iPhone 12 Pro Max Accessories for Filmmaking: Cage, Mic, Lens

The iPhone 12 Pro Max can shoot genuinely good video, but a bare phone is a poor thing to film with. Your fingers creep into the frame, there's nowhere to mount a light or a mic, and the built-in microphone picks up everything except the person you're recording.

A few accessories fix most of that: a cage for grip and mounting points, a small wireless mic, and, for the adventurous, a lens that changes the look of the image. The catch is choosing ones that fit your phone and your case, and that hold up once you start adding weight.

Below are the cage, the audio, how the whole rig adds up, and an anamorphic lens worth experimenting with.

The SmallRig Universal cage is the grip-and-mount pick, the DJI Mic Mini is the audio pick, and the SmallRig 1.55XT is the anamorphic experiment. Keeping your fingers out of the shot is the cage's whole job, as one owner has put it, and the Mic Mini's tiny size is the audio answer the phone mic never gives.

The Cage: SmallRig Universal 4121

One owner has said the SmallRig Universal 4121 is exactly what they needed to level up their vlogging and mobile filmmaking, with dual handles that give real stability, and the whole setup feels solid, well designed and professional.

Another owner has found it fits a Google Pixel 10 Pro XL well, along with a Lume Cube light and a Comica VM10 microphone, while staying light, and that's the cage's real pitch: phone, light and mic on one frame. A buyer has used it with an iPhone 16 Pro in an OtterBox Defender case and has found it holds well, so cases can stay on.

The buyer leaves theirs outdoors in the elements to document a home build, and has found it sturdy and protective with no rust, which is the strongest durability claim in the set

That's a cage surviving a build log, not a desk. Another owner wanted a way to hold an iPhone with their fingers out of the shot and mount an external mic, and has found it works, with multiple mounts that make it versatile.

The buyer who bought it with a gift card couldn't be happier and has found it well engineered for mobile filmmaking right out of the box

The Audio: DJI Mic Mini

A user was genuinely impressed by how tiny this DJI Mic Mini is, which makes it easy to carry when you're moving through a busy convention to record quick interviews

Since it's so light, you can clip it on any shirt without feeling extra weight during the shoot, which keeps the gear secure for long days of filming.

After using the gear for about two months, a buyer has reported they're satisfied because the setup stays simple and easy to use while filming their daily mobile video projects.

Some reviews in Portuguese and Spanish mention the audio doesn't hiss, which is a big plus for any user. The mic clips to the rig the gimbal carries, and one owner has found the setup simple, the design compact and recording very convenient. Another has had nothing but satisfaction after close to two months.

The Rig Math

The kit question is the payload one: cage plus phone plus mic is the build the dual handles carry, and the gimbal is the motion answer when hands-off matters. Whether the cage works with the gimbal is a common question, and the answer is yes with a weight check: the SE class handles the payload, and the Osmo Mobile 6 tier handles it with margin.

The Lens: SmallRig 1.55XT Anamorphic

The SmallRig 1.55XT is the anamorphic experiment, and the experiments start with the mount. One frustrated owner has found the image quality fine but the magnetic base insecure even with the set screw, and easy to rotate or knock off. Another owner had one of the four magnets that hold it to the case fall off straight away, though the other three have kept it on.

An owner has found the lens base and phone clamp poorly designed

A buyer thought it didn't fit an iPhone 15 Pro Max until they seated it properly, and now recommends it fully

Frequently Asked Questions

Does the cage fit with a case?

The SmallRig cage does a great job of holding the phone when it's housed inside an Otterbox Defender case for protection, one reviewer found.

Is the mic better than the phone audio?

Using the DJI Mic Mini provides audio that sounds much better than the internal camera microphone, especially when filming interviews in noisy convention environments. The tiny size makes it easy to clip on for recording. Its design stays compact and very convenient to use.

Is the magnetic mount secure?

The magnetic base on the anamorphic lens seems insecure and it's easy to rotate or dislodge even with the set screw, one buyer noted.

Does the cage work with the gimbal?

While the SmallRig cage provides stability through dual handles, the Osmo Mobile SE offers a different way to manage movement during mobile filmmaking. Keep the weight within the gimbal motor limits - the cage plus phone plus mic is the payload the SE class handles. Using both tools helps maintain balance over long takes.

Is the anamorphic lens hard to use?

This lens will change the look of your footage to create an interesting effect, though the base and clamp aren't pragmatically designed. It requires some adjustment to get the best visual results. Learning the optics takes a little bit of time.

The learning-curve question is the optics one: the 1.55XT changes the frame, the focus breathing shows up, and the interesting effect is real once the mount is trusted.

The Moment anamorphic page is the premium-lens tier, the Osmo Mobile 6 page is the gimbal class, the mic field covers the audio tiers, No Film School's mobile guides frame the workflow, and PetaPixel's mobile-rig coverage reads the same kits from the photo side. Check B&H's phone-rig stock for the tiers.