F3: zacuto universal VCT plate

C

captslomo

Well-known member
I just received the Zacuto Universal VCT plate to mount on my F3, so I can replace the extremely tail heavy Element Technica shoulder mount system. But there are some issues.

1. The plate only comes with 2 screws on the slide to mount to the camera, and one of them is too big for any of the mounting holes on the F3.

2. I have a couple of recessed shank screws that do fit the camera holes, but the slider slot on the baseplate is so thick, the screws can't be inserted into the slot.

3. The rear hard mount screw fitting on the F3 (as opposed to the two front mounts on the little plate held in by 4 tiny screws) is slightly off center, which means if I mount a rear screw in the solid mount on the camera, and angle the camera slightly to the left so i can line up one of the less robust front mounts, the camera is now crooked to the baseplate, and the lens is very off center in the matte box.

And there is no one in Zacuto customer service until Monday.

If anyone has successfully mated this Universal VCT plate to an F3, I'd love to hear the workaround. thanks!
 
The plate comes with screws. 1/4 -20 to be used with the F3 ans a 3/8- 16 for larger Cameras. The screw is inserted in the hole at the back end of the slot and slid forward to a position that the camera will fit well spaced on the mount. The screw is then screwed into the bottom of the F3. The screw have a small portion of the threads removed so they can slide back and forth but are locked in up and down.
 
All true. But that means you have only a single point of contact between the entire plate and the camera. That can't be ideal.
 
A tripod mount would be the same. One of Sony's blunders by not using the 3/8-16 mounting hole. I believe Wooden Camera built a new base plate for the f3 with much better attachment holes. I have never had a problem with it.
 
The Element Technica plate I already have has the plate offset drilled so there is screw access to each hole. The problem is they no longer make the VCT attachment kit, as far as I can tell, so the camera can't connect to a Sony VCT tripod plate. I have to use the Sachtler quick release plate screwed to the front of the ET plate, also with only a single point of contact--so not only does it spin loose, it puts the camera waaaay back on the tripod, and makes it too tail heavy. That's what I was trying to fix with this "universal" Zacuto product.

Not sure it's going to work that well at this point.
 
yeah, maybe I'm not being clear. I have an existing Element Technica plate system for the F3 already, which has both the riser and the custom bottom plate that is drilled perfectly for the odd off-set holes in the bottom of the F3.

What it does NOT have is the VCT wedge on the front, nor the VCT hook tail section. ET used to make those, but no longer does, and without those two accessories, I can only mount a Sachtler quick release plate to one of the two holes in the front bottom of the riser, which inevitably loosens and spins, and makes the camera so tail heavy I can not really trust a Sachtler Video 18 head to hold it safely, even on full lockdown.

If I could find a VCT kit for the ET shoulder mount system, I would be perfectly happy, but over the last year, I have been unable to locate one.

So, I purchased the Zacuto Universal VCT plate, looking for the ability to slide the camera back and forth to balance between heavy lenses like a Fuji Cabrio, or lightweight Nikon glass--and get the security & stability of a VCT plate lockdown.. (At the time of purchase, I had never taken the ET shoulder mount off the F3 that I bought used, and was unaware of the odd, offset screw mounting on the bottom of the camera). But as far as I can tell, the Zacuto out of the box will not fit properly on the F3.

I can't be the first guy to try this, so I'm hoping someone else has a working solution. At the moment, the only thing I've found is a full replacement plate for the bottom of the F3 from Transvideo in France, which has many screw holes in line with the lens. It requires disassembling the bottom of the F3's body. But it seems a pity to spend another $400 to be able to mount a $585 "universal" plate.
 
Sounds to me like you just need an additional 1/4" 20 screw from Zacuto. In my experience (I also own their VCT plate among several other items), their customer service is absolutely top notch and they will likely send you an additional screw on the same day you request it. I agree that their choosing to call it a 'universal' vct plate, and yet only supplying the plate with two different size screws which won't work with all cameras, seems slightly misleading. That said, I would've thought that if you had somehow told them you were intending to use it with an F3 when you ordered it, they would've likely supplied the appropriate fixing screws.

I wouldn't worry about the off-centre rear hole, the 2x mounting holes towards the front are AFAIK designed to hold the entire weight of the camera. Does your Element Technica shoulder pad mount into that off-centre hole somehow?

Sorry if you needed the plate over the weekend, but I think tomorrow you'll be pleasantly surprised with their support team's responsiveness.

Yours truly an (only slightly ashamed) Zacuto convert/fanboy (oh dear),

jason
 
maybe I'm not being clear -
Gotcha, yes the bottom of the F3 is plastic & 1 of the 1/4 20's is slightly offset.
My current F3 build uses the ET bottom plate and the VCT universal - the bottom plate is more robust.
Slightly heavier but I use multiple builds for different applications.
Hand held I'll use the BP60 batts and take off the VCT universal.
Crane work will keep the BP60 but add the VCT and a WCamera C-Box and slim batt running focus motor.
Dolly work will have a full build out.
Nx30sm.jpg
 
Now there is an interesting idea...cannabalize the ET bottom plate off the riser, and then screw the Zacuto onto the ET plate. What's another pound on the camera among friends? Thx!

BTW: in the interim, Adorama claims they can get an ET VCT kit in a 3 weeks order...it's a front wedge, rear hook and 15mm rod holder. But get this: that kit with its three small parts costs MORE than the entire Zacuto rig!

Go figure.
 
Zacuto is great. I would bet you send in your VCT Universal they will drill the offset for you. If so, I'll follow with the upgrade.
 
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