Hands-on with the Bright Tangerine Left Field Canon C200 Cage

If you need to add accessories to a camera you will find out fast that you can only get so much on a handle, plus it gets pretty tall or is just in the wrong position. A cage is generally the fix and Bright Tangerine has designed the Left Field Canon C200 Cage to help get what you need on the C200 in more locations than just the handle. The C200 body is not the sturdiest either so the cage adds some much-needed stability and protection for the camera.

Canon fixed some of the issues which the C300 II has. Namely that awkward clamshell LCD and XLR module. Man, I hate that thing. The C200 body now has the XLR inputs and the LCD is attached to an articulating mount that works fairly well and is in a much better position on the side.  Still, you can only put so much on that handle. 

What is Left Field?

As Bright Tangerine has done with all of their products, they have decided on a name that gives homage to British punk & pop culture. All of their camera accessories will fall under the Left Field line which currently also includes accessories for RED DSMC2, ARRI Alexa Mini, Sony Venice, Blackmagic Design URSA Mini & more.

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If you feel you don’t need the entire cage you can purchase individual pieces that would work best. Keep in mind that part of the rigidity comes from having a full four-sided cage, however since the cage attaches to the C200 from the top with two screws and the bottom with two screws you will still have a solid setup if you don’t want to use the side plates.

Do I need a cage?

With a hybrid mirrorless camera, I always get a cage for video use. We just need more accessories to get the job done. Need a run and gun light? Monitor, wireless video transmitter and a timecode generator? All these things can be a mess to deal with and a cage solves the issues of mounting them. On a cinema camera, I usually don’t add a cage since everything I need is on the camera already. EVF, monitor, audio all are already included but as I mentioned earlier when you need more a cage is a great way to add those extra pieces of kit mounted securely and out of the way.

Bright Tangerine Left Field Canon C200 Cage

The Bright Tangerine Left Field C200 cage is designed to give you options without getting in the way. How many times have you used a cage that blocks a port or makes a switch hard to get too? I thought this thing was supposed to help me, not get in the way.

Well, that isn’t the case here. One thing I like a lot about the Left Field C200 Cage is you don’t have a bunch of sections that need to be put together to get it on the camera. For the most part, it slides on easily. I did loosen the top plate a little to stick the C200 in but I didn’t need to. I just don’t like the idea of potentially scratching my gear and doing so made it all lineup perfectly without struggling.

It’s Loaded With ARRI Accessory Mounts

I like the Arri accessory mount a lot, and from the looks of the
Left Field C200 Cage, Bright Tangerine does too. This cage is covered in them as well as 1/4″-20 taps. If you’re not familiar with the Arri accessory mount you should be. Here is why.

The Arri accessory mount has two pins on both sides of the 3/8″-16 screw that prevents the accessory from twisting and coming loose. This is a problem with the basic 1/4″-20 mount. No matter how tight you get it it will come loose. This isn’t the case with the Arri mount.

I’m thrilled to see more companies using them and even Atomos added it to the Ninja V solving a long-standing issue with monitors twisting loose from a 1/4-20″ mount. I hope to see more companies move to the Arri style mount on new products. It just makes sense.

Bright Tangerine was clearly thinking about higher end cinema setups when they designed the Left Field C200 Cage. After all, they make some top shelf kit like the Revolvr follow focus and a full line of excellent matte boxes so this isn’t a surprise they use mounts that just work best and in most cases for higher-end cameras.

Arri mounts and the use of a dovetail system for mounting the camera are stuff you see on high-end cinema camera rigs and if you are already in the ecosystem then the C200 can easily be used with existing Arri style dovetail plates as well. They also did the right thing by using the Arri standard dimensions for those dovetails as many companies make them but they don’t fit the standard. This is annoying and frustrating at the same time and you have to test them to make sure they will work. This is also a common issue with the Arca-Swiss system. Many plates either are too big or to small and they won’t lock down.

Dovetail System With Options

I talked about the top plate and the Arri mount but I didn’t mention that the top plate is also a dovetail so it can be repositioned back and forward approximately 3″. On each end of the plate are safety stops to prevent accidentally sliding off.

The plate is removed easily with a simple turn of the clamps knob. This is cool because you can get a spare Left Field Dovetail Plate and have it pre-setup for different shooting situations. Maybe you don’t need a handle and monitor but do need to have a timecode generator and wireless video transmitter attached. Mount it and swap it out. Same goes with the dovetail on the bottom.

