Honestly i went through this exact same headache last month trying to prep for a shoot in the Tetons. I kept getting those dark corners on the 0.5x lens and it was driving me nuts... basically felt like i was losing half my frame just to get a bit of motion blur. I tried swapping things around and eventually realized the old mounts are just too thick for how wide these new sensors are seeing. I tested a few setups to see what actually clears the glass:

• iPhone+17+Pro+Max&linkCode=osi&------123456890?5422-20" target="_blank" rel="nofollow sponsored">SmallRig Mobile Video Cage for iPhone 17 Pro Max: Its super rugged and the price is amazing, but i found the filter adapter still felt a bit cramped for my 67mm glass.
• Beastgrip Pro Series Cage for iPhone: This is the one i kept. It has way more adjustment room which basically saved my ultra-wide shots because you can slide the mount further back.
• iPhone+17+Pro+Max&linkCode=osi&------123456890?5422-20" target="_blank" rel="nofollow sponsored">PolarPro Helix MagSafe Filter System for iPhone 17 Pro Max: If you want zero clipping, this proprietary mount is incredible because it sits so flush to the lens. Ngl, switching to the Beastgrip and using 77mm filters was the only way i totally killed the vignetting. That extra diameter makes a world of difference when you are shooting wide in places like Zion!

I get the appeal of those high-end rigs, but honestly, spending half your budget on just a cage feels like overkill. Id suggest looking at the iPhone+17+Pro+Max&linkCode=osi&------123456890?5422-20" target="_blank" rel="nofollow sponsored">SmallRig Mobile Video Cage for iPhone 17 Pro Max instead. It is much more budget-friendly and the alignment is spot on for the new sensors. Better to save your cash and grab a K&F Concept 67mm Magnetic Variable ND Filter... high-quality glass will make a bigger difference in Zion anyway.

@Reply #4 - good point! I have been doing this for a long time and honestly, the anxiety of getting new gear right before a big trip like Zion is real. I remember taking a trip to Moab years ago and my pro adapter was just slightly off... it ruined half my sunset shots because of that tiny bit of corner clipping. You definitely wanna be careful because what worked for the 16 often doesnt quite clear the field of view on these new sensors. You might want to consider checking how the different brands like Moment or PolarPro handle their mounts this year. I would suggest doing a quick search on YouTube or Reddit for iPhone 17 Pro Max cage comparison. I saw a really detailed video last night that breaks down exactly which brands are actually centered and which ones are just reusing old molds... honestly it saves so much headache. TL;DR: Check YouTube for real-world fit tests before buying anything so you dont get stuck with vignetting in Zion.

I totally feel you on the vignetting issue. Over the years, Ive noticed that every time the sensor size gets bumped even a tiny bit, those old 67mm rings start showing their age by clipping the corners. It's super annoying when you've got a big trip coming up and your reliable kit suddenly feels useless. Honestly, those slightly off-center mounts are the absolute worst for image quality. In my experience, you really need to look for cages that use a dedicated bayonet or proprietary mount system rather than those generic clamp-on adapters. I tried making my old setup work recently and ended up cropping half my shots, which basically defeats the point of shooting on a Pro Max. If you're hitting Zion, you definitely want that full ultra-wide field of view for the canyon walls. I've found that moving up to an 82mm filter system is usually the only way to be 100% sure you arent gonna see the rim of the filter, especially if you're stacking stuff like an ND and a polarizer.

Did this last week, worked perfectly