iPhone & Android Hardware Accessories

People who are considering the Side Handle may find it useful to watch the first video below for info on how it can be used. In the second video, Vadym Chalenko, who designed the Beastcage, uses it with his new macro lens. Watch the brief third video if you purchase a Side Handle and wonder what the tiny grey plate with two circular holes in it is for

I don't think that the Side Handle is a "necessity", and it adds 224 g (7.9 oz), but I've decided to keep it. Beastgrip also sells a simple handle that's US$20, and the top handle (Action Handle) mentioned earlier.

On weight, I've noticed that SmallRig is selling what is more or less a Beastgrip knock-off. It is much cheaper. It is also much lighter. I think it's interesting that Chalenko hasn't cut weight, and therefore his material costs, despite weight being the principal criticism of his product. There's an amazon review where a purchaser complains that the Beastcage "is built like a tank".

This morning, Beastgrip launched a new Kickstarter campaign for its DOF Adapter MK3. This is an adapter for SLR/DSLR lenses that generates narrow apparent depth of field. I don't know much about this adapter, but this is the link: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/10 ... dapter-mk3

If you're interested in purchasing any Beastgrip products, subscribe to their newsletter and see if you're given a code worth 10% off. Looking at the e-mail I received, it may be a recurring code.

I suspect that they'll also be doing something for Black Friday.

This video on the DOF Adapter explains how it works. Interesting. They recommend using it with Filmic Pro, Cinema P3 and their own Beastcam app.

This covers technical requirements and recommendations. The mount is Canon EF, the lens has to be manual focus, and the maximum aperture should be f/1.2 to f/2.8. I'd be tempted, but the mount does't work for me. I don't think that there's any such thing as a Leica M to Canon EF adapter.

A heavier kit, within reason, can add inertial stability when one is shooting handheld so sometimes it may be a good thing.

I want to be able to mount my phone on a tripod in portrait orientation. This is complicated by the fact that the Beastgrip's 1/4"-20s are all on the two long sides of the cage/phone. There are none at the two ends.

Have you considered a L-bracket?

https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/search?q ... ket&sts=ma

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Have you considered a L-bracket?

Cool. As I said, I looked at a number of L-brackets that I might be able to affix to one of the cage's long edges. Sunway offered a fairly inexpensive one. Manfrotto makes one that looked particularly interesting, but it costs US$185. I don't see the one in your photos on B&H's site. It looks like it's a 3 Legged Thing plate. Is it?

This is the interesting, but expensive, Manfrotto L-bracket:

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I just decided that it would be easier, and quite possibly cheaper, to screw one of my existing QR plates onto the bottom of Beastgrip's Side Handle or Nato rail, which can do things beyond supporting the cage in portrait orientation.

Alternatively, I can use my copy of the Leica Ball Head 18 (Long), shown eight posts up, on the cage's long side for both landscape and portrait. It weighs 250g (8.8oz) and will support way more than the phone (7kg/15.4lb). Despite the price new, one can buy one of these for US$60-$80 on eBay. There's one for sale now for $40. I think that most people have never seen this head, and that there's probably low demand for it.

I see that you have your phone mounted on a BeFree video head. You're way ahead of me. I haven't even thought about doing that

[/quote]

It looks like it's a 3 Legged Thing plate. Is it?

[/quote]

Bought from China, bought off Aliexpress.

https://www.aliexpress.us/w/wholesale-l ... 21452qR6zP

I buy stuff to see if my ideas work and if needed purchase better quality later.

It looks like it's a 3 Legged Thing plate. Is it?


Bought from China, bought off Aliexpress.

https://www.aliexpress.us/w/wholesale-l ... 21452qR6zP

I buy stuff to see if my ideas work and if needed purchase better quality later.

Interesting. Somebody's adopted 3 Legged Thing's colours, but that design is not only not on B&H, it isn't on 3 Legged Thing's own site. The one thing that would give me pause is that a video on Ali Express says that it's two plates screwed together rather than one piece, but that doesn't matter if you're just playing with an idea.

