Installation
Mounting your camera inside the SmallRig 1982 camera cage is very simple; just position the camera inside the cage and then secure it into place via the mounting screw at the bottom of the cage with a coin. There are a few points to pay attention here:
- From experience I found I need to twist the screw with a coin hard to ensure the screw did not become loose, and the camera moving about inside the cage.
- Sony A7ii series cameras fit quite snuggly inside the SmallRig 1982 camera cage, so you will need to remove any protective coverings such as leather half cases and silicon sleeves to have the camera fit inside the cage.
- If you use a small prime lens you will find the camera installation very straight forward, but if you plan on using any wider lens such as I did in the video above or a cine lens, then you will need to detach the lens first, secure the camera body into the cage and then reattach the lens.
With bigger bulkier camera cages, and ones which are oversized, accessing your camera’s switched and dials mean reaching around the body or slipping a finger into a small gap to adjust the camera’s settings. At the top of the SmallRig 1982 camera cage, access to the Sony A7ii series top dials are unobstructed providing easy access, apart from the customizable C2 button, so you need to plan around this. If you do want to take photos as well, the right hand side of the camera cage has a indent where your right forefinger can press the trigger button with ease.
On the right hand side and bottom of the SmallRig 1982 camera cage, both the SD card opening and battery latch is unobstructed and again very easy to access. An ARRI rosette mount is located here which allows you to mount a rosette handle if so required.
On the left hand side of the SmallRig 1982 camera cage, both the latches that cover the audio ports and micro-HDMI ports are uncovered, and SmallRig was kind enough to provide a HDMI clamp in case of accidental knocks which would otherwise damage the port on the camera itself. You will also find an ARRI locating hole and NATO rail so you can slap on a side handle or mount a LED light or external viewfinder.
