I hadn’t heard of L-brackets in a long time. Since I’m excited about the concept and getting the chance to use them, I’m now wondering how I managed without them.
What is an L bracket?
As the name implies, it describes the shape of the brace. The bracket is built with an Arca Swiss mounting surface along the outside of both the long and short surfaces. If your tripod has an Arca Swiss mounting system, you’re good to go.
Main advantage of an L-bracket
The big advantage of using an L-bracket is the ability to mount your camera horizontally or vertically by quickly releasing the tripod lock. Move the camera in the new direction and lock it again. Comfortable! Adding speed to edit your scene compositions is extremely helpful in the field in fast-changing lighting situations.
Types of L brackets
Special brackets are made for specific cameras or mounting systems. Usually, specialty brackets cost a lot more than the standard universal L-bracket I share in this article. The main difference between the dedicated camera-specific mounts is a more user-friendly user interface. For example, in Really Right Stuff’s L-brackets, mounting the bracket gives you access to the battery compartment. While it’s handy, I don’t change the batteries often enough, so detaching the plate and moving it isn’t a problem.
Price of L brackets
For photographers on a budget, universal L-brackets go for about $15-$25. This requires you to move the bracket back and forth to use the hinged screen or to access the battery or memory card compartments. I’m good at that.
Here’s an example of one Really good stuff L bracket designed for specific camera models for around $150. The difference is that it’s a one-piece L-bracket that retains access to the battery and port door. In fact, it does not hinder the movement of the LCD screen, among other things.
Thing with 3 legs makes a variety of specialized L-brackets. These cost from $39 to about $150 for different camera models and different features.
To block
You can spend from $15 to over $200 for L-brackets. This depends on your camera model and built-in features, such as the ability to move the camera up and down and back and forth within the bracket. You should do some research before ordering your L-bracket. Make sure you get the attributes that fit your budget and tolerance. The major difference is convenience versus resetting the bracket using the universal models.
Yours in creative photography, Bob
