Zacuto Fast Draw

Comments about Zacuto Fast Draw:

Works great for all day shooting! Gets me the steady shots I need.

Comments about Zacuto Fast Draw:

This thing looks great. But too expensive!!

Comments about Zacuto Fast Draw:

I am still getting it tweaked to fit me perfectly, however I find that the shoulder pad is not as grippy as I would like on my shoulder. It seems to slip a little easier than I would like. Overall, once you set things how you like it, I think it is a pretty good rig. I really like the lifetime warranty on the rig. that is a big reason that I got this rig.

Comments about Zacuto Fast Draw:

A very steady shoulder-mount platform. Excellent fit and finish, with beautifully machined and anodized components. Highly adjustable, and many opportunities to add on to fit various equipment scenarios. Everything locks up very solidly. I'm using it with a 5Dmk2. When used with a DSLR, the Z-Finder is an absolute necessity, because the LCD is too close to the eye to focus on.

Comments about Zacuto Fast Draw:

Great product, I brought to use with my 5D MkII and 1D mk VI. It is a little on the expensive side and the counter balance is a little heavy for my set up. However on the whole a good product

Comments about Zacuto Fast Draw:

VERY BALANCED!

I just shot a documentary in Dominican Republic and the Fast Draw was great

cons
the weight for balance has a little knob and it is difficult to tighten and loosen.

EVERYTHING ELSE IS FANTASTIC

Comments about Zacuto Fast Draw:

The Fast Draw by Zacuto saved my assignment. I needed to be stable but have the ability to truly move around on an all day documentary style assignment. I was in a third-world country, was in and out of a small O.R. and there wasn't space all the time for a tripod.

I like some of the smaller Zacutos too and there is a place for them, but this setup was easier on relieving strain on my shoulders, neck and front body especially on a long, continuous story. I actually packed the weight in separate luggage (had to), which unfortunately became delayed in travel, had had all the other pieces collapsed in my Think Tank bags with me on the flight and had to gaffer tape bottles of water and hard drives to try to counter weight the first day. Once the real weight arrived it was clear how balanced it was and how much I'd missed it. Without it, you're sort of pushing your arms up which gets old quickly. This back weight is just right.

This rig allowed me to balance not just the DSLR body but the Beachtek box and mics attached to it in a way that was still small but properly balanced on my shoulder. If I needed to just hold it with my left hand I could - then had both hands on when ready again.

When I needed to go to tripod, I could easily disengage and reingage when necessary with the proper switchplates.

If I had to move w. tripod, I sometimes had someone else hold it by the handle with the weight close to the ground if I needed to move and they could do so easily - and even place it on the ground on the back weight so it stood on its own until I was ready for it.

I realize it's a larger profile that the less expensive rigs, but it was worth every penny for the resulting stability and for the wear and tear on my body.

One tip: I did gaffer tape the Allen wrench to the underside of the mounting plate so if I ever needed to tighten the rig it was right there. I only had to tighten once, while setting up, really cranked it down and then all was solid.