Man I just want to say thank you. I watched this before I rigged up my M6 Mark II and though it’s an M series, it still gets me “professional like”quality. I know the gear doesn’t make the man, but when I was transitioning from amateur to semi professional and needed to buy tools to help my shoots and workflow, this video helped me a lot.
Brother I could never thank you enough, going with this exact setup for my new R8 & Rode VideoMic Pro+ and couldn't be happier or more excited! Truly, thank you so much!!
SmallRig Universal 15mm Rail Support System Baseplate DBC2272B is a great baseplate with arca Swiss built in. Definitely looking into small rig battery.
Good job! As an R7 shooter, it’s great to see the various compatible options. I’ve been planning to get the SmallRig cage, and now I know how I want to grow the setup. Thanks!
Nice one Josh. I have the R5 and I’m thinking of selling my Pana S1 to get the R5c. If I do, I think I’ll rig it like this. It all looks so nice and compact.
Nice to see brands like Smallrig send you things to test! This channel deserves! Definitely go with that Black Mamba cage and top handle. Think of get the matte box of smallrig too
Hey Josh. How have you found the micro hdmi fitting. I have had 2 cords snap at the head / lose connection as the fitting is really small and fiddley cheers. Adam
Hey man, I just want you to know I watch every video you put out especially since the R7 “🔔“ I understand it takes a lot to pump out the number of videos you do each week. (Not that you need to forever) but I’ll keep watching! Def love all the coverage on canon Sony and now Fuji!
Hey Josh. Great video as usual! I just got the VB99 battery too, and it's my new favorite v-mount. Thank you for your concise and down-to-earth explanations.
Nice video Josh!!! Thank you for your patient explanation. I just got the SmallRig VB99 battery too, as you said in your video, it's compact, solid and versatile. A perfect battery power solution, highly recommend!!
I use a similar compact setup on my R6. Attached a slim 50mm fan between the battery and camera backside which really helps with cooling the R6 on long hot summer jobs. Once you add an electronic follow focus and and dtap splitter the rig sadly becomes much more cluttered with all the cable mess and big connectors. I guess i will bite the bullet and solder a custom cable harness at the cost of quick modularity.
The Canon OC-E4A Off Camera Shoe Cord is a multifunctional cable for the hot shoe connection of your Canon R system camera with a Multi-function shoe and is attached with the other end under the compatible accessories. The Canon OC-E4A Off Camera Shoe Cord offers excellent compatibility with a range of Canon accessories, including the Canon DM-E1D Stereo Microphone, Canon AD-E1 Multi-Function Shoe Adapter, Canon ST-E10 Speedlite Transmitter and the Canon Speedlite EL -5 flash.
Your channel seems to answer my questions right away :D Yesterday I started thinking about getting a cage for my R6. Today I see your video about it. Great Job. Which of the handles do you find more convenient? The top handle or the side handle? I'm not 100% sure that the top handle will be comfortable as the one and only.
Thank you so much! It all depends on how you are shooting. I personally don't do a lot of handheld shooting so if I had to pick top handle or side handle, I would chose the top handle. It also makes it really easy to pick up the camera and move it around.
i use a sigma 18-50 ef with lens stab and meike vnd. although a bit noisy, but i use wireless rode mic for that issue seems like a miss opportunity. i wonder how people that have used built in nd system like you can live by with rf lens especially after using c70.
I enjoyed the video. I bought an R7 last week, but I was flustered because it didn't record when I use field monitor(feelworld). If you turn off the R7 monitor and turn on the field monitor, it's recorded. I wonder how you set up the monitor.
Hi Josh...isn't the side of the cage preventing from accessing the release button for the lens? it seems very...protruding to my eyes... And also, if you put a RF-EF adapter with ND FIlter... does it have the necessary clearance?
Houston, I have a problem lol I have a D-Tap battery from the camera to the V Mount Battery for the canon r7 But now I don't have a way to power my monitor since the V Mount Battery I have only has 1 D-Tap port... So now I need a way to power my Monitor... I have looked everywhere and can't find a cable to connect my monitor... I am such a Noob 😂 I have a Neewer PSO99E V Mount Battery
I am curious to know if the cage makes the camera a little bit bigger so that it's a little easier to hold. This camera is a bit small for my hands and I don't have giant hands.
