04Mar Smallrig Sony a7s custom camera cage
I’ve been looking for a small mounting frame for the Sony a7s and a few of you recommended I check out Smallrig’s offering. Smallrig sells a lot of bits and pieces so it can be a little confusing when you are trying to figure out what parts you need/want for a rig. It took me a little time trying to visualize the layout I was looking for on the Sony a7s and this is what I came up with:
- Sony a7s 1518 smallrig cage
- 2x 1437 Smallrig Nato rail
- Smallrig 1422 EVF Nato mount
- Smallrig 1558 v7 handle
The handle I selected has a vertical Nato clamp instead of a horizontal Nato clamp and includes a cold shoe adapter. Most of Smallrig’s handles have horizontal Nato clamps. I’m guessing this is because they were intended to slide across the top of the camera in order to balance things out, but I wanted to use the handle in a slightly different manner.
I was also looking for a compact monitor mounting option and the Smallrig 1422 EVF Nato mount seemed like a decent solution. While it is intended for an EVF, it’s also perfect for a small 5 inch monitor.
For those of you not familiar with Nato rails, they’re simply a plate with ridges on either side that allow you to clamp on extra gear. These rails were originally developed as a method for gun mounting flashlights and scopes, but companies like Smallrig and Wooden Camera have started to use them on camera rigs.
I used the Nato rails on the top and side of the sony cage. In one configuration I can hold the Sony a7s hand grip in my right hand and the handle in my left hand for an easy two handed minimalist rig.
Slide the handle off the side and move it to the top of the unit, then slide on the Smallrig 1422 EVF Nato mount and you have a nice setup for a slider or tripod. Strip the handle and EVF mount off and you are basically back to the form factor of the Sony a7s with a few extra mounting options.
Overall i’m pretty impressed with Smallrig’s system. All the parts and pieces set me back about $165 plus shipping which is a little pricy for a minimalist rig but far less than Wooden Camera’s small dslr cage system.
If I were to place this order again I think I would trade out the Nato rails I picked for the Smallrig 1409 rail or Smallrig quick release Nato rail. While the 1437 Smallrig Nato rail I choose works well on the side of the unit, I was only really able to get two of the three screws in on the top of the unit. I don’t think it’s a problem, but if you are looking to duplicate my setup, those two options are worth looking into.
I’ll post a review video on this when I get some more time this weekend. It’s not quite perfect yet, but i’m still pretty happy with how it turned out.
March 4th, 2015 at 10:34 am
Awesome info bro. I was searching everywhere for something that may even remotely work with sony mirrorless cameras. Do you think that this would be a good fit for the sony a6000?
March 4th, 2015 at 10:44 am
It might be a little wanky for the a6000 since that camera is a little smaller. The a7s is 3.7 inches high, while the A6000 is 2.6 inches high, so you’ll end up with an inch gap from top to bottom, but you should be fine on the side mount.
March 28th, 2016 at 6:12 pm
Here’s an alternative I’ve been using with my HDR-CX760 Procam that is working out nicely for my webcasting rig setup.
http://diffcase.com/products/diff-cinema-rig
The product appears developed back around 2012, and is still being sold. *Note: The owner doesn’t seem to reply to any correspondence, but does pay attention to when an order is missing something by mistake, and will send the replacement out.
March 28th, 2016 at 9:17 pm
Looks pretty decent for the price.
March 28th, 2016 at 10:57 pm
Here’s a pic of my preliminary setup using the Large Diffcase Rig… http://www.webcastlongbeach.com/WCLB-RIG.jpg
Its Very lightweight, and plenty of 1/4″ and a few 3/8″ taps available to work with. I ordered an additional pack of screw knobs as well.
Its still taking time going through all the various mounting options to make the setup complete, as well to breakdown and bag when transporting.
ie. NATO Rails, 15mm Rod Clamps, Rosette adapters, Brackets, etc.
But if you take your time, you can build something fairly small with all the necessities you need.
March 4th, 2015 at 10:52 am
This is almost the exact same set up I’m using. I’m glad you’re blogging about it. I was going to but you a way better blogger than I am!
I’ve found that the EVF arm plate doesn’t work well with my SmallHD DP4 due to the ports on the bottom and the width of the unit…I’ve had to get a bit creative to get it to mount in a way I like.
For mine I went with a longer nato rail on the top and the short one on the side…and the low profile cheese handle instead. With the top handle on a longer rail I can shift it back and forth so that the camera is balanced with or without the monitor hanging off the side. I love being able to put the handle on the side…so stable!
This is the only cage I found in the sub $400 range which leaves the hotshoe exposed for use with the XLR adapter and stereo microphone…I rarely shoot video without one of those two in the shoe anymore.
I also picked up the HDMI clamp kit. It’s a bit bulky for this small a cage but it’s very effective…no way the HDMI cable will come out.
joshua: I’m not sure how Deejay feels but I think this case wouldn’t be ideal for the a6000…it’s tailored to fit the a7 cameras. Walimex makes an excellent looking full cage for the a6000 that I’ve been really interested in. It’s up around $350 but that’s still not terrible compared to Wooden Camera and the like.
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1040132-REG/walimex_pro_19736_light_weight_cage_for.html
March 4th, 2015 at 12:12 pm
I agree with Dave, the walimex cage is likely to be a much better fit.
March 4th, 2015 at 12:41 pm
Will this cage work on a Nex 5?
March 4th, 2015 at 12:47 pm
Not well. You’ll probably want to take a look at the Walimex cage Dave mentioned.
