At IBC 2019 Bright Tangerine was showing their C500 Mark II cage solution. The cage solution was developed in collaboration with Canon.
The Canon C500 Mark II Left Field Cage will retail for $997 USD and come with the complete cage, top handle, 15mm rod bracket & two 6″ Drumstix 15mm rods.
Key features
- New patented Open•UP quick release system – Slide, Lock & Vertically Release in seconds
Operator Friendly – makes balancing easier on gimbals or handheld with additional C500 Mark II modules - Seamlessly Integrated – Slimline & low profile with no hard to reach buttons or dials
- Lighter & Stronger – complete camera protection without excess baggage
- Matte anodised finish for durability
- Extremely lightweight – Only weighs 1kg (2.2lb
The cage builds upon the Canon EOS C200 Left Field Cage but adds a number of improvements and new design changes that make the cage lighter and faster to use. Erik has previously done a review of the Canon C200 Left Field Cage and found it to be very well built, providing good protection for the camera and a tonne of mounting options.
Bright Tangerine reworked a number of core components on the cage, from the baseplate to how the side plates mount, by doing this they have been able to make it 500 grams (1.1lb) lighter than their C200 cage.
The top handle and top plate have also been modified to create a lower centre of gravity.
Tripod to Handheld in seconds
One of the key upgrades to the new cage is the new, patented Open•UP quick release system. It has a similar snap-on, snap-off design to their 19mm Studio Quick Release Bridgeplate that lets you not only slide and lock the camera onto an ARRI compatible dovetail but release the camera vertically. This is very handy for large, heavy rigs.
The lever is now also much bigger than previously, making it easier to find and operate with gloves. It does have a safety, so you can’t accidentally remove the camera.
According to Bright Tangerine, the new mechanism will also work with ARRI standard dovetails that are slightly out of specification due to tolerances or bad manufacturing. With other clamps, you either had to manually adjust the clamping tension for the tolerance or use another ARRI standard dovetail.
Balancing Act
With the Canon EOS C500 Mark II, it’s possible to use it standalone, or built up for a more traditional ENG shoulder camera configuration with the extension modules and larger block batteries.
Just like the Left Field Cage for the EOS C200, the top & bottom sections of the cage use ARRI standard dovetail clamps which can slide back & forth to provide optimal balance for the camera operator.
15mm rods can be mounted on the top or bottom to use with other accessories like a follow focus or matte box.
As with the C200 cage, there is also an LCD monitor relocator mount which attaches to any 3/8″ or ARRI accessory mount.
Pricing & Availability
Learn more about the EOS C500 Mark II Left Field Cage on the Bright Tangerine website.
The accessories are available individually or as a complete cage. You get a few extras by purchasing it as a complete cage as it comes with the top handle, Canon LCD bracket mount & top 15mm rod mount.
It is expected to ship in December, around the same time as the C500 II.
| B4005.0009 – Canon C500 Mk II Left Field Cage Baseplate, Side plate kit, top plate kit, top handle, Canon LA-V1 adapter, 15mm Rod Bracket and two 6″ Drumstix 15mm rods | $997 USD |
| B4005.0006 – Canon C500 Mk II/C200/C700 QR Baseplate Universal baseplate core, C500 Mk II riser, Dovetail Plate | $397 USD |
| B4005.0007 – Canon C500 Mk II Left Field Sliding Top Plate Kit C500 Mk II Top Plate Core, Dovetail Plate | $279 USD |
| B4005.0008 – Canon C500 Mk II Left Field Side Plate Kit C500 Mk II Left Side Plate, C500 Mk II Right Side Plate | $297 USD |
The Left Field 15mm LWS Universal Baseplate Mk II which has the Open•UP quick release will also be available separately for use with other cameras like the Sony Venice, FS7, URSA Mini Pro and more.