Will the base plate work on the canon R10 or witch one I need for the.Canon r10 camera everything else I do have I have the rig set up I have the v mouth plate and v mouth 99 pro v month battery but I can’t put it together it’s a part I m missing to add to the bottom of the cage I thank it’s a base plate but don’t no with one I need or I don’t no how to it supposed to go there but I do have the advanced v mouth battery mouth plate with the adjustment arm but that’s all it came with
Thanks! I don't know if you can connect that specific dummy battery to mains. I guess if you had the proper DC power adapter you could. If I need a mains dummy battery solution I usually get one off of Amazon. They come with the DC adapter and are pretty cheap. You can plug USB C into the R7 too but I haven't tested that for long run times. Some cameras lose power when running even when plugged in, but as I said, I haven't tested that.
@@Josh_Sattin yeah I’m using the USB-C to connect to my Mac and have the live view when I’m recording myself. Real easy because you can change all settings too. But… it doesn’t charge at the same time 🤔 So I’d need an additional way to power the R7 😂 I’ll have a look on Amazon, thanks!
Nice rig setup. I picked up the R7 as a b-cam for my C70. But one thing that is frustrating is that with an external monitor (not a recording one), I can't get it to simultaneously display the camera's screen and the external monitor. Setting it up with the computer and internal screen disables the internal recording. Using this camera with a SmallHD monitor or something similar does not appear to be practical given that the camera's very useful touch screen is disabled (the camera is reduced to an old C100 mark i, in a way). As a b-cam for documentary work, the internal codec is adequate (Pro Res or a higher data rate isn't necessary and helps with storage). I know this is an ongoing issue with the R line of hybrids, but if there is a workaround or a menu option I'm missing, I'd be in your debt if you've found a solution. Thanks, and keep up the great work.
Thanks! Unfortunately this external output issue exists and there really isn't a workaround for it. It is rather frustrating. I talk about this on the R6II video around 15:40: ua-cam.com/video/2xqub_NF14Q/v-deo.html
@@Josh_Sattin Thanks! I suspected that was the case. I think this camera will be nothing more than a second or third camera on our productions. The lack of professional monitoring with camera control is a problem.
Stop making me want to buy things I don't really need 🥲One minor issue with the Smallrig cage is that you have to remove the whole Drop-in Filter adapter ( is you are using one ) to change the filter. I just have a question about IBIS and the Sigma 18-35 : some people experience severe IBIS lag and micro stutters, but it seems that it worked just fine on your other video, so I'm wondering if you did something special on it, and if both R7 and Sigma's lens were up to date firmware wise ?
Yeah I can see that being a problem with changing the filter. There are always trade-offs. I wasn't doing anything special when I recorded that video, just normal IBIS without the electronic stab. I believe both camera and lens were on current firmware at the time.
Hi Josh, thanks for the video. I would like to ask you which budget friendly external monitor would you recommend for the R7. I have heard that when using an external monitor you cannot record 4K, 4.2.2. 10 bit Clog3 into the SD card and that the LCD screen of the camera shuts off. Once again, thank you for your content
Hi Josh, would you know is there a hdmi cable clamp for this particular cage? I can see it for r5/r6 cages, and it looks that it MIGHT fit, but not 100% sure. P.S. This was the third time I was watching this video 🙈
@@seanwhitevideo I have email smallrig support with enquiry for one, and they gave instructions how to order one (not a mass production part). Just be aware that this part is shipped from China only and if you order something else with it, all parts will be coming from China and you will have to pay customs tax. Speaking about clamp, it works as it should 👍🏼
Hey Josh, so just glancing at this cage, it appears that you can’t attach a NATO handle to the top. Is that correct? I hope I’m wrong. I own 2 NATO handles and that’s a complete deal breaker if they left that out. Great review as always! Thanks
What is the point of having the camera on a quick release if it is all wired into the battery that lives on the rails? Especially if you are using a dummy battery. Wouldn't you need the battery to stay with the camera and monitor at all times?
Very helpful!! Your content helped me before buying the r7! I've found that when using an external monitor, I have the old Ninja Blade, with the r7, it will only record on the monitor and not on the SD card. Have you experienced that issue or am I doing something wrong?
Hey! Great video! Between two cameras for documentary shooting and the occasional short film, would you choose the R7 or the BMPCC 6k pro please? I currently have a SL2 :)
Hi I have a question. I'm planning on buying the R7 and hooking it up with my Sigma 18-35 with the Meike drop-in filter adapter in between. Are the filters still interchangeable with the camera being in the cage? Because on the left side of the cage there's a part sticking out which looks like it would obstruct the opening of the adapter where you would change the clear filter for the VND and vice versa. That would really be a bummer.
