Winners
Here’s a quick roundup of the best cages we tested, their strengths and weaknesses in order of our favourite choice to least favourite choice.
1. Tilta for Sony a7 Cage ES-T17
12x green lights for outstanding ergonomics, intelligent design, high quality machined parts, a top-handle design that fits the XLR-K2M audio module, a Metabones Mount, an included wooden handgrip and cables to make the cage work right out of the box.
We gave 1x orange light for issues with the HDMI protector.
We gave 1x red light, because a normal tripod plate can only be installed off-center.
The Tilta a7S II cage is the editor’s choice and our recommended cage for most applications that also works with the Sony XLR-K2M audio module.
Price: $399 – $499 (Buy It Here) and (Buy It Here)
2. Skier LiteCage for A7RII / A7SII
9x green lights. The Skier a7S II cage performed very well in all categories.
We gave 1x red light because there is no Metabones Mount on this cage.
This cage is our second and low-cost recommendation. It performed very well overall and offers great value for money. It is recommended for run-and-gun shooters, not so much for people who want to use large rigs and large lenses on a Metabones Adapter.
Price: $299 (Buy It Here)
3. Movcam a7RII / a7SII Cage Kit
10x green lights for an outstanding and innovative rod support / Metabones Mount combination and great overall quality.
We gave 1x orange light because it is not easy to assemble/disassemble and the base screw isn’t locked into the cage.
We gave 1x red light because the quicklock plate cannot be removed and provides too little space to mount a tripod plate securely directly to the cage.
This cage is our recommendation if you’re looking for a cage that is fit for heavy on-set work with larger rigs and lenses and for people who don’t remove their camera from the cage all too often. It provides great stability and the detachable Metabones / rod support quick release is unique.
Price: $437 (Buy It Here)
4. Came-Tv Rig for a7SII / a7RII
9x green lights for a good ergonomic design and acceptable quality. This cage ticks most of our boxes at an affordable price.
We gave 1x orange light because the mic and headphone jacks are blocked when the side-handle is in use.
We gave 2x red light because the Metabones Mount on our cage was stuck and couldn’t be properly installed.
This cage is recommended if you don’t want to spend much, but you need a Metabones Mount and Rod Support with your Cage.
Price: $368 (Buy It Here)
5. 8Sinn a7RII / a7SII Cage
9x green lights for a straight forward ergonomic and lightweight design.
We gave 1x orange light because the top-handle has no safety pin.
We gave 1x red light because there is no Metabones Mount.
This cage is recommended if you want a simple and straight-forward solution and you don’t mind the high price. There is a version with rod support even more expensive. If the cage was more modestly priced we would have ranked it as number 4.
Price: $430 (Buy It Here)
The Varavon Cage for a7R II, a7S II didn’t make it on our favourites list, because there are too many aspects we’re missing, including a Metabones Mount, a secure top-handle and proper HDMI port protection.
Price: $312
The Shape Sony a7S II / a7R II Cage left us disappointed with numerous design flaws and a mediocre quality. It is also the most expensive of all tested cages.
Price: $451
We think the Moza Cage for Mirrorless Cameras isn’t ready for primetime as it is missing most attributes a cage should offer.
Price: $499
We did our best to objectively and professionally judge all cages and hope this review helped you find the best one for your needs. You’re welcome to share your questions and comments below.
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Links to each Cage Review:
- Page 1: Introduction
- Page 2: 8Sinn a7RII / a7SII Cage
- Page 3: Came-Tv Rig for a7SII / a7RII
- Page 4: Movcam a7RII / a7SII Cage Kit
- Page 5: Moza Cage for Mirrorless Cameras
- Page 6: Shape Sony a7S II / a7R II Cage
- Page 7: Skier LiteCage for A7RII / A7SII
- Page 8: Tilta for Sony a7 Cage ES-T17
- Page 9: Varavon Cage for a7R II, a7S II
- Page 10: Winner
