Conquering the World of Video Accessories — How Chinese Gear Transformed the Film Set (2007–Present)

History of technology
2026.03.17

The Chinese Camera Equipment Chronicle — THE COMPLETE SERIES — Vol. 04

In the preceding installments, we examined the revolution Chinese manufacturers wrought in lighting equipment — flash strobes and LED continuous lights.

But lighting alone does not make a film set. The accessories that support, move, protect, and transport the camera — camera cages, gimbals (electronic stabilizers), on-camera monitors, wireless video transmitters, shotgun microphones, third-party batteries, and camera bags — these markets, too, were rewritten from the ground up by Chinese manufacturers from the 2010s onward.

This installment surveys how Chinese makers rose to dominance across the entire spectrum of video production accessories — from SmallRig, DJI, Zhiyun, and Tilta, to Hollyland, Deity, Feelworld, and camera bag brands.

  1. SmallRig — The Camera Rig Revolutionary Who “Designs with Users”
    1. Founding — Zhou Yang and Shenzhen Manufacturing
    2. Camera Cages — “Why Didn’t These Exist Before?”
    3. User Co-Design (UCD) — An Uncommonly Un-Chinese Approach
    4. Explosive Product Line Expansion
    5. SmallRig Awards — From Manufacturer to “Patron of the Filmmaking Community”
  2. Tilta — The Shenzhen Cinema Gear Maker with Hollywood in Its Sights
    1. Founding and Growth
    2. The Burbank Showroom — Closing the Distance to Hollywood
    3. Tilta Khronos — TIME’s “Best Inventions 2024”
    4. SmallRig vs. Tilta — Community vs. Cinema
  3. The Gimbal Revolution — How DJI, Zhiyun & FeiyuTech Changed the “Movement” of Video
    1. From Steadicam to Gimbal — A Paradigm Shift
    2. Freefly MōVI — The Dawn of the Gimbal Age
    3. DJI Ronin — How a Drone Maker Launched the Gimbal Revolution
    4. Ronin-S — The Rise of Single-Handed Gimbals
    5. DJI Ronin 4D — The Gimbal-Integrated Cinema Camera
    6. Zhiyun (智云) — The Gimbal Specialist from Guilin
    7. FeiyuTech (飞宇科技) — Another Brand from Guilin
    8. Gimbal Market Structure — DJI’s Overwhelming Dominance
    9. Freefly MōVI Today — The Pioneer’s Predicament
  4. Shotgun Microphones — Deity and Comica Challenge the World of “Sound”
    1. The Importance of Audio in Video Production
    2. Deity Microphones — A Mic Brand Built by a Location Sound Mixer
    3. The Zaxcom Patent License — Earning Technical Legitimacy
    4. Wired Magazine’s Endorsement — “The Best Røde Alternative”
    5. Comica Audio — A Shenzhen-Based Comprehensive Audio Brand
    6. Godox Enters Audio — Extending the Ecosystem
  5. Wireless Video Transmission — Hollyland and Accsoon Open the “Wireless Monitoring” Era
    1. Freedom from “The Curse of the Cable”
    2. Hollyland (致迅科技) — Democratizing Wireless Video Transmission
    3. Accsoon (致迅) — “Turn Your Smartphone into a Monitor”
    4. Teradek Today — The High-End Fortress
  6. On-Camera Monitors — Feelworld and Portkeys Changed the “Eyes” of Production
    1. Why External Monitors Are Necessary
    2. Feelworld (富威德) — Delivering “Usable Monitors” for Under 0
    3. Portkeys (波特仕) — Camera Control Integration Monitors
  7. Third-Party Batteries and Chargers — Powering the “Electrical Infrastructure” of the Film Set
    1. NP-F Batteries — A Sony Standard That Became the De Facto Industry Standard
    2. V-Mount Batteries — Chinese Brands Enter the Pro Power Market
  8. Camera Bags — Transforming the “Infrastructure of Transport”
    1. The Traditional Camera Bag Market
    2. The Rise of Chinese Brands
    3. “OEM Transparency” — Consumers Who Know It’s Made in China
  9. The Big Picture — What Changed in Video Production Accessories
    1. Before: Pre–Chinese Manufacturer Era (~2014)
    2. After: 2020 Onward
    3. The Essence of the Transformation — “Democratizing the Production Rig”
  10. DJI as the Exception — A Chinese Maker That Conquered Through “Creation,” Not “Copying”
  11. Sources and References

SmallRig — The Camera Rig Revolutionary Who “Designs with Users”

Founding — Zhou Yang and Shenzhen Manufacturing

The origins of SmallRig (斯莫格) involve some ambiguity in official accounts. The company’s LinkedIn page states “founded in 2007”; a Forbes China article describes “Zhou Yang founding the company in 2010 and launching the flagship brand in 2013”; and some official blog posts cite “established in 2009.”

