Did SmallRig Quietly Make the Best FX6 Cage Yet for Vertical Production?
SmallRig's new FX6 cage kit is built specifically for vertical shooting — repositionable side handle, V-mount power, full cable management. Is it the best vertical rig for the camera yet?
SmallRig just announced a new Cage Kit for the Sony FX6 (model 5801), and it's worth asking whether this quietly becomes the go-to vertical-shooting rig for the camera. Unlike most general-purpose cinema camera cages, this one is built around a specific use case from the ground up: vertical, portrait-oriented video from a full-frame cinema camera.
What makes this one different from a standard cage
The headline feature is a side handle adapter that repositions the FX6's original side handle vertically while keeping full access to its native controls — meaning you're not losing functionality just to shoot portrait orientation. The side plate also includes a mounting point for an optional top handle, which SmallRig says helps with low-angle vertical shooting and makes the rig easier to carry between setups.
For anyone delivering content for Instagram Reels, TikTok, or YouTube Shorts off a cinema camera body, that's a meaningfully more specific solution than trying to retrofit a horizontal-first cage for vertical work. Whether that makes it the best option is a fair question to leave open until people have actually tested it in the field — but on paper, nothing else built specifically for the FX6 addresses vertical shooting this directly.
The rest of the kit
Beyond the vertical-shooting features, this is a fully modular rigging system: a top plate, two right-side plates, a left-side NATO rail, and a baseplate, with multiple 1/4"-20 and 3/8"-16 mounting points, ARRI-style locating holes, a cold shoe mount, and a HawkLock quick-release NATO rail for attaching accessories. The cage itself is aluminum alloy and silicone construction, measuring 146.3 x 174.5 x 173.8mm and weighing 645.7g.
Power and cable management built in
The kit includes a V-mount battery plate and adapter, a D-Tap-to-DC power cable, an extension cable, and a cable clamp — giving you a path to external power for both the camera and any accessories mounted to the rig, with actual cable management rather than loose cables hanging off the build.
One thing worth double-checking before you buy
SmallRig already sells a different FX6 cage kit under model number 4124 (an older kit without the vertical-specific side handle adapter). If you're shopping for this one, confirm you're looking at model 5801 specifically, since the two kits have different included accessories and pricing.
Pricing and availability
Available now at $199.99 / €174.98.
Key Specs:
- Model number: SmallRig 5801
- Compatibility: Sony FX6
- Key feature: Vertical-mount side handle adapter, retains native FX6 controls
- Construction: Aluminum alloy and silicone
- Dimensions: 146.3 x 174.5 x 173.8mm
- Weight: 645.7g
- Power: V-mount battery plate and adapter, D-Tap to DC cable, extension cable, cable clamp
- Mounting: 1/4"-20 and 3/8"-16 points, ARRI-style locating holes, cold shoe, HawkLock NATO rail
- Price: $199.99 / €174.98
