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Cheap cage for GH1, GH2 and maybe GH3
  • kronstadtkronstadt

    Hi all, I need you advice.

    I really want to have a handle on top of my rig. And would love to have it shoot at slightly low angles when on shoulder. At the same time, I hate those bulky rigs that make a tiny GH1 or GH2 into an Alexa size. So I decided that I need a cage for my GH1, which will soon become GH2 or GH3. After battling with some DIY builts, I think I'd just buy a cheap cage. The problem is that cheap cages for GH1 or GH2 are difficult to find. I'm even considering buying this and cutting off one of the rods on the left to allow for my GH1's flip out screen/viewfinder.

    image

    http://www.ebay.com/itm/DSLR-Camera-Cage-Holder-w-Standard-15mm-Rod-for-Canon-EOS-5D-Mark-II-7D-/400358630146 Can anyone post links where I can buy a GH1, GH2, GH3 cage for circa $100 ?

  • 48 Replies sorted by
  • Manu4VendettaManu4Vendetta

    Of another type.

    http://www.ebay.com/itm/DSLR-CAGE-FOR-CANON-5D-7D-PANASONIC-LUMIX-GH2-/250798486321?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item3a64c13331

  • kronstadtkronstadt

    @Manu4Vendetta thanks, but that plastic thing is really not my style. I've got a lens-shade/matte-box, follow focus, sholder mount. So - thanks, but no. I need a cage.

  • Vitaliy_KiselevVitaliy_Kiselev

    @kronstadt

    Look at TrusMT cages. They are mostly for Canon cameras, hence large :-) But build quality is very good.

  • JspatzJspatz

    After intensive experience with Rewo, TrusMT and CPM filmtools my very favorite is Kxxx. It is inexpensive and light, well balanced, versatile and the swiss rods are a work of art. It is the big brother to the PC cage. It was pretty easy to grind off a little bit of metal to get battery access with the GH3. I am now fashioning what I think will be a good monitor and HDMI solution and will post a photo once I get it worked out. PS the Rewo is great but expensive, rare, non GH3 and no HDMI clamp. The TrusMT gives no battery access and weighs a ton.

  • kronstadtkronstadt

    @Vitaliy_Kiselev thanks - nice cage, but Trusmt is way too expensive ($390+$45P&P) for me. @Jspatz - that Tank TK2 cage is huge and bulky and out of stock. Out of the ones you mentioned I like Rewo quite a lot, with a good review http://www.eoshd.com/content/639/rewo-gh2-cage-full-review . But it seems like it is discontinued. Is there anything like Rewo on the market for cheap?

  • Vitaliy_KiselevVitaliy_Kiselev

    @Jspatz

    About Kxxx cage, it is prohibited on this site.
    It is marketing product being made on one of the cheapest Chinese factories. After this rebranded and sold.

  • Vitaliy_KiselevVitaliy_Kiselev

    thanks - nice cage, but Trusmt is way too expensive ($390+$45P&P) for me

    TrusMT can be got for cheaper :-) PM me.

    As for Rewo, it is product in different league. And it can't be cheaply made.

    I think that whole idea to get good cage for $100 (why $100?) is weird.

  • kronstadtkronstadt

    @Vitaliy_Kiselev why $100 or £67 ? Because my other option is just to buy the eBay cage for 5Dm2 or 7D (see link in original post) for £67 and simply to cut off the left-rear rod to allow for GH1's flipout screen with viewfinder. I like the Gini cage too, but that's £200 - way too expensive. So I'm looking for something like that but at 1/4 or 1/3 of the price.

  • Vitaliy_KiselevVitaliy_Kiselev

    About Gini - http://www.personal-view.com/talks/discussion/5517/gh2-gini-cage-on-sale#Item_1

    Gini is also good.

  • sherwoodsherwood

    @kronstadt

    Avoid the cheap stuff... you won't regret it. (Ya, ya, I know you've heard that before but it happens to be the immutable truth when it comes to DSLR gear) Get a frakin' McJob for a couple of months and save for something serviceable. My tiny perfect GH2 seems quite happy nestled in a Lanparte C-bracket and handle. Good, no-nonsense Lanparte quality. Paid 175 Euros on ebay. It's probably cheaper in the States if you order directly from Asia. BTW, the Rewo cage is no longer in production. To my eyes it looked like heavy-metal overkill, like many things produced here in Deutschland. (I kid... I love the Krauts!)

  • xenogearsxenogears

    I really like the GB-2 with a price tag of $120 includes the cage with rails.

  • JspatzJspatz

    @xenogears I also like this but it is not clear to me as to whether this is banned from the site along with the Kxxx cage as they appear to come from the same source.

