GEAR MINI TESTS
We try out some of the very latest kit to hit the market, including a very affordable rig for the Sony A7S III and a Manfrotto tripod that’s truly fast!
WORDS ADAM DUCKWORTH
SMALLRIG MASTER KIT FOR SONY A7S III £118/$113 smallrig.com
The rig works and fits perfectly and the top handle is a great place to grip the camera or just use as an extra mounting point for a monitor or mic. The removable HDMI cable clamp adjusts on a sliding block that can be tightened to accommodate different cables. It grips the cable well, but there’s no risk of damaging it. If you don’t use the rail, top handle or cable clamp, the cage adds just 220g/0.49lb to the camera’s weight. Smallrig also offers a range of accessories, such as a wooden side handle, adjustable monitor mounts, extra cold shoes, articulating arms and tripod plates in the style of Arca- Swiss, too. So, you can dress your camera up exactly as you need it for the job at hand, and it doesn’t require a huge amount of money, either. PROMOVIEMAKERRATING: 9/10 A cost-effective way of improving the Sony A7S III handling Pros: Allows use of MI shoe, attached hex keys Cons: Can’t use one strap loop SPECIFICATIONS Material: Aluminiumand stainless steel fasteners Cameramount: 1/4in-20 thread Accessorymounts: 26 1/4in-20 screws, 2 Arri 3/8in- 16 anti-twists, 1 cold shoe on main rig. 21 1/4in-20 screws, 4 Arri 3/8in-16 anti-twists, 2 cold shoes on top handle Shoemount: Top cold shoe Rail mount: NATO rail Rod standard: 15mm Cable clamp: Full size HDMI Dimensions: 106.5x145.5x64mm/ 4.19x5.73x2.52in (without top handle) Weight: 445g/0.98lb
If you want to turn the mirrorless Sony A7S III into a truly workable video camera, a camera cage is really an essential purchase. Somewhere to grip on to – such as a top handle – loads of mounting points to fasten on a monitor or mic and an HDMI clamp to stop the cable being pulled out accidentally are the basics of a decent, compact rig system. Of course, you can add on lots of things as required, such as rails for a matte box and follow focus, plates for V-lock batteries and more. But this can mean the price and bulk rocket. Smallrig is building a reputation for great quality at very reasonable prices and the Master Kit for the Sony A7S III offers a lot for not too much outlay. For £118/$113, you get the 2999 model camera cage with a quick- release top handle, a slimNato rail, and an HDMI cable clamp. That provides lots of options to mount accessories. We counted 26 standard 1/4in-20 mounting holes on the cage and a further 21 when the handle is attached. The main cage has a pair of Arri 3/8in-16 anti-twist mounts, with four more on the handle, as well as
four standard 3/8in-16 mounts. There is one cold shoe on the rig and ten more on the handle, as well as a 15mm rail slot and clamp. The cage doesn’t block any access to the camera’s controls and ports, so you can still use the Sony MI shoe for audio. The HDMI clamp attaches to the side of the cage using a 1/4in-20 screw and two anti-twist pins. The cage fits to the standard tripod thread under the camera, but you also need to remove the strap loop from the grip side. A small hex head bolt goes through this to secure the camera to the cage, which makes the whole package very solid. You then use a slot on the cage to fix the strap. One nice touch is that the very bottom of the cage has a combination hex head and flat wrench that is held on by a magnet. The top handle also has a larger hex wrench attached magnetically in a customised slot. So, you always have two different sized wrenches to hand and a way of fastening your tripod plate. No more digging around in pockets for a coin!
IMAGES The cage can be used with a top handle or stripped down for a more minimalist rig
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PRO MOVIEMAKER
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