Quick take: The first real cage for the Canon PowerShot V1 came from a brand I'd never heard of, Yanzu. It's a proper cage with a built-in Arca-Swiss plate, mounting points with locating pins on the sides and top, a cold shoe, a strap loop and full clearance for the multi-function shoe. It's modular, so you can remove the grip, whose faux-leather texture I don't love. Be careful when ordering: you want the full-cage option, not the cheap listing that's just the base plate. Update: SmallRig has since released its own V1 cage. Read my SmallRig V1 cage review.
Past Solutions
The PowerShot V1 is one of my favorite travel cameras of all time, but for months there was no proper cage. At first, I recommended an L-bracket, which let you mount it vertically or horizontally with an Arca-Swiss clamp. It was a workaround.
The Problem With the Tilta Cage
Then Tilta released its "cage," which is really a handle with an Arca-Swiss plate. The bottom half is beautiful and the best-looking option, so if you don't need to mount anything to the sides or top, it might be the better choice. But I wouldn't buy the top piece, because it interferes with the multi-function shoe. You can buy the bottom grip on its own.
Finding This Cage Is Hard
On Threads, a viewer named Taiwan Brown sent me an AliExpress listing for this style of cage. Many sellers didn't ship to the US, but I finally found one from a brand called Yanzu. With import costs, it was more expensive than it should be, but I found a coupon and I use it a lot. I bought both silver and black versions.
I can't share affiliate links because the listings I bought from are gone. Look for the brand name Yanzu. I've seen a handful of non-Prime Amazon listings and eBay listings, though US buyers will pay import fees.
All About the Cage
It comes with a small screwdriver with a magnetic base and an Allen key. It has the basic makings of a good cage:
A built-in Arca-Swiss plate.
1/4" mounting points on the side, including ones with locating pins, which I love for articulating arms.
More mounting points with pins on top, plus a dedicated cold shoe for a second mic.
A loop for a Peak Design anchor or similar, if you want to strap it to your wrist.
One small gripe: the product photos didn't show the logo that's printed on the cage. We pay for these products. We don't need to be billboards.
Why It's the Best Cage (For Now)
Whoever designed this actually measured the camera. My Canon mic slides into the multi-function shoe with no bending or interference, and the same goes for the hot shoe adapter for flash. The V1 is a video-first camera, but it's also a great photo camera, and plenty of us use flash. An accessory shouldn't reduce a camera's functionality.
It attaches two ways: the 1/4" screw on the bottom and a clever anchor clip that tilts up and drops into the camera's strap lug. Once tightened, it does not move at all. For a company I'd never heard of, this is an incredibly well-designed piece of gear.
What I Don't Like
The grip has a textured faux-leather finish that I don't love. It's grown on me a little, but I much prefer the wood grips Tilta uses and SmallRig used on older cages like the one for the RX100 VII.
Modularity
This is where the Allen key comes in. The cage is completely modular. You can remove the grip, which I'm considering doing, and you can even remove the sides and top with three bolts to leave just the base plate.
That modularity causes a buying trap. Some listings show the cage photo at around $20, but that's only the Arca-Swiss base plate. You want the most expensive option, often labeled Type C or option C, which includes the base plate, grip and full cage. International returns are not fun, so get it right the first time.
Final Thoughts
Rigged up, you can even add an external monitor for overhead work. I've been using the V1 a lot as a C camera alongside my Canon R5 Cs, and I might just get a second one for YouTube. If you're hunting for V1 accessories, the Yanzu cage is a great option. SmallRig, the market needs you. All my cameras are rigged out in your gear.
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