KipperTie Strata Electro ND Lens Mount Unveiled

Accessory News

by Reuben EvansApril 30^th, 2024

KipperTie’s John Marchant unveiled their latest lens mount, the Strata Electro ND Clear to 2.1. The mount PL and E-mount lenses to the Canon RF mount, along with PL to E-mount lenses. Its stand-out feature is a glass ND system that can go from clear to 2.1 ND without changing a cartridge.

KipperTie accessories are quite popular with RED users. Recently RED introduced their RF to PL eVND system. However, it has one cartridge for clear and another for the variable electronic ND. KipperTie’s system has it all contained within the electronic mount.

John Marchant goes in-depth about the creation of this lens mount. If you want to geek out about the technicalities of IR pass-through, PL rear-element depth, and the trials of reducing internal halation and reflectivity, this is the live stream for you. Marchant also explores the advantages and differences of their two other ND options, Strata and Revolva, compared to the new mount.

Going from Clear to 2.1 ND with a flick of a dial

The Strata Electro relies on a dial on the side to quickly go between clear and the levels of ND. Marchant goes into a deep discussion about the robustness and dust resistance of the mechanical system. He describes it as a “physical glass ND system with electronic actuation.” This makes it substantially different from eVND systems. It has a Lemo connection and a USB-C connection. The USB-C connection provides a way to update the firmware. The mount itself is powered through the camera’s lens mount. At this time, the mount is not controlled by the RED camera UI, but he did mention that follow-focus units from Arri/C-motion and Teradek can control it. Marchant argued that the advantage of not running the unit through the RED UI is that it can hold its setting when the camera turns on and off, and not be subject to compatibility with camera firmware. Marchant didn’t demonstrate the C-Motion and Teradek, so it will be interesting to see how this works.

Lens adapter support options

In the live stream, KipperTie showed that several mounting options would be coming for various cameras. It appears that the RED V-Raptor and Komodo-X’s locking ring do a good job of holding the Strata Electro in place. The normal Strata does use the 1/4″ threads on the front for mounting. Marchant emphasized that they are going for top-level build quality, as opposed to lower-priced options.

New CFExpress Type B card

KipperTie will also be introducing the LongTake 4TB. It is based on the new version 4 of CFExpress Type B cards. When paired with the latest ProGrade USB 4 card reader, it can offload footage much faster.

Price and availability

The unit will sell for around $2,200 and will be available around mid-summer through dealers, or KipperTie’s website.

For more information about KipperTie’s products, visit their store.