Article
The Vertaflip
The Vertaflip is a tripod attachment that makes switching between
landscape and portrait mode quick and easy. When using a tripod and wanting
to get from the horizontal to vertical position it is necessary to have a
tripod head that allows you to do this. Or alternatively it is possible to
get an attachment to fit between the tripod and camera, known as a camera
rotator. A camera rotator allows you to move from the landscape to portrait
view without the need for a special tripod head and there are a number of
models in the marketplace of which the Stroboframe Vertaflip is one of them. It fits onto any
tripod, copy stand or camera stand and makes the transition from landscape to portrait mode a doddle.
| The Vertaflip allows
you to move from landscape to portrait mode more quickly than a normal
tripod head and it does it with some ease. As well as this it also has the
advantage that the lens remains centred on the subject when moving
directions and therefore the need to re-frame the shot is eliminated. So you
can take both a landscape and portrait view of the same subject without
having to change perspective or position with just a glide and slide.
Because it is quick to do it is also a good accessory to use when
photographing wildlife. With a normal tripod flip/vertical head you have to
reposition the head, re-frame the shot and probably even change the height
of the tripod, this is slow and before you've finished your subject has run
off. With the Vertaflip however you take your landscape view, glide and
slide to the portrait position and take again. Easy, and you've got the
shots you want. |
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| The Vertaflip is screwed onto the tripod
head, and the camera is directly screwed to the platform of the Vertaflip.
However when you move from landscape to portrait position, as with most
tripod heads the weight of the lens will cause it to droop. For this reason
it is possible to purchase a separate Anti Twist Plate to fit a particular
camera model. The purpose of the plate is to stop the camera
from moving alignment or twisting on the screw when moving the Vertaflip from the
landscape to portrait position. They come in different versions for
different models of camera. It attaches to the Vertaflip via a screw between
the Vertaflip and base of the camera body and it has a lip which mates to
the rear of the camera body, so the back of the camera body fits snugly to
the back edge.
The
following list is the Anti Twist Plates available where each bullet mark signifies a different plate and then lists
the make/model of camera that fits that plate. The cost of the anti twist
plate is £10 and this is purchased separately and in addition to the cost of the vertaflip. |
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Models available for camera models (at
2009) include:
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Nikon D40/D40X, D60, D80, D100, D200, D300, D700, Canon EOS 20D, 40D, 350D,
400D, 450D, Fuji S3, S4, S5 Pro, Pentax *istD, K10D
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Nikon D2H, D2X, Canon EOS 10D, 300D, 1Ds Mk1, 5D,
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Nikon D1H, D2HS, D200+MB200*see note, Canon EOS 20D+pack, EOS 30D+pack, EOS
40D+pack, EOS 350D+grip, EOS 400D+grip, EOS 450D+grip, EOS 1D Mk1/2/3, EOS
1Ds Mk2,
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Nikon D70, F4 std
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Nikon F5, F6 with MB40, D1X
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Canon EOS 5, Nikon F90/90X, F100,
F6, Pentax K100D
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Fuji S1, S2 Pro
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Hasselblad (all models)
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Mamiya (except 6/7)
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Pentax 645, 67
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The technical bit. It
is made from high-grade aluminium with a black anodised surface, and
has a double set of rotary-links for extra rigidity when used with heavy
cameras. Different camera body heights are catered for by screw-secured
holes under the platform and it comes with a 1/4" camera and base
connection. It is supplied with a cord pad and weighs 316g.
The Stroboframe Vertaflip PHD is
available 03/2009 from Speedgraphic for £54.95 and the Anti
Twist plates cost £10 each.
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