L plates/brackets where from?

rob-nikon

rob-nikon

Messages
7,085
Name
Rob
Edit My Images
Yes
I'm currently looking for an L plate/bracket for a nikon d7000/71000. There are so many out there that's it's quite confusing. My questions are is dedicated better than universal l plate, is there anything to look for, do the end covers still open with it on and can a remote still be used.

So far prices are a little higher than I expected, i currently use a grip but it's looking expensive for gripped l plate so may have to remove the grip. Anyone know of good places to pick one up?
 
I got a universal one from Camera Gear UK....shop on ebay but recommended by someone on here , for my D7000 . Works a treat , easy to fit & so far no slipping like I used to suffer from with the original tripod head plate . Cover for the remote cable opens just enough for me to use it,bit of a fiddle but nothing major. It's a Sunwayfoto bracket ( DPL 04 I think ) . Chris Harrison at CGUK is great to deal with as is the lady who runs their ebay shop . Really top people , can't recommend them highly enough (y) Sensible price as well . Also bought a sunwayfoto tripod head that works with the l bracket...another great piece of kit at a good price

I use mine without the grip , went for universal to se if I could get on with it without spending a fortune.....wouldn't go back to not having one now & more than happy with the fit of the universal one.

HTH

:)
 
I bought a Benro L Bracket for my D7000, it covers the doors badly if you want to use a wired remote etc and you need to loosen the bracket, open the door and then tighten the bracket up again leaving the door open. Not great. It also covers the battery door so again has to be loosened up and slid across a bit to change the battery. Keep a screwdriver handy! Read reviews carefully before you buy.
 
If you plan on keeping the camera then I would consider a KIRK L Bracket. They have models for attachment with and without a grip. They also show different models for both the 7000 & 7100.

I've had two for my Canon cameras and you get access to all the doors and batteries. They are Arca Swiss compatible so you will need a compatible head. They are an excellent bit of kit and using them for landscape you get a very stable platform when you put the camera in the vertical format.

Pricey but you get what you pay for.

In fact there is one going on eBay for a D7000 with no grip at the moment.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Kirk-BL-D...515?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_3&hash=item3f37b0cdab
 
Last edited:
Thanks for the replies, my main issues are opening the doors without loosening the bracket.

I'm thinking either cguk or kirk. If I go kirk then it will be for the d7100 as I will probably keep it longer. It would be great to go for one I won't need to replace if I change cameras. I'm thinking the grip may need to go too, £160 for kirk gripped version is quite a bit for a bracket. I'm going to look into cguk a bit more.

I had noticed the kirk one on ebay. I'm guessing the difference between the d7000 and d7100 kirk brackets will be door access otherwise footprint size should be the same.
 
theres some universal ones on ebay very cheap.. i have one and its fine for what it is
 
I only use RRS for my L-Brackets and have a couple of Kirk plates for my lenses.

My reasoning is a two-fold;

1. Access to all off camera output connections with the L-Bracket in place - nothing worse than having to take it off and put it back on every time you want to plug something in.

2. Once you've seen the fit of these manufacturers compared to that of the generic models, you'll realise why you pay more. I don't having having £10k of camera and lens hanging off something that was made to fit most models. If something was to fail then that's a lot to lose over a £150 item.

If you've invested heavily in kit, but the best you can afford. If you're keeping your kit for a long time it pays to buy right, buy once.

On the flip, if you're new to L-Brackets and not sure if you see the value then buy a generic version, see how you get on with it and then replace it sooner rather than later for something better.
 
Another vote for RRS. Apart from the superb build quality they have an anti-twist flange that generic/universal ones usually don't. Without a flange, the camera/lens can twist on the plate when in portrait mode.

The only thing stopping the twisting action on this universal one is the attachment screw - http://cameragearuk.com/estore/?wpsc-product=sunwayfoto-dpl-05-l-plate-bracket. The RRS one can't twist because of the flange (moulded to the D7000) - http://www.reallyrightstuff.com/s.nl/it.A/id.2171/.f

German supplier avoids all that import nonsense and usually works out slightly cheaper - http://www.augenblicke-eingefangen....tion=&osCsid=168bf594593448358dd392bb63375c75
 
I managed to win the kirk l bracket for the d7000 on ebay, just waiting for it to be delivered now. It should be a good way to test how much I like an L plate although it's more of a need now rather than a choice due to a change tripod head.

Thanks for all the help everyone.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top