Canon5Dtips Photography is more than words.
Now that I have a tactical shooter, I can finally do a full review of the three Gorilla gunstock models offered by Zacuto: The Rapid Fire, The Quickdraw and The Tactical shooter (which is a combo of the two). Hopefully, by the end of the review you will be able to figure out if you want a Gorilla rig and most importantly, which one will fit your needs.
This review is going to be spread over a few posts because I want to cover the product in details and answer any potential questions you might have. Also, I want to use some exterior footage and recently the weather has not been collaborating at all.
The review is going to be spread over 3 articles:
- Overall design (today)
- Which kit is the best for me?
- Stability test
Overall design
Zacuto Gorilla rigs are deceptively simple. When you open the box you might wonder why you paid so much for just a few clams and pipes. Well, let me tell you this: for what you are getting, these kits are cheap! I have tested a few other rigs and none are as well designed at those from Zacuto. Lets see why…
First, everything can be adjusted and, most importantly, once set stays in position. I cannot stress how critical this last point is. I have seen a lot of people doing DIY rigs where the adjustments would move as soon as some pressure or torque was applied. The clam system used by Zacuto secure the adjustment while using minimal strength to lock. I have loosened and tighten the clam over an hundred times so far and they are still as good as on day one.
Just to show how sturdy these clams are, I did a quick test using my heaviest lens and shook the rig like crazy. As you can see, nothing moved.
I have been talking to a few people who hoped to create their own gunstock rigs and these adjustment clams have been the most problematic area: they could not find a way to make these attachment secure and easy to adjust. To ‘solve’ the issue, they minimize the number of adjustment and/or require tools to secure them in place. Zacuto went the opposite way: they put clams everywhere and have them secured with the twist of a lever. It is also possible to use an Allen key but I never had to (see Steve comment).
I personally think that such level of customization is critical to (1) ensure a perfect fit no matter what your body type is and also (2) to adjust the rigs according to the lens used. While this last point is not as critical as when balancing a Steadicam, moving the center of mass of the rig at the right spot insure maximal stability and comfort.
The camera plate
The camera is held in place with a Manfrotto 394 RC4
My solution was to install a Manfrotto 323 RC2
Gunstock and handle
These pieces are light, solid and have a nice rugged texture so you know they are never going to slip from your hand. To reduce weight, Zacuto made them hollow and this can double up as attachment points if you have a carabiner as demonstrated in the product presentation video. People with big hands might find them a bit small and should consider getting the Zgrip Upgrade kit.
Loyal to the unlimited adjustability principle, they both have an adjustment knob that can move the piece on a circular angle of about 90 degrees.
Overall design impression
As I stated in my original review of the Rapid Fire, these rigs are very well made: sturdy enough to endure the most demanding assignments, light enough to be carried in your bags and once disassembled, take minimal space. The disadvantage of their light weight is a lack of stability and smoothness compared to heavier rigs as we will demonstrate in the third part of the review. We are currently exploring ways to add weight to the rig to fix this issue.
In our next review, we are going to assess the differences between the three rigs to help you figure out which one would fit your needs.
