Let me be honest: I’m not your typical action camera user, even though I review them for a living. I have always been more interested in photography and, furthermore, photography of walks in general.
I have a DJI Osmo Action 6 and I think it’s a hugely capable little video camera for vlogging and sports shooting, but the idea of ​​using it for street photography had never crossed my mind. Action cameras work best strapped to helmets or surfboards, not held 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 hold comfortably; buttons that require a firm press (which can push the camera just as the shutter releases); It’s a photography experience as intuitive as taking photos with a bar of soap.
The cage (which costs $59.49 / £63.90 / AU$109.90) is a surprisingly elegant piece of design for what, on paper, sounds like a purely utilitarian product. The black body with silver top trim is absolutely retro and looks charming – the kind of thing that would draw compliments rather than confused looks when you’re out on the street.
More importantly, it feels great in my hand. The contoured, rubberized grip places the user’s index finger naturally over a large orange shutter button, and the whole thing is substantial enough to hold confidently without adding enough bulk to make it uncomfortable. I took the setup on a long weekend to East Sussex and, over several outings, kept it in my jacket pocket between takes without any problems.
There are some practical and clever details here too. A hollow section inside the grip can store a spare Osmo Extreme Battery Plus, adding to the Action 6’s already formidable battery life. A cold shoe mount and two 1/4″-20 threaded holes (one top, one bottom) also offer plenty of expansion options – I didn’t attach anything extra during my testing, but the tripod mount on the base in particular seems to significantly expand what this little camera can do.
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DJI’s own mounting points on the base of the camera also remain accessible through the cage, which is a thoughtful touch. You could even use the optional Osmo Action 6 macro lens or DJI FOV lens accessories with the cage attached, although I had to leave out SmallRig’s included lens protector. Frankly, that’s not a big problem: it looks good but feels more like an aesthetic accessory than a functional one.
The cage is also supplied with a sturdy and adjustable shoulder strap. It works perfectly well as a crossbody or shoulder strap, and you can also shorten it enough to hang it around your neck as a classic point-and-shoot neck strap.
Does it really take better photos?
No, but it was never going to be like that. The image quality is identical to shooting with the Action 6 without a cage, because the sensor and lens have not changed. What has changed, and dramatically so, is the filming experience. The button displacement problem that plagues handheld action camera photography is solved here: you’re now pressing a proper shutter button with a reassuring amount of feedback, rather than pressing a shallow rubbery nub and hoping the camera doesn’t move at the time of capture. It sounds like a small thing, but it makes a big difference.
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I must be honest about one limitation: there is no viewfinder, and for someone like me, who has always found composing shots 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; Those cameras offer a fundamentally different experience, with much more manual control and, yes, better image quality. What it compares favorably to is shooting with a smartphone. It is more comfortable, more tactile and, thanks to the retro design, considerably more discreet. While wearing it on the street, no one gave it a second glance.
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If you already own a DJI Osmo Action 6 and have ever wanted to use it for more than just action or vlogging footage, the SmallRig cage is a transformative add-on. It won’t turn your action camera into Henri Cartier-Bresson’s Leica. But it might as well make it something you use much more frequently.
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