I finally pulled the trigger on the Sony FX30 after saving up for months and honestly I'm so stoked to start shooting with it. I'm based in Seattle and I've got this short documentary project coming up next month for a local animal shelter and I really want to make sure my setup is dialed in before I'm out in the mud with a bunch of dogs. I've got about $1,100 left in my budget for the extras but the more I look at rig builds the more confused I get lol.

I spent like three hours last night looking at cages and everyone says SmallRig is the go-to but then I see people swearing by the Tilta kits because of the way they handle the top handle attachments. Some people say the Sony XLR handle that comes in the box is great but others say it's way too flimsy and you should replace it with a real metal cage and handle if you're mounting a monitor. I'm planning on using a Ninja V monitor I already own but I'm worried about the weight on that plastic handle.

Then there's the whole power thing. I see all these pro rigs with massive V-mount batteries on the back and it looks cool but is it actually necessary for a crop sensor camera like this? I was thinking of just buying like 4 extra NP-FZ100 batteries instead because it keeps the footprint smaller for handheld work. Also I'm totally stuck on the media situation. Are those expensive CFexpress Type A cards actually worth it or can I get away with fast V60 SD cards for 4k 60p? I don't want the camera to overheat or stop recording mid-take because I cheaped out on the cards.

I just want a setup that's reliable for a long day of shooting outdoors without being a total nightmare to carry around. What are the actual must-have items you'd put on an FX30 rig if you were starting from scratch today?