If we were to use one word to describe these shoulder rigs it would be BALANCE! You cannot shoot with a rig that is not balanced, you’ll be fighting fatigue on long shoots. Whether you’re shooting TV, film, documentary, wedding or news, a balanced shoulder mounted rig will keep your shots steady and allow you to shoot the whole day.

The core of the Next Generation Recoil Rigs is the VCT Pro baseplate. Zacuto’s reinvented VCT style baseplate is universal for all cameras from a tiny mirrorless to a camera the size of an ALEXA and everything in between. Next Generation Recoil rigs are designed for optimal balance and comfort when shoulder mounted or on a tripod. With lenses and cameras being similar weights, the balance point is approximately where the lens meets the camera body.

Universal accessories like our adjustable Halfcage Rail and versatile Recoil Handle means one rig can fit all your cameras. Or, customize to fit your unique needs.

In a Recoil rig, the balance point needs to be directly over your shoulder which puts the camera behind you. This requires focus, monitoring and camera controls to be relocated forward, creating a lighter and shorter rig.

Here’s how it works

We’ve broken the camera rig into five sections—

base, top, back, front and viewfinder.

Top Our custom top plates for cameras like the Canon C-Series and Sony FS5/FS7 bolt directly to the camera frame providing a wide array of accessory attachment points. Or use the Halfcage Rail which wraps around the side & top of any camera or lens offering similar accessory capable space. All these options either include or enable you to attach a Recoil Handle which is common in all kits and an essential connector point.

Viewfinder A crucial element for any shoulder rig is a viewfinder. We’ve got options compatible with our Gratical EVFs, Z-Finder EVF Pro, and our signature Z-Finders for a full array of cameras. The Axis Mini EVF mount attaches to the Recoil Handle and will mount every EVF on the market via either side mounted rosette or ¼” 20 on the bottom or top of your EVF. The Axis can be adjusted to any position in a 360-degree space.

Back The back of the VCT has quick release ports for lightweight spaced 15mm rods to mount power accessories like batteries, recorders, wireless units and more via our Zwiss Plate.

Front At the front of the rig are two important sections: focus control and camera control. Add our Z-drive follow focus with Tornado focusing handgrip or an E-Drive electronic version. Perfect for a shoulder mounted rig and also compatible for tripod use. Zacuto’s Control Grips offers extensive camera control for all cameras (with specific cables), plus zoom and iris control and much more. Or, for cameras that have removable control grips like the Canon C300 or Sony FS5 we have grip relocators that place the camera grip far forward in a comfortable handgrip position.