zacuto universal VCT plate at DVinfo.net

Bill Ward · September 19th, 2015, 02:34 PM

Anyone had success mounting one of the new Zacuto VCT plates to the F3? There are some issues...

Bill Ward · September 25th, 2015, 07:36 AM

Just in case online archaeologists years from now stumble across this thread and wonder how the civilization-threatening issue played out, I found three "solutions."

1. Zacuto sent me a second 1/4-20 screw necked down for their plate. Their recommendation was to just use the two close together, center mounted screws in the F3 body and damn the torpedoes.

2. I disassembled the Element Technica F3 bottom plate from the existing F3 shoulder mount, and screwed that back onto the F3 by itself, offset screw and all. I then mounted the Zacuto Universal VCT plate onto the ET plate. It appears to add a fair bit of weight to the camera, but is bomb proof. For the first time since I got the F3, I can balance it on the Sachtler Video 18 head. Victory.

3. Transvideo (a French company) makes a replace body part for the F3, which requires unscrewing the entire base of the F3 camera and removing a major portion of the camera body. The Transvideo plate then replaces the F3 bottom and seals everything back up...but now provides many lined up screw ports right down the center of the camera. In the absence of any other mounting plate need...this is a pretty cool addition to the F3, security wise. But it's nearly $400.

There you have it.

Keith L. Adams · October 2nd, 2015, 10:12 PM

Thanks for the info!

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bill Ward

Just in case online archaeologists years from now stumble across this thread and wonder how the civilization-threatening issue played out, I found three "solutions."

1. Zacuto sent me a second 1/4-20 screw necked down for their plate. Their recommendation was to just use the two close together, center mounted screws in the F3 body and damn the torpedoes.

2. I disassembled the Element Technica F3 bottom plate from the existing F3 shoulder mount, and screwed that back onto the F3 by itself, offset screw and all. I then mounted the Zacuto Universal VCT plate onto the ET plate. It appears to add a fair bit of weight to the camera, but is bomb proof. For the first time since I got the F3, I can balance it on the Sachtler Video 18 head. Victory.

3. Transvideo (a French company) makes a replace body part for the F3, which requires unscrewing the entire base of the F3 camera and removing a major portion of the camera body. The Transvideo plate then replaces the F3 bottom and seals everything back up...but now provides many lined up screw ports right down the center of the camera. In the absence of any other mounting plate need...this is a pretty cool addition to the F3, security wise. But it's nearly $400.

There you have it.

September 19th, 2015, 02:34 PM	#1
Bill Ward Major Player Join Date: Jul 2005 Posts: 580	zacuto universal VCT plate Anyone had success mounting one of the new Zacuto VCT plates to the F3? There are some issues...

September 25th, 2015, 07:36 AM	#2
Bill Ward Major Player Join Date: Jul 2005 Posts: 580	Re: zacuto universal VCT plate Just in case online archaeologists years from now stumble across this thread and wonder how the civilization-threatening issue played out, I found three "solutions." 1. Zacuto sent me a second 1/4-20 screw necked down for their plate. Their recommendation was to just use the two close together, center mounted screws in the F3 body and damn the torpedoes. 2. I disassembled the Element Technica F3 bottom plate from the existing F3 shoulder mount, and screwed that back onto the F3 by itself, offset screw and all. I then mounted the Zacuto Universal VCT plate onto the ET plate. It appears to add a fair bit of weight to the camera, but is bomb proof. For the first time since I got the F3, I can balance it on the Sachtler Video 18 head. Victory. 3. Transvideo (a French company) makes a replace body part for the F3, which requires unscrewing the entire base of the F3 camera and removing a major portion of the camera body. The Transvideo plate then replaces the F3 bottom and seals everything back up...but now provides many lined up screw ports right down the center of the camera. In the absence of any other mounting plate need...this is a pretty cool addition to the F3, security wise. But it's nearly $400. There you have it.