This morning, Beastgrip launched a new Kickstarter campaign for its DOF Adapter MK3. This is an adapter for SLR/DSLR lenses that generates narrow apparent depth of field. I don't know much about this adapter, but this is the link: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/10 ... dapter-mk3

I know nothing about the ins and outs of Kickstarter marketing, but they reached their goal of US$30,000 in an hour this morning and are currently at $72,900, with 28 days still to go in the campaign.

The one thing that would give me pause is that a video on Ali Express says that it's two plates screwed together rather than one piece

That is an issue.
I have found that most of the "affordable" L-brackets these days are 2 piece so that they can send as a flat pack for shipping.
I found a solid piece one on Amazon (according to photo), ordered it but when it arrived it was in 2 pieces. I returned it. So you cannot trust the photos.

The orange one in the photo above I have split it in two and use it as a lightweight Arca Swiss camera plate and the other piece as a small cheese plate(both pieces are Arca Swiss). AS well as L-bracket for light weight applications. Very handy. Well tooled.

This is the best solution that I've come up with so far to carry my Beastcage/phone. It keeps the lens and screen sides of the phone away from anything that could be abrasive, and provides room to carry accessories.

I have a Peak Design Everyday Sling that has a volume of 6L. Interior dimensions are 28x21x11cm (11x8.3x4.3"). It's shown in the images below, which are from a Peak Design video.

The design of the Sling includes the ability to add a Peak Design Capture Clip, which is the white object shown in the first image. This design feature is specific to Peak Design bags.

In the second image, note the white plate outlined in red. That's a small Arca Swiss plate screwed to the base of the camera. As shown in the third image, when you slide the plate into the Capture Clip, using any of the plate's four sides, the camera locks in place. The Clip holds the camera securely. Push a button on the Clip and you can easily slide the camera out of the Clip.

I discovered that if I screw the Arca Swiss plate to a 1/4"-20 on one of the long sides of my Beastcage, the Capture Clip will hold the Beastcage in an orientation that keeps the lens and screen sides of my phone clear of the Sling and my body. If whatever I'm doing requires it, I can position my hand on the bag side of my body to reinforce the separation.

I can place up to 6L of accessories in the bag itself, for example my light meter, neutral density filters, a miniature tripod or a MixPre and a microphone. Or some bottled water and a sandwich. I should note that Peak Design also makes a 10L version of this bag.

A Capture Clip can also be mounted on one's belt, but I think that a bag makes sense in this case and I haven't tried a belt yet. If using a belt, it's a good idea to get Peak Design's PROPad, which helps structurally and adds a bit of padding. A Capture Clip can also be used with a backpack strap. I'm bit scepical that a belt or backpack strap will work well with a Beastcage, but I was sceptical about the Sling bag too.

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In March, Pete McKinnon told his 6 million subscribers that he was jumping ship from Premiere Pro to DaVinci Resolve. The video was actually presented by his editor, Kirk Lepiten. Lepiten is a born actor with a quirky sense of humour, and the video is the best sales job on Blackmagic Resolve and related hardware that I've seen.

Yesterday, McKinnon uploaded a video shot on the iPhone 15. He doesn't say whether he used the new app as well as Resolve. Indeed he doesn't say where the video was shot. It's Banff National Park at Lake Louise. Bit of a change of pace from the flashy, frenetic iPhone 15 videos that people have been posting. The tag line at the end suggests that it's his review of the new phone.

As one of the clips suggests, the video was shot at the end of October. My brother was in the same area and sent me some photos of that storm

I think it's interesting to compare Austin Reza's 2013 iPhone 5S video for Bentley and the video that McKinnon uploaded yesterday, including what Reza's behind the scenes video shows about human and technical resources.

This is the best solution that I've come up with so far to carry my Beastcage/phone.