What is certain is that SmallRig is headquartered in Shenzhen, started with OEM manufacturing of optical equipment, and launched as a standalone brand around 2013.

Founder Zhou Yang (周揚) was selected for Forbes China’s inaugural “Globalization Innovators Top 30” in 2024, with SmallRig cited as a representative example of “Chinese companies demonstrating the ability to scale globally.”

Camera Cages — “Why Didn’t These Exist Before?”

SmallRig’s core product is the camera cage.

A camera cage is a metal frame that surrounds the camera body, providing:

  • Standardized mounting points — 1/4-inch and 3/8-inch screw holes, NATO rails, ARRI rosettes
  • Expandability — attach monitors, microphones, LED lights, follow focus units at will
  • Physical protection of the camera body
  • Improved handling through added hand grips and shoulder pads

Cinema cameras (ARRI ALEXA, RED, etc.) have always incorporated cage-like frame structures, but for the “DSLR/mirrorless video” crowd — people shooting professional-grade video on small consumer cameras — cages were a revelation, adding professional expandability to compact bodies.

In 2014, SmallRig launched its first user community on Facebook, building a system for collecting ideas directly from filmmakers. The result: the world’s first Sony α6000-specific cage.

User Co-Design (UCD) — An Uncommonly Un-Chinese Approach

SmallRig’s most distinctive characteristic is its User Co-Design (UCD) product development process.

Through Facebook communities, YouTube, and Reddit, SmallRig directly collects user requests and complaints and feeds them into product design. Its DreamRig program goes further, co-designing and co-developing products with individual users.

This approach was groundbreaking because the Chinese camera accessory market had previously been dominated by “copies of Western products” or “cheap generic gear.” SmallRig carved out a unique position by saying: “We build what users actually need, together with those users” — a clear departure from the copycat model.

Explosive Product Line Expansion

SmallRig’s product range, starting with camera cages, expanded rapidly:

  • Camera cages — custom-designed for virtually every major mirrorless camera
  • Rods, clamps, and mounts — 15mm rod systems, NATO rails, ARRI rosettes, and other industry-standard interfaces
  • Handles and grips — top handles, side handles, cable clamp–integrated versions
  • Monitor mounts and arm systems — magic arms, articulating arms
  • Tripods and monopods — expansion into carbon fiber tripods
  • Lighting — entry into small LED lights
  • Smartphone rigs — systems for turning iPhones into video production tools
  • Power solutions — V-mount batteries, NP battery adapters
  • Live streaming gear — all-in-one streaming setups

By 2024, SmallRig’s SKU count had surpassed 720 items. The ability to build an entire shooting rig for any camera using nothing but SmallRig products — this “one-stop” comprehensiveness is the source of SmallRig’s competitive strength.

SmallRig Awards — From Manufacturer to “Patron of the Filmmaking Community”

In the 2020s, SmallRig has transcended the role of mere accessory maker, expanding its activities as a supporter of the filmmaking community.

The company established the SmallRig Image Development Fund and, through the SmallRig Awards, recognizes and supports video creators. CEO Zhou Yang has stated: “SmallRig Awards are for everyone who believes in the power of images and creates change with a camera.”

Tilta — The Shenzhen Cinema Gear Maker with Hollywood in Its Sights

Founding and Growth

Tilta (鉄頭) was launched when Wenping Zeng (曾文平) and Kefeng Zhou (周克峰) began developing filmmaking tools in 2008, formally establishing their first manufacturing facility in Shenzhen in 2010.

Initially focused on DSLR accessory kits, Tilta gradually expanded to full cinema camera support — wireless follow focus (lens control), camera cages, gimbal support systems, vehicle-mounted vibration dampening mounts, and more.

The Burbank Showroom — Closing the Distance to Hollywood

A notable strategic difference between Tilta and SmallRig: in 2016, Tilta opened a showroom, warehouse, repair center, and office in Burbank, California.

Burbank sits adjacent to Hollywood’s major film studios — Warner Bros., Disney, Universal Studios — all within easy reach. Through this facility, Tilta built direct relationships with Hollywood cinematographers and camera assistants, feeding their feedback into product development.

