REVIEW – Cellular filmmaking has develop into a phenomenon in recent times. For over a decade individuals have been utilizing pictures from cellphones in films and TV reveals, taking pictures brief movies with them, with some even taking pictures full feature-length films on smartphones. SmallRig, a widely known video accent producer, has launched the Cellular Video Cage for iPhone 13 Professional and Professional Max telephone fashions. Right here’s a fast overview of its options and a few check footage I shot round my neighborhood. I hope you get pleasure from it.
What’s it?
The SmallRig Cellular Video Cage is a light-weight aluminum alloy body designed to carry an iPhone 13 Professional or 13 Professional Max. Along with holding the iPhone, the SmallRig has attachment factors for numerous equipment, some bought by SmallRig and a few from third-party distributors. There are separate SmallRig fashions for every measurement of telephone so be sure to buy the suitable one to your gadget.
What’s within the field?
- SmallRig Cellular Video Cage
{Hardware} specs
- Dimensions: 6.38 x 3.44 x .61 in. (162 x 87.5 x 15.4 mm)
- Weight: 87 ± grams
- Materials: Aluminum alloy, silica gel
Design and options
The SmallRig video cage is much like bumper-style telephone circumstances that shield the highest, backside, and sides of the telephone with no safety for the display screen or again sides. There’s a small body part that goes across the lens space on the again of the telephone, which can be utilized to mount lens attachments for vast angle, telephoto, or macro lens choices. The cage helps M-mount or 17mm threaded lenses. SmallRig says the body doesn’t intervene with the built-in wide-angle lens or the LIDAR array on the again of the telephone, so all options are nonetheless accessible.
Across the edges of the body are 1/4″-20 threaded mounting holes and chilly shoe mounts, each used to connect numerous equipment equivalent to a high deal with, facet handles, tripods, lights, microphones, and different gadgets as wanted. The SmallRig permits for each horizontal and vertical taking pictures modes.
Along with holding the telephone and equipment, the cage is suitable with a number of fast launch plates that work with gimbals, particularly fashions from DJI and Zhiyun, as talked about on SmallRig’s website, though I assume it could match different gimbals as effectively.
The within of the cage is a smooth rubbery materials which prevents the sides of the telephone from being scratched whereas within the cage. All ports are nonetheless accessible and the buttons are additionally lined by the smooth rubbery materials however nonetheless totally usable.
Set up and setup
SmallRig despatched me the Cellular Video Cage in addition to a field of non-compulsory equipment to check with it. (Please be aware – these are non-compulsory equipment and will not be included within the buy of the SmallRig video cage.) The accent pack included:
- simorr Wave S1 Lite microphone
- simorr Vibe P80 Double-faced LED Video Gentle x2
- SmallRig BUT2664 Tabletop Mini Tripod with Panoramic Ball Head
- SmallRig 2772 Light-weight Aspect Deal with x2
- SmallRig HTS2756 Mini High Deal with
- SmallRig 2070B Articulating Arm with Twin Ball Heads
- SmallRig 2066B Articulating Arm (9.5 inches)
- SmallRig 2903 Swivel and Tilt Adjustable Monitor Mount with ARRI-style Mount
It is a good accent package deal, helpful for a lot of taking pictures eventualities, each nonetheless and video.
So far as set up and setup go, all it’s essential do is take the telephone out of its case, press the button to launch the hinged part of the cage, slide your telephone in, and shut the hinged part. It latches solidly; I had no concern for this popping open whereas taking pictures. If in case you have the non-compulsory handles, a microphone, a light-weight, or anything, they’ll have to be connected as essential, however in any other case, there’s nothing else to do to mount the telephone on this cage. It couldn’t be simpler. I did discover that one of many handles appeared to rock just a bit bit if I moved it very onerous. This didn’t have an effect on my skill to shoot with it, however I cranked it down as onerous as I might and it nonetheless had just a bit little bit of a wiggle to it.
In Use
As soon as the telephone is within the cage, and also you’ve connected the equipment, you may shoot no matter you need. I made a decision to take a stroll round my neighborhood and get some footage on a crisp, chilly, cloudy day after an honest snowfall. Carrying the telephone with the handles was handy – I might go wherever I wished and never concern touching the display screen and by chance taking pictures, altering apps, altering settings, and so on. Once I was able to shoot, I’d seize the cage by each handles, choose the lens I wished to shoot with in my digital camera app, and press the amount up button to begin/cease taking pictures with my gloved hand.
**ignore the buzzing sound – I feel my headphone dongle goes dangerous**
This ended up being a handy strategy to stroll round and be able to shoot any time I wished. The twin handles present a pleasant floor to carry on to vs. making an attempt to carry the sting of a telephone, which is a a lot narrower floor to seize on to. It additionally meant I might maintain on with gloved fingers and never fear about my gloves entering into the shot as a result of they had been far sufficient away from the lens to be out of the way in which.
There’s loads to be stated for having a good grip on the digital camera you’re taking pictures with, whether or not it’s a telephone or a devoted digital camera. Maintaining grip on the digital camera, with the ability to maintain it away out of your physique in a snug place, makes it straightforward to shoot and obtain higher angles than you could possibly with simply the telephone.
This assessment will not be actually in regards to the equipment, however I’ll point out a couple of of them particularly right here. The tripod could be very sturdy and is ready to maintain the telephone with all its equipment connected with out situation. I additionally used it to carry up a Rosco DMG DASH Pocket LED that I’ve been utilizing for some time with an previous Joby GorillaPod. It is a a lot sturdier tripod than the Joby, which suggests I’m not in concern of knocking the sunshine over like I’ve executed many instances with the GorillaPod.
The following accent I’d like to say is the simorr Vibe P80 LED Video Gentle. This gentle is a double-faced gentle, with one gentle overlaying the total RGB spectrum, and the opposite facet is white with shade temperature adjustable from 2500K to 9000K. Magnetic sides permit you to connect a number of lighting fixtures in an array and an included chilly shoe mount permits it to be connected to the SmallRig cage in addition to different mounts and cameras that embody a shoe mount.
Lastly, the simorr Wave S1 Lite microphone is a good accent for recording higher audio than the microphone constructed into your smartphone. This will also be mounted in a chilly shoe mount and features a foam windscreen, a furry windscreen, a suspension mount, and cables to connect to a daily digital camera or a smartphone. Having an exterior microphone is critical for capturing good pure sound and for getting the microphone nearer to the topic than you may when utilizing a built-in mic.
What I like
- Final flexibility
- Stable development
- Low value
- A lot of equipment accessible
What I’d change
- Repair the wobble with the non-compulsory deal with
Remaining ideas
This isn’t a case I’d carry on my telephone on daily basis, however they’re not promoting it for that function. With the ability to take a telephone out of your pocket, taking off its case, sliding it into this cage, and being able to shoot in about 30 seconds, means you might be able to shoot nearly any time. In the present day’s telephones can shoot such good footage and a tool like this makes it doable to decorate it to suit nearly any taking pictures situation.
Value: $39.90 for iPhone 13 Professional mannequin at smallrig.com
The place to purchase: smallrig.com or Amazon
Supply: The pattern for this assessment was supplied by SmallRig. For extra data go to their website.