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Smallrig cage for R7 questions ???

Started 1 month ago | Discussions thread
verino55 New Member • Posts: 2
Re: Smallrig cage for R7 questions ???

I just looked at the photos of the cage on the Smallrig website.  I looks like it would be possible to create a handloop of leather or nylon strapping  that makes a complete ring, attached with bolts/capscrews to two of the four threaded holes on the right end of the cage (or all four of them for more security).  There isn't a lot of real estate to work with other than there.  The loop at the top looks like it replaces the camera's strap loop that becomes unavailable with the installation of the cage.

The length of the strap should obviously be adjusted to fit comfortably around the hand and to make it easy to slip your hand through it in the field.  I'd guess about 9-10" would be good for most people.  If I was making it, I'd use a piece of belt leather - it would be stiff enough to retain it's shape, further facilitating slipping your hand into it.  Leather also has the advantage of not fraying at the bolt holes.  You can and should 'cauterize' them (as well as the ends of the strap where it's been cut to length), but over time, they'll still fray.  Good size washers should be used with the fasteners.  They're a good idea with either material, but essential with nylon.

I'd look for stainless steel allen-head capscrews and washers.  They're pretty readily available and they make a neat installation that will be immune to rusting in rainy conditions.  It would also be a good idea to use reversible Locktight (blue, I think) on the threads to avoid them working loose and causing you to drop the camera.

If the position of the threaded holes is too far from the top and bottom of the camera for your tastes, causing the handloop to separate from the body more than you'd like, you can add a batten of strap aluminum.  You'd sandwich the strap between the batten and the cage.  The length cou;ld be adjusted to taste, but it shouldn't be any longer than the height of the part of the cage it's being attached to.  You can start out with that length and shorten it if it proves too long.  If you use the batten, the washers are unnecessary and the concern about nylon fraying becomes irrelevant.

I hope this helps.

Steve Hamlin

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Canon EOS M6 II
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