Quick take: After eight or nine months of waiting, SmallRig finally made a cage for the Canon PowerShot V1, and it's easily the best option. It's a full cage with anti-twist locating pins on every side, a 3/8" mount on top, a built-in Arca-Swiss plate and a grip made from the same textured material as the camera. Most importantly, it leaves the multi-function shoe completely clear. SmallRig also released an L-handle grip that comes with a wind muff.
The Other Cage Options
I've reviewed the other V1 options already. The first to market was the Tilta cage, which is really a hand grip with a top plate. It's beautiful, but the top plate isn't functional. The other was a no-name full cage I ordered from Alibaba. It was overpriced, but for the longest time it was the only full cage you could get.
I honestly thought SmallRig wasn't going to make one, so I was pleasantly surprised when it showed up. As the latest to market, and with SmallRig's track record on consumer cameras, I expected it to be the best. It is.
SmallRig L-Handle Grip
Alongside the cage, SmallRig released an extended grip with an Arca-Swiss plate, a screwdriver and a couple of slightly offset mounting points on the bottom. It's very well thought out.
The grip is where SmallRig really paid attention. The V1's textured front grip is one of its strong points, and SmallRig used what looks and feels like the same material on both the hand grip and the cage. You get a deeper grip than the factory one, with identical texture, so you won't lose your hold on hot, sweaty days. The Tilta's smooth wooden grip looks great, but this is far more functional.
The grip also comes with a wind muff that slides into the multi-function shoe to cover the built-in mic. The V1's onboard mic is good, and if you're ever caught without an external mic, the muff will keep wind from blowing out your audio. Heads up: the muff comes with the grip, not the cage.
The SmallRig Cage
It's a full cage with mounting points on all sides, which the other options didn't have.
Every side has a mounting point with an anti-twist locating pin, so you can mount it to a car or windshield without worrying about it twisting loose. This is still a $1,000 camera, and we don't want accidents.
The top has a 3/8" mounting screw as well as a locating pin, so the handles from your bigger cages work without an adapter, and you get an extra point of stability for car rigs and articulating arms.
It includes a flush 1/4" to 3/8" adapter, so you don't have to buy one.
It has a built-in Arca-Swiss plate on the grip.
It attaches through a bracket into one of the camera's strap eyelets as well as the tripod socket, so it's far more secure and basically never comes loose.
With a camera this powerful and this small, that versatility means you can build a proper all-day rig. Add a top handle, or even a monitor if you're being silly (though you lose the touchscreen). The more realistic win is mounting a V-mount or other extended battery to power the V1 through an event, interviews or a day of vlogging. I got a kick out of setting it up with a V-mount like I do with my Canon R5 Cs. The V1 matches them beautifully, especially at the wide end.
Why This Is the Best Cage: The Multi-Function Shoe
The V1 only has Canon's multi-function shoe. There's no standard hot shoe, so the shoe is the only way to connect a Canon microphone directly or use the Canon AD-1 adapter for a flash or trigger.
The Tilta top plate completely blocks the shoe, which made me take it off after a while because it ruined the shooting experience. If you go Tilta, just get the bottom grip. The no-name cage had clearance, but barely. You had to push accessories that last sixteenth of an inch to lock them in.
The SmallRig cage leaves the shoe completely clear. My microphone pops on and off flawlessly without stressing the shoe or rubbing against metal, and even the bulky AD-1 fits perfectly. That was the first thing I tested, and the whole review hinged on it. It feels like SmallRig actually bought the camera and tried it themselves.
This is a video-first camera that's also a really good photo camera. An accessory should enhance the experience, not take away from it. Big, big props to SmallRig for getting that right.
Final Thoughts
The PowerShot V1 is a powerhouse of a camera, and it finally has a cage to match. I recorded this whole review on the V1 in the SmallRig cage, and it's the setup I'm keeping.
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