I just bought the cage and the only complain I have is this. It is impossible to change the drop-in filter directly, I have to take off the adapter to change it...
@@nordweststudio I think what I'm going to do is go to the store and ask if I can try to fit it into a R5/R6 cage and if that has the same outcome, I think I will go for the Smallrig Versaframe cage. But then my concern is if I can still fit it onto my Zhiyun Weebill S, because the versaframe is not tight on the body of the camera.
Digging the setup but how do you tap to autofocus with the screen inaccessible because of the battery? I'm constantly having to tap to autofocus for handheld run n gun filmmaking.
In my test, it ran for 4.5 hours inside my studio. No overheating warning. Here is a full video I did about overheating on the R7: ua-cam.com/video/2CuWfyI2Ob0/v-deo.html
@@Josh_Sattin sorry thinking ahead of myself- so there is no way to use the tap to focus function on the back of the camera's screen with an external monitor right?
I could see that. I generally use my cameras naked when using a long lens with the lens collar mounted to the tripod and have less weight on the lens mount.
the big problem with this cage is that smallrig cut off the metal part under the front grip for the pinky finger ... with small form factor camera like this one ... a metal extension under the handgrip is very important and not sure why smallrig would cut it off ! a very terrible design decision.
Man I just want to say thank you. I watched this before I rigged up my M6 Mark II and though it’s an M series, it still gets me “professional like”quality.
I know the gear doesn’t make the man, but when I was transitioning from amateur to semi professional and needed to buy tools to help my shoots and workflow, this video helped me a lot.
Glad the video was helpful for you. Thanks for watching!
Brother I could never thank you enough, going with this exact setup for my new R8 & Rode VideoMic Pro+ and couldn't be happier or more excited! Truly, thank you so much!!
You are very welcome. Glad the video was helpful for you. Thanks for watching!
@@Josh_Sattin 🤝
SmallRig Universal 15mm Rail Support System Baseplate DBC2272B is a great baseplate with arca Swiss built in. Definitely looking into small rig battery.
Good job! As an R7 shooter, it’s great to see the various compatible options. I’ve been planning to get the SmallRig cage, and now I know how I want to grow the setup. Thanks!
Wonderful. Was interested in the external battery. Didn't think about the Smallrig Black Mamba Cage.
I have the same cage, but I only learned from you that the key can be fixed on a magnet. Cool!
I'm a big fan of my FX3 Half cage from small rig, adds all the nice extras to the camera!
Yeah, that half cage for the FX3 is great!
Can you record to Recorder and SD card at same time?
Nice one Josh. I have the R5 and I’m thinking of selling my Pana S1 to get the R5c. If I do, I think I’ll rig it like this. It all looks so nice and compact.
Thanks Hugh! Love your videos BTW!
What's the downside of the s1 and how's autofocus and performance with the new firmware?
I am planning on getting one, what's your take?
Nice to see brands like Smallrig send you things to test! This channel deserves! Definitely go with that Black Mamba cage and top handle. Think of get the matte box of smallrig too
Thank you for the kind words! Smallrig has been very supportive of the channel so far.
Hey Josh. How have you found the micro hdmi fitting. I have had 2 cords snap at the head / lose connection as the fitting is really small and fiddley cheers. Adam
Hey man, I just want you to know I watch every video you put out especially since the R7 “🔔“
I understand it takes a lot to pump out the number of videos you do each week. (Not that you need to forever) but I’ll keep watching! Def love all the coverage on canon Sony and now Fuji!
Thanks for the support and for watching!
Excellent overview and tutorial. Just what i needed!
Thanks for watching!
thank you for this, I'm contemplating on getting an r7
do you have any videos with the canon r7 and the atoms ninja? is it fully compatible?
Great Video! Helped out big time on deciding which rig to get.
Thanks! Glad the video was helpful!
Hey Josh. Great video as usual! I just got the VB99 battery too, and it's my new favorite v-mount. Thank you for your concise and down-to-earth explanations.
You’re welcome. Thanks for the kind words and for watching!
Great video
Thanks!
Nice video Josh!!! Thank you for your patient explanation. I just got the SmallRig VB99 battery too, as you said in your video, it's compact, solid and versatile. A perfect battery power solution, highly recommend!!
