Lots of little things to come, but the main cage arrived today and I bought an HDMI cable, allowing me to test my theories.
The Cage fits! This should not be in doubt, but I had read a few reviews on the older Niceyrig GH5 cage, that said you needed to shave a little off or wiggle and force it. The newer cage says clearly G9 as well, so I assumed (hoped) they had slightly modified it and after a little gentle caressing it fits like a real one :).
You have to make sure the camera is pushed fully to the front, or the cage top depresses the WB button, but once you have it properly seated everything feels nice and secure.
Top handle.
I started with the 1446b handle as I only have one cold shoe adapter and I need that at the moment for the monitor (all to be fixed soon). Good fit, well balanced and comfortable. The only issue is it will not fit in my bag, which at the moment just takes the whole kit.
Since the images taken for the side handle examples (see photos below), I have switched to the 2094c, which gives me a quick release option for packing down quickly and centres the handle better. I did mistakenly buy the single screw cold shoe plate, which twists occasionally, but have a double coming.
What about the 1446b? It was super cheap anyway, but may still come in handy when a longer, more securely screw mounted or soft handle is needed for long jobs (or the 2094c is needed for another camera). An alternate use for the 2094c is for accessories, mounted on a side cold shoe plate, so maybe a second handle for monitor mounting in the middle would also help.
The final set-up. A quick twist and the top handle can be removed and packed away.
Side Handle.
My alternative take on side handles (2821 mini top handle) has works with only one small issue. The HDMI cable I have is a straight out one with a thick reinforced cable, so the handle blocks it from going in (without taking the handle off), but again, bits coming to fix that (angled HDMI adapters). Alternately, I could just fix it at right angles, which would likely be fine (is, but not as comfortable). Alternatively the Smallrig ultra thin HDMI cable will fix all these issues. The angled HDMI adapters may also help with fitting the cable, leaving them in as the mounting point and holding back the cantankerous rubber flap and protecting the connections from damage.
Otherwise all is good.
(Thanks to my lovely assistant); The little side handle allows for behind, below or above support while staying small enough to stay out of the way and it allows cables etc to do their thing unobstructed (when they fit that is). It also (not pictured) rests on the forearm when focusing, giving you a support point independent of the lens. This setup is especially comfortable when panning from the waist or if held from above.
Handily it also gives me a handle to grab when getting the rig out of the snug bag compartment.
Other Stuff.
I have added a gimbal weight to the left under side, next to the tripod plate, which balances the kit perfectly and gives just enough extra dead weight to help feel stable. The two also provide a balanced base for the now front heavy rig when I put it down.
There is a soft hand strap coming so the whole thing can rest better on my right hand and the HDMI phone adapter to try, meaning undoubtedly more ideas to come.
The monitor, which sits well enough now, should settle better with the little magic arms and cable adapters.
So a quick summary;
Monitor; Win
Cage; Win
Handles; Win with options
Cables etc; Work in progress.