Canon 5D4 and L-Bracket issue.

ecoleman

ecoleman

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Elliott
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Calling all 5D4 and L-Bracket users.

When I bought my 5D4 a few weeks ago, I had a look for the Sunwayfoto L-Bracket for this camera but reviews seems to suggest that Sunwayfoto had cut corners and simply rebadged the 5D3 bracket. The cut out for the remote cable is still there and some say it does not fit correctly.
As I had sold a 6D and 7D2 both of which had Sunwayfoto L-Brackets I tried both on the new camera and the 7D2 bracket fit perfectly. Yes the cut out is there and the side rubbers doors are obscured a little but as I don't use any ports on the side that didn't bother me. However, last night I tried to connect my remote and as this has now been moved to the front and the connector has an angled head, this was bumping up against the bracket meaning I could not connect the remote enough for it to make contact with the pins.

Firstly does anybody have the Sunwayfoto bracket specifically for the 5D4 and does your remote fit?

Secondly, does anybody know where I can get either a short extension cable but without the 90 degree angled plug or a small barrel connector.
Google is turning up loads of extensions and converters but everything has the damned angled head which is causing the issue.

Thirdly, can anybody recommend a cheap, decent L-Bracket that does fit and allow remote connectivity. I refuse to pay silly money for RRS/Kirk as I hate being ripped off and a bit of machined alloy is not worth nearly £200.
 
Personally, if we're just talking about a mm or so clearance, I wouldn't hesitate to take a file to the bracket or connector, but that's maybe just me (and sk66 :D). So long as you don't weaken it actually on the right-angle, that should be okay.

The way I get around it is simply not to use the plug-in remote release. Canon 5D series has an IR remote control sensor near the hand grip, and I just use the little Canon RC-1. I think they're now discontinued but they come up on ebay, or MPB have a used one for £9 https://www.mpb.com/en-uk/used-equi...fgLT-HIhtZO4l8xAbWUxyQJWhOdgOmWUaAlfoEALw_wcB Google 'Canon IR remote control' and a few other options come up.

The RC-1 has poor range in bright light but I only use it when working at the camera, ie from a few inches, so that's fine (y)
 
Doesn't the 5D4 have Bluetooth or WiFi, if so, why not use a smartphone and the Canon app to trigger the shutter, or if really pushed and shooting a static subject just use the 2 or 10 second self timer?

Edit: Failing that, could a suitable black dense foam rubber pad stuck to the inside of the side bracket part (and trimmed to fit) hold the camera body a little further away (but still level) and give enough clearance without grinding bits off the bracket?
 
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We'll I've been searching on and off all day and a straight connector just doesn't exist.
I can't use an IR remote as I sometimes need to trigger from quite a distance. I have a radio remote but it still needs to connect to the remote port.

After a closer inspection this afternoon it looks like a few millimetres of filing is all that will be required so will probably end up going down that route.
I just need to buy a small enough file.
 
Might not be suitable for your usage but you can trigger it using an ST-E3 on the hotshoe

Bob
 
I just bought the SunwayFoto bracket for my 5d4 with battery grip. I have a variety of third party remotes and some of them are a really tight/forced fit to the point you begin to worry if the pins are going to be bent. This is due to the barrel connection being quite short. The cheaper official Canon remote I have has a longer barrel and fits better but is not a seamless fit. It still feels a little bit tight but not nearly as much as the third party ones*. The solution I am going to try is to cut/file a small part of the flexible ribbed part of the connecter away to allow a completely non-forced fit.

Another option you could try is something like the Alpine Labs Spark which allows remote control via a smart phone. It uses a USB connection to trip the camera rather than a shutter remote.

* The Canon one also seems to be a bit thicker than the third party ones and thus less prone to falling out. This may also contribute to the tighter feeling when pushing the connector in.

Regards...
 
Threads like this seem to go to prove that buying cheap too often results in buying twice.

I buy Really Right Stuff products (tripod/monopod heads, Arca-Swiss clamps and brackets) and not only are their designs very thoroughly thought out but they are superbly engineered. They also hold their value better when it comes to sell if they are no longer used.
 
RedRobin said:
Threads like this seem to go to prove that buying cheap too often results in buying twice.

I buy Really Right Stuff products (tripod/monopod heads, Arca-Swiss clamps and brackets) and not only are their designs very thoroughly thought out but they are superbly engineered. They also hold their value better when it comes to sell if they are no longer used.
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I’ve never had a problem with a sunwayfoto bracket before. They’ve always fit very well with cutouts all in the right places. Why they’ve cut corners with the 5D4 god only knows, but it’s been fixed by filing off a couple of mm where the cable release connects and in no way effect the strength or stability.

I don’t care how well engineered RRS says their brackets are, I will never be fleeced for nearly £200 for one. A bit of aluminium is a bit of aluminium no matter how much of a spin you put on it.
 