You’re welcome. Thanks for watching!
you say they didn't pay you anything but they did . got the items free 😀😀😀
I use a similar compact setup on my R6. Attached a slim 50mm fan between the battery and camera backside which really helps with cooling the R6 on long hot summer jobs.
Once you add an electronic follow focus and and dtap splitter the rig sadly becomes much more cluttered with all the cable mess and big connectors. I guess i will bite the bullet and solder a custom cable harness at the cost of quick modularity.
Now make a rig that can do both vertical and horizontal
My camera dream 😍
The Canon OC-E4A Off Camera Shoe Cord is a multifunctional cable for the hot shoe connection of your Canon R system camera with a Multi-function shoe and is attached with the other end under the compatible accessories. The Canon OC-E4A Off Camera Shoe Cord offers excellent compatibility with a range of Canon accessories, including the Canon DM-E1D Stereo Microphone, Canon AD-E1 Multi-Function Shoe Adapter, Canon ST-E10 Speedlite Transmitter and the Canon Speedlite EL -5 flash.
Damn! Nice rig!!
Hi Josh. I just getting the mamba cage and this video came on time. Thank you. 👍🏻☀️📸🏝☕🌋🌴🌊
You're welcome. Thanks for watching (as usual)!
Your channel seems to answer my questions right away :D Yesterday I started thinking about getting a cage for my R6. Today I see your video about it. Great Job. Which of the handles do you find more convenient? The top handle or the side handle? I'm not 100% sure that the top handle will be comfortable as the one and only.
Thank you so much! It all depends on how you are shooting. I personally don't do a lot of handheld shooting so if I had to pick top handle or side handle, I would chose the top handle. It also makes it really easy to pick up the camera and move it around.
i use a sigma 18-50 ef with lens stab and meike vnd.
although a bit noisy, but i use wireless rode mic for that issue
seems like a miss opportunity. i wonder how people that have used built in nd system like you can live by with rf lens especially after using c70.
Nice Rig Josh, can you not also charge the R7 and R10 via USB-C? Would than avoid the battery dummy. Or is this not possible?
My only concern with those rigs is the microphone so close to the monitor, it will pick up noise from monitor fan.
This is awesome, Question can you mount it to a stabilizer?
I enjoyed the video.
I bought an R7 last week, but I was flustered because it didn't record when I use field monitor(feelworld).
If you turn off the R7 monitor and turn on the field monitor, it's recorded.
I wonder how you set up the monitor.
I go over that in my R7 menu setup guide:
ua-cam.com/video/JLdAELnEspQ/v-deo.html
Can I use the same v mount and battery pack for the canon R10 set up
Hi Josh, love the video. Have you noticed any issues with connecting cables to the camera while a Nato handle is attached?
is ok this batery on r5c with dumy ? tx..nice video !
Hi Josh...isn't the side of the cage preventing from accessing the release button for the lens? it seems very...protruding to my eyes... And also, if you put a RF-EF adapter with ND FIlter... does it have the necessary clearance?
what about vertical shooting, is it possible with that gears?
When I got my R7, the 1st thing I got was the cage. Only thing I don't like is that my meathooks have a hard time releasing the lens
Houston, I have a problem lol
I have a D-Tap battery from the camera to the V Mount Battery for the canon r7
But now I don't have a way to power my monitor since the V Mount Battery I have only has 1 D-Tap port...
So now I need a way to power my Monitor...
I have looked everywhere and can't find a cable to connect my monitor... I am such a Noob 😂
I have a Neewer PSO99E V Mount Battery
I have a Sony A7IV, is it safe to use the USB-C through the smallrig battery or should i get a dummy battery?
Can you record to Recorder and SD card at same time?
I am curious to know if the cage makes the camera a little bit bigger so that it's a little easier to hold. This camera is a bit small for my hands and I don't have giant hands.
Will this work for my fx3 too ?
I have heard its almost impossible to get to the lens release button with a lens mounted. Any comments?
Will the base plate work on the canon R10 or witch one I need for the.Canon r10 camera everything else I do have I have the rig set up I have the v mouth plate and v mouth 99 pro v month battery but I can’t put it together it’s a part I m missing to add to the bottom of the cage I thank it’s a base plate but don’t no with one I need or I don’t no how to it supposed to go there but I do have the advanced v mouth battery mouth plate with the adjustment arm but that’s all it came with
Nice one, Josh! Got the cage too, loving it! Quick question: any way to connect that dummy battery to the mains? Or USB?