My apologies to people who have already seen their fill of articles and videos on iPhone cases

Actually, there's a simpler solution than the option above. It takes about ten seconds to fit a Beastcage around an iPhone. The phone can be carried however one normally carries it, except when actually filming. With Beastgrip's universal Beastgrip Pro, it may not be necessary to remove the phone's regular case first, instead setting the dimensions of the cage to fit the phone plus its case.

I might also mention QuadLock. I ride a motorbike and use one of its cases and mounts. QuadLock makes a mount for belts and backpack straps that does the same thing for a phone as Peak Design's Capture Clip does for a camera.

From QuadLock's website, where cases and mounts are currently 30% off:

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I just ordered the Neewer cage for my 15 ProMax in the hope that its minimalist design will allow me to keep it on the camera full time. We'll see.

All I really need it for is filters. And maybe, one day, a long lens for the main camera.

https://neewer.com/products/neewer-pa02 ... VEQAvD_BwE

I just ordered the Neewer cage for my 15 ProMax in the hope that its minimalist design will allow me to keep it on the camera full time. We'll see.

All I really need it for is filters...

Curious to know what you think once you've had a chance to try the Neewer cage. With Black Friday 20% off, the price is very attractive. It's almost a third of the weight of a Beastgrip cage. At 113g (4oz), having it on the phone full-time in lieu of a phone case just might work.

Neewer has a couple of videos on Instagram and TikTok that are clearer than the video on its website on how the adapter for 67mm filters works. Looks like the adapter takes both magnetic and screw-in filters. Neewer sells both types.

Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/reel/Cy5zd6krj9k/

TikTok:
https://www.tiktok.com/@neewerofficial/ ... 1655745834

A rig I put together with pieces I have in my kit.

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This Leica Ball Head 18 Long (125mm/5" tall) keeps the phone clear of a tripod in portrait orientation, and if desired can double as a handle. It's a decades-old design that's very expensive new, but US$50-$80 on eBay. I paid $68 for this one in great condition. Weighs 250g/8.8oz and will support 7kg/15.4lbs. It's very close in weight (25g difference) to Beastgrip's side handle, shown on an L-shaped Nato rail in the first image below. The head is screwed into a 1/4"-20 on the phone's Beastcage.

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A rig I put together with pieces I have in my kit.

matte box.jpg

Love it.

The last time I was out with the iPhone I vowed to search online for a cold shoe mount french flag.

A rig I put together with pieces I have in my kit.

matte box.jpg

Moondog Labs has a sunshade for the other side. Notwithstanding what Moondog's website says, B&H and Amazon have it in stock: https://moondoglabs.com/collections/rel ... phone-hood

Peter, I use the Zacuto Brow with its cold shoe compatibility as part of the Zacuto Smart Z-Finder Cinematographer’s kit. As you can see, the brow includes two sections that open to extend the top flag.



I think the whole kit is currently 30% off as a Black Friday promotion.

Peter, I use the Zacuto Brow with its cold shoe compatibility as part of the Zacuto Smart Z-Finder Cinematographer’s kit. As you can see, the brow includes two sections that open to extend the top flag.

Hi Rick. Looking at the images below from a Zacuto video, I have two questions about this lens shade. If it's perpendicular to the lenses does it clear the lens image, in particular that of the ultra-wide? Is being mounted on a cold shoe sturdy enough?

Zacuto gear tends to be pretty expensive, but US$46.50 for this (B&H) doesn't strike me as unreasonable.

Landscape:

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Portrait:

The shade might be harder to mount on non-Zacuto rigs in portrait mode:

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Good captures. I’ve used all focal lengths I believe on a client shoot. You can angle the Brow higher than the video might make you think for wide angle usage.

The Brow assumes a horizontal connection to the rig’s horizontal cold shoe. To shoot vertically and protect from overhead light, as your second shot illustrates, there is another other cold shoe on their rig to which you would connect the Brow with correct coverage so no issues with the change of orientation. I think it’s well-engineered for their complete rig but I expect it will work in any properly oriented cold shoe with the correct positioning.

