Let me be frank: I’m not a typical action camera user, even though I review them for a living. I’ve always been more interested in photography, and general photography at that.
I own a DJI Osmo Action 6 and I think it’s an extremely capable little video camera for vlogging and sports capturing, but the idea of using it for street photography never crossed my mind. Action cameras work best attached to a helmet or surfboard, rather than in your hand as you wander around a city looking for interesting faces, scenes and lights. The form factor alone makes the whole experience feel wrong: too small to fit comfortably; buttons that require firm pressure (which can push the camera just as the shutter fires); it’s a photographic experience as intuitive as taking snapshots with a bar of soap.
The cage (which costs $59.49 / £63.90 / AU$109.90) is a surprisingly stylish piece of design for what, on paper, looks like a purely utilitarian product. The black body with the silver top trim is decidedly retro and it’s charming – the kind of thing that would attract compliments rather than confused looks when you’re out on the street.
Most importantly, it feels good in my hand. The contoured, rubber-covered grip naturally positions the user’s index finger over a large orange shutter button, and the whole thing is sturdy enough to hold confidently without adding enough bulk to make it awkward. I took the rig on a long weekend in East Sussex, and over the course of several outings it slipped into my jacket pocket between shots without any problems.
There are also some clever practical details here. A hollow section inside the grip can store a spare Osmo Extreme Battery Plus, increasing the Action 6’s already terrific battery life. A cold shoe mount and two 1/4″-20 threaded holes (one on top, one on the bottom) also provide plenty of expansion options – I didn’t attach anything extra during my testing, but the tripod mount on the base in particular feels like it greatly expands what this small camera can do.
Picture 1 of 6
DJI’s own mounting points on the camera base also remain accessible via the cage, which is a thoughtful touch. I could even use DJI’s Osmo Action 6 macro lens or optional FOV lens with the cage attached, although I had to leave out SmallRig’s included lens protector. It’s not a big deal, frankly: it looks nice but feels more like an aesthetic accessory than a functional one.
The cage also comes with a sturdy, adjustable shoulder strap. It works great as a crossbody or shoulder strap, and you can also shorten it enough so that it wraps around your neck like a regular neck strap.
Does it really take better photos?
No, but that will never happen. The image quality is the same as shooting with the Action 6 without a cage, because the sensor and lens have not changed. What has changed, and radically, is the filming experience. The button movement problem that plagues handheld action camera photography is solved here: you now press a proper shutter button with reassuring feedback, rather than poking at a shallow rubbery button and hoping the camera doesn’t move at the time of capture. It seems small, but it makes a huge difference.
Picture 1 of 8
I have to be honest about one limitation: there’s no viewfinder, and for someone like me who’s always found composing photos through a screen somewhat unsatisfying, that dulls the experience a bit. The Osmo Action 6 in its cage will not replace a Fujifilm X100VI, a Ricoh GR IV or a Leica M EV1: these cameras offer a fundamentally different experience, with much more manual control and, yes, better image quality. What this compares favorably to is shooting on a smartphone. It’s more comfortable, more tactile and, thanks to its retro design, considerably more discreet. While I was using it on the street, no one gave it a second glance.
Picture 1 of 6
If you already own a DJI Osmo Action 6 and have always wanted to use it for something other than action sequences or vlogging, SmallRig’s cage is a transformative add-on. This won’t turn your action camera into Henri Cartier-Bresson’s Leica. But it might just make it something you use a lot more often.
Follow TechRadar on Google News And add us as your favorite source to get our news, reviews and expert opinions in your feeds.
