VariZoom VZBLACKHAWKVL - Manual (Page 6)

Page 6
balance by repositioning the gimbal assembly upward, and
if it is bottom heavy (less than 2 sec), move it downward.
When you loosen the gimbal clamp with your 5/32” hex key,
you should support the weight of the sled by grasping the
center post firmly beneath the gimbal and loosen the gimbal
clamp slowly. Exercise extreme caution! The reason we
urge you to grasp the center post below the gimbal is to
prevent your hand from being crushed by the weight of the
camera and the stage below it. You will be fine, however,
as long as you proceed carefully and can support the sled
and camera weight. A good alternative is to turn the sled to
a horizontal position and then adjust the gimbal so you don’t
have to support the weight of the sled.
Now you can adjust the horizontal balance, which is
accomplished by adjusting the longitudinal and lateral
positions of the camera on the stage. loosen the dovetail
lock and adjust the knob at the front of the stage until the
camera is level. If the sled leans to one side, you can adjust
the stage laterally by using the second knob. Both knobs
adjust in very fine increments, so you will find it is best to
turn them slowly until you hit the “sweet spot” (where the
camera stays totally level). Finish by tightening the dovetail
lock.
Note that the rack on the 11” dovetail can be removed and
repositioned if the need
arises (i.e., your camera has very front- or back-heavy
balance). Page 7
You can further adjust the vertical balance by extending the
lower sled downward, which will make the system more
bottom-heavy. ALWAYS exercise caution when leaving
the sled/camera assembly unattended – ALWAYS secure
the c-stand with sandbags or counter weights to prevent the
stand from tipping over. We recommend you lock the sled
into the docking yoke (the U-shaped end of the balancing
plate) while your hands are off the system. The docking
yoke fits around the center post of the sled under the gimbal
bearing and locks the system in place using a steel quick-
release pin on a lanyard.
Dual-Dynamic Arm
The arm links the sled to the vest, provides vertical support,
and allows the camera and
sled to float. The Black Hawk arm is a reinforced,
quadruple spring- loaded arm designed to handle cameras
10-25 pounds. For cameras well under 15 pounds, you will
need the optional 5-pound weight plate (free on request).
The arm comes with the sled-mounting post reversed for
protection while in storage or transport, and we recommend
reversing the post any time you store or transport the Black
Hawk. For operation, simply unthread the post and screw it
into the top so that it faces upward.
Mount the arm to the vest by inserting the lower post down
into the socket on the arm bridge (the lower post is located
on a short swivel-linkage at the base of the arm).