#camera cages

Tilta: New Tactical Camera Cage for BMPCC 6K Pro

New Hardware: SmallRig Cage for FUJIFILM X-S10 Camera 3087, Currently in Pre-Order at Discount

I have come to regard SmallRig’s well-designed and well-manufactured camera accessories and especially its cages and L-brackets as must-have hardware purchases for every new hybrid camera and the company’s cage for Fujifilm’s X-S10 camera is no exception. 

SmallRig Cage for FUJIFILM X-S10 Camera 3087. Image courtesy of SmallRig.

The SmallRig Cage for FUJIFILM X-S10 Camera 3087is currently in…

SmallRig Cage for Panasonic S5 Camera 2983

SmallRig Cage for Panasonic S5 Camera 2983

SmallRig Cage for Panasonic S5 Camera 2983

No sooner had Panasonic announced its amazing Lumix DC-S5 35mm sensor-equipped L-mount compact hybrid stills/video camera than SmallRig released details of its SmallRig Cage for Panasonic S5 Camera 2983, in preorder at a discount at time of writing.

I always recommend investing in SmallRig products when in preorder aka late development stage in order to take advantage of their preorder discounts not to forget their attractive non-discount pricing compared to other camera accessories makers.

The S5 cage can be purchased alone or in a package including one or more of the following: Monitor Mount with ARRI Mount 2903, HDMI Cable Clamp 1679, Arri Locating Handle 2165 and Wooden NATO Side Handle 2187.

For those of us who enjoy using cameras with vertical battery grips attached, no doubt SmallRig has a suitable cage in the works right now, perhaps soon to appear in the Co-design page.

Links

SmallRig – SmallRig Cage for Panasonic S5 Camera 2983

B&H – Panasonic DMW-BGS5 Battery Grip

B&H – Panasonic DMW-SHGR1 Tripod Grip

B&H – Panasonic DMW-XLR1 XLR Microphone Adapter

B&H – L-mount prime and zoom lenses for L-mount 35mm sensor format cameras such as the S5

B&H – Panasonic Lumix DC-S5 Mirrorless Digital Camera

B&H – Panasonic Lumix S 20-60mm f/3.5-5.6 Lens

The system appears to be named BMPCC 4K Tactical Assault Armor, thus taking on a rather unfortunate military note, but it impresses with the attention to detail Tilta’s design and engineering team has paid to the BMPCC 4K’s accessories needs for use in demanding productions. 

Tilta cage system for the Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera 4K

Blackmagic Design’s latest pocket camera is anything but a fit-in-the-pocket cinema camera, and from feedback from early pre-order customers it appears to be as capable of run-and-gun documentary work as it is of feature-style documentary or narrative moviemaking.

Tilta’s BMPCC 4K cage design philosophy appears based on making the cost of entry low with the half cage priced at US$69.00, full cage at US$99 with the top handle priced at US$79.00, making the most basic cage combo US$148.00 with an extra US$30.00 for full cage instead of half cage.

Other products in the system tackle BMPCC 4K weak points such as cabling, external SSDs, sun-shading and external power as well as the need for a fast and easy focus-pulling solution for solo operators.

At such a low price for entry into the system, independent documentary moviemakers are able to get a foot in then add to it as bigger productions demand.

Tilta BMPCC 4K Tactical Assault Armor Cage for the Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera 4K

Tilta cage system for the Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera 4K.

Tilta cage system for the Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera 4K.

Tilta cage system for the Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera 4K.

Tilta cage system for the Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera 4K.

Tilta cage system for the Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera 4K.

Tilta cage system for the Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera 4K.

Tilta cage system for the Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera 4K.

Tilta cage system for the Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera 4K.

Tilta cage system for the Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera 4K.

Tilta cage system for the Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera 4K.

Tilta cage system for the Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera 4K.

Tilta cage system for the Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera 4K.

Tilta cage system for the Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera 4K.

Tilta cage system for the Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera 4K.

So far Tilta has not revealed the BMPCC 4K Tactical Assault Armor cage system’s release date but interested potential customers are invited to sign up for updates.

I will be keeping an eye out for hands-on reviews of the system in all its forms.

One thing that appears to be missing from the system so far is provision for easily, safely attaching a tilting and swivelling monitor such as the recently-released  Atomos Ninja V but perhaps that solution is still in design stage and will be illustrated in use in a future version of the Tilta BMPCC 4K Tactical Assault Armor cage system web page.

