HVX200, used compressor to prepare for Vimeo. I would have used a DSLR but I only have two and they were both in the video

i must agree, awesome video quality. i am a fifteen year old aspiring film maker and am very new to compressor, so if you dont mind me asking how would you go about getting a 15 minute video to be that sharp for 443mb? I have to also thank you guys for making these products! i cant afford them but it gives me something to dream about haha.

That rig must weight over 15 pounds - I'll stick with my $20 monopod that weighs less than 1 pound

You got the point.

No, but how about 30% off for 3rd place? Contact mandy@zacuto.com

Send me your email address and I will get you in touch with their upload settings.

Yes. Check back tomorrow for our new camera shootout videos.

The Canon 5D has audio (1/8th) for a boom mic and on board recording the NikonD90 does not. So it seems you need to find a good field recorder/mic/clapper and sync up in post if you are to shoot with the NikonD.

I did this Rig on my own with Combo some time back
with my machined version's, did prin matte box etc was lil off butt perfected it, I use Adobe On-Locatocation Via usb
for the All the camera Via Q UMPC. or On my hackintosh Tablet's all the audio is easy to set or clean anyway so

shoot with the Cannon it's dope you can add pro audio xlr if needed to them anyway

When will the beachtek unit be out? I heard Jan. '09 and here it is 1/29 and I still haven't been able to find it. Any tips?

nobody uses camera sound?? are you crazy? I use it every day. works fine for me. not everyone has the budget for a separate audio package. Maybe the sound on the d 90 sucks, and yeah it would be useless except for music vids or something. :-)

I editted my comment more elaborately so you can see what I mean.

Agreed. They are also 5-6 times the cost. I guess you get what you pay for. One day soon they will be better.

I think that is true. "You won't get good shots if your package isn't balanced" in both meanings ;o)

kadir,
I must say your words are not very kind. To hate Zacuto is a bit over dramatic. Normally, I would never speak about a competitors design or product. But your insightful tone has made me change my mind this one time.

This video is over a year old when we were just adapting older designs to work with the then new DSLR's. We were one of the first to even recognize this new medium. Our current designs are not that way. They are specific to DSLR's. And at NAB this year more shoulder mount and gorilla style Zacuto rigs (as well as several optical viewfinders) will be released. Our third generation.

You seemed obsessed with a top handle but don't have any provision for using an optical viewfinder. To think you can use a monitor to shoot with a DSLR is not at all practical or viable, any shooter who has used a DSLR will tell you this. Also, you have a very traditional handgrip design, too high and too close for me. You have much more control when the handgrips are lower who wants to hold their hands up in the air all day. You can hold the rig that much longer when your arms are lower. No compensation in your rig for camera balance with counterweight (and your rig with a monitor is very front heavy) or adjustability for various camera heights like the 1DMK4. Yet you talk about the Beatchtek device like it's a viable option. Double system sound is the only option for high quality DSLR sound.

Yes, your system has a nice industrial design. But after 27 years in film production that only goes so far.
Steve

P.S. Try doing a handheld low mode shot with a handle, it's always a rocking mess. You need an underslung steadicam or dolly to do that seriously!

I have to agree with Steve.
I know what you mean Kadir it is nice to have a rig that does everything you require on a shoot but its not always possible.
I have been shooting with the 5D for a while now and before I had the Zacuto Gorilla rig and Z-finder I used my own rig with a monitor attached...it was to heavy and the shots were to shaking and pulling focus was a nightmare with the monitor attached.
Steve and the Zacuto team know exactly what they are doing and talking about.
Since having my own Zacuto Rig and Z-finder I have noticed a big difference in the quality of my shots, they are no longer shaking and pulling focus using the Z-finder instead of a monitor is so much easier and more precise.
The help and support from Steve and the Zacuto team during and after purchase clearly shows their dedication and knowledge....
My clients have even noticed a difference when I use the rig.
Kadir, I hope you find the rig that works best for you, but to say that companies like Zacuto do not know what they are doing is a mistake. Especially as the product is very successful with many DSLR shooters.
Gareth

I'm sure I'm not alone here when I say that Zacuto don't design "junk", but I already feel like I'm responding to an obvious taunt, but hey. I'm in agreement with the guys here who have shelled out for the Zacuto gear and found out just how good it is. All the Zacuto gear I have will work work with whatever camera kit I use, so I will have it forever and the beauty is... you only have to buy it once, because it's rock solid quality gear.

