First look: Zacuto Rotator rapid-switches between horizontal and vertical video

A few years ago, vertical video was something that the vast majority of filmmakers and videographers had no time for. It wasn’t “cinema” and had no place in their arsenal of tools. These days, things have changed. With as many vertical social media platforms as there are, vertical video is not only now more accepted but almost mandatory for many projects, especially when it comes to social media and marketing.

We stopped by the Zacuto booth at NAB 2023 to chat with Sales Manager Virge Castillo and take a look at their new Zacuto Rotator (buy here). It’s essentially an L bracket that becomes the base of your whole camera rig. But it also allows mounting in either vertical or horizontal orientation, with swapping between the two taking only a couple of seconds.

The Zacuto Rotator is an L-shaped camera bracket used to shoot both horizontal (16:9) and vertical (9:16) video footage. It’s able to be adjusted in both width and height to accommodate a large range of cameras while providing good balance. It uses Zacuto’s VCT Pro baseplate (buy here), allowing you to quick release and switch between horizontal and vertical orientations in a couple of seconds.

You’re able to use the Zacuto Rotator to switch between horizontal and vertical orientations when using a tripod, camera slider or even a shoulder mount rig. It supports many industry standard accessories, such as camera cages, matte boxes, EVF and follow focus units. It also has a built-in cold shoe and NATO rails for attaching microphones, handles and other accessories.

It’s a handy addition to the Zacuto ecosystem for those who often need to switch between horizontal and vertical orientation while filming. The Zacuto Rotator promises to take the hassle out of the process, speeding up the workflow and making it much easier to alternate between the two.

Price and Availability

The Zacuto Rotator will be available to pre-order soon for around $315. It’s expected to start shipping in June. You can find out more and keep updated on the Zacuto website.

DIYP’s coverage of NAB 2023 is sponsored by Sennheiser, Zhiyun, B&H, and SmallRig