The Tilta cage finally arrives

My dealer got shipped the tactical finish on Friday. It comes disassembled. Figure 5 minutes or more to put it together the first time.

It's very well thought out but not exactly light. The only option I wanted was the sunshade which seems not as well thought out as the cage. It feels like cheap plastic and it's held in place by a thumbscrew and lip on the cage so it's not tight around the border of the screen. When not attached the thumbscrew is loose and has the potential to get lost when not using the shade. You could, I suppose screw it back into its hole on the cage but it sticks up a fair bit and makes putting the camera into my Lowepro sling bag an awkward fit all by itself. There is a rubber plug on the top of the cage but without documentation there no explanation of what use it has. Probably it's for the ssd that can be fit to the top of the shade. Support in Burbank wasn't answering the phone on Friday or returning calls.

I should add that the sunhood is not all plastic. It IS backed by metal stripping. (I'm sure that someone will add something like thin foam weather stripping to the metal to get better sunlight proofing around the edges).

If you got the full cage, you could have a lighter load if you just configure it in the half-cage mode. I’m thinking about half-cage for my BMPCC4K which may arrive any month now.


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If you got the full cage, you could have a lighter load if you just configure it in the half-cage mode. I’m thinking about half-cage for my BMPCC4K which may arrive any month now.


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My estimate is that 70-80% of the weight is in the half cage. The additional piece that forms the full cage is very minimal..

I find it ironic that someone was complaining not long ago about the BMPCC4K being announced early last year and not getting on the shelves at least a week after announcement. And here we have another very simple camera related product announced last year and only now getting into people's hands.

It'll be interesting to compare the features and handling of the Tilta vs the SmallRig, which seems to be it's main competitor. I've contemplated getting the latter for non-rig use, but the SmallRig universal cage I have takes all the accessories so well and I don't think a form-fitting cage will do the same (not as easily).

My dealer had the SmallRig as well. It's a little lighter, not as form fitting, and without much of the functionality of the Titla. I love that the Tilta has 3 cold shoes and mounting holes on the front and back sides of the cage. Much of the weight is in the bottom mechanism for mounting side handles and other accessories.

To be honest, I can't see that much difference between the Tilta and SmallRig;

Check them out in a store. The angle of the pictures hides the slightly less form fitting structure of the SmalRig compared to the Tilta - especially above the top left buttons and switches of the camera.

David, I’m leaning towards the Tilta half cage. Do you feel the half cage provides a secure frame or does the full cage version actually feel more secure?

I understand the full cage has greater protection in a fall, but let’s forget that benefit for the moment. I just think my right hand would be more comfortable with the half cage.


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David, I’m leaning towards the Tilta half cage. Do you feel the half cage provides a secure frame or does the full cage version actually feel more secure?

I understand the full cage has greater protection in a fall, but let’s forget that benefit for the moment. I just think my right hand would be more comfortable with the half cage.


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My right hand is very comfortable with the full cage. And I need the additional cold shoe. As for protection, the only reason to have a cage for protection is for bumps and falls and the full cage will offer more. For the additional cost of a few bucks you can get the full cage and remove the half if it feels uncomfortable to your right hand.

I’ve been using the full SmallRig cage and SSD mount, and am very happy with it. No weight issue, excellent functionality, and the way the frame sits above the camera’s grip makes a great thumbrest – it’s a pleasure to hold.

And the price is hard to beat.

Thanks for the feedback, David and Randy. Good to have two (or three 8SINN) fine choices.


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I think the 8Sinn might be the winne here. Got the SmallRig for my Z6, but not that happy with it, kind of bulky. The 8Sinn looks much less bulky and I am quite happy with my 8Sinn Ursa Mini Shoulder baseplate, much better than the BM or SmallRigg versions.
Cheers

They are well made and very light, and seem to,allow better access to the camera controls/buttons.
Well here in USA 8Sinn cage is $179 and $279, the SmallRig cage ($69 and $79, so $100 less) for the Pocket 4K looks better than the Z6 SmallRigg cage setup.
If the Smallrigg cage works for you, then go for it.
Cheers

Good point, but the B&H 3D rendering shows easy access, as the suppotbrods are close to the camera body.
Cheers

Oh, wow!

I switched from SmallRig to Tilta, sold the SmallRig and am still waiting for the Tilta. Maybe this week is realistic then. I'm especially keen on the Sony side-handle, but since the volt-distribution-issue popped up, I'm not so sure that this is a good idea anymore.

But after using the SmallRig for some time and comparing it to the Tilta, I'm still happy, I switched. The Tilta and its accessoires seem much more thought through.

