Quick take: The VRIG MG-03 is a cheap hot shoe mount that holds a MagSafe phone on your camera, giving you instant behind-the-scenes footage with no batteries or cables. It switches between vertical and horizontal, angles down to show your camera, works with non-MagSafe phones via an included ring and is low-key enough to use in public. Bonus tip: phones need a TRRS cable, not TRS, for external mics.
Why BTS Footage Matters
I love behind-the-scenes footage. On planned shoots I mount a 360 camera to my rig, record the camera's screen with an external recorder, or do both for a full view of what's happening. That means a cage, extra batteries and accessories, an extra recorder, an extension rod and an articulating arm for the 360 camera. It gets to be a lot, but it's worth it when I'm editing, because I have plenty of footage to tell the story.
Like you, though, sometimes I just want to take photos. Then I bring one camera and a lens or two, or just a point-and-shoot. If I take a photo I want to talk about, I go back for B-roll or just put the photo on screen. This little mount might change that.
How the VRIG MG-03 Works
It's so simple I'm shocked nobody made one sooner. Slide it into your camera's hot shoe, snap on a MagSafe iPhone and you have an instant BTS camera.
Switches orientation: vertical to horizontal seamlessly, with enough clearance to shoot both without readjusting the mount
Angles down to show more of your camera in the shot
No batteries, cables or setup
Works with any phone: it comes with an adhesive magnetic ring for Android or non-MagSafe phones
Threaded bottom so you can also mount it on a tripod or plate
Solid cold shoe: it doesn't wobble, and it folds flat when you don't want it in view
Testing It in DC
I tested it in triple-digit heat in DC with my iPhone 13 Pro Max in its case, on the Fujifilm X-T5 with the 70-300mm. From the top of the Jefferson Memorial steps, by the fourth pillar from the left, I shot the White House in the distance. A few weeks earlier I'd taken a similar shot with the 150-600mm on the X-H2S, so this was half the focal length with nearly twice the megapixels.
The phone footage shows my point of view and the surrounding area alongside the final photo. In public places like the national monuments, nobody bats an eye at a phone on a camera. A setup like an Accsoon SeeMo, with a battery and cables hanging off, looks a little more suspicious. (Side note: someone got proposed to right next to me while I was shooting, and she said yes. Congratulations!)
Great for Fast Social Content
If you shoot sports, or any event, you can post phone clips immediately for live updates while your main camera captures high-res footage for promos and edits later. Because it's one piece, it removes the failure points of a DIY version made from spare SmallRig parts and one of the dozens of free phone mounts you've collected. And if you're shooting memories, you don't have to choose between photo and video anymore.
Pro Audio Tip: TRS vs TRRS
If you use an external microphone with your phone and the receiver doesn't have a proprietary connector, you need more than the little dongle that came with your phone. Camera mics use a TRS (tip, ring, sleeve) cable. Phones need a TRRS (tip, ring, ring, sleeve) cable. Most people find out after recording a whole video with no audio. Now you won't.
Final Thoughts
For what it costs, it's a great accessory in a video-centric age. For more inexpensive gear I rely on, see 5 cheap camera tools that make shooting video easier.
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