The Neewer CA 57

The easier way to switch from shooting landscape to portrait on your tripod

Hi, my name is Rich Dyson from Edinburgh Photography Workshop, and this is Coffee Break Photography. 

Just before I started recording these Coffee Break Photography videos, the guys at Neewer sent me a travel tripod to review. You can read the review here. I liked how light the tripod was and how it folded to a size that easily fits into a bag. However, one issue I found limiting was that it was really difficult shoot in portrait orientation.  I could use an L-Plate to do this, which is a good solution. You can see the one I have here allows me to shoot in landscape, then if I take it off and turn it 90 degrees, I can shoot in portrait. I have recommended L-plates, as they are better than turning the tripod head, which can sometimes end up banging against the legs of the tripod.

I am always open to trying new ways of doing things, and this week, I will look at an alternative way of switching between the two orientations. Now, to be open and honest, Neewer has sent me this item, free of charge, to try out. However, I don’t share the contents of the video with them before I release it, and I am not getting paid to review the product. So, hopefully, you will believe that anything I say is my honest opinion and not something I am saying just because I’ve been sent it to try out.

This is the Neewer CA-57 Rotatable Collar Mount Plate for Canon R5 and R6 Full-Frame Cameras. From now on, I’ll refer to it as the CA-57. As it says on the tin (or actually the cardboard box), the CA-57 is designed specifically for the Canon R5 and R6 cameras. Similar versions are available for the Sony Alpha 7 cameras, the Nikon Z series cameras, and the Fujifilm GFX 100 series.

When the CA-57 arrives, it comes in two pieces — the larger collar piece and what appears to be a smaller tripod quick-release plate. There are also a couple of hex keys and the instruction manual. 

The manual isn’t as clear as it could be in telling you how to join the two elements together. Using the smaller of the two hex keys, loosen these two screws so you can slide the quick-release plate onto the back of the collar. You can then tighten the screws to join the two together. It’s a little fiddly, but you’ll only need to do this once. I’d prefer Neewer to ship the collar and quick-release plate together in a slightly bigger box.

We need to use the second, bigger hex key to attach the collar to the camera. Without a lens attached to the camera, join the camera and collar together by screwing into the bottom screw hole of the camera. You can attach the CA-57 to your tripod using the Arca-Swiss compatible plate. There are also four quarter-inch and one three-eighth-inch threads to allow the CA-57 to connect to camera rigs, hand grips and magic arms.

I’ve attached the CA-57 to the Neewer travel tripod to show how easy it is to use. I have tried the collar with all the RF lenses I own. That ranges from the 14-35mm lens through to the 24-70, 24-105, 70-200 and all the way up to the 100-500mm lens, and they all work well.

Removing the cap from the camera is a little fiddly but it is possible. Equally, attaching a lens to the camera is a little more challenging than normal but again it works. I have the camera in landscape orientation at the moment. To switch to portrait, we need to turn this knob anti-clockwise to unlock. The camera can then rotate ninety degrees and be locked back into place by tightening the same knob.

I like that there is a firm stop from zero degrees to ninety degrees, which ensures that we should still have straight horizons switching between the two. The other benefit the CA-57 has over an L-plate is that it is easier to release this knob than it is to undo the tripod head, rotate the camera ninety degrees and then re-tighten the tripod head. Living in Scotland, it can get pretty nippy in the winter months, so if I can reduce the time required to remove gloves, or even better, not have to take them off at all, the better.

The CA-57 doesn’t feel quite as secure as an L-plate, and there is a slight wobble when pressing the shutter button. I put this down to the fact that we have to screw the quick-release plate to the mount. It might feel a little more solid if it were one single moulded piece. That said, when shooting landscapes, I tend to use a shutter release rather than pressing the shutter button, so this shouldn’t be too much of an issue. Perhaps if there is a strong wind, it might cause a little more vibration, but so far, I haven’t had a chance to test this out.

I am running one of my Introduction to Landscape and Seascapes workshops this weekend, and I have no hesitation in using the CA-57 in the difficult conditions of a Scottish summer! One or two places are still available if you’d like to join me in the session. You can find out more by heading here.

The Neewer CA-57 has a usual retail price of £83.99. However, at the moment, it has a 20% off deal, so you can buy this handy collar for just £67.20, plus shipping costs. I have added an affiliate link below the video so you can help fund the making of these videos while getting a good deal.

If you have enjoyed this quick look at the Neewer CA-57, I would ask that you Like the video so a few more people might get to see it. You can also subscribe to my channel by clicking on the button down here. If you’d like to learn more about my photography workshops, head to edinburghphotographyworkshop.com. You can also sign up for my monthly newsletter using the link below. 

My name is Rich Dyson from Edinburgh Photography Workshop. This has been an Espresso Coffee Break Photography. See you next time.