Like Aputure’s Los Angeles strategy (discussed in Part 3), Tilta adopted a model not of “design and manufacture in China, sell in Hollywood” but rather “design with Hollywood filmmakers, manufacture in China.”

Tilta Khronos — TIME’s “Best Inventions 2024”

Tilta’s technical prowess is exemplified by the Khronos ecosystem, selected for TIME magazine’s “Best Inventions of 2024.”

Khronos is a modular camera support system praised as an integrated solution that streamlines film set workflows. The fact that a Chinese camera accessories maker earned a spot in TIME’s “Best Inventions” is itself a symbol of the industry’s maturation.

SmallRig vs. Tilta — Community vs. Cinema

SmallRig and Tilta are both Shenzhen-based camera accessory manufacturers, but their positioning differs:

SmallRig: YouTubers and vloggers through mid-scale production. Community-driven product development. Predominantly affordable price points.

Tilta: Cinema sets and high-end production. Advanced functional products like wireless follow focus. Generally higher price points than SmallRig.

This “SmallRig = community” / “Tilta = cinema” distinction mirrors the “Nanlite = general-purpose LED” / “Aputure = Hollywood-oriented” structure observed in Part 3.

The Gimbal Revolution — How DJI, Zhiyun & FeiyuTech Changed the “Movement” of Video

From Steadicam to Gimbal — A Paradigm Shift

The technology of “shooting smooth footage while moving the camera” dates back to the Steadicam, invented by Garrett Brown in 1974. This mechanical stabilizer, using springs and counterweights, demonstrated its power in the Philadelphia Museum of Art staircase scene in Rocky (1976).

But operating a Steadicam required a specially trained operator, and the combined cost of equipment rental and operator fees ran to thousands of dollars per day.

Freefly MōVI — The Dawn of the Gimbal Age

The commercial breakthrough for electronic 3-axis gimbal stabilizers came from Freefly Systems (USA) and its MōVI M10 (2013).

The MōVI M10 demo reel — showing an operator violently shaking their body while the camera remained perfectly stable — went viral, and the word “gimbal” entered the filmmaking lexicon.

But the MōVI M10 was a professional product priced at roughly $15,000. For independent filmmakers, it remained out of reach.

DJI Ronin — How a Drone Maker Launched the Gimbal Revolution

Enter DJI (大疆创新科技, Dà-Jiāng Innovations Science and Technology Co., Ltd.).

DJI was founded in 2006 by Frank Wang (汪滔) in a dormitory at the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology. Originally developing flight controllers for helicopters, DJI established global dominance in the drone (unmanned aerial vehicle) market in the 2010s.

DJI’s gimbal technology originated in the Zenmuse (禅思) series of camera gimbals designed for drone mounting — technology to stabilize an onboard camera while a drone is in flight. Adapting this technology for ground-based handheld use produced the DJI Ronin (如影) series.

The original DJI Ronin was unveiled at the 2014 NAB Show and released in July of that year. With a maximum payload of 7.25 kg, it was a full-featured 3-axis gimbal stabilizer for prosumer cinema cameras and DSLRs.

It launched at approximately $4,500, soon reduced to around $3,000. That was still one-third to one-fifth the price of the Freefly MōVI M10.

This price gap fundamentally restructured the gimbal stabilizer market. Where the $15,000 MōVI had been exclusively for “professional cinema operators,” the DJI Ronin at $3,000 opened gimbals up to independent filmmakers, wedding videographers, and corporate video producers.

Ronin-S — The Rise of Single-Handed Gimbals

In 2018, DJI released its first single-handed gimbal, the Ronin-S. While previous Ronin models required two-handed operation as professional units, the Ronin-S offered a compact, one-handed design optimized for mirrorless cameras.

The Ronin-S made “gimbal shooting” even more accessible. For solo operators, being able to hold the gimbal with one hand while directing subjects or managing audio gear with the other was a major practical advance.

Successors — the RS 2 (2020), RS 3 Pro (2022), and RS 4 Pro (2024) — have continued the evolution, and DJI has maintained its commanding lead in the single-handed gimbal market.

DJI Ronin 4D — The Gimbal-Integrated Cinema Camera

In October 2021, DJI unveiled the Ronin 4D, sending shockwaves through the industry.