Finste said:
I just bought the SunwayFoto bracket for my 5d4 with battery grip. I have a variety of third party remotes and some of them are a really tight/forced fit to the point you begin to worry if the pins are going to be bent. This is due to the barrel connection being quite short. The cheaper official Canon remote I have has a longer barrel and fits better but is not a seamless fit. It still feels a little bit tight but not nearly as much as the third party ones*. The solution I am going to try is to cut/file a small part of the flexible ribbed part of the connecter away to allow a completely non-forced fit.

Another option you could try is something like the Alpine Labs Spark which allows remote control via a smart phone. It uses a USB connection to trip the camera rather than a shutter remote.

* The Canon one also seems to be a bit thicker than the third party ones and thus less prone to falling out. This may also contribute to the tighter feeling when pushing the connector in.

Regards...
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Thanks for the info on the 5D4 bracket. I figured that would be the case so glad I didn’t waste money buying one.
If just slightly modified my 7D2 bracket and it works okay now. The cut out for the cable release on the 7D2 lined up perfectly with the new position on the 5D4, I just had to file off a couple of mm so the connector pushed in all the way and finished it off with a little black paint.
 
ecoleman said:
I don’t care how well engineered RRS says their brackets are, I will never be fleeced for nearly £200 for one. A bit of aluminium is a bit of aluminium no matter how much of a spin you put on it.
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.... You are mistaken if you think that.

Even without any knowledge of metallurgy, why do you think that the cheap as chips aluminium brackets are more prone to breaking.

But hey-ho, it's your money to spend and enjoy as you think fit.
 
RedRobin said:
.... You are mistaken if you think that.

Even without any knowledge of metallurgy, why do you think that the cheap as chips aluminium brackets are more prone to breaking.

But hey-ho, it's your money to spend and enjoy as you think fit.
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Can you link to complaints of them breaking please?
The sunwayfoto brackets are a solid bracket and I can’t see how you could possibly break it unless you doing something with it which it isn’t designed for.

Maybe some of these two part brackets will break as they have a weak point, but not a solid bracket.
 
ecoleman said:
Can you link to complaints of them breaking please?
The sunwayfoto brackets are a solid bracket and I can’t see how you could possibly break it unless you doing something with it which it isn’t designed for.

Maybe some of these two part brackets will break as they have a weak point, but not a solid bracket.
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....I can't post any links for you because I have not bookmarked any.

I'm not saying that Sunwayfoto brackets are bound to fail - Hopefully they are made from high grade aircraft industry or aerospace grade billet 'alooominum' as the Americans call it.

Solidity, or rather apparent solidity, does not guarantee that no structural failure can occur.

Personally I prefer to buy brands I know and trust for their design and durability. They tend to be more expensive due to the manufacturer's higher costs (including R &D). RRS and Acratech are well established for their high quality and the Americans are particularly good with aluminium alloys.
 
RedRobin said:
....I can't post any links for you because I have not bookmarked any.

I'm not saying that Sunwayfoto brackets are bound to fail - Hopefully they are made from high grade aircraft industry or aerospace grade billet 'alooominum' as the Americans call it.

Solidity, or rather apparent solidity, does not guarantee that no structural failure can occur.

Personally I prefer to buy brands I know and trust for their design and durability. They tend to be more expensive due to the manufacturer's higher costs (including R &D). RRS and Acratech are well established for their high quality and the Americans are particularly good with aluminium alloys.
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“High grade aircraft industry” “aerospace grade billet” = Snake oil
R&D? What research? Somebody proficient with CAD with knock out a design within half an hour.

I’m attaching 3kg of camera and lens to a tripod, not launching a space shuttle. RRS will tell you anything to justify their ridiculous prices, but if your happy to pay their prices, that’s fine by me.
 
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ecoleman said:
“High grade aircraft industry” “aerospace grade billet” = Snake oil
R&D? What research? Somebody proficient with CAD with knock out a design within half an hour.
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....:LOL: Golly! :wideyed: You don't know much about high quality product design and development do you.

ecoleman said:
I’m attaching 3kg of camera and lens to a tripod, not launching a space shuttle. RRS will tell you anything to justify their ridiculous prices, but if your happy to pay their prices, that’s fine by me.
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....I'm usually attaching about 5kg mounted on a gimbal head with dynamic weight shifting going on and cantilevered weight shifting while carrying. Camera + lens totals over £13k and so is not something I want to take risks with. A chain is only as strong as its weakest link. I use this superb L-bracket without having to hack it about and I have peace of mind : http://www.reallyrightstuff.com/B1DXMkII-Plates

You seem to have an irrational loathing of RRS products. At least the user doesn't need to crudely "file 2mm off a bracket" and "finish it off with a little black paint" < Good luck when you come to want to sell that!