March 5th, 2015 at 8:32 am
What a coincidence: my Sony a7 cage from Small Rig arrived yesterday. This is my 2nd attempt at a man-cam style rig for my A7. It’s made completely out of Small Rig parts. If you noticed I use a Cheese rod so I can mount a monitor in the future.
My requirements was to have a easily removable top handle for my flash, a side handle to aid in low angle shots and everything needs to be stored quickly and compactly in a tiny camera bag.
Everything disassembled:
http://i856.photobucket.com/albums/ab126/stuckat1/Small%20Rig%20rig/image5.jpeg
Cage with a single clamp:
http://i856.photobucket.com/albums/ab126/stuckat1/Small%20Rig%20rig/image2.jpeg
Fully assembled:
http://i856.photobucket.com/albums/ab126/stuckat1/Small%20Rig%20rig/image12.jpeg
March 5th, 2015 at 8:48 am
Looks good, Parts list?
March 5th, 2015 at 8:55 am
I am reusing two handles from a prior rig. It would be nice to have a vertical handle that wasn’t so long so the camera would could sit on a table top without tilting the way it does.
List:
Single 15mm Rail Clamp with Rosette 1555
SONY A7S Cage 1518
15mm Cheese Rod – 1/2″ (125mm) 1467
Rod Cap with 1/2 inch thread 1276
15mm Clamp 1493
Safety NATO Rail (4cm) 1409
SMALLRIG QR Cheese Handle(shoe bracket) 1287
Rosette-Handle-V3 Black Leather ARRI style rosette 1119
March 5th, 2015 at 1:46 pm
Nice setup, I also like the Rig-Toast slices supporting the lens in the pic.
March 5th, 2015 at 1:48 pm
They are actually coffee coasters made from cork that resemble toast. 🙂
March 5th, 2015 at 5:45 pm
I was so interested in the rig, that I missed the toast all together.
March 5th, 2015 at 9:01 pm
Yes I knew they were not real toast slices just thought it was a funny way to show the cam rig setup, so that’s why I named em Rig-Toast, Ah you missed that DeeJay. Ya the rig is very cool I guess I was hungry while checking it out 🙂
March 5th, 2015 at 8:59 am
I forgot to mention the one side benefit of having a rosette mounted handle is that the handle can be rotated a full 180 degrees. This along with the top handle makes taking ultra low shots much more stable with two points of contact instead of one.
March 5th, 2015 at 10:46 am
Thanks!
March 6th, 2015 at 10:37 am
This is my setup with the smallrig cage, hope you like
http://i.imgur.com/IZQCvqH.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/qM803H7.jpg
with the shortest nato rail
http://i.imgur.com/LzpEDYt.jpg
instead of the monitor plate that you buy, I put a rod clamp with 1/4 screw + 90º clamp, It allow rotation, much cheaper, like in this video
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y1pLaJ4h1RI
http://i.imgur.com/Jo7r3x8.jpg
holding the evf with this mini plate
http://i.imgur.com/KalYch8.jpg
also 2 manfrotto plates, I can detach the camera from the rig or put it together on the tripod
http://i.imgur.com/kwpwfox.jpg
a hot shoe mount on the side of the threaded handle (much expensive than the other models) for mount wireless senheiser in my rig
http://i.imgur.com/mcgl3kh.jpg
2 battery plates for camera and evf power, also acts as counterbalance
http://i.imgur.com/NTuJ9uT.jpg
remote control on the front handle to rec and zoom ($20)
http://i.imgur.com/c79g3J7.jpg
March 6th, 2015 at 8:43 pm
Looks pretty sexy! Good job on that one, I hadn’t consider using rails, that’s a great idea.
June 16th, 2015 at 5:16 pm
really close to a set up i am planning!
March 12th, 2015 at 10:10 pm
Hi, would you say this smallrig cage is sturdy, even though it does not attach to the hotshoe as a second mounting point? I only have experience using the Wooden Camera cage on a Canon, which has the hotshoe connected. I’m interested in switching to an a7s and this cage looks perfect for what I need, if it is not going to wobble or sway away from the hotshoe area. It’s been hard to tell via pictures whether that would happen. Any help from your experience would be great, thanks!
March 15th, 2015 at 5:45 pm
I own the SmallRig cage for the Sony A7. It seems incredibly solid. It does not twist or flex. If I am not mistaken, unlike the Wooden Camera cages which uses a 15 mm rod for the vertical part, the Small Rig uses a large aluminum block. The weakest link is probably the bolts that are used to attach all the pieces together.
My only annoyance with all Small Rig half cages is that there are never any holes on the right side of either top or bottom plates to mount any 1/4″20 accessories.
March 17th, 2015 at 6:58 pm
You might be able to solve that with one of their NATO adapters.
March 15th, 2015 at 7:28 pm
There is some play in the bolt holes but I have mine snugged up very tight. The camera won’t fall out of the cage even after the mounting bolt is removed. What little wiggle there is has taken some of the paint off around the hot shoe but that’s normal wear and tear for any camera…they’re not broken in until the metal is showing somewhere!
When I load mine up pretty heavy with a SmallHD DP4 EVF AND an Atomos Ninja-2 recorder plus the XLR module with wireless receiver and some very heavy Leica R glass. I’ve never had reason to believe that holding it from the top handle isn’t secure.
I’ve given up, for now, on the SmallRig EVF arm for the SmallHD and use a friction arm screwed into one of the holes in the vertical section of the cage…I like being able to move the monitor left or right to help keep everything balanced.