Some other Tilta camera cages

Tilta Cinema Cage for 5D Mark IV, FS5, GH5, DSLR & Blackmagic Design Cinema Camera

Tilta ES-T17-A V2 Handheld Camera Cage Rig for Sony a7, a7 II, a7 III & a9 Series

Tilta Cinema Cage for 5D Mark IV, FS5, GH5, DSLR & Blackmagic Design Cinema Camera

Links

News Shooter – First Look at Tilta’s Modular Cage Solution for the BMPCC 4K

Tilta – Announcing Tilta Cage for Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera 4K – video

Tilta – BMPCC 4K Tactical Assault Armor

Help support ‘Untitled’

Clicking on the links below and purchasing through them or our affiliate accounts at B&H Photo Video, SmallRig or Think Tank Photo helps us continue our work for ‘Untitled’.

Atomos Store – B&H

Blackmagic Design Pocket Cinema Camera 4K and accessories – B&H

Tilta – B&H

My experience with a range of Fujifilm cameras indicates that almost all of them benefit at least from metal hand grips and more so from vertical battery grips for better, safer handholding and extra power. 

Both camera cages are currently available under SmallRig’s Pre-Order scheme at 30% off an already low regular price and the estimated shipping date is October 11, 2018, well-timed for the official release of X-T3 production models. 

SmallRig Cage for Fujifilm X-T3 Camera 2228

SmallRig Cage for Fujifilm X-T3 Camera with Battery Grip 2229

Links

SmallRig – SmallRig Cage for Fujifilm X-T3 Camera 2228

SmallRig – SmallRig Cage for Fujifilm X-T3 Camera with Battery Grip 2229

Help support ‘Untitled’

Fujifilm X-T3 with Fujinon XF 18-55mm f/2.8-4.0 R LM OIS kit zoom lens.

Clicking on these affiliate links and purchasing through them helps us continue our work for ‘Untitled’.

Fujifilm VG-XT3 Vertical Battery Grip – B&H

Fujifilm MHG-XT3 Metal Hand Grip – B&H

Fujifilm X-T3 Mirrorless Digital Camera – B&H

SmallRig

SmallRig Cage for Panasonic Lumix LX100 2198 enhances this capable little premium compact Micro Four Thirds camera for discrete run-and-gun video.

The professional camera stores I was frequenting at the time did not stock the LX100 otherwise I may well have bought one had I had the chance to see and try one out.

The LX100’s specifications are impressive for a 2014 release camera with the only disappointment being its lack of microphone and headphone ports for good quality audio recording, but that lack can be remedied by attaching a small audio recorder to the camera for double system sound that can easily be synched to video in Final Cut Pro X or Red Giant’s Shooter PluralEyes.

A successor to the LX100, presumably to be named the Panasonic Lumix LX200, with more contemporary specifications such as in-body image stabilization aka IBIS and a 16 to 20 megapixel sensor has long been rumored and I hope that the latest rumour, that it will be announced before the photokina trade show in September this year, is true as I have been in the market for a top-specced compact hybrid camera for quite some time.

The one obvious downside to compact cameras that fit into the palm of one’s hand as the LX100 seems to is their minimal gripability and lack of attachment points for accessories necessary for producing great video such as audio recorders, microphones, hand grips, handles and small monitors or monitor/recorders, but SmallRig’s custom cage provides enough of those in the form of 1/4-20 threaded holes and a NATO accessory rail on one side.

The SmallRig Cage for Panasonic Lumix LX100 2198 is the company’s first such cage to adopt a more protective form factor than SmallRig’s other camera cages to date and I hope augurs well for more protective camera cage designs in future.

I became aware of the usefulness of protective as well as connective camera cage designs when shooting on location in a challenging situation with a Lumix GH4 inside a GH4 Cube Cage made by Motion9, now rebranded as Seercam.

SmallRig’s design style has been evolving lately with the appearance of custom L-brackets which add videocentric features to a camera accessory formerly aimed solely at stills photography.

Hybrid cameras, equally adept at stills photography as high-quality video, have demanded a rethink on the question of camera and accessories support and I look forward to SmallRig’s designs becoming more hybrid-savvy.

The Panasonic Lumix LX100, and hopefully soon the Panasonic Lumix LX200, are a case in point.

