SmallRig
Lacks transparency. Publishes some details, but doesn't show its workers are paid and treated fairly.
Last researched 3 November 2026 · 5 sources
Chinese maker of camera cages and rigs.
There's no proof SmallRig pays more than the legal minimum, which in China is below a living wage, and it has no full independent audit.
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Why it's graded Lacks transparency
- Not met: Meets 1 of 6 Good requirements.
- Holds the grade back: It has 3 red flags: no evidence of a living wage, a hidden, unaudited supply chain in high-risk countries and untraced high-risk mined materials. Two or more red flags means a poor grade.
- It isn't Harm on record, because there's no serious confirmed problem on its record.
- Lacks transparency is still a poor grade: in supply chains like this, workers who can't be seen to be treated fairly are usually underpaid or unprotected.
Good requirements 1 of 6
- Not met: Pays a living wage, or holds a strong fair-pay certificationLiving wage: no evidence
- Not met: Respects worker rightsMost of its products are made in China, where unions are heavily restricted, and it has no full supply chain audit.
- Not met: Supply chain independently audited or certified, or at least 80% made in countries with strong labour standards
- Met: No child or forced labour findings or links
- Not met: Names the factories or farms that make its products, or is fully certified by a scheme that holds and audits that list
- Not met: Traces its cobalt, gold and other conflict minerals to the mine
Red flags 3
- Red flag: No evidence it pays a living wage
- Red flag: Hidden supply chain, mostly in countries with poor worker rights
- Red flag: Relies on high-risk mined materials it can't traceShown to explain the grade. It isn't one of the 2 red flags that set it.
- Red flag: Fails its category's raw-material check (means Lacks transparency)
Stars it would earn as Good
None yet. Stars only show on Good companies. About stars
Where it's made
From press and retailer reports; SmallRig doesn't say where its products are made.
| Country | Worker rights | Legal minimum wage | Forced labour risk |
|---|---|---|---|
| China | No guarantee of rights | Below a living wage | Moderate |
Evidence
What we found
- Risk across the industry, not a finding about this company: cobalt, tin, tantalum, tungsten and gold mining carry child and forced labour risk (DR Congo, Indonesia), and assembly overtime is widespread.
- Relies on metals such as cobalt, gold and tin from artisanal mines where miners, including children, face toxic dust, mercury exposure and deadly tunnel collapses. It hasn't shown any steps to trace these materials to the mine, so it's graded Lacks transparency until it does.
Research notes SmallRig products are made in China, at two factories its owner runs in Shenzhen and Dongguan plus 30 to 40 contract manufacturers in the Pearl River and Yangtze River deltas. The company does not name these suppliers or say what share each makes. It publishes no code of conduct, social audit results, modern slavery statement or wage information. No labour abuses linked to SmallRig have been reported.
Sources and actions
Sources 5
Show all 5 sources
- Longhua District: SmallRig success story · search the archive · Shenzhen Leqi Innovation, based in Longhua, Shenzhen, owns the SmallRig brand
- 36Kr: SmallRig company profile · search the archive · Two self-built factories in Shenzhen and Dongguan plus 30-40 outsourced manufacturers in the Yangtze and Pearl River deltas
- DoNews: Leqi Innovation begins A-share IPO tutoring · search the archive · Leqi Innovation, founded 2010, owns SmallRig and started its stock market listing process in October 2024
- SmallRig 4064B V-Mount battery mounting system at Ted's Cameras · search the archive · SmallRig products are sold by Ted's Cameras, which has stores across Australia
Published by SmallRig or its owner
- SmallRig 360 Professional Photography Turntable user guide · search the archive · Product label names Shenzhen Leqi Innovation Co., Ltd., Longhua District, Shenzhen, as manufacturer
Company details
- Headquarters
- China
- Last researched
- 3 November 2026
- Cite this page
- Labour Lens, "Is SmallRig ethical? Labour rating", https://www.labourlens.net/brand/smallrig, last researched 3 November 2026, accessed [date].
- Method
- Researched with AI assistance against published rules. How we check · What Lacks transparency means
Something missing or wrong?
Grades are opinions based on the evidence listed here. Send us evidence, or a right of reply if you represent SmallRig.