Reviews |3 Legged Thing Zelda Review

3 Legged Thing Zelda Review

Review

3 Legged Thing is best known for its tripods but the company also makes other products for photographers. After the success of the QR11, the company’s first universal L-Bracket (now followed-up by the Ellie), the Zelda is 3 Legged Thing’s first ‘dedicated’ L-bracket. It’s designed for use on the Nikon Z6 and Z7.

As the 3 Legged Thing Zelda is specifically designed for the Nikon Z6 and Z7, it doesn’t require any adjustment to fit. These two cameras have an identical shape and control layout so the Zelda fits them equally well.

 

3 Legged Thing Zelda Review

Construction

Nikon invited 3 Legged Thing to work on the Zelda for its first full-frame mirrorless cameras, so it’s the result of a collaboration.

The Zelda is milled from a block of aircraft-grade magnesium alloy. It attaches to the camera via a 1/4-inch-20 stainless steel ‘Stagsden’ bolt. But that’s not all. There’s a locator pin that fits in a reciprocating hole in the base of the camera. This precise design ensures that the Zelda stays perfectly still on the camera.

3 Legged Thing Zelda Review

The Zelda L-bracket has an Arca-Swiss compatible shape, which means it can be mounted in Arca-Swiss type tripod heads. Arca-Swiss type heads are widely available and it’s the design that 3 Legged Thing uses for its own tripod heads.

A 1/4-inch-20 thread on the vertical arm of the bracket allows accessories such as a microphone or a sling-strap to be attached.

Another 1/4-inch-20 thread on the base of the Zelda allows it to be mounted on other devices. For instance, should you need to, you can attach a quick release plate to mount it on a non-Arca-Swiss tripod head.

3 Legged Thing has also designed the Zelda around the Z6 and Z7’s strap left lug. As a result, you can use the standard strap if you wish although you might like to follow the link to take a look at some alternative camera straps.

3 Legged Thing Zelda Review

Performance

Nikon spent a lot of time designing the Z6 and Z7, so the last thing you want is for an L-bracket to be an encumbrance. Thankfully the 3 Legged Thing Zelda is far from that. When it’s mounted on either of the cameras you still get full access to all controls, doors and ports.

3 Legged Thing Zelda Review

Critically, you don’t even need to take the bracket off to change the battery. And if you want to connect a mic, you can just flip the cover open to access the jack.

The Zelda has a low profile and fits around the Z6 and Z7 body neatly. It works like a tripod quick release plate but on both the bottom and left side of the camera (as you hold it). This means you can switch between landscape and portrait orientation yet keep the lens in the same alignment. But what I find most useful about an L-bracket, especially when using a ball-head, is that there’s no need to readjust the level when swapping orientation.

3 Legged Thing Zelda Review

Thanks to that locking pin I mentioned earlier, the Zelda stays firmly on the camera, which means it won’t slip or twist when a heavy lens is mounted.

Verdict

If you have a Nikon Z6 or Z7 and an Arca-Swiss type tripod head then the 3 Legged Thing is a wise investment. It makes it easy to keep the same composition easy when you swap between shooting orientation and it saves time as the horizon remains level.

As an added benefit, your camera also gets a little protection from the magnesium alloy bracket. And as it weighs just 67g, the Zelda doesn’t make a noticeable difference to the weight of your camera.

The 3 Legged Thing does everything you need from an L-bracket with adding excessive weight or costing a fortune.