The Ronin 4D was the world’s first cinema camera with an integrated 4-axis gimbal. It unified camera and gimbal into a single body, adding Z-axis (vertical) stabilization on top of the conventional 3-axis (pan, tilt, roll). It also incorporated LiDAR-based autofocus, built-in wireless video transmission, and other functions that previously required assembling multiple separate devices.

The Ronin 4D was not “a gimbal maker that built a camera.” It was a product that “erased the boundary between camera and gimbal” — one for the history books.

Zhiyun (智云) — The Gimbal Specialist from Guilin

Sharing the gimbal market spotlight with DJI was Zhiyun (智云, officially Guilin Zhishen Information Technology Co., Ltd.).

Zhiyun was founded in 2014 by Yilun Liao (廖亦倫) in a modest 15 m² workshop in Guilin, Guangxi Province. Not Shenzhen, not Beijing — but the tourist city of Guilin, an unexpected birthplace for a gimbal manufacturer.

Zhiyun chose to be a “gimbal specialist,” without DJI’s drone division, concentrating all resources on camera stabilizers.

The Zhiyun Crane (云鹤) series achieved worldwide adoption for mirrorless cameras and DSLRs. The Crane 2 (2017) integrated follow focus, and the Crane 3S (2020) added large cinema camera compatibility.

Zhiyun also entered the consumer market with the Smooth series of smartphone gimbals, helping to embed the very concept of “gimbals” into mainstream consumer awareness.

In the 2020s, as noted in Part 3, Zhiyun also entered LED lighting under the MOLUS brand, pivoting from a gimbal specialist toward a comprehensive video equipment brand.

FeiyuTech (飞宇科技) — Another Brand from Guilin

Another gimbal maker based in Guilin is FeiyuTech (飞宇科技).

Founded in 2007, FeiyuTech originally developed attitude control systems for drones. In 2014, it entered the handheld gimbal market, offering affordable products for GoPro cameras and smartphones.

While trailing DJI and Zhiyun in brand recognition, FeiyuTech maintains a presence in the entry-price gimbal segment on Amazon and other platforms, serving as many users’ “first gimbal.”

Gimbal Market Structure — DJI’s Overwhelming Dominance

By the mid-2020s, DJI’s overwhelming dominance in the gimbal market was firmly established.

AttributeDJIZhiyunFeiyuTech
Founded2006 (Shenzhen)2014 (Guilin)2007 (Guilin)
StrengthsDrone-derived control tech. Massive R&D investment. Integrated products like Ronin 4DGimbal-specialist focus. Diversifying into LED lightingEntry-level pricing. Pioneer in GoPro gimbals
Key ProductsRonin RS 4 Pro / RS 4 Mini / Ronin 4DCrane 4 / Smooth Q5 UltraSCORP / Pocket / Vimble
Price RangeMid to Ultra-HighLow to MidLow to Mid

DJI’s advantage rests not merely on product quality but on the depth of technology cultivated through its drone business — brushless motor control, sensor technology, and video transmission. No matter how excellent a gimbal Zhiyun produces, it cannot create a Ronin 4D–class product that “integrates camera and gimbal into one.”

Freefly MōVI Today — The Pioneer’s Predicament

Freefly Systems, which commercialized the gimbal concept, was confronted by DJI’s price disruption.

The Freefly MōVI Pro retains high regard for quality, but since 2017 — when the DJI Ronin 2 began offering equivalent or superior functionality at less than half the price — its market share among rental houses and production companies has been in steady decline.

This pattern is perfectly congruent with the relationship between Arri and Aputure/Nanlite in Part 3, and Kino Flo and Nanlite. A pioneer opens a market; a Chinese manufacturer rewrites it through price disruption — this is the recurring motif across the entire camera equipment market since the 2010s.

Shotgun Microphones — Deity and Comica Challenge the World of “Sound”

The Importance of Audio in Video Production

“Image quality is determined by lighting, but viewer abandonment is determined by audio” — a maxim widely shared among filmmakers. No matter how beautiful the footage, if the audio isn’t clean, viewers leave within seconds.

Yet until the 2010s, the microphone market for video production was overwhelmingly dominated by Sennheiser (Germany), Røde (Australia), and Audio-Technica (Japan). In shotgun microphones especially, stalwarts like the Sennheiser MKH 416 and Røde NTG3 had held unchallenged positions for years.

Deity Microphones — A Mic Brand Built by a Location Sound Mixer

The company that took this market head-on was Deity Microphones.

