Matthews Grip Goes Mobile – MSE Rover Smartphone Cage

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by Fabian ChaundyAugust 18^th, 2017

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With the Rover smartphone cage system, grip manufacturer Matthews Studio Equipment enters the world of smartphone filmmaking.

With its 50 years of experience in the manufacture of grip equipment, Matthews Studio Equipment has become synonymous with industry-standard, quality products. Matthews’ new Rover smartphone cage system first made an appearance back in February for an unsuccessful Kickstarter campaign. Despite this brief setback, MSE went ahead with product development, bringing their pedigree in the industry into the new era of smartphone filmmaking.

The MSE Rover Smartphone Cage

The core of the Rover system are the two aluminium brackets that hold your phone in place. The system has been designed to work with most popular smartphones models and 3rd-party lens systems.

The cage itself is attached to a frame made of rods, which makes it possible to customise the placement of various accessories. In addition to a repositionable cold-shoe mount and fourteen 1/4”-20 mounting points (which Matthews calls Points of Freedom), the system also includes a tripod mount so you can attach a plate and go from sticks to handheld in no time.

The Rover smartphone cage comes with two handles to achieve more stable handheld footage. You can of course reposition the handles to wherever on the cage is more comfortable for you,  and they can fully rotate. They can even serve as “easel arms” — think of it as a little kickstand for your smartphone so you can shoot from the floor, or so you set your device on a table for easy editing on the touchscreen. You can also stack the handles, giving you a longer reach for high-angle shots or if you want to go selfie.

The handles connect to the Rover smartphone cage via Matthew’s Perfect Friction system, which allows you to fix them in place without additional locks or extra friction.

Additionally, the Rover system has been designed to be compatible with the Matthews MicroGrip line of clamps, clips, knuckles and more, meaning you can mount the whole Rover cage system to virtually anywhere you need.

The Rover smartphone cage will be available from B&H for $237. According to the Rover product page, there will be various accessory packages available for $100 and above. The Rover will be on display at the Matthews booth at IBC 2017 in a few weeks.

Are you a smartphone filmmaker looking to rig up your device with a cage? Could the MSE Rover fit the bill? Let us know in the comments below!