Real Nikon Lover Loc: Simi Valley, CA

Hoggers,

Some time back I saw an advertisement for an L bracket (arca style) that would allow you to flip your camera from portrait to landscape (right angle/90 degrees) with one hand without removing it from the tripod. I do not recall if this was a prototype for a crowd funding venture or the product actually exists.

The idea of having a solid rotatable L bracket that can stay affixed is appealing. Has anyone seen a product like this?

I have searched for several days at the photo store outlets online, and general Google searches for images and articles. I am coming up dry.

I use a Nikon D850 with grip so I need an accommodating version.

THANK YOU in advance for thoughts, comments, constructive direction.

Jim

Gene51 Loc: Yonkers, NY, now in LSD (LowerSlowerDelaware)

I use one of these with my tripod - the bottom stays fixed in place, and the camera rotates. It's not an L bracket, per se, but it does what you need it to do. I've had one for 11 yrs.

http://www.newtoncamerabrackets.com/tripod_rotator_info.htm

rgrenaderphoto Loc: Hollywood, CA

Absolutely, I use one on all of my cameras. For the D850, options are all over the place, from the $60 three legged thing to the $200 Really Right Stuff (built in allen wrench socket).

See this Shuttermuse article:

https://shuttermuse.com/3-reasons-to-use-camera-l-plate/

3-Legged Thing Universal bracket (can rotate on camera body if attachment screw is loose). Available in Orange or Black
https://3leggedthing.com/qr11


RRS which is a bespoke design for your D850:
http://www.reallyrightstuff.com/Nikon-D850

Bill_de Loc: US

But you have to remove these from the clamp to rotate them.

See Gene's post above.

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jdubu Loc: San Jose, CA

That really looks interesting, not sure how the mechanism actually works.

I use Custom Brackets, have 2. One on the tripod like this:

https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/423693-REG/Custom_Brackets_DIGITALPROSV_Digital_PRO_SV_Bracket.html

The other is the same mechanism but with a flash bracket and can be hand held or mounted, it also has feet to hold it upright when set down. I use that one usually mounted on a monopod for mobility when shooting at events with flash.

L brackets might be generic to different camera models but most are not. These, as is Gene51's, will accommodate any variety of cameras. Custom Brackets have a plethora of interchangeable parts to truly make the bracket fit your needs.

Bipod

Many box cameras and early folders (e.g., Kodak's) often had two tripod mounts --
one of the base and one on the side -- to make it easy to shoot either way. Some
also had two viewfinders.

Today each metal part adds a lot of cost. Cheap comes at a price. Sometimes what
you save on a camera ends up costing you more for the tripod or L-bracket. An
additional threaded hole on the camera is a whole lot simpler and smaller than a
hinged mount.

rgrenaderphoto Loc: Hollywood, CA

So? It's a 30 second operation.

Gene51 Loc: Yonkers, NY, now in LSD (LowerSlowerDelaware)

None of these address Jim's question. If I understand his question, he's looking for a device that will let him flip the camera from landscape to portrait with a single hand, without having to remove the camera from the tripod.

Gene51 Loc: Yonkers, NY, now in LSD (LowerSlowerDelaware)

The Newton site has a little GIF file that shows the camera being flipped. I also have his rotating flash bracket - 9 ozs of flash bracket perfection! He does make really good stuff and fit and finish are excellent.

Gene51 Loc: Yonkers, NY, now in LSD (LowerSlowerDelaware)

30 seconds is not what Jim is looking for. He's looking for 1 sec. or less. And that is the exact reason why I own the tripod rotator - I did not want to have to fuss with removing the device from the clamp and realigning it and reclamping. It interrupts the workflow.

Gene51 Loc: Yonkers, NY, now in LSD (LowerSlowerDelaware)

I like that the Custom Brackets rotator keeps the lens centered over the centerline of the tripod.

jdubu Loc: San Jose, CA

Yes, it rotates the camera and the lens stays centered. My non flash bracket has a handle that you rotate with, not needing to grab the camera body. The flash bracket keeps the flash unit at exactly the same angle relative to the lens, I actually have my flash arm reversed so the flash is not over the lens but off set to the left and at 45 degrees to the lens. I just prefer the little bit of shadow sculpting I get.

I like it because I can rotate to and from either view in a second, or any degree of angle in between.

E.L.. Shapiro Loc: Ottawa, Ontario Canada

There are great accessories! In the film days I used to shoot my portraits on a Mamiya RZ67. It had a rotating back and the corresponding vertical or horizontal orientation also automatically masked off in the viewfinder, fast and easy- never missed an expression and coud change my composition in seconds. With my DSLR, there could be a bit of fumbling with the camera on a tripod or camera stand, even on a ball head- the L-bracket to the rescue.

The are very useful on my handheld weddig rig. as well. Used to shoot Hasselblad and just go square or decide on horizontal or vertical orientation in printing. The on-camer flash head was always about 12" directly above the lens. The Strobe-Frame bracket with a pantagraph kinda contraption does the same thing and keeps the on-camer flash in the same position over the lens for both orientations with my DSLR.

These are the gadgets that are really with the investment because they save time and make your shooting flow more more efficiently.

jcboy3

I have a couple of Newton brackets, and several Custom Brackets including the Pro-SV. I prefer the Pro-SV because it has indentations to "lock" the camera into position. The Newton brackets do not, and can more easily get out of alignment.

I have put Arca quick releases on all of them. The Newton brackets needed some modification. Custom Brackets sells an Arca quick release for use on their rotators. I have one; it is a nice build. But I modified mine with a custom installed QR to minimize the depth of the rotator (which makes it easier to transport). I use the modified one with Olympus cameras, so I don't need the back offset for balance. If using a DSLR I use the Custom Brackets QR.

Either one will do the job.

Newton has changed his most recent designs of flash brackets, so the flash moves rather than the camera. However, there is still no locking mechanism, so I found that using these for events was more hassle than they are worth. I usually use Custom Brackets or RRS for event shooting, because they have locking and things don't move unless I want them to.

speters Loc: Grangeville/Idaho

L brackets have been around for a hundred years now, yes they do exist!