Thanks! I don't know if you can connect that specific dummy battery to mains. I guess if you had the proper DC power adapter you could. If I need a mains dummy battery solution I usually get one off of Amazon. They come with the DC adapter and are pretty cheap. You can plug USB C into the R7 too but I haven't tested that for long run times. Some cameras lose power when running even when plugged in, but as I said, I haven't tested that.
@@Josh_Sattin yeah I’m using the USB-C to connect to my Mac and have the live view when I’m recording myself. Real easy because you can change all settings too. But… it doesn’t charge at the same time 🤔 So I’d need an additional way to power the R7 😂 I’ll have a look on Amazon, thanks!
@@coppensbram Oh cool! Yeah dummy battery will be the solution for you. They are usually like $25ish.
is it possible to easily change the lens, while the r7 is rigged up?
Have you tried using this V-Mount battery with your Sony A7IV?
Would like to know if it works through USB port of the camera.
Is there a way to attach for a manfrotto style plate? Do they make some kind of adapter or something
Nice rig setup. I picked up the R7 as a b-cam for my C70. But one thing that is frustrating is that with an external monitor (not a recording one), I can't get it to simultaneously display the camera's screen and the external monitor.
Setting it up with the computer and internal screen disables the internal recording. Using this camera with a SmallHD monitor or something similar does not appear to be practical given that the camera's very useful touch screen is disabled (the camera is reduced to an old C100 mark i, in a way).
As a b-cam for documentary work, the internal codec is adequate (Pro Res or a higher data rate isn't necessary and helps with storage). I know this is an ongoing issue with the R line of hybrids, but if there is a workaround or a menu option I'm missing, I'd be in your debt if you've found a solution. Thanks, and keep up the great work.
Thanks! Unfortunately this external output issue exists and there really isn't a workaround for it. It is rather frustrating. I talk about this on the R6II video around 15:40: ua-cam.com/video/2xqub_NF14Q/v-deo.html
@@Josh_Sattin Thanks! I suspected that was the case. I think this camera will be nothing more than a second or third camera on our productions. The lack of professional monitoring with camera control is a problem.
You're welcome. I wish Canon would update the menu system on their mirrorless cameras to eliminate some of these quirks.
Stop making me want to buy things I don't really need 🥲One minor issue with the Smallrig cage is that you have to remove the whole Drop-in Filter adapter ( is you are using one ) to change the filter. I just have a question about IBIS and the Sigma 18-35 : some people experience severe IBIS lag and micro stutters, but it seems that it worked just fine on your other video, so I'm wondering if you did something special on it, and if both R7 and Sigma's lens were up to date firmware wise ?
Yeah I can see that being a problem with changing the filter. There are always trade-offs. I wasn't doing anything special when I recorded that video, just normal IBIS without the electronic stab. I believe both camera and lens were on current firmware at the time.
@@Josh_Sattin Thank you for the answer, and thank you for all your videos on the R7, it makes the wait a bit less hard 😌
You're welcome. Hopefully you get your R7 soon!
Hi Josh, thanks for the video.
I would like to ask you which budget friendly external monitor would you recommend for the R7. I have heard that when using an external monitor you cannot record 4K, 4.2.2. 10 bit Clog3 into the SD card and that the LCD screen of the camera shuts off. Once again, thank you for your content
You're welcome. I like the Atomos Shinobi as a budget monitor.
Hi Josh, would you know is there a hdmi cable clamp for this particular cage? I can see it for r5/r6 cages, and it looks that it MIGHT fit, but not 100% sure.
P.S. This was the third time I was watching this video 🙈
Any luck on the fit for the clamp? Thanks!
@@seanwhitevideo I have email smallrig support with enquiry for one, and they gave instructions how to order one (not a mass production part). Just be aware that this part is shipped from China only and if you order something else with it, all parts will be coming from China and you will have to pay customs tax.
Speaking about clamp, it works as it should 👍🏼
@@jokubasvaicius Thanks so much for the information!
Hey Josh, so just glancing at this cage, it appears that you can’t attach a NATO handle to the top. Is that correct? I hope I’m wrong. I own 2 NATO handles and that’s a complete deal breaker if they left that out. Great review as always! Thanks
You will need a nato rail to mount to the top of the cage where I put the handle on. Smallrig sells cheap parts for that.
