Zacuto Canon C100 Z-Finder User manual

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C100 Zacuto Rig System
Setup Guide

Contents
You will need – [Page 1]
Part 1: Setting up the Camera (The Basic Setup) – [Page 2 – 4]
1. Setting up the Zacuto plate
2. Attaching the Zacuto top mount to the C100
3. Attaching the Zacuto camera mount and camera plate to the C100
Part 2: Building the rig – [Page 4 – 7]
1. Connecting the camera to the tripod
2. Connecting the Follow Focus motor to the Smallrig rods
3. Attatching the Smallrig bracket to the rig and opening out the handle arm
4. Setting up the zacuto arm on to the rig
5. Attatching the V-lock Battery Mount
Part 3: Setting up the Follow focus – [Page 7 – 9]
1. Attaching the focus ring to the lens
2. Follow focus setup and calibration
3. Attatching the Follow focus bluetooth remote to the smallrig handle
Part 4: The Ikan Viewfinder – [Page 9 – 11]
1. Setting up the Viewfinder
2. Connecting the C100 handle

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You will need…

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Things to check/know:
•Before taking the kit, or when packing it away, make sure you have all the pieces required to
set up the rig. If anything is missing please contact the film technicians.
•Be Aware: Parts of this rig may come in a separate bag, its good to know where each section
is beforehand
•If starting from instruction 1 you will need two screwdrivers (flat head and Philips). If starting
with the basic setup only a flat head will be needed. A flat head screwdriver is provided as
part of this kit and MUST be returned with the camera.
•If you do not have a screwdriver, please let the film technicians know.
•This tutorial starts from the camera without any part of the rig. If you ask a technician for
the ‘basic setup’, you can skip “Part 1, Setting up the camera”.
Part 1: Setting up the camera (The Basic Setup)
The Zacuto plate
What you need: C100 camera, Zacuto tripod plate, screwdriver (Flat head).
Remove the plate from the bottom section of the C100,
this can be done with a screwdriver or coin, then attach
this plate to the bottom of the Zacuto tripod plate.
Try and have it more towards the front end of the plate than the back.
Attach the Zacuto tripod plate to the tripod the same way you attach the camera to the tripod, make
sure the plate is on the correct way.
Back of plate Front of plate

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Setting up the Zacuto top mount
What you will need: C100 camera, Zacuto top mount kit, screwdriver (flat and Philips), C100 handle
On the top of the C100 camera body is a hot-
shoe (female) mount.
There is also a screw on its left hand (non-handle)
side by the on/off switch. Remove this screw and
put it to one side.
The Mounting Plate
The mounting plate, from the Zacuto top mount
kit, has a male cold-shoe mount at its base which
slides into the C100’s hot-shoe mount and then
screws in place.
Once done, you should notice two screw
thread holes on the side of the mounting
plate, the lower of which lines up with
the location of the screw removed from
the C100 previously.
The screw piece removed from the C100 previously then screws into
the top screw thread of the mounting plate.
Rod arm adapter
The rod arm adapter attaches into the screw threads on
the top of the mounting plate, make sure these are tight
and the arm doesn’t move.
The Zacuto Handle Adapter
The top of the Zacuto handle adapter has a female hot-
shoe mount, which contains a female screw and stopper
rivet. The C100 handle has a corresponding male hot-
shoe on the bottom. The handle should catch on the
rivet and then screw in place with the screw on the
handle. Tighten further with the right-hand side ratchet
levers on the adapter.
For now, place the C100 handle to one side, it will not be
needed till later.
Mounting plate
Rod arm adapter

