3 Legged Thing QR11-L 2.0 at a glance:
- £49.95
- Arca-Swiss type camera bracket
- For portrait and landscape shooting
- Fits a wide range of cameras
- Available in Copper or Grey
- www.3leggedthing.com
Serious landscape photographers often use a tripod, especially when shooting with small apertures for extended depth of field, or strong ND filters to blur the movement of clouds or water. But when shooting in portrait format, most tripod heads force you to rotate the camera off-centre. This isn’t always ideal when working outdoors, especially in windy conditions when you need all the stability you can get. Using an L-bracket, such as the 3 Legged Thing QR11-L 2.0, can remedy this, as they allow you to turn the camera by 90° and still attach it directly above the tripod head.
L brackets facilitate shooting in portrait format without having to tilt the tripod head
There’s a healthy market in custom L-brackets that are matched to particular camera models, which should maintain access to battery and memory card compartments and connector sockets. But these tend to be expensive and can’t be shared across multiple cameras, or kept if you decide to upgrade.
In contrast, 3 Legged Thing’s recently-updated QR11 2.0 brackets are designed to fit a wide range of cameras. Two sizes are available: ‘L’ for normal-sized cameras, and ‘FB’ which has an extended vertical bracket to match professional cameras with integrated vertical grips. Here we’re looking at the former.
3 Legged Thing supplies the QR11-L 2.0 with a microfibre pouch and Toolz multi-tool
3 Legged Thing QR11-L 2.0 key features:
- Strap connectors: Slots at each end of the bracket can be used for attaching a shoulder or hand strap
- Safety stops: A pair of small screws protrude from the underside of the bracket, to help prevent your camera inadvertently sliding off the tripod
- Cut-outs: Triangular indents on the baseplate provide easy access to the articulated screens now found on most cameras
- Kit contents: The bracket comes with 3 Legged Thing’s handy Toolz multi-tool and a soft storage bag
In terms of size, the QR11 2.0 employs a baseplate that’s about 11.5cm wide and the Arca-Swiss standard 38mm front-to-back. Its camera screw slides along a slot that allows 5.5cm of sideways adjustment to match different cameras. The 8cm-tall vertical section includes two 1/4in sockets for attaching accessories, and thanks to its symmetric profile, it can be flipped around to place these at either the front or the back.
The 3 Legged Thing QR11-L 2.0 is a good match to many DSLRs. Here it’s on the original Canon EOS 5D
I tried the QR-11 2.0 on a number of cameras, and found that as promised, it will fit onto most DSLR or mirrorless models. However, that doesn’t mean it’s perfectly suited to all of them. Crucially, all four of the textured rubber grips on its base section need to make good contact with the camera’s baseplate, to prevent the bracket from twisting.
The QR11-L 2.0 isn’t a great fit for mirrorless cameras that place their tripod sockets right at the front of the body, such as the Olympus OM-D E-M1 Mark III shown here
This means it works best on those with tripod sockets that are placed centrally on the base, including most DSLRs. In contrast, it’s a poor match to bodies that have their tripod socket right at the front, which is common on smaller mirrorless models.
On some cameras such as the Sony A7R IV, the bracket can block the remote release port
On some cameras, such as Sony’s Alpha 7 series, the vertical section will block the use of ports on the side, including the cable release socket. This can be remedied to an extent (although not always fixed) by sliding the bracket so it’s further removed from the camera body. The QR11-L 2.0 will also inevitably obstruct the movement of side-hinged articulated screens, but that’s true of almost all L-brackets.
Also consider: 3 Legged Thing Ellie
3 Legged Thing also makes L-brackets specifically matched to certain mirrorless models, including Nikon’s Z-series, Canon’s EOS R5 and R6, and the Fujifilm GFX100S and GFX50S II twins.
3 Legged Thing’s Ellie range is a better fir to small mirrorless models with tripod mounts at the front of the body
The firm also makes an alternative universal design, the Ellie family, which is a better fit to small mirrorless cameras.
3 Legged Thing QR11-L 2.0: Our Verdict
Compared to cheap no-name L-brackets, the QR11-L 2.0 is really well made and benefits from several thoughtful design touches. If it happens to fit your camera nicely, it should do its job well.