Deity was established around 2017 and made its official debut at the 2018 NAB Show in Las Vegas. Its website states it was “started by a television location sound mixer” — a brand built by a sound professional who knew exactly what the field needed.

Deity’s official LinkedIn page contains a revealing note: “Our shotgun microphones existed before, but were known by another name. We felt it was time to spread our wings and step out of the shadow.” In other words, Deity was an OEM manufacturer with existing microphone production experience that relaunched under its own brand — the same “OEM → own brand” pattern seen in Godox, Nanlite, and SmallRig.

The Zaxcom Patent License — Earning Technical Legitimacy

Deity attracted major industry attention in 2021 when it became the first company in the world to license Zaxcom’s “Transmit and Record” patent — a technology from the venerable American professional audio manufacturer.

This patent covers a wireless microphone transmitter that simultaneously records audio locally while transmitting. In professional location recording, this backup is invaluable: if the wireless signal drops, the transmitter-side recording survives. This safety net commands immense trust on sets where failure is not an option.

The resulting Deity BP-TRX won Product of the Year at the 2021 NAB Show.

A Chinese microphone maker licensing a prestigious American pro-audio patent and winning the industry’s top award — this was an event that fundamentally challenged the fixed notion that “Chinese gear = copycat.”

Wired Magazine’s Endorsement — “The Best Røde Alternative”

In 2021, Wired magazine named Deity “the best Røde alternative for independent filmmakers and content creators.”

Deity’s shotgun microphones — the V-Mic D3 Pro / D4 series — compete directly with the Røde VideoMic Pro in price ($100–$300) while offering comparable or superior audio quality and more features (stepless gain control, low-cut filter, high-output headphone amp, etc.).

Comica Audio — A Shenzhen-Based Comprehensive Audio Brand

Comica Audio (科唛, officially Shenzhen Commlite Technology Co., Ltd.) is a Shenzhen-based audio equipment manufacturer for cameras.

Comica offers wireless microphones (Vimo S series, etc.), shotgun microphones (CVM-VM20, etc.), lavalier microphones, and audio interfaces. Where Deity aims at the professional end, Comica occupies the position of “affordable audio solutions for YouTube and vlogging.”

Godox Enters Audio — Extending the Ecosystem

As noted in Part 3, Godox — dominant in strobes and LED lighting — also entered the audio equipment (microphone) market in the 2020s. Wireless microphones, shotgun microphones, lavalier microphones — Godox’s audio product line is part of a strategy to extend the X System ecosystem “from light to sound.”

Wireless Video Transmission — Hollyland and Accsoon Open the “Wireless Monitoring” Era

Freedom from “The Curse of the Cable”

One of the longstanding pain points on video sets was the cable connection from camera to monitor. For directors and clients to view footage in real time, an HDMI/SDI cable had to run from camera to external monitor. Cables impeded movement, restricted camera motion, and always risked disconnection.

Wireless video transmission systems — devices that wirelessly send the camera’s video signal to a remote monitor — solve this problem. But until the mid-2010s, the market was virtually monopolized by Teradek (USA), with a single transmitter-receiver set costing $3,000–$10,000+.

Hollyland (致迅科技) — Democratizing Wireless Video Transmission

In the late 2010s, Hollyland (致迅科技, officially Shenzhen Hollyland Technology Co., Ltd.) blew the door open.

Hollyland’s Mars series — Mars 300 (ca. 2018), Mars 400S (2019), Mars 4K (2022) — delivered practical wireless video transmission at one-fifth to one-tenth Teradek’s price.

The Mars 400S Pro offered HDMI/SDI support, approximately 120 m transmission range (line of sight), and under 100 ms latency — all for around $500. Compared to the Teradek Bolt 4K at $5,000+, the price gap was staggering.

Early Hollyland products had reliability and stability issues, but firmware updates and generational improvements steadily raised quality. By the 2020s, Hollyland had become widely used in wedding videography, corporate video, documentary, and other mid-tier production environments.

Accsoon (致迅) — “Turn Your Smartphone into a Monitor”

Accsoon was founded in Shenzhen in 2014, initially developing high-precision gimbal stabilizers. At IBC 2018, it presented the world’s first gimbal with integrated video transmission, drawing international attention.

But the product that made Accsoon’s name was the CineEye (2019). CineEye was a compact wireless video transmitter that sent the camera’s HDMI output directly to smartphones and tablets — no dedicated receiver or monitor required. Everyone on set could use their phone as a wireless monitor. The concept was revolutionary.

