If you shoot landscapes have been struggling to work all angles of a scene, it might be time to consider buying an L bracket. What looks like a simple piece of metal moulded into a right angle can allow you to maximise your output from shooting in various orientations. In this guide we’ll lay out our picks for the best L bracket for your camera and tell you what to look for in your search. But first, let’s explain a little more about what they do.
What is an L bracket?
An L bracket is an L-shaped piece of metal that cradles your camera along the bottom and on one side. The L bracket has tripod mounts on both sides. This enables you to quickly swap your camera from landscape to portrait format and maintain the same positioning of the camera.
What is an L bracket used for?
An L bracket lets you shoot in both landscape and portrait orientations when your camera is mounted on a tripod. Most landscape photographers mount their camera on a tripod, and most will tell you that it’s much easier to shoot in landscape format than it is in portrait.
Though you can adjust different types of tripod heads to different angles, on the whole, most tripods and heads are designed for shooting in landscape format. Trying to shoot vertically on a tripod shifts your composition and also can destabilise your tripod.
Commercial photographers might use an L bracket like this to help them get many variations of a scene – such as portrait format versions with space for text – to help increase their chances of selling the image.
How an L bracket works
The L bracket attaches to your camera and replaces the quick release plate you would normally use with your tripod. Simple remove the plate from the tripod and swap between landscape and portrait orientation as your needs demand.
The best L bracket is one that has been designed specifically for the contours and button layout of your camera. But these come at a premium. For the more budget conscious, or if you shoot with multiple bodies, you might want to consider a universal L bracket.
Below are our picks for the best L brackets you can buy today.
