NiSi Quick Release Universal Adjustable L Plate

Andy Westlake tests an Arca Swiss L-bracket that comes in four versions to fit a range of cameras

IF YOU regularly use a tripod, you’ll know that most tripod heads rotate the camera off to one side when shooting in portrait format. That’s fine with lightweight loads, but with heavy camera and lens combinations it can be a recipe for instability. L-brackets aim to solve this problem by allowing the camera to be fixed directly above the centre column for portrait-format shooting. However, many are matched to a specific camera model which makes them expensive, while so-called ‘universal’ designs are rarely a perfect fit to any given camera.