Today, there’s a considerable debate over how necessary standalone cameras are in a world where smartphones dominate digital photography. While this debate has merit depending on the application, it’ll be long before a smartphone replaces my standalone camera, especially as a tool for shooting video.

My current camera of choice is the Sony FX30—it’s pound for pound the best value in digital videography. Instead of viewing smartphones like the iPhone as competition, Sony has welcomed smartphones with open arms by building an incredible app called Sony | Monitor & Control. With this app, you cannot only monitor your feed from cameras like the FX30, A7S III, A7 IV, and others, but it also affords users an insane amount of control—both wired and wirelessly!

In this video walkthrough, I showcase my Sony FX30 camera rig, with the iPhone 16 Pro as its companion. Be sure to subscribe to 9to5Mac on YouTube for more videos.

Video: My awesome FX30 rig featuring the iPhone 16 Pro

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My FX30 x iPhone 16 hardware rig: the complete build explained

Look at everything I use in my FX30 x iPhone 16 rig build. It starts, of course, with the Sony FX30, which I’ve long maintained is the best value for the buck in standalone cameras for those primarily concerned about shooting videos. It has a wealth of customization features, built-in mounting points on the body, multiple tally lights, full-sized HDMI, USB-C, dual SD/CFExpress slots, shoots 4K120, and features a dual base ISO. Recent updates saw it gain shutter angle capability, alongside a wealth of wired and wireless connectivity options.

Mated with my FX30 is the Sony E PZ 18-105mm f/4 G OSS Lens, which stays on my camera 90% of the time. This lens is incredible for its wide range, constant F4 aperture, optical stabilization, and power zoom functionality. The power zoom function is a standout feature because it lets you control the lens’s full zoom range wirelessly via the Monitor & Control app.

The rest of the setup involves the cage and various mounting rig accessories. This includes the Tilta Full Camera Cage V2, which connects directly to the FX30’s body via the camera’s built-in mounting points. It also features a NATO rail that mounts to the camera’s top for quickly adding and removing accessories like SmallRig’s Swivel and Tilt Monitor Mount.

One of the cool things about the Tilta Full Camera Cage is that it features a built-in Arca Swiss mounting plate, eliminating the need for a dedicated plate. This plate conveniently slides into the Tilta 15mm LWS Arca-Type/Manfrotto Dual Baseplate Kit, which features mounting points for a pair of 6-inch SmallRig 15mm carbon fiber rods.

Connected to the 15mm rods is the Tilta PD V-Mount Battery Plate, which lets me attach the SmallRig VB50 Mini V-Mount battery for a low-profile power plant that can keep the rig running all day long.

Finally, resting underneath it all is the Niceyrig Arca-Type Quadruped Baseplate, which lets you easily rest the entire rig on a flat surface without it tilting over. Eventually, I’ll probably look for a decent top handle and/or side handle solution, but I’ve been able to live without those since my camera is most often tripod-mounted.

Of course, I can’t forget the star of the show, the iPhone 16 Pro, which I use as both my wired and wireless monitor and control unit. I have it enclosed inside a SmallRig Mobile Video Cage for durability purposes, and because it lets me easily attach accessories via the 1/4-20″ mounts or several cold shoe mounts. It does all of this without interfering with the operation of the iPhone’s buttons or MagSafe connectivity. The iPhone is attached to the aforementioned SmallRig’s Swivel and Tilt Monitor Mount to quickly attach to the camera’s top via a NATO connection.

For higher quality audio recording, I utilize the Rode Wireless Pro connected to the cold shoe mount on the top left side of the cage, and connected to the FX30 via a 3.5mm headphone connection to the camera’s microphone input. The great thing about the Rode Wireless Pro, besides its outstanding sound quality, is that it will power off and on automatically as you operate your camera.

It’s taken me a lot of time, money, and significant trial and error to come up with this FX30 rig solution. I’ve been using it for several months now, and I’m very happy with the sheer amount of flexibility and control that it provides.

Why the iPhone 16 Pro makes a great FX30 companion

The iPhone 16 Pro has replaced my need for a dedicated HDMI monitor, such as the Atomos Shinobi II. When paired with the Sony Monitor & Control app, the iPhone 16 Pro can function as a daylight-viewable monitor for the Sony FX30.

Unlike dedicated camera monitors, the iPhone 16 Pro also has an internal battery with great battery life, so it will most likely last all day on a shoot. For those times when you need to charge, you can do so via USB-C or wireless using MagSafe.

