The Canon EOS C500 Mark II has just been announced and Bright Tangerine has unveiled their EOS C500 Mark II Left Field Cage designed in collaboration with Canon for the camera.
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.
In typical Bright Tangerine fashion, for the EOS C500 II Left Field Cage, the design team reworked a number of core components to the cage, from the baseplate to how the side plates mount, in the process making 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.
The Canon EOS C500 Mark II in the Left Field Cage 
The EOS C500 Mark II with the EU-V2 module and Left Field Cage 
You still have easy access to all of the buttons and dials 
Right side view of the Canon EOS C500 Mark II Left Field Cage 
Original Canon hand grip mounted to the rosette
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)
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.
No price has been set for the cage yet, but it should be priced similarly to the Canon EOS C200 Left Field Cage ($997 USD). You can expect it to be available closer to the end of the year when the camera starts to ship.
We hope to get a closer look at the cage with the camera at IBC next week where it will be on display at Canon’s booth as well as the Bright Tangerine booth.
