Zacuto ACT Recoil Rig - Interview with Steve Weiss

Zacuto ACT Recoil

Zacuto is an American company that has been making camera accessories since the Canon 5D Mark II era, more than a decade ago. For years, the Zacuto VCT -style Recoil rig has been a great piece of kit to put any large cinema camera on your shoulder. Otherwise, the VCT Recoil Rig was a bit large for smaller DSLR/Mirrorless cameras. To offer a more compact, lightweight, and cheaper alternative, Zacuto introduced the Zacuto ACT Recoil Rig in March 2020.

ACT Recoil rigs for DSLR and DSLM. Source: Zacuto

The Zacuto ACT Recoil Rig consist of six main components:

A camera cage. There is a universal cage, or various camera-specific cages for the Sony A7RIV, Panasonic S1H, Z CAM E2 Series, Blackmagic Pocket 4k/6k, Fuji X-T3, Nikon Z6/Z7. All the cages are Arca-Swiss compatible.

The ACT Baseplate. This is an Arca-Swiss compatible baseplate (top and bottom) with a built-in ultra-comfortable shoulder pad.

A Tactical Handle that you can mount on top of your rig or the side by rotating it. There is a NATO rail on top of the handle as well as multiple 1/4-20″ screw holes, two cold-shoe mounts, and a 15mm rod port. This is one of the most versatile NATO handles on the market.

The Axis Micro EVF mount, which is a slim-down version of their Axis Mini EVF Mount. This little arm allows you to quickly mount and adjust the position of your EVF where you want on your rig.

The ACT EVF Pro viewfinder. This 3.5″ LCD features a flip-up loupe and is HDMI only. It is not the best EVF on the market for sure, but it’s free with the rig.

A Right Trigger Grip. This single-handle attaches to any 15mm rod and can be adjusted quickly with only one push of a button, thanks to the Zacuto quick-adjust joint.

If you don’t want or need a cage around your camera, a cageless option is also available, which includes the Zacuto Axis Curve. This little curved piece of metal attaches to a 15mm rod and allows you to mount your EVF onto your rig.

Image credit: Zacuto

Price and Availability

The Zacuto ACT Recoil is a versatile system that you can buy as an entire rig, starting at $850.00/€860.00 for the Zacuto ACT Basic Recoil Rig. Also, there are camera-specific bundles that retail for $1450.00/€1475.00. Lastly, if you don’t need all the components, you can buy each part individually.

What do you think about the Zacuto ACT Recoil Rig system? Do you already have their original VCT-style Recoil Rig? What shoulder rig do you use? Let us know in the comments below!