Successors — the CineEye 2 Pro, CineView SE, and CineView 4K — expanded the lineup, and Accsoon now stands alongside Hollyland as one of the two leading Chinese wireless video transmission brands.

Teradek Today — The High-End Fortress

As with Freefly MōVI in gimbals and Arri/Kino Flo in LED lighting, the pioneering Teradek’s high-end segment remains intact in wireless video, but the mid- to entry-level market is rapidly shifting to Hollyland and Accsoon.

For Hollywood’s large-scale productions, live broadcasts, and multi-camera sports coverage — settings where “the signal must never drop” — Teradek remains the first choice. But for the overwhelming majority of filmmakers whose mantra is “I need wireless monitoring on a budget,” Hollyland and Accsoon provide the realistic options.

On-Camera Monitors — Feelworld and Portkeys Changed the “Eyes” of Production

Why External Monitors Are Necessary

A mirrorless camera’s rear LCD is typically 3–3.2 inches. Visibility in direct sunlight is poor, and reliably checking focus, exposure, or color is difficult. The reasons filmmakers seek external monitors are clear:

  • Larger screens (5–7+ inches) for accurate focus and composition checking
  • High brightness (1000+ nits) for outdoor visibility
  • Waveform monitors, vectorscopes, zebras, false color and other shooting assist tools
  • LUT application for previewing Log footage
  • HDMI/SDI input for camera control integration

Until the early 2010s, this market was dominated by Atomos (Australia) and SmallHD (USA). Atomos’s Ninja/Shogun series in particular combined monitor and external recorder functions, establishing the “monitor-recorder” category. But prices ranged from $500 to $2,000+.

Feelworld (富威德) — Delivering “Usable Monitors” for Under 0

Feelworld (富威德, officially Shenzhen Feelworld Technology Co., Ltd.) is a Shenzhen-based camera monitor manufacturer.

Feelworld’s greatest contribution was mass-supplying practical monitors with full shooting-assist features at the $100–$300 price point.

The Feelworld F5 (5-inch, 4K HDMI input, ~$100) and LUT5 (5.5-inch, 1600-nit high brightness, LUT support, ~$200) became staple products that appear near the top of any “camera monitor” search on Amazon or similar platforms.

Feature-wise, they include waveform monitors, vectorscopes, zebras, focus peaking, and LUT application — shooting assist tools found in SmallHD and Atomos’s higher-end models, now standard on units costing ~$100. Panel quality and color accuracy don’t match SmallHD/Atomos, but the value proposition — “all these features at this price” — was irresistible for YouTubers, vloggers, and independent filmmakers.

Portkeys (波特仕) — Camera Control Integration Monitors

Portkeys (波特仕) occupies a slightly higher price tier ($200–$500) in the camera monitor market.

Portkeys’ defining feature is camera body control integration. Connected to Canon, Sony, BMPCC (Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera), Panasonic, and other major cameras, its touchscreen allows direct on-monitor control of ISO, shutter speed, white balance, and record start/stop.

This “camera control monitor” functionality — previously offered by SmallHD only in high-end models — was delivered by Portkeys at one-third to one-fifth the price, earning particularly high praise within the BMPCC user community.

Third-Party Batteries and Chargers — Powering the “Electrical Infrastructure” of the Film Set

NP-F Batteries — A Sony Standard That Became the De Facto Industry Standard

One of the most widely used battery standards in video production is the Sony NP-F series (NP-F550, NP-F750, NP-F970, etc.). Originally developed in the 1990s for Sony Handycam camcorders, this form factor subsequently became the “de facto industry standard” power source for LED lights, on-camera monitors, wireless video transmitters, and countless other video production devices.

But genuine Sony NP-F batteries are expensive (~$100–$150 for an NP-F970), and with 4–6+ batteries typically needed on a production set, outfitting with genuine batteries alone easily exceeds $500.

Chinese manufacturers filled this gap. NP-F compatible batteries, built with lithium-ion cells from Shenzhen’s vast battery cell manufacturing base, sell on Amazon for one-third to one-fifth the price of genuine units.

V-Mount Batteries — Chinese Brands Enter the Pro Power Market

In film and commercial production, higher-capacity V-mount batteries (or Anton/Bauer Gold mount) are the standard. This was once the exclusive domain of Anton/Bauer (USA) and IDX (Japan), but Chinese manufacturers have entered here too.

SmallRig, Tilta, Neewer, and numerous OEM brands now supply V-mount compatible batteries at one-third to one-fifth the price of established brands, dramatically lowering the barrier for independent filmmakers and small production companies to adopt high-capacity battery systems.

