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19 September 2014
We're taking the drone approach to covering Photokina 2014. No boots on the ground but aerial surveillance of the more important targets. Today we report on a couple of intriguing accessories at the show. This entry covers the Smart Flex L-Plate and the Lens Flipper from GoWing.
SMART FLEX L-PLATE
The Smart Flex L-Plate combines three functions in one compact L-plate:
- Smart Rotate keeps the center of your composition in the center of your frame when you rotate the camera from horizontal to vertical orientation or vice versa.
- Smart Balance slides the camera forward or back to balance it over your tripod regardless of how heavy a lens you've mounted.
- Smart Pano allows you to set the nodal point of the camera over the tripod's axis for panoramic shooting.
Here's a short demo of all three functions:
Designed by Sunshine, made in the Netherlands by Combo, the clever bracket is available at Krung Siam Enterprise Co..
Notes: Luminous Landscape's Kevin Raber said, "I have had the opportunity to use this plate in a field and it does a great job. No more unmounting and re-mounting to go from horizontal to vertical. Very slick device."
LENS FLIPPER
The $89.95 Lens Flipper is a double-sided locking lens cap with either a shoulder strap or a belt clip (expected early next year).
Not only does the Lens Flipper make it easy to carry a second lens, but it's also something of a third hand when you want to change lenses to make it easy to swap out lenses. Here's a demonstration of the Lens Flipper in action:
The Lens Flipper is available directly from GoWing in Canon, Nikon, Sony A or Sony E mounts.
PREVIOUSLY
Our earlier Photokina coverage includes:
- Photokina Clippings: Phase One, CyberLink
- Photokina Clippings: Think Tank Photo, MindShift Gear
- Photokina Clippings: Industry Summit, LuLa, Leica
- Photokina Clippings: Canon, Olympus, Panasonic, Samsung
Follow #photokina and check back for more clippings later...