But if you are happy to buy products which cut corners, that's fine by me.

ecoleman said:
Calling all 5D4 and L-Bracket users.
When I bought my 5D4 a few weeks ago, I had a look for the Sunwayfoto L-Bracket for this camera but reviews seems to suggest that Sunwayfoto had cut corners and simply rebadged the 5D3 bracket. The cut out for the remote cable is still there and some say it does not fit correctly.
Click to expand...
 
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I'm usually attaching about 5kg mounted on a gimbal head with dynamic weight shifting going on and cantilevered weight shifting while carrying. Camera + lens totals over £13k.
Click to expand...

Most people with £13k, 5kg quipment mounted to a gimbal do so using the lens collar, not an L bracket.

I have no loathing of RRS, I’m just not a mug. Yes I’ve had to modify my bracket a bit, but it does the job and as for selling it, why would I? As it didn’t cost £200 it’s not money I would need to recover.
 
ecoleman said:
Most people with £13k, 5kg quipment mounted to a gimbal do so using the lens collar, not an L bracket.
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....Ooops! You are absolutely right and in my rush to defend my belief and trust in RRS products (I also have their ballheads) I forgot that very important fundamental fact! I use the lens collars, but guess what > One of my telephoto lens collars has an Arca-Swiss replacement lensfoot made by... RRS :D

ecoleman said:
I have no loathing of RRS, I’m just not a mug. Yes I’ve had to modify my bracket a bit, but it does the job and as for selling it, why would I? As it didn’t cost £200 it’s not money I would need to recover.
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....Fair enough. I'm glad you didn't react angrily to my earlier posts - I did get a bit carried away in my enthusiasm for RRS products. Each to their own and as long as we each enjoy our photography that's all that matters.

:)
 
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RedRobin said:
....Ooops! You are absolutely right and in my rush to defend my belief and trust in RRS products (I also have their ballheads) I forgot that very important fundamental fact! I use the lens collars, but guess what > One of my telephoto lens collars has an Arca-Swiss replacement lensfoot made by... RRS :D



....Fair enough. I'm glad you didn't react angrily to my earlier posts - I did get a bit carried away in my enthusiasm for RRS products. Each to their own and as long as we each enjoy our photography that's all that matters.

:)
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I'm sure RRS make excellent ball heads and gimbals. I don't know as I don't have the need for one. Again my relatively cheap Benro head does what I need it to do but if I had £13k of camera and lens attached I'm sure I would also pay a bit more for a better head.
It just really annoys me when these companies sell what are essentially cheap, simple gadgets for way over the odds just because they have a name for themselves.

Slightly off topic, I was at Wren Kitchens yesterday designing and pricing up a new kitchen. Looking more closely at the quite, they have added some Danish Oil to treat the new worktops (okay) for £62 :eek:. I can buy the same tin on Amazon for £15. They want £18 for some 150mm kitchen bolts. Screwfix sell them in a pack of 10 for £4.99. The quote came in at just over £10k so why try and rip me off for the basics? Then they wanted £4500 to fit the kitchen. But wait, the kitchen units come fully assembled from the factory and it's a dry fit only, so £4500 to line up the cabinets agains the wall, bolt some of them to the wall and level them. No plumbing, no electrics, no cutting of worktops, no rubbish removal, no old kitchen removal.
Unfortunately for Wren, I've now decided to get more quotes as I hate being ripped off. :exit:
 
I picked up an L bracket for my 6D from a Chinese seller on eBay a while back, it appears to be strong and nicely made, it sits square and fits the camera well. I don't intend to dangle long lenses off it (besides, I'd mount them using the lens collar anyway) so I've no reason to doubt that it will be up to the job I want if for, and for the few times I'm likely to use it. The price, including delivery? £12.

Will it be as strong and durable as a £200 one... well, tell you what, I was so impressed with my £12 purchase I bought a spare, so if someone wants to bring a £200 one round to my house we can put them in the large vice on my workbench and I've got a nice big ballpein hammer we can belt them with to see which one fails first. :naughty: But that's kind of the point, at £12 I wouldn't be that bothered about scratching or denting one, or testing it to destruction... but would I do that with one that costs £200?

Resale value? Well I imagine if someone has bought a £200 L bracket and chose to sell it after a year's use they'd probably drop more than the total cost of the two of mine put together! However, if someone uses an L bracket every day and wants what they believe is the best quality for peace of mind, and/or gains pleasure from owning a beautifully designed and engineered object then there's no harm in that at all, providing they can afford the price and aren't getting themselves into unnecessary debt to buy it when cheaper alternatives are available. What I do believe, however, is that neither extreme should be criticising the other for their choice, as it's each to their own... but there's nothing much wrong with a bit of banter and good-natured leg pulling on either side though! :)
 
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