  • Vitaliy_KiselevVitaliy_Kiselev

    @Jspatz

    LOL. I already wrote you about this.

  • kazuokazuo

    There was a time when rigs were manufactured by a chosen few, and they were often of premium quality. These days, there is a proliferation of third party brands, and although many are useable, I am not sure if they can all withstand the rigors of a rough shoot.

    Gini is one of the few that continue to put quality into their workflow. I was one of its early adopters, and I must say I still am very impressed by the rock solid material that they use. Sturdy, reliable.

  • kronstadtkronstadt

    I've just received this http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/290658910364 DSLR cage. After playing with it for a while, here are my initial impressions:

    1) It is actually very-very sturdy. All aluminium, of course. Solid! nothing is moving. And it seems like it can take quite a lot of beating in the field. So far, I'm very satisfied with it.

    2) It is cheap. You can even make offers to that seller. We agreed on £60. What more can you ask.

    3) Because it's cheap, you can confidently do whatever modifications you want, without feeling too bad about it ;) I plan to cut off one of the bars on the left, so as to allow for the flip-out screen with the viewfinder.

    4) It is quite big, which I like, but not so ginormous so as to interfere with the workflow. (GB-2 seemed too big for me). This one is made for 5Dm2 and 7D (I don't think they make any for GH1 or GH2 or GH3), which is actually great for me because I can put a Giottos MH631 quick release inside it to hold my GH1. And it's big enough to hold GH2, GH3 - so, future proof.

    4b) I plan to use it predominantly for handheld-low-angle configuration. If you can imagine the camera and lens being not above the shoulder level (as is customary with most rigs), but slightly below it. The holes on top of this cage should come in handy for adding a 15mm rod holder. If not, there is plenty of space to drill your own.

    5) If you want the battery hatch for your GH# to open nicely inside that hole in the bottom, forget it - these are made for 5Dm2 and 7D. Although it is possible to machine out a few centimeters to get a bigger hole for the GH1 battery hatch, if you know someone who can do that for you. Otherwise, you're better off using a QR for that.

    6) It comes with a handle, which can be positioned either way depending on where your camera's center of gravity is. This handle seems very comfortable and reliable. Frankly speaking, this whole pursuit of a cage started because I did not have a top handle for my rig, and I did not want to get those giant heavy brackets with additional 15mm rods for my tiny camera, just so as to have a top handle.

    7) The cage also comes with two 18cm 15mm rods, which is enough to hold my FF and MB with rig handles. Works fine with my 50mm lens, but since I shoot only with primes, they are all mostly short lenses.

    8) And here is my only disappointment. The bottom section that holds the cage and the 15mm rods, gets attached to the Quick Release plate in a strange way - so that the centre of the camera is off my about 1.5 cm . I haven't tested it yet, but I suspect that panning when mounted on a tripod or ballhead, might have a slightly "crane" or "jib" like feel. If it is too bad, I'll think of some modification to correct that.

    Overall, I'm pretty happy with this buy. Good solution for those on a low budget.

  • Vitaliy_KiselevVitaliy_Kiselev

    @kronstadt

    Thanks for feedback.

    Initially as they started production they had quality issues. It is good that it is better now.

  • onceuponapixelonceuponapixel

    just received this cage today http://www.amazon.co.uk/Walimex-Pro-V-Cage-Video-Stand/dp/B008H2JZZO/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1358516918&sr=8-2 looks very similar to the one kronstadt received as well, minus the rails but plus handles on the side. May have been able to get it cheaper from flea bay but needed it for filming next week so was next delivery from amazon.

    Similar to kronstadt really pleased with the quality and construction for the price. I have a GH3 mounted inside on a quick release plate. All the controls are really accessible including the top dials, sdhc card door and mic, headphone and HDMI ports. Unlike Kronstadt no problem in flicking out the articulated screen of the GH3 so this is a great bonus as I know its a problem on a lot of other cages. Although it doesn't mention it in the description there are there 1/4" holes underneath the base plate for tripod mounting. Handles on the side are constructed from aluminium as is the rest of the cage and hopefully will come in handy for some handheld work

    Slight negatives; no access to the battery on the GH3 as it seems the opening is more geared towards canon's, but not a deal breaker for me as it's mounted inside on a quick release plate. Also all the mounting holes are 1/4" threaded no pass through holes, but again not a deal breaker.

    Overall very pleased and a s kronstadt mentioned great for those on a budget. Got three jobs on next week so look forward to putting it through its paces.

  • meemee

    @kronstadt How do you mount this to your tripod? I have been looking for a cheap sollution for rails, and baseplate to mount a follow focus to my tripod and GH2. The cage would be a nice bonus, but I am stumped looking at these pics if a baseplate is needed, and if it is needed, how does it mount to this unit.