When connected to the FX30 via USB-C, the iPhone 16 Pro provides low-latency monitoring. In addition to monitoring, you can use the iPhone 16 to review footage, which is much better than reviewing footage on the FX30’s small screen.

But what about monitoring-specific tools like waveforms, false color, etc? The Monitor & Control app has those, and much more. A feature called focus map can make it easier to pull focus and ensure your subject is properly focused. That’s just the tip of the iceberg; other built-in tools include gamma display assist when shooting LOG, histogram, zebras, safety zones, etc.

If the iPhone 16 Pro functioned solely as a wired monitor, it would be a great companion to the FX30. But that’s just the beginning. The Monitor & Control app allows users to control virtually every aspect of the camera’s functionality. You can easily start/stop recording, and adjust parameters like iris, ISO, shutter speed/angle, fps, white balance, stabilization, and much more.

I especially love the focus functionality that this setup provides. Via Monitor & Control, I can switch between auto focus and manual focus, adjust focus area and face/eye AF priority, use focus tracking, tap to focus, and even adjust AF transition speed and shift sensitivity. That in and of itself is incredibly useful, but there’s more.

With Monitor & Control, you get a real-time visualization of the focus distance, and you’ll see it adjust as your subject moves about the focus area. But what’s really cool is that you can use the focus bar to pull focus manually, just like you can with a physical follow focus. You can even set stop points between two distances and rack focus manually. It’s insanely useful, and it’s one of my favorite things about using the iPhone 16 Pro as my FX30’s primary controller.

The Sony G 18-105 F4 PZ lens is a must-have for FX30

The great thing about the Sony E-mount ecosystem is that there is a virtually endless number of lenses that can be used, from high-end full-frame G-Master lenses to budget and vintage lenses, and everything in between. Full-frame cameras like the FX3 are great, but one of the main benefits of shooting with a Super 35 camera is that APS-C glass is much less expensive.

The FX30 has many options, but the lens that stays on my camera 99% of the time is the Sony G 18-105 F4 PZ lens. It’s not the fastest lens in the repertoire, but it’s arguably one of the most versatile. The best thing about it is the zoom range, which spans 18mm to 105mm at a constant F4 aperture. It’s not going to give you a ton of smooth bokeh on the wide end, but it looks nice at 70mm and above.

This lens also features an Optical SteadyShot, which lets you comfortably shoot handheld, even at the narrow end. Its minimal focus distance is between 1.48 and 3.12 feet, and it shines around 70mm for up-close, detailed shots.

One of the biggest reasons I love this lens is its power zoom capability. That means that the zoom range can be adjusted manually via the barrel, via a rocker on the lens, or even via the zoom rocker on the FX30 body. Better yet, the power zoom functionality can be fully controlled via an iPhone running the Monitor & Control app, adding to the versatility of such a rig.

Using iPhone 16 Pro as a wireless monitor!

Here’s what makes the iPhone 16 Pro a handy companion for the Sony FX30: Everything I mentioned up until now can also be performed wirelessly via Wi-Fi/Bluetooth connectivity! You don’t need anything extra—just the iPhone 16 Pro, the Monitor & Control app, and the FX30.

I have my iPhone 16 Pro mounted inside a SmallRig Cage for just this purpose. It allows me to quickly attach and detach the iPhone from my camera via a locking NATO connection that mounts to the top of the Tilta cage. Such a setup allows the iPhone 16 pro to swivel and tilt so I can monitor behind the camera, above or below, and do side or selfie shots. However, the real benefit of using this cage setup is that it quickly detaches, so I can monitor and fully control the FX30 while away from the camera.

The wireless connection doesn’t provide a tremendous amount of distance. Still, I could easily walk 100 feet away from my camera, and as long as I maintained line of sight, the connection remained relatively stable. You’ll notice the frame rate dip a bit when monitoring wirelessly, but it works well for establishing focus and remote control. Having a wireless monitor/control system like this is incredibly useful for solo video shooters, and it’s been instrumental for my workflow both in the office and while shooting remotely.

9to5Mac’s Take

The main takeaway should be this: Yes, smartphones have encroached on the standalone camera business, but Sony has set a great example of how to make the best of the situation. Instead of shying away from smartphones like the iPhone, the company has embraced its strengths.

The Monitor & Control app features a wealth of extraordinary features that make a solo shooter’s life so much easier. It also makes the iPhone an ideal companion for popular standalone cameras like the FX30, FX3, A7IV, etc. I’d go as far as to say that my FX30 is a better camera overall.

What do you think? Do you still use a standalone camera? Share your thoughts in the comments.

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