I'm a very satisfied SmallRig full cage user. IMHO it's very lightweight.

BTW, I'm enjoying figuring out how to take STILL photographs with my Pocket 4K. The attached image of an Anna's Hummingbird was taken with a Panasonic LUMIX G VARIO PZ 45-175mm F4.0-5.6 lens which I bought used for $282 from KEH.com . Exposure ISO 3200, approx 1/400th sec., f5.6, 175mm. Fun!

A045_02090856_S000.jpg (394.08 KiB) Viewed 8998 times

I'm a very satisfied SmallRig full cage user. IMHO it's very lightweight.

BTW, I'm enjoying figuring out how to take STILL photographs with my Pocket 4K. The attached image of an Anna's Hummingbird was taken with a Panasonic LUMIX G VARIO PZ 45-175mm F4.0-5.6 lens which I bought used for $282 from KEH.com . Exposure ISO 3200, approx 1/400th sec., f5.6, 175mm. Fun!

A045_02090856_S000.jpg

I weighed the SmallRig in my hand after the Tilta. I didn't think it was light weight.. Probably lighter than the Tilta but not by any huge amount. Just my opinion. A scale or weight specs would help.

why is 8sinn so high priced?

Poland.


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8Sinn like Wooden Camera, is well engineered and well made. So using quality materials and higher labor costs, etc. increases the item cost.
Cheers

Ray, there are different qualities of aluminum alloy, just as there are for stainless steel. Aircraft and marine grade alloys are more expensive than those used in car parts for example. Most of the time, you get what you pay for. If the less expensive options work, then you are golden. If not, then you need to spend more to get the protest does work for you.

I went through three Ursa Mini shoulder mounts to get the one that worked best for me. I started out with the BM OEM Shoulder plate was OK, camera had to be removed to adjust frontnto back alignment, and it did not allow rails to be adjusted, so did not work with my B4 zoom and a matte box.

Tried the SmallRig Shoulder plate, rails were adjustable, but adjustments were not smooth, and a bit award, and the shoulder pad was too bouncy. There were many sharp edges also, and it was oversized looking.

Then I tried the 8Sinn Shoulder, much better design, adjustment movements work smoothly, shoulder pad has correct padding, firm but offers support. Overall size is a better fit, and back and front adjustment easy to make. All knobs lock out of the way, unlike the other two models, which have knobs/levers sticking out.
Cheers

Well, I have here a top handle from SmallRig and a handle from 8sinn, both have been used on my UM46k. Often I have attached the Titan arm from Brighttangerine to the top handle.
The threads on the SmallRig handle are looking worn out and it became difficult to screw in the titan arm. The threads on the 8sinn are still looking like new.

So manufacturing tolerances and surface treatment also play into the costs.
And my experience with SmallRig's engineering design capabilities and producing tight/correct tolerances has been a mixed bag thing.

I bought tree of the SmallRig mini quick release system and while they are cheap they make me angry sometimes because of all the mistakes (one of the plates even can't be used because of a manufacturing error). Well, I got what I paid for.

Yep. SmallRig is absolute crap. You'd have to be a mug to buy any of their products. Only one person has ever spoken well of their products and he can't be trusted (is probably a SmallRig shill).

I would not call all their products crap. There are plenty of pieces which are good enough for they are supposed to do. But I won't buy anymore anything from them which needs high engineering and manufacturing skills.

And I will add to Robert’s comment, that in a camera cage, I want a construction material that will take some stress, and a cage is stressed it’s use, especially if it takes a hit, which can happen.

And yes, some SmallRigg products are well done, others as Robert pointed out are not.
Cheers

If you got the full cage, you could have a lighter load if you just configure it in the half-cage mode. I’m thinking about half-cage for my BMPCC4K which may arrive any month now.


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My estimate is that 70-80% of the weight is in the half cage. The additional piece that forms the full cage is very minimal..

I got my tilta full cage a couple of days ago including the handle, it fits everything very well, Rode mic, 5-inch evf, yungnuo light, 970 battery adapter, and plate, like a one-man band. but its become an anchor only usable on a tripod, wouldn't like to have it on a gimble but maybe on a rig. Now I'm only using the mic and changed to canon batteries.


Ricardo Marty

Interesting comments, Ricardo. Did you find the Sony NP-F970 battery setup cumbersome and wanted to go minimalist with the Canon LP-E6 batteries?

I’m going to go with two (or more) Canon LP-E6N batteries for the convenience. The plan I had to use my Cinegears 250Wh battery will be a fallback scenario for longer shoots only and those require a tripod.