In the extra cold shoe mount available I use my third-party Bluetooth enabled ‘shutter release.’

I agree the Z-Finder is somewhat pricey, but occasionally it’s on sale so 30% off is attractive. I was a supporter of their development funding, as it seemed like a good idea from a reliable quality vendor.

I think that Rosco CineFoil is also a solution if one needs to shade the lens or the phone's screen. Note the comment from Joe McNally (https://joemcnally.com/) pinned in the YouTube comments:

Thanks for those suggestions, boys. The Zacuto rig looks like it would work well, but I'm not sure I'd want it attached full time and it'd be difficult to carry off the camera. This is more as a walk around solution. I'm not looking to shoot professionally any longer.

The Cinefoil idea is more my style. Even better, I think I've still got a half roll stashed away somewhere. Gifted to me by the grips one day in the distant past. Perhaps the black wrap and some kind of arm with a cold shoe mount...

Again, thanks.

… The Zacuto rig… it'd be difficult to carry off the camera. This is more as a walk around solution. I'm not looking to shoot professionally any longer...

It’s easy to remove the camera from the full rig for everyday use. True, I only put the camera back in the rig for a serious shoot, not a walk about. The rig remains completely assembled in a drawer.

I've decided to purchase an iPhone 15 and to stay with Beastgrip. Its dedicated iPhone 15 cages will apparently be available next month. Maybe they'll also offer a mount for external media storage.

Over the last couple of weeks, my iPhone 11 has spent a lot of time in a Beastgrip cage. There's no slack on the inside of the cage and some rubber or silicone did a great job of preventing any scratches.

I usually won't need filters for stills and sometimes not for video. I already have the handle and L-shaped Nato rail shown in the video below, and plan to add the simple clamp. This should work well in both landscape and portrait orientation, and I can use the handle to carry the phone at my side. Looking at Peter's idea two posts above, there are a 1/4"-20 and a cold shoe that could be used as a base for a CineFoil lens shade.

There are 12 Apple stores in New York. Checking availability of iPhone 15s, the only colour available in the whole city for a 256GB Pro Max is black

I wonder how effective a Beastgrip cage is as a heat sink.

Mine is black and without the protective (plastic) case I experienced no overheating at 27 degrees in the room.
All overlays were active, according to Captain Hook you can lower the load by switching them off.

Mine is black and without the protective (plastic) case I experienced no overheating at 27 degrees in the room.
All overlays were active, according to Captain Hook you can lower the load by switching them off.

When shooting 4K video, I plan to turn off everything (Airplane Mode?) except what's required for video. For me, this is like what a friend's Eastern European grandmother used to say about chicken soup when one has a cold. May or may not help, but "Couldn't hurt"

When I tried that I got the impression that the VFR is getting very close to CFR.

When I tried that I got the impression that the VFR is getting very close to CFR.

I think that that's a potential benefit, although I have no actual evidence that it's true. Like I said, couldn't hurt

A rig I put together with pieces I have in my kit.

matte box.jpg

Love it.

The last time I was out with the iPhone I vowed to search online for a cold shoe mount french flag.

Peter
Interesting small French flag from Tilta if you ever need to part with your money.
Not sure how to config for cold shoe.

https://tilta.com/shop/tilta-adjustable ... ins-black/

Interesting small French flag from Tilta if you ever need to part with your money.
Not sure how to config for cold shoe.

That Tilta shade is apparently a new release, available from Tilta and Amazon for US$29, but not yet from B&H: https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/ ... _with.html

Looks like the shade itself is 21cm x 14.8cm (8" x 6"). The one reviewer on the Tilta site is using it from a cold shoe and says this about it:

Very high quality product, solid build and good design. I bought it together with Multi-functional cold shoe mounting bracket, which makes its installation flexible with my setup. Allows to switch between lens protection and back-screen in the sunlight. Very useful for architectural and interior photo-video.

SmallRig makes inexpensive (under US$20) short articulating arms that could work from a 1/4"-20 or cold shoe as a skeleton for a CineFoil lens shade, as could a short gooseneck.

