Introducing the ZeeGee
The new way to produce the organic look of handheld shooting with a new level of flexbility, control and comfort.
The ZeeGee provides free motion in pan, tilt and roll axes, crucial to replicating the look of a shoulder-mounted camera.
By leveraging a legacy Steadicam® arm and vest, the weight is transferred to the operator’s body. Now a shorter operator can boom up to the height of a taller actor or down to a seated person. The arm removes the operator’s footsteps which are rarely desirable in a handheld shot.
The operator is free to control the camera via the handles on the side, or place a hand on the battery as desired.
The learning curve is very minimal, even without prior experience using a Steadicam® arm and vest.
Simply put: the ZeeGee does it all, and better!
The Gear
The ZeeGee is a three-axis cradle that provides unlimited pan, +/-60-90 degrees of tilt (depending on camera length) and +/-20 degrees of roll. It is designed to sit on a 5/8" Steadicam arm post so it can also drop quickly onto a baby pin.
The ZeeGee has been thoughtfully designed to make everyone’s job in camera department easier!
OPERATOR
Initial balance can be done on the ZeeGee dock via the balancing pin. Positive clamps, dialable height adjustment and engraved scales make finding balance repeatable and easy. Fluid dampening in tilt axis allows for fine adjustment of drag as desired.
ASSISTANT CAMERA
A wide and unobstructed platform allow for most camera builds to be accommodated without reconfiguration. All three axes can be quickly locked in neutral position, so the camera stays put for reloads or rebuilds.
DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY
Handheld has always represented a frustration for the DP trying to light to a specific frame. While on the dock, the unit can be precisely aimed, then locked in place.
Advantages
The ZeeGee can jump from body mounted to dolly mounted to anywhere a baby pin can go in seconds. Need a low angle? Drop it on the deck—tons more control than a sandbag or saddle. Or, send it skyward on a mombo combo. It works great on moving vehicles, with or without the arm. Grab the shot, then lock it down and walk away.
The ZeeGee avoids the pendulum effect typical of hanging systems, plus it doesn’t protrude above the operator so there are no clearance issues. And walking shots will look far better due to the proven isolation of the Steadicam® arm.
There is no minimum or maximum weight limit to the ZeeGee. You can use any camera that fits in the cradle, from an iPhone to 65mm.
Hardmounted with a Steadicam arm, the ZeeGee really shines. The arm acts as a three-dimensional slider, allowing you to adjust the camera spatially to breathe with an actor or do subtle booms. You can push the camera out over desks, fly it over chairs, all while maintaining the feel of a camera on the shoulder. There’s no fatigue factor, and you can shoot at longer focal lengths without multiplying the shake beyond what is desired. And the combination of Steadicam arm and the hydraulic arm allows for 7+ feet of vertical boom!
The Story
In the late 2000’s, then-operator (now DP) Charles Papert was struggling with the awkward setups of the early 35mm sensor cameras in handheld configuration and came up with the idea of the ZeeGee. After building a successful prototype he moved on to other pursuits, ultimately passing off the unit to a young operator named Neal Bryant. Neal went on to utilize the rig so successfully on various shows that Charles was re-inspired to bring the idea to market. Partnering with Cinema Devices (makers of the Ergorig and Anti-Gravity Device), the ZeeGee is finally available for all operators to create amazing shots!
Love for ZeeGee
I wish I’d had this device at the beginning of my career. It gives me a look I like and one have been looking for. I want one of these in my quiver!
Dave Emmerichs
DP/Operator
The ZeeGee ended up being so handy on a daily basis, it became our go-to rig for handheld shots altogether. We loved it and were able to get some really cool shots that would have been otherwise too challenging. I’ll use it again in a heartbeat.
Chris Miller
Director, "The Afterparty"
Capturing the artist’s energy was very specific and exacting and needed an extended boom range but also immediate instantaneous reaction time, and the ZeeGee delivered! I don’t think I could have done that shot any other way, and the director couldn’t have been happier with the energy and versatility!
Colin Hudson
Operator
Order Your ZeeGee
Mounting dock for the ZeeGee, required for working off Steadicam arm, but recommended for all applications.
Any existing Mitchell mount can be used as a ZeeGee mount, whether conventional or underslung.
Allows underslinging of the ZeeGee via overhead suspension elastic or solid core, via Easyrig, speedrail rigs etc. In this mode the head corrects for the penduluming motion of the line while providing full pan, tilt, and roll.