REVIEW: Gary Fong Flip Cage

Gary Fong Flip Cage shown on the X10, iPhone 4s, s100 and G12
The large unit is the Pro and the smaller is

Gary Fong is best known for his lightsphere product which I actually owned (one of the original versions). While there are lots of strong opinions about the lightsphere, I think the Flip Cage should be a little less controversial. What this gadget does (for under $20) is provide your small camera with a easy to carry tripod that also acts as a LCD protector and/or light shield. The front unit can also serve as a flash bounce for your small camera. In fact, there’s even an adapter that allows you to use this with your iPhone 3Gs or 4/4s which can be very handy on vacation (as I discovered in Hawaii).

Here’s couple shots I took of it using a Nikon 1 V1:

While big lenses will test the strength of the flip cage pro, it still worked just fine.

Here’s a shot I did with the Nikon 1 V1 with it mounted as shown above to a Flip Cage Pro during a 1 second exposure:

In-Camera JPEG for a 1 second exposure using the Nikon V1

 

Additional Uses

Here’s some photos courtesy of B&H that show some alternative ways to use this product:

Conclusion

I dig this little gizmo – especially for the iPhone! It’s small and easily fits in a pocket while its attached to your camera. While I didn’t get much testing of the diffusion panels, I thought it was clever for Gary Fong to include these panels, but if you don’t like them then they can easily be removed. At less than $20 for most versions (except iPhone), they make a great stocking stuffer or gift for a photographer friend.

Ordering Info

Please support this blog by ordering using the the following links:

Click here to order your size and color Flip Cage. Larger cameras like the G12 and X10 or X100 will require a PRO model. This link also contains models for your iPhone 3Gs or 4/4s.

Disclaimer

I was provided with test units by Gary Fong, Inc. I may also get a commission if you make purchases using links in this article.