L Bracket by smallrig

Photos: Oppo X3 Pro Smartphone

I have been an avid user of an L bracket for several years now. It makes it possible to switch quickly between shooting vertically and horizontally. This can be very practical, especially in real estate. The center point of the lens always remains the same when you switch vertically to horizontally & visa versa. Center point mark are applied on the L bracket.

I use the Sony A7R3 version on my Sony A1. It works perfectly but there is a deticated version that just fits the A1 even more. (The Sony A1 is a tad larger tan the Sony A7R3.)

Here the L Bracket in vertical position.

One company that specializes in camera housings is Smallrig. Their products are of very good quality at affordable prices.

You can check if Smallrig has a L bracket for your camera via their website.

www.smallrig.com

Smallrig uses the universal standard mount “Arca Swiss”. If your Tripod has an Arca Swiss head you can attach your camera without any adapters.

You only need to screw the L bracket on your camera. The small round tool is included and attaches magnetically to the bottom.

You can easily replace the battery of your camera without removing the L Bracket.

Smallrig has thought of everything. Cutouts have been made for the camera strap.

Switching between horizontal to vertical only takes a few seconds.

Here I moved the sidepart as far as possible to be able to attach any cables.

A LAN cable is attached for tethering purposes. It is always a good idea to use angled connections.

Several mounting holes are provided to attach accessories like wireless microphones or even a smartphone.

A smartphone holder is attached directly to the L Bracket. Again I am using a cable with angled connectors. (USB C)

Because I use a Manfrotto head with RC2 mount I need a RC2 to Arca Swiss adapter to be able to mount my camera. You can get these at your local store.

An RC2 to Arca Swiss Adapter.

The Arca Swiss Adapter mounted on my Manfrotto RC2 head.

Conclusion:

An L bracket is a useful tool when shooting on a tripod. The biggest advantage is to switch from horizontal mode to vertical keeping the center point at the same position.

Smallrig is leading when it comes to camera cages and quality is top notch.

Sony A1 Eyecup

Sometimes photographers ask me which eyecup I use on my Sony A1.

I don't think the original eyecup is deep enough and if you have activated the touch screen it can happen that you touch the screen with your nose and I don't have a big nose at all.

I use a Kiwi that fits both the Sony A7SIII and the Sony A1.

Sony A1 tethering over LAN

The Sony A1 has a full gigabit network connection that can be used to send photos via ftp. However, it can also be used for tethering. I tried it out with a mini PC and a network cable of 15 meters long.

You don't have to set anything on the camera. A correct IP address is automatically assigned. Both Imaging Edge and Capture One Pro software recognize the connection and the transmission speed is very good. In a second the RAW file ends up on the SSD of the computer.

I often tether wirelessly. The speed is manageable but not comparable to using a cable.

Most photographers work with a USBC connection as standard. In the future when working with cable I will prefer LAN over USBC.

As a test I connected two network cables with a total length of 25 meters using an adapter. The connection remained stable!