I have thought of going very minimalist with a native mFT lens, but at the moment all my lenses are heavier PL lenses that I’ll adapt to the mFT camera. So I need to use a 30cm rig and tripod anyway to manage the mic, matte box, motor driven follow focus, Anamorphot, and so on. Maybe after awhile, I’ll just use an electronic mFT lens!

[quote="rick.lang"]Interesting comments, Ricardo. Did you find the Sony NP-F970 battery setup cumbersome and wanted to go minimalist with the Canon LP-E6 batteries?


Ric Lang

I do a lot of run and gun events and sports, (mostly interviews and b-roll) where I am basically a one-man band and need to pack sound and light and a good charge, the evf I use only for exterior daylight events or when needed. There is space to place the battery plate but for me, it makes the system kind of cumbersome and awkward. I felt the need to keep the center of gravity on the middle using the handle but it interfered with my EVF when I needed to change the angle, and placing it somewhere else shifted the weight. And the 970 made the cage heavier.

I was using a Sony fs700 on a rig but purchased the bmp4k to be more mobile. Maybe when the 970 tilta adapters become available this could change, especially If I use a rig, which most probably I will need.

Now with the new firmware, I can use the canon batteries or similar at least until I get the rig and/or the future tilta add on for the sony 970.

The tilta is a magnificently handsome and well-designed cage. I highly recommend it.

Ricardo

P.S.
Does anyone know if the firmware also helps non-canon batteries?

Ricardo, I believe it’s manufacturer agnostic. BMD may confirm.


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In firmware 6.1 real canon batteries show voltage or percentage. Non canon batteries show voltage or a battery icon that shows battery level.

My Tilta cage finally arrived, too!

Now I just gotta wait for that Sony battery handle and hope it doesn't destroy my camera..


Question for the other Tilta users:
How did you handle the rubber plugs on the left side of the camera? (The ones for the HDMI port and such.)

I removed my port covers to use the Tilta cage, much easier access the the ports (especially the power port which I use frequently)

My Tilta cage finally arrived, too!

Now I just gotta wait for that Sony battery handle and hope it doesn't destroy my camera..


Question for the other Tilta users:
How did you handle the rubber plugs on the left side of the camera? (The ones for the HDMI port and such.)

For the HDMI and the usb-c1, I purchased the tilta cables and left them on. The power connector is problematic but I only used it to recharge the battery but I since purchased the canon charger and don't expect to use the onboard power connection much.

If you purchased the tilta visor you can place the ssd holder above it and free some cage space.


Ricardo Marty

Are folks recommending the Tilta Visor to help the monitor be visible in bright daylight?


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Are folks recommending the Tilta Visor to help the monitor be visible in bright daylight?

It's ok. It helps most of the time especially when you got light at a high angle be it the sun, indoor or studio lights. but only if you are shooting at you eye level.

Ricardo Marfty

I removed my port covers to use the Tilta cage, much easier access the the ports (especially the power port which I use frequently)

Does removing mean cutting? Or is there any way to "unplug" them?

Thanks

I'm especially keen on the Sony side-handle, but since the volt-distribution-issue popped up, I'm not so sure that this is a good idea anymore.

A little late to this, but what's the voltage distribution issue? I'm also interested in that side handle, but I'm debating whether to wait for that or just order the 970 plate or 970 tripod base plate.

Someone here said that the Sony batteries wouldn't have enough power to be used as an external power source. It will work but can damage the device over time. At least that's what I've understood. Dunno if it's true though.

Someone here said that the Sony batteries wouldn't have enough power to be used as an external power source. It will work but can damage the device over time. At least that's what I've understood. Dunno if it's true though.

Nobody does. And Blackmagic hasn't said, so it must be a complicated question. I'm sure Tilta has wondered about the answer though, because they designed their big handle around powering the camera by a F970 battery. But AFAIK the handle hasn't been released and the change in power requirements with the first camera update may have thrown a major wrench in their manufacturing plans.

I wish BM would shed some light on what happens if you feed 8.4 or 7.2 volts to the external power jack.

Blackmagic's battery grip for the Pocket 4K uses Sony batteries, but it powers the camera through the battery slot. Not sure if that counts.

Adam, if I remember correctly, the 7.4/7.2VDC fed to the camera via the battery slot is transformed to 12VDC internally, and not an issue, but those circuits are different than how power is managed from the 2-pin connector which can take variable voltages but may strain the internals if the voltage is too low. I’d wait for an official endorsement, before using low voltage input. I’m not an electrical engineer... but I think we have some on the forum.


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But AFAIK the handle hasn't been released and the change in power requirements with the first camera update may have thrown a major wrench in their manufacturing plans.

