SmallRig Camera Cage for Canon EOS R5 C Announced

Camera Cage

by Jakub HanApril 1^st, 2022

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SmallRig camera cage for Canon EOS R5 C is another cage from the “Black Mamba” series. It offers a lightweight minimalistic design with a secure and tight fit and a handful of 1/4″-20 and 3/8″-16 threaded mounting points, built-in Arca-Swiss baseplate, cold shoe, and NATO rail. The cage will start shipping on April 29, 2022, and it can now be pre-ordered for $84.90.

Released in January 2022 as the latest addition to the Canon EOS cinema line, the Canon EOS R5 C is at the same time the smallest EOS cinema line camera. It builds on the EOS R5 full-frame 8K camera from 2020, but deals with the notorious overheating issue by adding an active cooling system. That is, however, not the only difference. If you want the full picture of the specs and features of the Canon EOS R5 C, make sure to check our release article as well as Johnnie’s EOS R5 C review.

To further enhance the protection and rigging possibilities of the camera, it is a good idea to get a camera cage for it. The Chinese company SmallRig recently announced a new cage for the EOS R5 C called “Black Mamba” – let’s take a look at its features and specs.

SmallRig camera cage for Canon EOS R5 C

Apparently, “Black Mamba” is a new name for the whole series of SmallRig camera cages that share similar design aesthetics. For instance, we have already seen a LUMIX GH6 cage with the same name recently. The cage has a lightweight and minimalistic approach with a curvy design and a very tight fit around the camera. It seems that SmallRig aims to keep it comfortable to hold the cameras using its original grip. Because of the minimalistic cage design, some corners of the camera body remain unprotected, so it depends on the priorities when choosing the right camera cage (high level of protection versus lightweight unobtrusive design).

Anyway, the alluminum alloy SmallRig camera cage for the Canon EOS R5 C (product number 3890) offers a firm connection with the camera via one 1/4″-20 screw, locating pins, and the left strap hole. It also features silicone cushions to prevent scratches on the camera body. The cage consists of a front cage and a detachable extended baseplate that also serves as a riser plate. Thanks to the minimalistic design, the cage provides full access to all the camera controls while providing a handful of 1/4″-20 and 3/8″-16 threaded holes – some of them with ARRI locating pins – as well as one cold shoe at the top and one short NATO rail on the side.

The cage is, of course, compatible with a wide variety of handles, baseplates, and other accessories from SmallRig – including a dedicated HDMI and USB-C cable clamp. Its dimensions are 153 x 104 x 113.5mm and the weight is around 223g. Another interesting design feature is a screw thread on the front side that can accommodate a SmallRig rod clamp for a single 15mm rod for easy follow-focus installation.

At the bottom of the cage, SmallRig included a built-in Arca-Swiss plate which supports DJI RS 2 and RSC 2 gimbals, so the camera rig can easily be switched between Arca-Swiss tripod head and the compatible gimbals. For this to work, however, the detachable extended baseplate needs to be removed. Additionally, the bottom of the cage, as in most SmallRig cages, includes a dual-head Allen wrench.

SmallRig further claims that the cage may block the rear remote control port of the camera. The good news is that on top of the EOS R5 C, the cage is also compatible with the EOS R5 and EOS R6.

Price and availability

The SmallRig cage for the EOS R5 C can be pre-ordered right now for $84.90. It seems that the full retail price will be $99. According to SmallRig, the cage will start shipping on April 29, 2022. Every cage will come with the detachable extended baseplate, Allen wrench, and two 1/4″-20 screws.

Link: SmallRig

Do you use camera cages with your cameras? Which brand do you prefer? What do you think of the new SmallRig cage for the Canon EOS R5 C? Let us know in the comments section underneath the article.