Camera Bags — Transforming the “Infrastructure of Transport”

The Traditional Camera Bag Market

Before Chinese brands emerged, the camera bag market was dominated by longstanding Western brands:

  • Lowepro — Founded 1967 in the USA. Synonymous with camera bags for decades
  • Domke — Founded 1976. The press photographer’s shoulder bag of choice
  • Think Tank Photo — Founded 2005 by former Lowepro designers, targeting the professional market

In the 2010s, innovative new Western brands also appeared:

  • Peak Design — Debuted on Kickstarter in 2011 with the “Capture Camera Clip,” growing rapidly through crowd-funded innovation
  • Shimoda — Founded 2017 by Peter Waisnor (Tenba president) and Ian Millar (former f-stop lead designer), specializing in outdoor-oriented bags

All Western brands — but many were actually OEM-manufactured in Chinese factories. The camera bag industry, like tripods and lighting, was already heavily dependent on Chinese manufacturing in practice.

The Rise of Chinese Brands

From the late 2010s onward, Chinese brands began establishing their own presence in camera bags.

PGYTECH — Originally known for DJI drone accessories, it entered the camera bag market in earnest in the 2020s. The OneGo and OneMo series match the quality and features of comparable Peak Design and Lowepro products while offering a slight price advantage.

Ulanzi (优篮子) — Founded 2015. A “department store of Chinese accessories” spanning camera cages, tripods, LED lights, and more, including camera bags. Competes with SmallRig across many categories.

K&F Concept — Known primarily for tripods, but also offering camera backpacks and shoulder bags. A notable entry-level option on e-commerce platforms.

“OEM Transparency” — Consumers Who Know It’s Made in China

The rise of Chinese camera bag brands differs from what happened in lighting and gimbals.

In lighting and gimbals, Godox and DJI entered with products clearly cheaper and higher-performing than incumbents, disrupting market structures. In camera bags, consumers increasingly reasoned: “Lowepro is made in China anyway, so why not buy a Chinese brand directly?” — that is, OEM transparency drove migration to Chinese brands.

That said, Western brands like Peak Design and Shimoda, which differentiate on “design and material selection,” remain healthy despite Chinese competition. Because camera bags are “carried tools” where design and brand image matter alongside function, the dramatic market upheaval seen in lighting and gimbals has not occurred.

The Big Picture — What Changed in Video Production Accessories

Before: Pre–Chinese Manufacturer Era (~2014)

By the late 2000s, the DSLR video revolution was underway and mirrorless cameras’ video capabilities were rapidly improving. A peripheral equipment market for serious video production on small cameras was emerging — but Western brands dominated every category, at prices out of most independents’ reach.

After: 2020 Onward

  • Camera cages → SmallRig ~$100, Tilta, Ulanzi from ~$30
  • Gimbals → DJI RS 4 Pro ~$700, Zhiyun Crane from ~$300
  • Shotgun mics → Deity V-Mic D4 ~$100, Comica CVM-VM20 ~$50
  • Wireless video → Hollyland Mars 400S Pro ~$500, Accsoon CineEye ~$200
  • On-camera monitors → Feelworld F5 ~$100, Portkeys PT6 ~$150
  • Camera bags → PGYTECH, K&F Concept at half to comparable Western pricing
  • Batteries → NP-F compatible 2-pack + charger: $30–$50. V-mount from ~$100
  • Small accessories → SmallRig, Ulanzi from a few dollars to ~$50

The Essence of the Transformation — “Democratizing the Production Rig”

The greatest impact of Chinese-made accessories has been the dramatic reduction in cost required to build a professional shooting environment.

In the early 2010s, building a full shooting rig with an external monitor, mic, LED light, and wireless video on a DSLR/mirrorless body using Western-made accessories would have required $5,000–$10,000+. And at that time, options in each category were limited and expensive — a “fully equipped rig” was simply not realistic for most independent filmmakers.

A comparable or superior rig built with 2020s Chinese products:

  • SmallRig cage: ~$100
  • Feelworld monitor: ~$150
  • Deity V-Mic D4: ~$100
  • Godox mini LED: ~$50
  • Hollyland Mars: ~$500
  • NP-F compatible batteries ×4: ~$50
  • Clamps, cables, etc.: ~$50

Total: approximately $1,000. Less than one-fifth of what it would have cost a decade earlier — for equivalent or better capability. This price gap is even more dramatic than the Aputure-vs-Arri comparison in lighting.