@@Josh_Sattin Funny thing, I realized I already had one after I wrote this. haha
What is the point of having the camera on a quick release if it is all wired into the battery that lives on the rails? Especially if you are using a dummy battery. Wouldn't you need the battery to stay with the camera and monitor at all times?
You can easily pop out the dummy battery and pop in a normal battery if you want to strip the camera down.
Very helpful!! Your content helped me before buying the r7! I've found that when using an external monitor, I have the old Ninja Blade, with the r7, it will only record on the monitor and not on the SD card. Have you experienced that issue or am I doing something wrong?
Glad you found the video helpful. I go over that stuff around 15 minutes into this video: studio.ua-cam.com/users/videoJLdAELnEspQ/edit
Hey! Great video! Between two cameras for documentary shooting and the occasional short film, would you choose the R7 or the BMPCC 6k pro please? I currently have a SL2 :)
If you need autofocus then get the R7.
Hi do u ever test it with samyang cinema lens just curious....
I have not tried those lenses.
Hi Josh! how are you? Help! the Microphone Jack have 3.5mm for canon R7? thanks!
Unfortunately I don't understand your question.
Does the canon r7 output raw via HDMI?
It does not.
Hi I have a question. I'm planning on buying the R7 and hooking it up with my Sigma 18-35 with the Meike drop-in filter adapter in between. Are the filters still interchangeable with the camera being in the cage? Because on the left side of the cage there's a part sticking out which looks like it would obstruct the opening of the adapter where you would change the clear filter for the VND and vice versa. That would really be a bummer.
I just bought the cage and the only complain I have is this. It is impossible to change the drop-in filter directly, I have to take off the adapter to change it...
@@nordweststudio I think what I'm going to do is go to the store and ask if I can try to fit it into a R5/R6 cage and if that has the same outcome, I think I will go for the Smallrig Versaframe cage. But then my concern is if I can still fit it onto my Zhiyun Weebill S, because the versaframe is not tight on the body of the camera.
Im a year late but I use the neewer R7 cage and can change the drop-in meike filters easily :)
Digging the setup but how do you tap to autofocus with the screen inaccessible because of the battery? I'm constantly having to tap to autofocus for handheld run n gun filmmaking.
Thanks. You can pull the screen out before sliding the battery in. I mention this briefly in the video.
@@Josh_Sattin ah my bad I somehow missed that little part 😂🤦🏻♂️
Does using dummy battery influence heat management?
In my test, it ran for 4.5 hours inside my studio. No overheating warning. Here is a full video I did about overheating on the R7: ua-cam.com/video/2CuWfyI2Ob0/v-deo.html
@@Josh_Sattin Yeah! I have already watched it. I assume that with external power 4K fine will never overheat regardless of conditions.
@@przybylskipawelI wouldn't say never. I was recording in my studio at around 75F. It can overheat if it's warmer.
I have cannon eos r7 anyway possible you can send me a list of this whole set up you have looking to buy
It’s all in the description of this video.
Great video, Josh. Have you had any trouble changing lenses with that cage on? Others have reported that it blocks the lens release button.
Hey Josh, when you plug in the external monitor, is there a way the display can be shown on both the camera screen and the external monitor? thanks!
15:08 in this video: ua-cam.com/video/JLdAELnEspQ/v-deo.html
@@Josh_Sattin thanks! so it looks like you need a monitor that can record externally 🥲
The HDMI output options have nothing to do with the monitor being a recorder or not.
@@Josh_Sattin sorry thinking ahead of myself- so there is no way to use the tap to focus function on the back of the camera's screen with an external monitor right?
Does this set up work on a canon r5c
Absolutely. You will just need the cage made for the R5C. I made a similar video for the R5C: ua-cam.com/video/uDfJopMFXhg/v-deo.html
I love the cage as well, but it is an absolute pain in the ass if you shoot with a long lens, 100-500 or 600f4 is a bloody nightmare to get off.
I could see that. I generally use my cameras naked when using a long lens with the lens collar mounted to the tripod and have less weight on the lens mount.
the big problem with this cage is that smallrig cut off the metal part under the front grip for the pinky finger ... with small form factor camera like this one ... a metal extension under the handgrip is very important and not sure why smallrig would cut it off ! a very terrible design decision.