Custom DSLR Cage

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Custom (DIY) aluminum DSLR Cage with mounting holes for a Shure SM58A Beta, Rode NTG-1, and a JuicedLink Preamp. All feeding into a D600. In many ways, definitely not as convenient as a camcorder, but it works for me.

Here’s the latest support gear made to solve a need, a custom DSLR video cage for me to mount the parts necessary for clean audio.  The jungle of cables and microphones dangling everywhere was getting a bit annoying, but with this I can somewhat keep a better handle of my gear as it sits on a tripod.  This is just Rev 1, I think for the next revision the mounting base will have to made a bit wider, to support the mounting foot of a 70-200.  DSLR’s are pretty much all the same.  The mounting point is on the bottom obviously, with all the weight on that little 1/4″ 20 tripod hole.  Not the most ideal of mounting points.  Some might think there is too much space above the camera, but thinking ahead I might want to put something on the hot shoe like another camera(?), or an LED light.  In designing it specifically for the D600, there are large cutouts that allow for swapping out the battery.  With this design, the camera can be taken off of the cage, with it remaining on the tripod.

One thing I wish Nikon/Canon or some other 3rd party manufacturer would make is a battery grip with XLR inputs, and other added hardware features.  So many things a person could do with a modular approach to the hardware; slap in an iphone for portable audio recording, A/C power, etc.

 

Posted in Design, Photos.