Who needs an L-bracket? (Hint: it might be you!)

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.

Lions for the win?

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.

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