There are some photographic accessories most people know about and understand, like tripods and speedlites, but there are others which remain relatively obscure. One of these unsung heroes is the L-bracket.
No, not that kind of bracket! An L-bracket is a very simple tool designed to solve a very specific problem: namely, the imbalance caused by using a camera on a ball-head tripod in a vertical orientation.
The camera is mounted to the bracket as it would be onto any quick-release place, but the bracket adds an extra Arca-Swiss-compatible prong that extends up the side of the camera in addition to the rail running along the bottom, enabling you to keep your ball-head out of the awkward “cranked all the way to the side” position. This has multiple benefits:
- No need to fine-tune the position of the ball-head every time you switch between orientations.
- The camera remains balanced over the center of the tripod—no more potentially disastrous weight shifts, as are caused by putting the camera’s whole weight to one side of the tripod.
- The lens can also be centered over the pivoting axis of the head, so your shots remain in-line if you’re shooting panoramas.
That’s about it! Like I said, a simple solution for a specific problem. If this sounds like something you could use, stop in to any Mike’s Camera location today, or order from the following links. We stock both the Gitzo L-bracket and the ProMaster Universal L-bracket, designed to be used with any camera. We will have a selection of camera-specific models available soon, as well, for maximum ergonomic efficiency and 100% access to all camera functions.