Your one stop shop for everything photo-video
Smallrig released a new offering, the Brandon Li Special Mobile Video Cage for the iPhone 15 Pro Max (buy here). You are probably more familiar with SmallRig as a camera cage manufacturer or as a video light maker, but with more and more creators using their phones for shooting videos, this is hardly a surprise.
In fact, as time goes by, phones are getting better at creative tasks. But phones still lack better audio, handling, and lights, and this is where the SmallRig comes in.
Have you ever wanted to create a security alert and mass panic every time you use your camera? If so, then this new accessory from StockCam could be just the thing. The company is literally putting the shoot into photo-shoot with this automatic weapon-esque camera rig.
The StockCam is launching soon on Indiegogo and claims to “add excitement and ritual to every shot.” The camera support rig is compatible with all camera brands and features an expandable design.
When I first watched this video, I thought “well, I’ve got like five of those things on his list and I find them quite useful”. And you’ll probably feel the same way. But you have to remember who this video from Raphael Ludwig is aimed towards. Mostly beginners.
Every time a new piece of gear is announced, there’s a lot of hype and people new to photography and filmmaking get sucked in by it. Every new filmmaker thinks they have to have a gimbal, a motorised slider, a drone and a bunch of other stuff simply because they don’t know any better. And, well, the video’s right. Most of the time they don’t need it.
A few months ago I reviewed the Lanparte cage for the 4K Black Magic Pocket Cinema Camera and really liked it. You can find the full review for that here. What could they have possibly improved for the 6K version? (B&H | Amazon)
A handy feature of the Black Magic Pocket Cinema Camera 6K is that it is pretty much the exact same size and shape as the Black Magic Pocket Cinema Camera 4K. So most cages made for the 4K will fit the 6K. That is true in this example too – the 4K cage will fit the 6K camera and the 6K cage will fit the 4K camera.
So what have Lanparte done to change or improve on their 4K Cage? Because improve it they have. My top three in reverse:
The Blackmagic Design Pocket Cinema Camera 4K is a really good camera with some amazing features. But one of the challenges that the camera presents is, it’s physical size and weight. In order to really get the best out of it, you really do need to put it in a cage.
Lanparte kindly sent me their cage for the BMPCC 4K to try out. Here are some observations.
Earlier this year I was visiting a few camera gear factories in Shenzen China. Aside from getting my phone nicked in a cab ride, it was an enlightening experience. One of those factories was the Small Rig factory. If you are following the blog, you know how much we love our A7 cage (and a bunch of other small gadgets from Small Rig). Actually, this is the rig we take on most of our productions.
DIYP has seen its share of interviews, aside our regular work we’ve been to over 10 shows including the latest Photokina. We need a rig that is robust, easy to carry around, and that adapts to various conditions. This rig has gone through many changes over the years, this is what it is now.
We got our hands on a SmallRig’ Sony A7x camera cage (its good for the A7II, A7RII & A7SII) , and we love it. I am going to go and break it down and explain the impact it has on my workflow in a second, but first…
Of course to review a cage, I would first have to explain why one would need a cage in the first place. And if you have never done any filming with a DSLR and mirrorless, you may be asking yourself the same question. So before I get to the review let me explain:
Udi Tirosh is an entrepreneur, photography inventor, journalist, educator, and writer based in Israel. With over 25 years of experience in the photo-video industry, Udi has built and sold several photography-related brands. Udi has a double degree in mass media communications and computer science.
Alex Baker is a portrait and lifestyle driven photographer based in Valencia, Spain. She works on a range of projects from commercial to fine art and has had work featured in publications such as The Daily Mail, Conde Nast Traveller and El Mundo, and has exhibited work across Europe
Dave Williams is an accomplished travel photographer, writer, and best-selling author from the UK. He is also a photography educator and published Aurora expert. Dave has traveled extensively in recent years, capturing stunning images from around the world in a modified van. His work has been featured in various publications and he has worked with notable brands such as Skoda, EE, Boeing, Huawei, Microsoft, BMW, Conde Nast, Electronic Arts, Discovery, BBC, The Guardian, ESPN, NBC, and many others.
John Aldred is a photographer with over 20 years of experience in the portrait and commercial worlds. He is based in Scotland and has been an early adopter - and occasional beta tester - of almost every digital imaging technology in that time. As well as his creative visual work, John uses 3D printing, electronics and programming to create his own photography and filmmaking tools and consults for a number of brands across the industry.
Dunja Djudjic is a multi-talented artist based in Novi Sad, Serbia. With 15 years of experience as a photographer, she specializes in capturing the beauty of nature, travel, and fine art. In addition to her photography, Dunja also expresses her creativity through writing, embroidery, and jewelry making.
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