I wish BM would shed some light on what happens if you feed 8.4 or 7.2 volts to the external power jack.

Yeah, it's not out yet. I'm really afraid that that's what happened and delayed the handle.

Here Kristian Lam says:

No, 8V will not be enough for the side port. If the 8V output is regulated, then your option is to remove the battery door and go in via a dummy LP-E6 battery using the battery slot.

http://bmcuser.com/showthread.php?23200 ... post262957

Here Kristian Lam says:

No, 8V will not be enough for the side port. If the 8V output is regulated, then your option is to remove the battery door and go in via a dummy LP-E6 battery using the battery slot.

http://bmcuser.com/showthread.php?23200 ... post262957

Well he ought to know. OTOH before they told us the side input voltage was 10.x volts minimum, I ran the camera off a Feelworld monitor with an f750 battery with no issues whatsoever. Now I just run the Feelworld with an F550 and the camera with a Canon E6.

Damn. So if Tilta doesn't find amother solution, I might need to go back to the Juicebox after all.

I finally got my Tilta cage today and I have to say I prefer it over my 8Sinn cage. They both feel like high quality cages but the Tilta cage is slightly better thought out in terms of accessories (how to attach the T5 SSD for example). I also really like the added touch of the slot to hold the allen wrench. I feel like Tilta puts a lot of effort into the small details.

It's especially good in comparison to price considering the 8Sinn cage with the upgraded top handle and accessories can get really expensive. Makes the decision a lot easier. I also tried a SHAPE cage at a local shop and that one is garbage IMO. Flimsy plastic feeling and not very well thought out. I also bought a couple of parts from Smallrig cage / accessories (SSD holders for example) to fit on some of the rigs we use and those are better quality than the SHAPE but not quite as good as the 8Sinn or Tilta.

I might be slightly biased though as I've fallen in love with Tilta's range of products recently. Sold my Zhiyun Cranes to get G2X gimbals fitted with some Nano-N follow focuses, powering the cameras using V-Mount batteries with D-TAP / power wires. Quite the rig but I'm loving it. Only issue now is to find a simple solution to mounting a caged P4K to the G2X so it can go from rig to rig easier.

Yikes.

So from this page, I see that the 970 baseplate that mounts to the cage is 12V 7.4A according to their text, but the one that has a tripod mount is only 7V out, judging from the photo (which I can't 100% make out)? They make no mention of the output for that one in text.

https://products.tilta.com/bmpcc4k/

Is this correct? If so, then it would appear that I'm safe in connecting the cage-mounted plate to the camera DC in but not the tripod-mounted one, for which it would be better to have the dummy battery?

There's a frustrating lack of power output info on their product pages in the cage configuration interface. I want to be absolutely certain before I connect anything. Oi.

I'm using an np f970 on a plate connected to a dummy canon battery and I get about 2 hours. Camera turns off with 14% remaining charge.

I'm thinking of getting a dual NPF vmount plate so that I could use two batteries however I've seen four mount npf plates.


Ricardo Marty

My plate will connect via a dummy canon battery. The v mount has an on/off switch so I can turn everything off from the mount. Don't know if I should go for a 4 npf plate so I can run my spectra EVF. hopefully, that should give 7 hours.

Ricardo Marty

Seems the Tilta Cage for BMPCC4K is nowhere to be found these days.
Everything shows "future date" on their website.
https://tilta.com/product-category/tilt ... c-4k-cage/
There's still no mention of the Sony L series batter handle at all.
B&H, which carries other Tilta products including those for Blackmagic doesn't have it listed for the BMPCC4K, I inquired and they told me they don't intend on carrying it at this time.
I've contacted Tilta through their website to find out the status of the cage and accessories.
It would certainly seem B&H doesn't have confidence in this particular model despite carrying the rest of their product line.

There's so much competition with what's a relatively simple product, that maybe Tilta has decided that it's not economically worth competing with all the other manufacturers producing cages and now battery options.

I've been most interested in Tilta because their Sony Battery Handle, which could use a 970, makes a bit more sense to me than Blackmagic's battery grip.

It seems most of the YouTube reviews are preproduction models and are weeks or months old. I did see this posted two days ago but it may be as "authentic" as some of the preproduction reviews. I saw one who stated they bought one on eBay I think from China and it looked to be a preproduction (perhaps a knockoff), model.

To be clear, Tilta is still marketing it on their website (sans Sony battery handle).
https://tilta.com/bmpcc-4k-cage-configurator/#/
But the cage and all its accessories say "future date"
https://tilta.com/product-category/tilt ... c-4k-cage/
Which certainly doesn't give one confidence that this is going to be a shipping product soon.