Zero Gravity Rig Operating Instructions
Welcome to our new top-of-the-line shoulder support
system for cameras up to 15 lbs - the ZG Rig. In addition
to its totally unique vertical balancing mechanism, this
system is designed to be configurable to virtually any body
type or camera setup, so there are some adjustments and
operational parameters to discover before you begin using
the equipment. The Rig requires minor assembly (see
assembly diagram). It should approximately resemble the
picture at the right. Included are: 3-part shoulder rig,
support pod, belt, camera plate, accessory mount,
removable counterweight. Read the instructions to
ensure that you don’t damage the system or camera.
1A – The first and most important element to understand
is the Tilt Mechanism
it slides laterally when the red thumbscrew is loose. When the tilt
arm (w/ “Zero Gravity” label) is perpendicular to the horizontal
support member (w/ “VariZoom” label), the safety lock will slide into
the slot of the tilt arm. Once the red thumbscrew is tightened, the
safety lock prohibits the tilting action of the ZG Rig. The safety lock
allows you to set the ZG Rig down without the system inadvertently
tilting and flopping over, which could cause damage to your
camera. Always engage the safety lock before setting the ZG Rig
down. Conversely, while operating the ZG Rig, the safety lock
should be disengaged so you can tilt freely.
1A2
– Always keep the tensioner knob (A2) tightened close to the
max – only tiny adjustments are needed. The tilt mechanism
should never have any play/wobble, or damage may result.
1B – The position lock lever (B) for the vertical balancing
mechanism is essentially a stainless steel clamping lever. It is
VERY IMPORTANT that this lever is tightened while operating the
ZG Rig and loosened while adjusting the vertical balance. If the
position lock lever is loose while operating the ZG Rig, there will be
excess play in the tilt mechanism that can cause unwanted
shaking and even result in damage to the ZG Rig. If the position
lock lever is tight while you attempt to adjust the vertical balance,
you may cause irreparable damage. Loose = lever up; Tight =
lever down. Basic rule of thumb: if it feels wrong, check your locks
and tensioner knob before proceeding.
1C – The vertical adjustment knob (C) will allow you to raise or
lower the camera platform precisely, but the position lock lever (B) and safety lock (A) must be
disengaged before you make this adjustment, otherwise DAMAGE MAY OCCUR.
WARNING: FOR OPERATION, THE LOCK LEVER (B) MUST BE FULLY TIGHTENED AND
TENSIONER KNOB (A2) MUST BE TIGHT ENOUGH TO REMOVE ANY SIDE-TO-SIDE
WOBBLE/PLAY IN THE TILT MECHANISM, OR SEVERE DAMAGE MAY RESULT!!!
. Look at the safety lock (A), and notice how
A
A2
Tilt Mechanism (front/side views)
B
C
2 - MOUNTING THE CAMERA - Make sure the safety lock is engaged
on the tilt mechanism. Attach the support belt to your waist, holster in
front. Mount your camera to the camera plate, tightening the screw
thoroughly. Slide the plate into the receiver and secure the plate
locking lever. Insert the brass tip of the support pod into the socket at
the end of the curved bar. Angle the pod roughly 30° downward and
raise the entire assembly over your shoulder, carefully inserting the
lower end of the support pod through the plastic D-ring and into the
holster. Unlock the support pod knobs to engage spring action.
3 - ACCESSORIES – If you wish to use the accessory mount
(D) for attaching lights, monitors, mics, etc., go ahead and
attach it and mount the accessories before proceeding with
adjustments or balancing. This mount allows you to keep
accessories off your camera and aids in balancing the weight of
the Rig. Four ¼”-20 holes are provided, and the mount rotates
to allow fine positioning.
4 - BALANCING – Once it’s fully loaded, you can focus on adjusting and balancing
the unit. Think of the balancing as an X-Y-Z affair. Start by adjusting the position
of the camera plate so it is balanced front-to-back. Then adjust the position of the
camera platform left-right by loosening the knob directly below and moving the
platform until it feels relatively balanced and doesn’t lean to one side. You can
also affect the side-to-side balance by adjusting the counterweight position (E)
at the rear of the shoulder arch. These are the familiar ‘X-Y’ adjustments.
D
E
Now comes the ‘Y’ adjustment that is unique to the ZG Rig – the
vertical balance adjustment. As mentioned previously, you must
C
disengage the safety lock (A) and position lock lever (B) in order to
adjust the vertical balance. Loosen the tensioner knob to the
minimum setting – the loosest point where the knob is still slightly
tight against the washer/bearing set and there is no wobble in the tilt
mechanism.
B
Test the vertical balance of the camera as-is by tilting it straight up
(or as close as possible) and see if it has a tendency to drift up or
down. If it drifts down, you need to raise the camera platform by
turning the vertical adjustment knob (C) counter-clockwise (left). If it drifts up, you need to lower
the camera platform by turning the vertical adjustment knob clockwise (right).
Once the vertical balance is set, tighten the position lock lever (B) and set the tensioner knob to
your preferred level of resistance. You should be able to tilt effortlessly and the tilt mechanism
should hold any angle unaided.
5 - ADJUSTMENT
– If you haven’t already done so, now would be a good time to fine tune the
ergonomic adjustments of the Rig. There are several points of adjustment that should enable
you to wear the Rig with comfort and stability. The photos on the following page highlight some
of these adjustment points.
p
)
The most commonly used adjustments:
(F) = slide up/down, pivot side-to-side; ALSO: change angle of insertion from
standard custom angle to right angle (straight up) and/or reverse tightening lever.
