Yo, congrats on the FX3. I shoot weddings too and honestly, the rig can make or break your back during those 12-hour days. If youre on a 400 dollar budget, stick with SmallRig. Tilta is nice but their top handle integration can be a headache if you want to use the Sony XLR unit.

• Get the SmallRig Cage for Sony FX30 / FX3 4183. It has the notch for the top handle so you dont lose your audio inputs.
• For the monitor, use the SmallRig Swivel and Tilt Monitor Mount with Cold Shoe 2905. Its cheap and solid.
• Since you need a V-mount for long ceremonies, check the SmallRig V-Mount Battery Plate with Crab-Shaped Clamp 3725. It clips right onto your tripod legs or rails so you arent carrying that weight handheld. Full cages protect the body way more when youre bumping into people on the dance floor. A half cage wont save your expensive gear if it hits a table edge or something. Good luck with the Chicago wedding season tho, its gonna be a grind.

Been thinking about your setup and honestly, keeping that XLR handle is the right move for weddings. The audio redundancy is a lifesaver. If you want to stay under 400 bucks while keeping the handle, you basically need a cage that doesnt use a top plate over the hot shoe. For the V-mount situation during ceremonies, I would skip the expensive rails systems if youre trying to save weight for the reception. You can get a simple plate and mount it to the back of the cage or on a small rail block to keep things compact. Heres a solid way to build this out:

• SmallRig 4138 Cage for Sony FX30 FX3 - this one is solid because it allows the XLR unit to slide right in without drama.
• SmallRig 3082 XLR Handle Extension for Sony FX3 - this adds a ton of surface area to the handle so your hand doesnt feel cramped during long takes.
• SmallRig 2988 Compact V-Mount Battery Plate - simple, does the job for those long ceremony takes.
• SmallRig 2903B Swivel and Tilt Monitor Mount - to get that Ninja V at a good angle without it flopping around.
• SmallRig 2093C Wooden Side Handle - helps with stability when your arms start getting like noodles during the reception. One thing to watch out for is the balance. When you throw a V-mount on the back, the rig gets tail-heavy. That actually helps if youre using a heavier lens like a 24-70mm, but if youre running a light prime, it might feel a bit wonky. Personally, I think the full cage is worth the weight just for the extra mounting points when youre exhausted at hour 10...

^ This. Also, in my experience, you should definitely skip the half cage idea. I've tried many setups over the years and for a 12-hour wedding day, you really want the structural integrity of a full cage. If you're running around a dance floor, a half cage can sometimes flex or twist under the weight of a heavy monitor. Stick with the SmallRig FX3 / FX30 Full Cage 4183 because it specifically leaves plenty of room for that Sony XLR handle and keeps all the top buttons accessible. To stay under your 400 buck limit:

• Grab the SmallRig Mini V-Mount Battery Plate 2987 to mount on your rails or via the back.
• Use the SmallRig Monitor Mount with NATO Clamp 2906B for the Ninja V since NATO is way more secure than cold shoe mounts during active shoots.
• Check out the SmallRig 15mm LWS Baseplate 3357 for your rod support. Its all about reliability. You dont want a screw coming loose when you're middle of the ceremony... believe me, I've been there. Let me know if you need more specifics on the rail lengths.

Huh interesting. I had no idea. The more you know I guess 🤷