Rob, good find.

TILTA "Multi-functional cold shoe mounting bracket"

https://tilta.com/shop/tilta-multi-func ... ket-black/

TILTA "Multi-functional cold shoe mounting bracket"

https://tilta.com/shop/tilta-multi-func ... ket-black/

There are a lot of cold shoe - 1/4"-20 adapters: https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/search?q ... ters_18944

French top flag.It says it works on any cold shoe. Get em while they last. 50% off.
https://www.amazon.com/Zacuto-Accessory ... 101&sr=8-1

French top flag.It says it works on any cold shoe. Get em while they last. 50% off.
https://www.amazon.com/Zacuto-Accessory ... 101&sr=8-1

Thanks Mike,

This is the Zacuto lens shade that Rick talks about 17 posts above. I added some photos of it in the post after his. At US$24.50 from Amazon U.S., I've ordered it. If I like it, great. If not, Amazon makes the return both easy and cost free. There are still five left.

Amazon says it will be delivered on Wednesday. I'll write a post, with photos, on how well it works with a Beastcage.

Hoping all goes well for you.

Sorry Rick. Gppd find. I'll make sure to read in more detail.

Beastgrip started its Black Friday sale today. There isn't an announced end date. A Beastcage for an iPhone 15 Pro or Pro Max will cost US$149.99, which is Beastgrip's usual price for a cage for a current iPhone. The sale price is $118.74.

This is pre-order for January delivery. For immediate delivery, Beastgrip's universal cage, the Beastgrip Pro, is on sale for about $105, regularly $139.99.

All accessories are also on sale.

The sale prices are a combination of the sale price on the site and a code for an additional 5% that one can request be sent via SMS. The 5% code applies only to one order.

This is what the new iPhone 15 Beastcages look like, more photos on Beastgrip's website at https://beastgrip.com/:

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These mounts come with the Beastcage:

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If you've just purchased an iPhone 15, as I have, one of the arguments for Beastgrip's universal cage is that it will work immediately. There are delays for all of the iPhone 15 cages, although some companies, for example SmallRig and Neewer, have started to ship theirs. Beastgrip says that its will ship in January.

While waiting, my choices are to make do with Beastgrip's basic clamp (see 15 posts above), which does not accommodate filters, purchase its universal cage or purchase one of the Chinese cages.

In my household, there's an iPhone 14 that Beastgrip's universal cage will also work with, which is my excuse for deciding to order that cage as well Hopefully, it will also work with the iPhone that I purchase two or three years from now to replace the 15.

There's very little information on the internet about how the universal Beastgrip Pro and phone-specific Beastcages compare. When my universal cage arrives, I'll post a comparison.

Last month, Beastgrip released this video to demonstrate using the iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max with its universal cage and lenses. There are a good number of shots of the cage itself at various points in the video. This is the cage that I'll use until the iPhone-specific cage is shipped. There are a few shots of the upcoming dedicated cage, maybe a prototype, maybe a mock-up, from 00:58 to 1:06.

The video also discusses the effect of the new iPhone 15 camera performance on Beastgrip's own lenses.

In the video, Beastgrip's designer/owner, Vadym Chalenko, is the guy in the baseball cap.

This is the URL for the Kickstarter campaign mentioned toward the end of the video. It's for version 3 of a "Depth of Field adapter" that works with full frame Canon EF-mount lenses: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/10 ... dapter-mk3

I have used the iPhone 13 Pro Beastcage but getting the phone out of its normal cover was really difficult ...
always felt like I was going to bend the phone or stress the battery.

So I am debating using the Beastgrip Pro Universal on my iPhone 15 Pro as I can leave the phone in it protective case ... and the larger size is not an issue as the Beastcage was big enough that I would only use it when mounting my anamorphic lenses.

Do you know if the Black Friday sale precludes using the 10% signup discount?

Thanks

Do you know if the Black Friday sale precludes using the 10% signup discount?