I look to a camera like this being as good for handheld documentary photography or tripod-mounted portrait photography in vertical and horizontal orientation via built-in Arca-Swiss plate as it is for video whether accessorized minimally or with audio recorder, left side handle, top handle, microphone and even a monitor.

I would like to see SmallRig’s cage for the LX200 be even more hybrid-influenced than its LX100 cage, a fusion of Arca-Swiss tripod plate with NATO rail accessorizing such that one never needs to remove it, so versatile and comfortable whether held in the hand or mounted on tripod, monopod or gimbal.

SmallRig Cage for Panasonic Lumix LX100 2198

SmallRig Cage for Panasonic Lumix LX100 2198

SmallRig Cage for Panasonic Lumix LX100 2198

SmallRig Cage for Panasonic Lumix LX100 2198

SmallRig Cage for Panasonic Lumix LX100 2198

Some accessories for SmallRig Cage for Panasonic Lumix LX100 2198

SmallRig Left Side Wooden Grip with NATO Mount 211

SmallRig HDMI Cable Clamp 169

SmallRig Cold Shoe Handle 2094

Panasonic Lumix DMC-LX100 Micro Four Thirds 4K hybrid digital camera

Panasonic Lumix LX100 with fixed Leica DC Vario-Summilux f/1.7-2.8 zoom lens.

Panasonic Lumix LX100 with fixed Leica DC Vario-Summilux f/1.7-2.8 zoom lens.

Panasonic Lumix LX100 with fixed Leica DC Vario-Summilux f/1.7-2.8 zoom lens.

Panasonic Lumix LX100 with fixed Leica DC Vario-Summilux f/1.7-2.8 zoom lens.

Panasonic Lumix LX100 with fixed Leica DC Vario-Summilux f/1.7-2.8 zoom lens.

Links

4/3 Rumors – (FT2) Panasonic LX200 to be announced before Photokina?

Mad Mohawk Films – Lightweight Run & Gun 4K system

SmallRig – SmallRig Cage for Panasonic Lumix LX100 2198

Wikipedia – Double-system recording

Help support ‘Untitled’

Clicking on these affiliate links and purchasing through them helps us continue our work for ‘Untitled: Stories of Creativity, Innovation, Success’.

Chiaro 43mm 99-UVBT UV Filter – B&H – I use and recommend Chiaro UV filters for protection and UV cutting, especially as their filters provide up to 99% light transmission and that make them in a wide range of diameters with knurled brass frames to avoid binding.

Panasonic Lumix DMC-LX100 Digital Camera – B&H

SmallRig

Tascam DR-05 Portable Handheld Digital Audio Recorder – B&H – small stereo recorders like this or similar ones made by Tascam as well as other manufacturers such as Olympus and Zoom are useful when your camera does not have audio in or out ports for plugging in microphones or headphones. Attach recorders to cages or camera hotshoes via the recorders’ 1/4-20 tripod screw and a suitable SmallRig accessory.

Think Tank Photo Little Stuff It! Belt Pouch V3.0 – B&H – if the LX100 or LX200 is small enough to fit inside this bag, it would make a terrific way of carrying camera only, attached to shoulder straps or waist straps.

Think Tank Photo Stuff It! Belt Pouch V3.0 – B&H – I have two of the previous version 2.0 Stuff It! bags and they are great for carrying all sorts of assorted gear, attached  to camera bag straps or rails.

Is This a Sneak Peek of 8Sinn’s Camera Cage for the Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera 4K?

This image has appeared on 8Sinn’s Facebook page. Looking good!

Preview of 8Sinn camera cage for Blackmagic Design’s Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera 4K aka BMPCC 4K? Links

8Sinn

Facebook – 8Sinn

Help support ‘Untitled’ Unlike its metal-bodied pre-production siblings being shown off at trade shows, the shipping version of Blackmagic Design’s Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera 4k will be made of…

SmallRig: SmallRig L-Bracket for Sony A7III/A7RIII/A9 2122

http://www.smallrig.com/smallrig-l-bracket-for-sony-a7iii-a7riii-a9-2122.html “This product is custom designed for Sony A7RIII, A7III and A9 cameras. Both the base plate and the side plate are of Arca-Swiss standard. It mounts to the camera’s tripod socket and extends 20mm height for more comfortable gripping. The side plate is detachable and slidable as per your needs. Accessories such as hand…