As previous posts mentioned. The customer service at Zacuto is soooo good. They really look after you. Even if you have a great product, you need to back it up with the service. And, if your choice of words to describe your competitors products is any indication, I would suspect that the customer service may be lacking.

I owe a big apology for the sharp words I used.

Normally when I design a product I literally make no research on "competitors".
Thats how I did Handy35 and also on HandySLR.
My design criteria is purely based on my independent filmmaking experience and the YEARS of ergonomy education.
My approach proved itself right on Handy35 project which was a total success and I managed to break the rule of "the base of the design must be the rods". I believe thats what is made us to believe since it is simply easier to manufacture such designs and its only good for the manufacturers.

Getting a well balance can only be one aspect of a successful camera rig. The centre of gravity do not necessarily have to be on your shoulder to get steady shots. And if that was not true Zacuto guys would not be manufacturing many of their unbalanced front heavy products anyway.
Everybody knows that the first aspect of DSLR rig is to get a camera feel to the DSLR body. The best way to do this is to use the current measurements of the well known and very successful camcorders.
Thats exactly what I did. You will see aspects and round measurements of Canon XL1s ( a total success in camera history) in HandySLR.
You need to get a 3 point contact on your body and with HandySLR you always get it in every type of shot.
For me working fast and getting results is everything.
And for the guys who are very keen on balance I can easily say that I do not recommend you to carry a 3 feet long stick on your shoulder for the sake of balance. Thats for big slow expensive production where you have 2 guys for each piece of equipment.
If you want to get results for independent film project. With minimum amount of crew and actually turn your DSLR in to a camera you need different things than that.

I just thank you for the good comments you made about the design and the good looks of my rig but if you look closer I am sure there are such aspects on my design that every other company would love to adapt to themselves.

This will be even more clear when I will be posting my demo and comparison videos of my rig on vimeo.

Need another 3 weeks for that.

I deeply apologize for my previous unfair words again.
I totally understand you being protective about "competitors" since I tried to victimize them.
I hope this apology gets accepted.

respect and piece.

Of course I accept your apology kadir, we've all said stuff in hast before.

Once again i want to clarify on your comments.

We have two styles of kits Gorilla kits and shoulder mount kits.

Gorilla kits
Gorilla kits do not have counter balance because they are so light to be used without a follow focus or matte box. The center of gravity is much closer to the body since you are using an optical viewfinder. When you do not use an optical viewfinder you have to push the rig further away from your body so you can focus on the LCD screen or monitor. This makes the camera package much more front heavy and a huge problem. We did struggle a bit with the gorilla concept at first, but after trying our tactical kit with 4 points of contact so close to the body using the optical viewfinder as a point of contact it felt amazing. Actually it is so comfortable that I like it better than shooting with the HVX200 or EX3 type of camera. Once again those kit are held in front of the body with few points of contact. The shoulder pad on the EX3 does nothing because of no counter balance. Check other forums on that. Gorilla kits are only sold for guys who are looking to run n gun gorilla shoot with shots no longer then 20 minutes without resting. This works best for this type of shooting

Shoulder mount kits.
These type of kits are meant for shooting all day like working on a reality series. Then counter balance is an absolute necessity. Resting something on your shoulder with no counterbalance is still the same amount of front heavy just with a point of contact. Furthermore, if the counter balance is close to the body you need much more weight. The further way the counter balance is from the body better it works (like a teeter totter) as the lovely model in this video demonstrates, she can actually take her hands off of the camera and it is perfectly balanced on her shoulder. Kits like these tend to be heavier but that is what you want in this type of design. The extra heft is what gives them the inertia to get smooth pans and tilts.

Thanks,
Steve