Cinegear 2014 – Varavon Armor Cage for Panasonic GH3 GH4 Cameras

• • 12 Comments

Cinegear 2014 - Varavon displays a finished version of the new Armor Cage for Panasonic GH3 / GH4 cameras.

The cage fits fairly snug around the camera body, wrapping around menu buttons for easy access, and is cut out to allow full articulation of the LCD screen, access to battery door, and media slot. For keeping the HDMI in place, there is a small bracket to pinch the the HDMI cable from being accidentally pulled off. A removable top handle and hand strap are also included in the kit.

gh3 gh4 exterrnal batterygh3 gh4 armor varavon 15mm rails cage
Optional External Battery and 15mm Rail Base Mount

Varavon is also offering optional accessories such as an external battery pack, and 15mm Rail Base that attaches under the cage. Available now for $270 and more information at the Varavon website (here).

Varavon Armor Cage FH3 GH4
find-price-button Varavon Armor Cage for Panasonic GH3 / GH4 Cameras

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12 thoughts on “Cinegear 2014 – Varavon Armor Cage for Panasonic GH3 GH4 Cameras”

  1. Steve

    SPEEDBOOSTER METABONES EF MFT M43 QUESTION!

    Me too... can this cage work when using GH4 with Metabones EF to M43 SPEEDBOOSTER???? Will it alow camera plate to attach to the speedbooster (when using heavy canon lenses) AND will it physically fit in the cage?!!!

    thanks

  3. Timo

    I'm curious about if I can attach and remove a Metabones Speedbooster - Canon FD / MFT - without removing the cage because the Speedbooster has this nose which is completely senseless btw.

  4. Robert

    Are there 1/4 20s on the bottom or is it the arca only (I couldn't really tell from the video)?

    Thanks

  5. Emm

     Post author

    @ben - I know for a fact that the new Honu will support all access to the Sony A7. I tried it myself, but that updated cage will be released in a few weeks.

  6. ben

    Do you know if an A7 series camera will fit in this, and if it obscures any of the ports? Ive been looking for a more svelte cage option and there aren't many for the A7 without bulking it up quite a bit

  7.

    THX. great info

    Love to inform myself with more research, but yours is the only thing I'm finding so far. Anyone know where any of these are in stock some where in LA?

  8.

    Hey Emm,

    Does the Honu cage allow for full rotation of the LCD?
    Would a Varavon Loupe EX View Finder for the GH3 fit on the cage?

    Thanks ~Jett

  9. Emm

     Post author

    @Harry - The cage with the hand strap was comfortable to hold. Varavon has a nice design here, and of course excellent quality.

    Better than the Honu? Hmm that's always subjective, but i've been using the Honu ever since it was first released with the GH3. First, the Honu is not really made to hold the camera for taking photos. It's a cage for using the GH4 as a video camera. So if you want a more comfortable rig to hold in your hand - Varavon wins.

    The slim hugging design of the Varavon is nice, but it makes it harder to run a bolt from under the cage which I find is necessary for mounting certain accessories. Example: If you wanted to mount a mini ball head for an LED light or Monitor, you would run the bolt under the frame. The extra space in the Honu makes this easy and you can fit an allen key to tighten. The Honu is also ready built with cold shoe slots which I use very very often.

    I haven't tried it, but another issue is if you use friction arms that thread in from the top. If the camera body is too close, the threads may hit the camera. I have this problem with my BMPCC Cages that fit snug. Some threads are too long and end up hitting the camera body as you run them through the frame.

    The somewhat basic design of the Honu can be used with many different cameras around the size of a GH3/GH4 (and the updated Honu Cage will work perfectly with all Sony A7/A7r/A7s cameras too - including battery door access) while the Varavon appears very specific to just the Panasonic cameras.

    The Honu cage starts at $99 bucks or under $140 with top handle and HDMI Clamp. Varavon around at $270. Of course, you should not limit your research to my own opinion though, and I encourage you to do more research about each product and what offers the best features for your type of work.

  10.

    Thanks Emm.

    So like Michael asked (Hey Michael) was it comfortable? Better than the Honu? Did you try the HDMI / MIC cable locks?

    Rumor has it that Viewfactor will be coming out with something.

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