I don't know. For the Black Friday sale, the additional 5% that I mentioned sounded like it may be the "receive e-mails" discount for people who haven't already signed up.

I ordered a universal cage yesterday and opted for free delivery. UPS says that delivery from the Chicago area to NY will be Tuesday.

When I purchased an iPhone 15 on Monday, I tried out Apple's silicone cases. They come on and off easily, but aren't super protective.

Your are correct ... the phone is easier to pull from the Apple case ...

I just ordered the 15 Pro Beastcage and received my signup discount on top of the BF sale price.

Now I need to divest the 13 Pro Beastcage ....

I do have a magsafe filter holder which is a close enough fit for the 15 Pro so I can use
my magnetic 67mm ND filters until January ... just no anamorphics.

I have used the iPhone 13 Pro Beastcage but getting the phone out of its normal cover was really difficult ...
always felt like I was going to bend the phone or stress the battery.

My Neewer choice was based solely on its potential for permanent use for that very reason. I'm hoping I can just leave it installed forever.

Neewer just informed me that shipping for the 15 Pro Max version will be the last few days of November.

French top flag.It says it works on any cold shoe. Get em while they last. 50% off.
https://www.amazon.com/Zacuto-Accessory ... 101&sr=8-1

This is a Zacuto Brow from its smartphone rig. At US$24.50 from Amazon U.S., I've ordered one. If I like it, great. If not, Amazon makes the return both easy and cost free.

Having received the Brow, I've decided that it's not a good fit for me with a Beastgrip cage. I think that some black CineFoil is a more flexible solution, offering more control over positioning to block the sun. For the most part, I think that a baseball cap will make a perfectly good lens shade anyway.

Also, the three "wings" of the Brow are held together by four plastic parts, the size and shape of a very small screw, that snap together. I've circled one of them in red in the image below. While I was trying out the Brow, two of these came unsnapped, and one of them landed on the ground. I've given up looking for it. Zacuto doesn't supply any spares, and I'm not at all confident that one would find these at a hardware store.

Amazon's return service is terrific. All I have to do is drop off the item at the UPS Store a few blocks from me. Don't even have to bring the box. UPS will take care of packing.

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I have used the iPhone 13 Pro Beastcage but getting the phone out of its normal cover was really difficult ...
always felt like I was going to bend the phone or stress the battery.

So I am debating using the Beastgrip Pro Universal on my iPhone 15 Pro as I can leave the phone in it protective case ... and the larger size is not an issue as the Beastcage was big enough that I would only use it when mounting my anamorphic lenses.

If that protective case is made of plastic, I'd advise against it. I experienced overheating when recording in a warm environment of 27 degrees (no direct sun) until it was removed. You may get it working with the overlays off, but that's not a perfect solution for filming.

Thanks for the review!

I also received my Zacuto brow. I am also sending it back. It’s fragile . Comes apart at the slightest drop. How they could charge original $50 for this piece of plastic is beyond me.

I then just made my own with a top flag from a matte box and a cold shoe monitor Mount. It’s a million times better. And adjusts very easily.

If that protective case is made of plastic, I'd advise against it.

My read of Bob's post six up is that he decided to pre-order the iPhone 15 Beastcage and that he isn't ordering the universal cage.

UPS says that it will deliver the universal cage that I've ordered on Tuesday. When I get it, one thing that I want to check is whether it's as protective of my iPhone 15 as I believe the phone-specific Beastcage will be. The Beastcages don't even have room for a case. Instead they have tight tolerances, aka no room to wiggle, and some thin silicone/rubber bumpers. I had an iPhone in a Beastcage for a good part of the last two weeks, and it came out without a single scratch.

I've decided to opt for no case at all for the new phone or one that goes on and comes off easily, the latter just to add a bit of grip and prevent minor scratches. I don't think I need a case that has been "certified to military specifications". The latest bomb-proof cases aren't much cheaper than the AppleCare deductible, and some cost more.