(G) = adjust position of camera mount closer/further and also adjust the angle of
the shoulder arch relative to body centerline
F
G
(H) = adjust the in-out position of support pod
socket to change the relative height and angle
of the Rig, as well as the relative loading of the
ring pod
s
H
(I) = ADVANCED: shift the tilting pivot point in or out, depending on
preference; further out gives more tilt range and distance to camera,
while closer in brings camera closer and reduces tilt range; to shift
pivot point, simply remove protective plastic cap (and SAVE IT) from
unused hole, revealing a radial bearing; remove tensioner knob with
external bearing/washer assembly, then remove entire tilt assembly (it
is press-fit tightly, so it will take effort), finally insert tilt assembly axle
through alternate bearing, pressing firmly until large black washer is
flush, then thread tensioner knob assembly back through, tightening
firmly; finally, move safety lock mechanism to the corresponding spot
and cover unused bearing hole with plastic cap
(J) = serrated clutch allows locking incremental adjustment
of angle at which stainless rod intersects horizontal support
member to allow greater freedom in positioning and bring
camera extremely close in some configurations;
ADVANCED: clutch can be separated and inverted so it
mounts to the top instead of bottom, creating a 3.25”
downward shift of the entire forward assembly (for lower
camera mount
J
I
6 - OPERATION – Overall, operating the ZG Rig is pretty intuitive. Because there are so many
different ways to configure the Rig, it’s mostly up to the user to determine good shooting habits.
One thing to keep in mind is that the spring-loaded support pod can be used with one or two
sections locked. In other words, if you need less spring action (e.g., for a lighter camera), leave
one of the sections locked, or if you want no spring action, leave both locked. You may even
decide that you need to hold the entire unit up high for an extended period (such as shooting
over a crowd), and in this case, fully extending the pod sections and locking them in place could
be your best move. For most shooting, however, you will probably use a single configuration, so
spend some time figuring out the most comfortable and functional setup for your needs.
7 – STORAGE/TRANSPORT – We recommend folding the unit and storing it in the supplied
carrying bag to keep it clean and protected.
Sample configurations:
g
y
Common setup w/ optional Vlock plate in place of wei
ht
Close/High right-angle setup
for DSLR camera
Low, left-swept setup w/ external
monitor on accessor
mount
TIPS AND SUGGESTIONS
- When using a heavier camera setup (over 8lbs), try to keep the camera closer to the tilt
arm, make sure the tensioner knob is adequately tightened, and experiment with the
position of the support pod socket.
- If you have any questions or problems with the ZG Rig after reading the instructions,
please contact VariZoom directly (512-219-7722).
WARNINGS:
1 – DO NOT OPERATE THE ZG RIG WITH ANY OF THE LOCKING JOINTS LOOSE, AS
DAMAGE OR INJURY COULD RESULT.
2 – ALWAYS STORE AND HANDLE THE SPRING-LOADED SUPPORT POD IN A FULLY
LOCKED STATE (KNOB TIGHTENED THOROUGHLY). ONLY LOOSEN THE KNOBS
WHEN THE SUPPORT POD IS MOUNTED UNDER THE WEIGHT OF THE ZG RIG.
3 – DO NOT RUN WHILE OPERATING THE UNIT.
4 – EXERCISE CAUTION WHEN ADJUSTING THE POSITION OF THE POD SOCKET (fig. H)
– DO NOT LOOSEN THE LOCKING SCREW MORE THAN ½ TURN, AS THE TIP OF THE
SCREW ALSO ACTS AS A SAFETY STOP, AND IF YOU BACK THE SCREW OUT TOO
FAR, THE POD SOCKET COULD SLIP OFF THE END OF THE SUPPORT BAR.
ZG RIG QUICK-START AND KEY POINTS GUIDE
The ZG Rig is a precision instrument that requires
proper care to maintain its mechanisms:
1 – Tensioner Knob
the max to prevent unwanted play in tilt mechanism.
The tension adjustment is only effective in a very small
turning range, and the whole mechanism must be
clamped together tightly to work properly and prevent
damage.
Failure to operate the ZG Rig with the tensioner
knob tightened will result in severe damage.
2 - Safety Lock
over when you set it down. With the tilt mechanism at
a right angle, you can loosen the red knob and slide
the safety lock into the slot on the tilt mechanism.
Disengage the safety lock to operate or adjust the
ZG Rig.
3 – Vertical Adjustment
the center of gravity depending on the size of
your camera. There are two key parts:
-The position lock lever
tightened (DOWN) when you are operating
the ZG Rig with a camera. Failure to
operate the ZG Rig with the lock lever fully
tightened will cause severe damage.
-The adjustment knob
camera platform, but the position lock lever
must be loose (UP) to make the adjustment.
Do not force the knob and make sure the
lever is loose when adjusting.
must always be tightened close to
prevents the ZG Rig from flopping
allows you to adjust
Adjustment Knob
Position Lock Lever
should always be fully
raises or lowers the
OPERATE
ADJUST
VariZoom ZG Rig Assembly Diagram
Plastic Washer
Steel Washer/Roller
Bearing/Steel Washer
Remove Thumbscrew
Replace Thumbscrew
Last, but not least, attach counterweight to rear plate.
1
2
3
Tighten Knob!!!
4
5
6
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