NiSi Wizard Camera Bracket review - quick and easy horizontal to vertical switching on a tripod

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Amateur Photographer verdict

The NiSi Wizard Camera Bracket can be really handy for tripod shooting, allowing quick and easy switching between horizontal and vertical formats. However it can obstruct camera and lens controls.

Pros

Quick and easy camera rotation
Arca Swiss compatible
Versions available for most cameras

Cons

Often blocks camera and/or lens controls
Can require additional spacer to fit smaller cameras properly
Gets in the way for hand-held shooting

The NiSi Wizard Camera Bracket is a device for attaching your camera to a tripod. By means of a rotating collar around the lens, it allows rapid switching between portrait and landscape formats, while keeping the camera directly above the head where it’s most stable. You don’t even have to remove your camera from the tripod.

NiSi Wizard Camera Bracket at a glance:

$98.99 / £74.90
Rotating tripod bracket
Arca Swiss compatible
1/4in tripod socket
Clicks at 90° intervals
Comes in four sizes (W-63, W-72, W-82M, W-82D)
nisioptics.co.uk

Compared to using an L-bracket, such as NiSi’s own excellent Universal L Plate, this approach potentially offers some real advantages. Firstly, the design won’t interfere with articulated rear screens, which is crucial when shooting at awkward angles. Secondly, it’s unlikely to block access to your camera’s cable release port.

Thirdly, it allows you to hang your camera from an inverted tripod centre column for low-angle shooting, but turn it back the right way up again, rather than struggle with operating it upside-down. You can also rotate the camera by any angle around the lens axis to tweak the composition. Flick through the slideshow below to see how it works.

NiSi Wizard with Sony A7R V in landscape format. Image credit: Andy Westlake

NiSi Wizard with Sony A7R V in portrait format. Image credit: Andy Westlake

NiSi Wizard with camera suspended under inverted centre column — NiSi Wizard with Sony A7R V suspended under inverted centre column. Image credit: Andy Westlake

NiSi Wizard Camera Bracket key features:

Hex key: A 4mm hex key for tightening the camera screw attaches magnetically beneath the camera plate
Anti-scratch: A rubber ring inside the collar protects your lenses from scratching
Locking: The bracket will lock firmly at any angle, with click stops at 90-degree intervals
Adjustment: The camera plate can be moved up and down by about 1cm for centring the ring on different cameras

NiSi Wizard Camera Bracket hex key — A hex key is stored magnetically under the camera platform. Image credit: Andy Westlake

NiSi Wizard Camera Bracket locking knob — A large orange knob locks the camera at any angle. Image credit: Andy Westlake

NiSi Wizard bracket height adjustment — The bracket can be adjusted to fit different cameras via these two hex bolts. Image credit: Andy Westlake

Naturally, there are some caveats too. For the bracket to fit and work properly, the camera’s tripod socket needs to be in line with the lens. On many smaller bodies, you may need an additional spacer (such as an Arca Swiss grip or baseplate) to centre it vertically, so you can use larger-diameter lenses. It won’t fit onto cameras with large viewfinder overhangs at all, such as the Panasonic S5II. And it will definitely get in the way of hand-held shooting.

NiSi Wizard W-72 on Fujifilm X-T5 via Arca baseplate — Here’s the W-72 version fitted to the Fujifilm X-T5 via an Arca-Swiss baseplate. Image credit: Ansy Westlake

The bracket is also likely to restrict access to the camera’s lens release button, along with any controls on its front plate. In the worst-case scenario, you may need to use the flat face of a key or screwdriver to release the lens. It will also obstruct lens controls within about 15mm of the camera body, such as switches and aperture rings.

NiSi Wizard W-63 on Sony A7R V blocking lens release button. — On Sony cameras, the bracket will restrict access to the lens release button. Image credit: Andy Westlake

NiSi Wizard W-72 on Fujifilm X-T5 blocking lens switches. — On Fujifilm X, the bracket will often obstruct lens switches. Image credit: Andy Westlake

If you can live with all this, though, the NiSi Wizard works pretty well, particularly if you plan on leaving your camera on a tripod, and not shooting hand-held. It’s very nicely made and fits securely onto both your camera and tripod. Crucially, the ring rotates really smoothly and locks down tightly at whatever angle you need.

Which size should I buy?

NiSi offers four versions of the Wizard Camera Bracket, with the number in each name indicating the inside diameter of the ring in millimetres (and therefore the largest diameter a lens can be directly adjacent to the mount, for it to fit). The W-63 is recommended for Sony E and Canon EOS M systems; the W-72 for Fujifilm X, Nikon Z and L-mount cameras; and the W-82M for Canon EOS R. Finally, the W-82D has a longer camera plate to fit DSLRs.

NiSi Wizard Camera Bracket W-63 fitted to Sony A7R V with Sony FE 90mm F2.8 Macro — Here’s the W-63 version fitted to the Sony A7R V with the Sony FE 90mm F2.8 Macro lens. Image credit: Andy Westlake

NiSi Wizard Camera Bracket: Our Verdict

If you can persuade the NiSi Wizard to fit your camera properly, it can be a useful option for tripod shooting. Personally, I can easily recommend the W-63 for Sony full-frame users; I tried it on both the A7R V and the older A7 II, and it worked with every lens I could find (which is a lot!). For Micro Four Thirds, Fujifilm X and Nikon Z cameras, I’ve found that the W-72 does a pretty good job, although it’s more likely to block camera and lens controls. Unfortunately I haven’t personally been able to test the W-82 on Canon EOS R cameras.