ZeeGee - A new Approach to the hand-held Look

The ZeeGee is an interesting device that combines the look and feel of handheld shooting with the support of using a Steadicam vest.

The camera has free motion in pan, tilt, and roll axes, which replicate the look of a shoulder-mounted camera but unlike handholding the camera, the weight is transferred to the operator’s body via the vest.

Another advantage is that the up & down shake from the operator’s footsteps is stabilized.

Key features

Complete axial motion isolation
Control in pan tilt and roll
Small to large camera builds
Quick on the fly balancing and CG adjustments
Separate drop rates for tilt and roll
Adjustable fluid dampened tilt
Mounts on all Steadicam arm posts and 5/8″ baby pin
Get Steadicam rentals on handheld shoots

What is the ZeeGee?

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 Steadicam arm post, (5/8” or 3/4” diameter depending on stabilizer manufacturer), and in 5/8” mode can also drop quickly onto a baby pin. Utilizing an industry-standard 3/8-16” mounting platform, fore-aft adjustment can be done via sliding baseplate, or Steadicam dovetail via an SOS type plate.

The ZeeGee can also be used on a dolly and even a baby pin.

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 an ALEXA 65.

Dolly-mounted, 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.

According to the makers, there’s no fatigue factor which makes it suitable for long dialogue takes with little camera movement. You can also shoot at longer focal lengths without multiplying the shake beyond what is desired. And the combination of the Steadicam arm and the hydraulic arm allows for 7+ feet of vertical boom.

The idea of the ZeeGee was born in the late 2000’s by then-operator (now DP) Charles Papert. He 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 passed the unit to Neal Bryant SOC who is in a lot of the demonstration videos. Neal has since utilized the rig on various shows and Charles was re-inspired to bring the idea to market.

Charles has now partnered with Cinema Devices to bring the ZeeGee to market. Cinema Devices also sell the Ergorig and Anti-Gravity Device.