DJI as the Exception — A Chinese Maker That Conquered Through “Creation,” Not “Copying”

Most Chinese camera equipment makers surveyed in this series entered markets by “offering lower-priced versions of existing Western products.” Godox’s strobes, Nanlite’s LED lights, SmallRig’s camera cages — all followed existing Western concepts while drastically cutting prices.

DJI is a clear exception to this pattern.

Creating the drone market, inventing the gimbal-integrated cinema camera (Ronin 4D), developing LiDAR focus systems — DJI conquered the global market not by “making existing products cheaply” but by “creating product categories that didn’t exist before.”

A telling anecdote about founder Frank Wang: when DJI was developing brushless DC motor gimbals for drones, ultra-stable gimbal performance was considered “impossible” by the industry. Wang has admitted he “ignored business logic” — his goal was simply “to make a great product that I myself would want to use.”

This attitude echoes the history of Japanese camera manufacturers (Canon, Nikon, Sony), who created revolutionary products driven “not by market research but by engineering passion.” DJI is the company that most powerfully overturned the stereotype of “Chinese-made = cheap copy.”

Coming next: Part 5 — Conclusion: How “Chinese Gear” Redefined the Standards of Production

Conclusion — How "Chinese Gear" Redefined the Standards of Production (Summary)
A big-picture conclusion on what changed—industrial clustering, OEM-to-brand transformation, ecosystem thinking, and how Chinese manufacturers reset expectations for features, performance, and value across the camera and film gear world.
yuta.xyz
2026.03.18

The Chinese Camera Equipment Chronicle — THE COMPLETE SERIES (Main Series Hub)

  1. Prehistory — Hong Kong’s Photo Trade and the Awakening of Mainland China (–1999)
  2. The Flash Revolution — How Godox and Yongnuo Democratized the Speedlite (2000–2012)
  3. The LED Lighting Conquest — How Nanlite, Aputure & Godox Rewrote the Rules of Production Lighting (2012–Present)
  4. Conquering the World of Video Accessories — How Chinese Gear Transformed the Film Set (2007–Present)
  5. Conclusion — How “Chinese Gear” Redefined the Standards of Production

Sources and References

  1. SmallRig LinkedIn — Company overview. Founded 2007, international supplier of camera accessories. https://www.linkedin.com/company/smallrig
  2. PR Newswire / Forbes China — “SmallRig Founder and Chairman Zhou Yang Recognized as One of Forbes China’s Inaugural Globalization Innovators Top30” (January 2024). Zhou Yang’s background, 2010 founding/2013 brand launch, 720+ SKUs. https://www.prnewswire.com/in/news-releases/smallrig-founder-and-chairman-zhou-yang-recognized-as-one-of-forbes-chinas-inaugural-globalization-innovators-top30-302046855.html
  3. Wikipedia — “Tilta.” 2008 founding by Wenping Zeng and Kefeng Zhou, 2010 manufacturing facility, 2016 Burbank expansion. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tilta
  4. TIME — “Best Inventions of 2024.” Tilta Khronos ecosystem selected. https://time.com/collections/best-inventions-2024/7094594/tilta-khronos-ecosystem/
  5. Wikipedia — “DJI Ronin.” 2014 debut, Ronin-S (2018), Ronin 4D (2021). https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DJI_Ronin
  6. Wikipedia — “DJI.” 2006 founding by Frank Wang (汪滔) in Shenzhen. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DJI
  7. PandaYoo — “Zhiyun Tech: A Story of Innovation and Vision in the Gimbal Market” (June 2024). 2014 founding in a 15 m² Guilin workshop. https://pandayoo.com/post/zhiyun-tech-a-story-of-innovation-and-vision-in-the-gimbal-market/
  8. Deity Microphones — “Milestones.” 2018 NAB debut, Zaxcom patent license (world first), BP-TRX NAB Product of the Year (2021). https://deitymic.com/deity-milestones/
  9. CineD — “Patent Agreement Gives Chinese Microphone Maker Deity a Leg-up in the USA” (June 2021). Significance of the Zaxcom Transmit and Record patent license. https://www.cined.com/patent-agreement-gives-chinese-mic-maker-deity-a-leg-up-in-the-usa/
  10. Accsoon official site — “About Us.” Founded 2014, IBC 2018 gimbal+video transmission debut, CineEye 2019 launch. https://accsoon.com/about/
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