Overall this is a pretty decent cage/base configuration. I was a little worried that the top handle wouldn't support the weight of my rig, but it seems pretty solid. The cheese stick on the side is handy because it's far enough away that it can also be used as a handle. The other thing that bothered me was how far forward the base would be because I didn't want it interfering with my tracking focus, but (and it's not clear from the photos) the front and rear units aren't real fastened. so it's not really a problem. My only complaint is how difficult it is to attach this thing to the camera. I understand it should stay on after you attach it, but it took me 45 minutes to get it right. The fact that it doesn't have an anti-twist system makes the problem far worse than it needs to be, but I know this might be unwise as it's intended to be an all-purpose cage. A tip: If you have a GH4 or other "short" camera, you can add a quick release plate adapter between the camera and the camera mounting plate of this cage. If you need to remove the camera for any reason, all you have to do is loosen the three screws that attach the top bar arm to the top plate, and the camera and grip simply slide out.