvision said:
...where can I get the same quality for half the price? I would say that most of their products are well worth the price (speaking from my own experience with Zacuto products and products from other companies).
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Right here: http://www.switronix.com/product_details.php?cmd=info&id=242

Or here: http://www.amazon.com/Cavision-RS15...r_1_27?ie=UTF8&s=photo&qid=1265814065&sr=1-27

Or here: http://www.bushhawk.com/_product_39491/Shoulder_Mount_-_No_Trigger

Compared to cost and what you get, THIS is by far a better option than the Zacuto stick-rigs. You get TWO handgrips, two rods, and a real shoulder pad (a shoulder pad with surfaces to mount stuff to, by the way). You can shoot stable hand-held style footage with something like this, mount it as-is to a tripod, set it on the ground in an upright position, and mount a follow focus or monitor to the rods.

Not to mention it comes with a hoodloupe...

http://www.amazon.com/Cavision-Stan...r_1_17?ie=UTF8&s=photo&qid=1265813978&sr=1-17

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You're wrong Chris.

None of those will break down to slide into my chest pack to use while mountain biking or skiing. If you had the space to carry something that large, they're probably a good option. If not, Zacuto is really the only game in town, and well worth the price.
 
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