Accessory Kits Convert DSLRs into Movie Cameras

November 13, 2008 � Filed Under Cameras, Gadgets

Those Zacuto DSLR Cine kits we mentioned last month? They’re here, and they’re expensive.

Zacuto makes baseplates for movie cameras onto which can be bolted, strapped and hung all manner of accessories, from shoulder mounts to counter-balances to a rather fetching set of handlebars. The new kits, however, are designed to work with the new breed of movie-shooting DSLRs, specifically the Nikon D90 and the upcoming Canon 5D MkII.

There are a few advantages to shooting movies with these cameras: You get access to a huge range of (by movie standards) cheap lenses which can produce a shallow depth of field for a very filmic look. And the bodies themselves, while they’re not exactly budget models, are a lot less expensive than the equivalent dedicated video cameras.

Zacuto, though, didn’t get the memo. It’s four new kits range from $660 (DSLR Docu Kit) up to almost $5000 (DSLR Filmmaker Kit), and while the top end Filmmaker setup incudes everything, even a Lunchbox and a Universal Donut (!), the Docu kit is literally just a baseplate and a couple of metal poles.

We’re likely coming at this from the wrong angle. Compared to accessories for still cameras, these kits are exhorbitant. Compared to the prices movie makers are used to, though, this is small change. Available now.

Product page [Zacuto via Photography Bay]