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Attaching the Zacuto camera mount and camera plate to the C100
What you will need: C100, Zacuto Shoulder mount, Zacuto Camera Plate, Screwdriver (Flat head)
The red Zacuto camera plate will already be attached to the Zacuto shoulder mount upon receiving
the kit.
To separate them unscrew the
ratcheting lever on the side of the
shoulder mount (shown) and then
press in the red button on the
opposite side. The plate should then
slide off.
Be aware: The small screw on the Zacuto plate can accidently fall off during this process. Be careful
this does not happen.
The plate will then need to be
attached to the C100 Camera.
At the bottom of the C100 Camera
there should be 2 screw sections,
one large and one small, as shown.
These correspond with matching
screws on the Zacuto plate. Using a screwdriver attach this plate to the camera.
Now, with the Zacuto plate attached to the camera, reattach the plate to the shoulder mount. Hold
the button down, slide the C100 on, then tighten the ratchet lever on the side.
Part 2: Building up the Rig
Connecting the camera to the tripod.
What you will need: Zacuto Shoulder mount (As assembled up to Part 1), Zacuto tripod plate
The bottom section of the shoulder mount has
a v-lock bracket, that locks into the
corresponding female section of the Zacuto
tripod plate.
With the plate already set on the tripod you
can place the rig onto it and push, you should
here a click that indicates it is locked it in
place. If it won’t go on you may need to pull
the red and black lever on the side of the
Zacuto plate to unlock it.
Ratcheting lever

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Connecting the Follow Focus motor to the Smallrig rods
What you will need: Smallrig rods and bracket, follow focus motor
First, loosen the tightening screw on the
slide of the follow focus motor and attach it
to the left rod, the handle side, of the Small
rig rods and bracket. Then tighten in place
when about halfway down.
In the Follow focus case, on the top right
hand side, you will also notice some small
aerials. One of these attaches to the top
section of the follow focus, shown.
Attatching the Smallrig bracket to the rig and opening out the handle arm
What you will need: Zacuto shoulder mount (assembled up to part 2), Smallrig rods with follow focus
motor attatched
On the front section of the shoulder mount you should see 2
holes into which rods go, as well as a ratcheting lever on the side.
Place the rods, from the Smallrig rods and bracket, into these
holes until they can go no further, then tighten them in place with
the ratcheting lever. If done correctly, the logo on the front of the
bracket section should be the right way up.
The bracket section has
two rosette mounts, one of
which the Smallrig handle
arm is connected to. If not,
the teeth of both sections
should line up and then
screw in place with the
lever on the arm. The arm must be connected on the left
side, the same side as the follow focus motor.
By loosening the levers on the arm, you should be able to open it out and move it to a more
comfortable position.

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Setting up the zacuto arm on to the rig
What you will need: Zacuto shoulder mount (As assembled with the smallrig arm bracket), Zacuto
arm
On the right side of the shoulder mount you should
see a rosette mount (shown).
The Zacuto arm has a corresponding section that
connects to this and then tightens in place with the
circular screw lever. By loosening the remaining
levers on this handle, you should be able to move it
to a position comfortable for you.
Now you need to connect the C100 side handle to this
arm. First, remove the C100 side handle from the camera
by turning the mount ring on the handle, shown.
With this section completely loose and unscrewed you will
notice a connection cable which needs to be unplugged.
On the handle end of the Zacuto arm there is a similar
connector for this cable, plug it in and then screw the side
handle onto the arm.
The arm’s cable should now plug into the C100 where its side handle was previously connected.
The rig should now look something
like this.
Handle end
Rosette end

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Attatching the V-lock Battery mount
What you will need: Zacuto shoulder mount (As assembled up to instruction 1-8), 8sinn V-lock
mount, V-Lock Battery
On the back section of the shoulder mount you should
see 2 holes into which rods go, as well as a ratcheting
lever on the side.
Place the rods from the V-lock Battery mount, into these
holes until they can go no further, then tighten them in
place with the ratcheting lever. The V-lock section
should be facing
outwards.
Finally, get the large
V-lock battery and attatch it to this mount. The battery should
slide in from the top and lock down. You should hear it click.
Make sure this is firmly in place before continuing.
Part 3: Setting up the follow focus
Attaching the focus ring to the lens
What you will need: EOS Lens, flexible gear ring, screwdriver (Flat head)
Using the screwdriver provided open out the gear ring.
Place this over the focus ring of the lens.
Make sure it is placed on straight,
otherwise the follow focus motor could
slip when in use. Then tighten in place.
You may notice some stoppers on the gear
ring, make sure these are placed to one of
the ends of the ring, they are not needed for the type of lenses we use.
At this point you can add the lens to the camera.