Disclaimer: Zeniko sent the Zeniko MR11 Smartphone Video Rig for an unbiased review. Some links may be affiliate links, which means I earn a small commission for qualifying sales. There is no additional cost to you.
Zeniko, a relatively new, but promising brand, has recently released their Zeniko Vlogkits (Zeniko VK1 and VK2) ,a smartphone video rig kit with various accessories which is well thought out and has pretty much every feature a vlogger or smartphone shooter would want.
So, what’s the difference between the Zeniko MR11, VK1 and VK2? Well the Zeniko MR11 smartphone video rig is the foundational smartphone cage/rig, which has features such as cold shoe mounts, 1/4 hole, remote control up to 30 meters, built-in LED light, and wireless battery charger, etc.
The VK1 system comes with the MR11 rig, an adjustable tabletop tripod, the VM01 shotgun mic, and the VC3 Bi-Color LED light.
The VK2 system comes with the MR11 rig, an adjustable tabletop tripod, the OC-D1 mic and the VS5 R RGB light.
Zeniko MR11 Package Contents
In the MR11 box, you get:
- MR11 Smartphone Video Rig
- USB Type A to USB Type C Cable
- Manual
Zeniko OC-D1 Microphone Package Contents (Optional Accessory)
Zeniko also sent their OC-D1 stereo microphone, which is an optional mic that you can purchase as a standalone or separate mic or you can buy the VK2 kit, which also includes the OC-D1 stereo mic.
In the OC-D1 box, you get:
- OC-D1 Stereo Mic
- TRS Cable
- TRRS Cable
- USB Type A to USB Type C Cable
- 2X Wind Muffs
- Zippered Carrying Case
- Manual
Zeniko VS5 R Mini RGB Light Package Contents (Optional Accessory)
Zeniko also sent their VS5 R Mini RGB Light, which is an optional light that you can purchase separately or in the VK2 kit.
In the VS5 R box, you get:
- VSR 5 Mini RGB Light
- USB Type A to USB Type C Cable
- Soft Gel Diffuser Cover
- 3/8″ to 1/4″ Cold Shoe Adapter
- Manual
Technical Specs
| MR11 Smartphone Video Rig | VS5 R Mini RGB Light |
| + Bluetooth Remote: 30M/98 Ft. Range +Bluetooth Remote Charging: ~1 Hour + Remote Battery Life: ~4.5 Days + 3200 mAh Lithium Battery + Full Rig Charging Time: 2 Hrs 20 Mins + Est. Battery Life: ~4 Hrs w/ LED Light + 5V / 1A Wireless Phone Charging + Color Temperature: 2800K – 6500K + 5 Preset Lighting Levels + 10.7″ x 5.6″ x 1.5″ + Temp: -10ºC to 50ºC (14ºF to 122ºF) + 438 Grams | + Battery Capacity: 1800 mAh battery + Color Temperature: 2500K – 8500K + Fully Adjustable Brightness Levels + Working Temp: -10℃ to 40℃ (14ºF to 104ºF) + Dimensions: 2.5 cm x 6 cm x 6 cm + Weight: 82 grams OC-D1 Cardioid Stereo Mic + Battery Capacity: 230 mAh battery + Freq Range: 20 Hz – 20 KHz + Low Cut Freq: 150 Hz + SNR: >70 dB + Connection: 3.5 mm port + Working Temp: -10℃ to 45℃ (14ºF to 113ºF) + Dimensions: 62mm x 43mm x 43mm + Weight: 57 grams |
Price & Value
The MR11 Smartphone Video Rig retails for $79 USD, which makes it a good value considering all the features it packs, such as wireless phone charging, a built-in LED light, Bluetooth remote, versatile phone mount and multiple cold shoe attachment areas.
The link above is a referral link, which means that I earn a small commission for each qualifying sale. However, there is no additional cost to you.
MR11 Smartphone Video Rig Design & Features
The MR11 Smartphone Rig is meticulously designed to meet the needs of most smartphone videographers. It weighs in at approximately 438 grams or 0.9 lbs, despite having a built-in 3200 mAh battery, making it lightweight and portable.
The outer handle grips are thick enough for easy gripping. With my Samsung S24 Ultra inserted horizontally, which measures around 6.4 inches or 16.3 cm long, there’s still enough space left for my hands to grip the handles comfortably. Phones ranging between 5.7 cm to 9.5 cm wide can be easily accommodated. While the rig could have been designed to be less wide, I’m glad they chose to go with a wider design to future-proof the rig, as phones have been getting larger recently.
Under the phone mount are tactile buttons to activate wireless charging for your phone and to adjust the color temperature and brightness level of the front LED light strip. Four indicator lights also show the current battery life at a glance.
The mount securely holds the phone and has rubberized padded strips to keep your phone securely in place without damaging it. The mount rotates for horizontal and vertical phone mounting, perfect for long-form and short-form vertical videos.
Note that if you have a relatively thick phone or a phone with a very thick case, you may need to remove the case before mounting it to ensure a more secure fit. The mount is suited for traditional slab-style phones and isn’t suited to accommodate foldable, tablet-style phones, although flip-style phones will be fine once unfolded.
The mount also provides wireless charging to your phone if you activate the feature using the button with the battery icon. I plan only to use wireless charging in a pinch if I don’t have a power bank on hand or if I drained it. Wireless charging works while the phone is in horizontal and vertical orientation.
