In terms of ergonomics this cage has clearly deserved a double-green rating from us. This handle would be perfect if it had the same shape as the Skier handle which fits the Sony audio module mentioned earlier. See one of the first pictures in this review. There is a second rod support built into the front of the handle. Unfortunately this one can only be locked with one of the aforementioned allen keys. There is a removable coldshoe with a locking mechanism on top of the handle and there’s a 15mm evf support built into the handle design. Even though basically all important adjustments on the cage are done with thumbscrews, it’s nice to have these two keys always at hand. It’s locked down with a 1/4″ thumbscrew.Ī very nice touch are the 2 allen keys included within the handle itself. The handle of the Varavon Armor II a7S Cage is a very solid construction that mounts firmly in any one of the many coldshoes available. We actually used this rail to act as a handle to carry the rig around (not ideal, but works if you’re using the audio module). We didn’t have such a unit in office, but we assume it would work very well as the rod has an extremely firm seating in that single-rod support clamp. This doesn’t help to get a mattebox in front of the camera, but it will support a single-rail follow focus like the edelkrone FocusOne. However this cage comes with an entirely different approach: There is a mono-rod included in the package that attaches to a 15mm rod support on the side. There is no rod support included with the Varavon Armor II a7S Cage and it is not available as an extra accessory. The tripod plate sits just firmly enough not to give this aspect a red light, so this could be improved. There is a large carved out area to accommodate the nice toolless base screw, but that doesn’t leave much of a surface for a tripod baseplate. Unfortunately this is where the Varavon Cage falls short. There is nothing blocking the lens release button. Unfortunately we found the handle to be very loose and that’s why we could not recommend it. We could fit it onto the Varavon cage together with the audio module. Yes it’s possible to use the Sony XLR-K2M with this cage, but you will have to relinquish the handle like on most other cages except the Skier LiteCage for A7.īy the way, in theory this cage also works with the Skier Lite Cage handle.
Possible to use the Sony XLR-K2M audio module? The two fittings on the front help stabilise and lock it to the cage. The camera sits very securely in this housing. How securely is the camera attached to the cage? It takes 3 seconds to assemble this cage. At the base the screw has a thumb clamp that lets you lock the camera without any tools. Ease of assembly and disassemblyĪssembling and disassembling the Varavon Armor II a7S Cage is so simple and fast it’s a perfect example of how a great cage should handle this aspect. There is very good access to all ports on the side and with the cable protector you can lock down each cable.
On the downside we found the shape of the cage bends the cables a little bit to the back side of the camera, but not in a way that it would raise our concern. Actually using just the red thumbscrews was sufficient to lock our HDMI cable perfectly in place and the black screws were not needed. The red thumbscrews press against the cable from the other side and jam it in place. The black screws can be setup with an allen key if needed and will press against your cable from the back. There are screws on both sides of the cage. This implementation of a cable protector is really really nice. Here’s their Armor II a7S Cage that has some very useful features up its sleeves. They were among the first to ever build viewfinder loupes when DSLR’s started to shoot video back in 2008 and they have been making a variety of great products ever since. Korean manufacturer Varavon is famous for their unique and intelligent designs. keyboard_arrow_rightCameras of the Year.keyboard_arrow_rightGear Guides by Type.keyboard_arrow_rightGear Guides by Budget.
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