  • kronstadtkronstadt

    @mee The baseplate can be connected to either a 1/4"or 3/8" hole at the bottom. Look closely at the eBay pictures. I use Giottos MH631 quick release adapters to easily switch between equipment: crane, track-dolly, steadicam, slider etc. By the way, I still don't have a standard video tripod - not my style I guess (but will get a 270A tripod probably).

    By the way, I went ahead and did a lot of modifications to this cage: cut off one of the bars to allow for GH1 flip-out screen (the cage still holds. No movements.). I've drilled many additional holes to mount 15mm rod clamps at the top and bottom, so this cage easily becomes a shoulder rig when one needs it. I'll post pics some day.

    I wouldn't want to jump ahead of myself, and don't want to give the wrong advice (because I don't actually own aBMCC), but judging by the internal dimensions of this cage, it could be possible to house even a BlackMagic Camera here-maybe after some modifications though.

  • JohnTollwannabeJohnTollwannabe

    Can you guys take some photos of this camera cage all decked out? Looks interesting (and cheap on Ebay!) and less bulky than the Kamerar Tank cage with more attachment points than the P&C Gearbox, though probably of lesser quality.

    I'm confused as @kronstadt stated he had trouble with the GH3's swiveling LCD screen and @onceuponapixel did not. The type of quick release plate being used? Hmmm...

    Any problems with the GH2 or GH3 twisting if focusing with a FF? If so, what was your solution to the flexing/torquing and/or twisting of the camera body?

    Thanks!

  • den59den59

    i'm also very interested in such a cheap cage for my GH3. Has anyone tried attaching follow-focus? I once had a gini rig with non-adjustable base-pate, and i could not make it work with canon 85/1.4 and 5d Mark II of a friend of mine. It seems to me that the adjustable baseplate is crucial for such a set up. That being said, i just looked at ReWo pictures http://www.eoshd.com/content/639/rewo-gh2-cage-full-review and realized that their cage has no freedom to adjust it either. I'm puzzled, if anyone of you @kronstadt @onceuponapixel us FF, please share your thoughts.

    Thanks.

  • mrbillmrbill

    @kronstadt - I bought the £67 cage you posted the link for to mount my b-cams on (gh1 & 60D) and for the money, I can't fault it. Had to cut off one of the struts to allow LCD flip out, but easily finished with some emery paper and some matte black model paint, and it's still very rigid. Amazingly well finished for not a lot.

  • kronstadtkronstadt

    @JohnTollwannabe Sorry, my GH1 is my only camera, so I can't take a photo while it is in that cage. I didn't have trouble with GH3 swiveling LCD screen because I don't own a GH3. I just cut off one of the 4 pillars in case I need to use that screen in open position or with a viewfinder at an angle. I did pretty much what @mrbill did-- and it works perfectly well.

    @den59 Yes, I have a Follow Focus and a swiveling DIY Mattebox (that I made out of a Chromatec, and it all works pretty well. The cage comes with 2x rods, which are enough to attach FF, mattebox, and even handles (depending on your configuration). I screwed in a 15mm rod holder on top, added a couple of rods and a shoulderpad-- and voila - I now have a cage AND a shoulder rig. I shoot only with primes, so I change lenses quite often. My FF is the very cheap and the not so bad HS-1 follow focus (although I now hate this FF design made by Arri and TrusMT - and in the future I will go for something much simpler like a Gini FF design, when it gets hard stops). It has 2 thick gear wheels on both sides, so adjusting the FF in a way that does not touch the cage takes a little more time,but so far, so good. It's probably not the best or the most "pro" solution, but it is certainly very cheap, and works.

    @mrbill glad that it worked out for you too. A bit of advice - I have a Giottos mh630 quick release inside the case - that way I can quickly take out the camera body out of the cage when I need to change batteries or mount it elsewhere.

  • JohnTollwannabeJohnTollwannabe

    @kronstadt,

    Thanks for the info. I finally decided to go the non-cage route and bought an Express35 anti-twist mount specifically machined for the GH2. It was on sale and was ultimately a lot cheaper than buying all these different do-dads to try and get a quick release plus some way to stop the body from twisting while focusing.

    I took apart my original dual rail block camera rod mount, which was designed for a larger video camera, and so I ended up being ready for any type of system... and still have a height adjustable tripod mount in the process.

    The Express35 GH2 15mm rod mount is a real champ. No way this little bugger is moving around on the rig! :)

  • den59den59

    @kronstadt

    Thanks for reply, could you possibly post an immage of your rig? Just curios

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