To recharge the built-in 3800 mAh battery on the MR11 Rig or to charge your phone by USB cable, there’s a protective cover that reveals access to a USB type A & USB type C port.
On the front of the MR11 is a large LED light strip, which has 5 preset brightness levels and color temperature ranges from 2800K, 3200K, 4300K, 5600K and 6500K to cycle through. The front of the LED light strip has a matte or frosted finish to soften and diffuse the light.
A handy Bluetooth remote also tucks away into the MR11’s handle for easy storage and can be removed whenever needed. It has metal charging contacts to charge it through the MR11 rig.
Cold shoe mounting areas and 1/4″ and 3/8″ screw threads for mounting additional accessories are also plentiful and placed all around the MR11 rig for mounting flexibility.
Bottom screw holes allow easy attachment to both tabletop and regular-sized tripods too.
Build Quality
The build quality feels good even though the MR11 rig is a mostly plastic build to help keep the weight down. I didn’t experience any noticeable type of flexing or creaking when using it and the optional RBG light and microphone stayed securely in place once mounted to the cold shoe mounts.
Ergonomics & Ease Of Use
If you’ve ever held your phone for extended filming, you know the feeling of fatigue you experience after holding it for more than a few minutes and how you start to lose some stability since there aren’t enough thick areas of the phone to grip properly.
With the two thick handle grips on the MR11 rig, extended filming or getting stable shots is so much easier since it greatly reduces fatigue and allows for more stable shots since the rig can be gripped from the side handles or even from the very top frame to lower the phone for more interesting angles while still maintaining a stable grip.
If you’re worried about handing over your phone to someone else to take a video of you, you won’t have to worry about them dropping your phone since they now have an easy-to-hold phone rig. This will also result in more stable videos and possibly fewer retakes.
The rig can also be placed on a table, the ground, or any flat surface to get fixed or static shots or timed photos without having to carry around a tripod. Pair that with the Bluetooth remote, and you can easily use this setup for talking head-style videos as well.
Battery Life
The battery life on the MR11 rig is quite good, and it can last for many days since I don’t always use LED lighting when shooting outside. However, if you plan on using the wireless charging feature for your phone, you can easily go through the battery reserve in hours if your phone’s battery drains quickly, such as when shooting 4K video.
Optional Accessories
There are a bunch of additional accessories available from Zeniko’s website, but I want to focus on the OC-D1 Stereo microphone and the VS5 R RGB Light that was sent for review.
Zeniko VS5 R RGB Light
The VS5 R RGB Light is compact enough to carry around in your pocket or gear bag, and it comes with a cold shoe mount that can be mounted anywhere on the MR11 rig. You also have the option to place it flat on any surface by using the built-in kickstand, which can be angled. The lights are covered with a matte or frosted cover to soften and diffuse the light. A silicone gel cover is also available to place over the light to soften the light further.
It’s also lightweight, coming in at around 82 grams, so it only adds a little weight to the rig if you mount it. There’s a USB type C port on the side to recharge it, and buttons on the top to adjust the brightness, color temperature, RGB colors and to turn the light on and off. Once the light is turned on, the power button can be quickly pressed to cycle through all the modes, including lighting effects, such as a TV screen effect, candle effect, lightning effect, siren effect, etc.
Zeniko OC-D1 Mic Audio Quality
The Zeniko OC-D1 stereo mic has a switch to turn it off and on and to activate the low-cut filter. There are also controls to switch between stereo and mono audio and to adjust the sensitivity by plus or minus 10 dB. 3.5 mm audio ports are available to connect the mic to a phone or camera with the included TRS and TRRS cables, and there is a 3.5mm audio port for live monitoring audio. A USB type C port is available to recharge the mic. Note that if your phone lacks a 3.5 mm audio port, you will require a USB type C to 3.5 mm adapter.
The OC-D1 mic has two mics that can rotate up to 180º, which makes it great for picking up audio from wherever the subject is standing. It can also be used in an interview style, where the camera operator asks questions and the subject in front of the camera answers.
The audio sounds clean
Summing Up
The Zeniko MR11 Smartphone Video Rig is a well-thought-out system for anyone looking to get into vlogging or shooting with their phone. It’s simple to set up and use for beginners, but it also includes a well-planned frame to allow more advanced users to mount a variety of attachments, such as lights, microphones, power banks, clamps, etc.
Pairing the Bluetooth remote is easy if you want to attach the rig to a tripod and use it for talking head-style video or fixed video shots. Then, you can easily remove it from a tripod for dynamic on-the-go shooting. The included front light is a great addition, especially with the frosted or matte finish to soften the light.
I’d like to see more battery capacity in a future version closer to the 5000 mAh mark. Having a top handle grip that can be screwed on could also be convenient, but I suspect it was not considered for users who shoot vertically since it would restrict the phone from rotating. However, it would still be nice to have the option for those who primarily shoot horizontally and are ok with turning the entire unit vertically instead of turning the phone vertically in the mount.
I’ve loved using the Zeniko MR11 because of its quick setup and ease of use. I can choose a super clean setup or build it out with as many attachments as I need. There are many other smartphone rigs and cages out there, but this is one of the better-designed systems with its rich feature set.
Check out Zeniko’s official site to learn more or to purchase the MR11 Smartphone Video Rig. Also, check out the other attachments I couldn’t cover in this review!
If there is anything that I missed in the review, or if you have any questions that I did not cover, please leave a comment below.
The link above is a referral link, which means that I earn a small commission for each qualifying sale. However, there is no additional cost to you.