Don’t want to use a dovetail system to mount to a tripod? No problem. Attach a tripod plate to the Left Field Dovetail Plate or other quick release plates. Again it’s about options and making them easy to work with.

In video production, the dovetail system isn’t used that much. Mainly since the cameras are smaller and the lenses are not as long and heavy like PL cinema glass that requires more range on the tripod to balance the camera.

That’s the big benefit of a 12″ dovetail. It’s also very secure with the clamp. All dovetails have safety locks on both ends to stop the camera from sliding off. If yours doesn’t get rid of it and buy one that does.

A Better LCD Mounting System

One big improvement with the C200 over the C300 design is the LCD monitor and mounting system. Did I mention how much I hate the clamshell? To avoid twisting the LCD mount also uses the ARRI mount to attach the C200 LCD and mounting hardware to the handle. It also can be relocated to either side of the handle for more versatility or anywhere else on the cage. You may want to use the LCD on the right side for a focus puller or AC.

15mm Rails and Raiser

The riser places the camera at the correct height for the 15mm LWS standard. The cage uses 15mm rail mounts with four separate clamps. This is great since you can have a set in the back of the camera and take them off while leaving the front rails on. While this is an option, one long rail can slide through to the back as well. I do like how compact the dovetail baseplate is on the C200. In fact, the whole Left Feild Cage is form fitting and for the most part somewhat minimalist in design yet is covered in mounting point.

Bright Tangerine has designed the baseplate to be universal, so if you want to use a different camera system you can simply swap out the riser block to the correct one for that camera. There are currently riser blocks for the Sony Venice, URSA Mini Pro, C200/ C700 and more to come. This also means you don’t have to completely buy new parts if you rent or buy a different camera.

On the operator’s side of the camera, the cage has two Arri mounts and four 1/4-20″ taps. With the top plate attached two 1/4″-20 and a 3/8″-16 are available. The cage is form fitting and doesn’t get in the way of any controls. If you choose to add kit to the cage that is where things could be blocked.

On the right side are a rosette to mount the C200 grip and two more Arri mounts and six 1/4″-20 taps. When the C200 grip is attached the other mounting options are blocked.

With the full cage on the C200, it feels solid and ready for accessories. You don’t feel any flex or wobble with the cage. With added mounting options brings more weight to the C200 and the full cage setup isn’t light. That might be the only downside to the cage however all cages will add weight so you have a tradeoff here. The full C200 cage comes in at 3.1 lbs. or 1.40 kilograms. Not light but if you need to add accessories you will need a way to do so.

Conclusion

The Bright Tangerine Left Field Canon C200 Cage is a thing of beauty. If you need a cage it’s a good choice. I personally like the Arri accessory mount options that are all over the cage. It’s hands down the best way to mount an accessory on a cage. The twisting issue is one pain we all feel. Since the C200 has Canon Raw Light a lot of indie filmmakers and higher-end productions have been using the camera.

The cage makes the C200 fit into the ecosystem with cameras that use the dovetail system. It really is a much better way to mount the camera to a tripod. When using a lot of different lenses that vary in length and weight the ability to have so much more forward and aft on the dovetail to balance the camera is very convenient. The markings on the Bright Tangerine Dovetail make it easier for repeatable setups on the plate too.

A lot of companies don’t use the Arri standard. They get close but are not compatible. This is something I found with the Tilta dovetail. It looks so close but it’s not compatible. This is so frustrating if you need it to work with the kit you already have. Bright Tangerine hardware is fully compatible with the Arri standard.

All in all, it’s a very good option but…. and yes you knew a but was coming. The price is steep for this quality product. The full kit retails for $997. Yes, it’s slightly more expensive than the competition but I do feel you get your money’s worth due to the exceptional machining and design. This cage will outlive the camera that it’s mounted to. If you need to add a lot of kit to a C200 you can’t go wrong with this Bright Tangerine C200 Left Field Cage.

Pricing

Bright Tangerine Left Field Canon C200 Cage – $997 USD, currently $799 USD
Bright Tangerine Left Field Baseplate – $347 USD
Left Field Top Plate for C200 – $279 USD
Left Field Side Plates for C200 (L&R) – $297 USD
Left Field Left Side Plate for C200 – $179 USD
Left Field Right Side Plate for C200 – $179 USD
Canon C200 Monitor Adaptor – $47 USD
Left Field Top Handle – $179 USD
Left Field Riser for Canon C200/C700 – $67 USD

As for competition, the SHAPE Canon C200 cage which also wraps around the camera with top handle and EVF mount for $835