My video needs at this point are not as great as my accumulated gear would indicate. The camera was a bargain, the lenses were already in my kit, but surplus to my needs and most other accessories were either reasnably cheap or already party done. The main issue to date has been with ironing out all of the little things.

So today my slightly longer Smallrig HDMI cable came (55cm as the 35cm was about a bees-d&%k too short).

Rig done as concieved after what seems like a never ending wait (6+ weeks from start to arrival of the last, finally right things).

On paper and in hand, this rig works as designed. I have seen worse, but I have also seen better.

Balance is the selling point here, both in capabilities and manual handling.

A finger placed under the front end of the handle, depending on the screen angle and battery weight, is the balanced middle point with left to right swing minimised, but the screen sits a little high for my liking making the camera a little low if held naturally by the handle or only chest high if held from behind (I can still put it to my eye though). I need it to be this high with this configuration to allow my mics (various) to be able to see under it.

In my mind I am picturing an “L” shaped dynamic, rather than a fighting wedge.

The whole thing feels a little spread out. It lacks immersion or immediacy.

Cabling is neat, the layout generally harmonious and the wrist strap a win for under $10. The strap lets me shift from the top to the side handle without any hassle and is easily thick enough to take the whole rigs’ weight if needed, an easy solution, that I thought was likely out of the question.

So, what would I like?

Needy me, would like a slightly lower profile, a more intimate setup and one with more top plate options than a single cold shoe. The coldshoe mount is an issue as it adds unwanted height and clutter rather than solutions for some of my mics.

My preferred 1446b handle is languishing unused. It is to me more comfortable and more secure, being a screw-in not cold shoe mount (I can also then use the cold shoe handle on an EM1, where the 1446b is useless without a cage). This handle sits lower meaning my base working height is higher-a good thing.

Last time I tried this handle the problems were many.

• The top cheese plate on the Niceyrig cage was completely hogged by its mounting foot, meaning nothing else could go on with it.

• It does take the monitor well, efficiently even, with a front mounted cold shoe foot, but cannot take it on the top (the top cold shoe is half depth, i.e useless).

• It sticks out too far behind to allow for eye-piece viewing,

• I stuggled to fit into my bag without dis-assembly, something the cold shoe handle did well. I found it could just fit and added rigidity to the bag, but it was tight.

I went looking for ideas.

As usual, searching for specifically what I wanted coughed up the same sponsored items over and over again. Looking for something else all together (side handles), I came across a couple of extension cheese plates. The winner was an 11cm long Camvate one. It has 4 securing rows, which may also take cables for protection and give me several places to mount it.

The potential is for lower and more secure, direct-to-plate mic mounting, some neat cable looping and even more monitor options, at the same time as taking the low profile handle. I will aim to replace the cage top plate, fit the handle, then hopefully there will be enough room left to give me several top plate options, especially if the H5 is wanted. I can also still add the Smallrig mini cold shoe extension to this, which may take it out past the left side handle.

Just after ordering this, I found a bargain.

Camvate makes one of the universal cage options I looked at for the EM1’s. Compared to camera specific ones, they can be square and clumsy looking. They are far from a perfect, but work. I was also looking on and off for a wooden side handle. The two were prohibitively expensive for fringe ideas. I like my mini top handle as a jury-rigged side handle, but as the rig gets heavier, this is proving to be a little under-done.

I found a Camvate universal C-Cage (3 sides only) with a removable wooden handle for $80 au, which is only $30 dearer than the handle on its own and cheaper than some of their C-cage only offers. If I bought the 6 parts (2 side bar lengths are supplied) on their own, it would be at least twice the price.

This gives me several options.

A second buildable cage (maybe a heavy follow-me one), somewhere to use all the left overs and maybe some other ideas. I am looking at picking up a cheap G7 or G85 at some point as a B angle camera (the OSMO as the movement specialist), maybe even an upgrade to a Black Magic Compact Cinema or just re-purpose a left over Olympus.

This handle is not as versatile as some, but I like it more than many. If nothing else, I have bits to add to my primary rig if needed.

In all likelihood the whole thing will lack balance and have catches I have not seen coming, but I want to try it and feel at least something will come of it, even if it is only the addition of a top plate to the existing rig.

Meanwhile, I finally do have a useable rig.