Portrait Style Mounting - Canon 5DmkIII

IanD

IanD

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Evening all,

I was wondering what's out there that can help me side mount my camera as in sitting in portrait mode, on top of the ballhead/tripod?

I'm thinking more for my Canon 70-200 mkII but i did notice that I had to really lock the ballhead tight the other day using my 24-70mm, to stop it creeping down.

Apologies if the attached belongs to a member on here, but I saw how this looked, and thought it was well balanced.

Is this something I can get hold of cheaply and use with confidence or is there anything else out there?

ThanksFB_IMG_1520199071870.jpg
 
That's an L bracket. Dozens of then around. Just Google L bracket for XXXXX camera.
You will need a different head on your tripod.
Once you've had an L bracket you will never be without one.

Just search on here too. Lots of us use them.
 
Ah right, thanks Frank. I'll have a bit of a Google mate

Oh, and meant to mention, the step up ring turned up out of the blue yesterday!
 
Brilliant. Now you have two!!!!

Yes. L brackets are superb. Use one and you'll wonder why you took so long to get one.
 
So looking at a YouTube clip, it looks like once attached to the camera, then it still slots on to your ballhead in place of the normal attachment you'd screw into the bottom of your camera?

If this is correct, then I'd need to make sure the width of the L bracket was right to fit the ballhead?
 
Thanks Maarten.

This is the ball head I have - that's comparable, isn't it?

head.jpg

If so, I assume I'd take my base plate out, and then both sides of the L Plate would be able to slot on to the ballhead plate slot and be screwed in?
 
IanD said:
Thanks Maarten.

This is the ball head I have - that's comparable, isn't it?

View attachment 121519

If so, I assume I'd take my base plate out, and then both sides of the L Plate would be able to slot on to the ballhead plate slot and be screwed in?
Click to expand...
Yep, sounds about right.

One thing though: you mention using a 70-200? In that case I'd attach the plate you already have to the lens foot/collar and mount that on your ballhead clamp: you'll find it's a much more balanced set up than with the camera body attached to the clamp. The lens collar will then allow you to rotate the camera into portrait orientation.
 
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The 70-200 should use the supplied tripod mount ring, which allows spinning to portrait mode.

Can get a little incongruous when used with a ball head that’s not tight though.
 
Cheers for that Phil - that's what I was worried about to be honest. Would feel much more confident with an L Plate fitted to use with all my lenses. I know my ball head isn't the bulkiest and strongest grip with heavier lenses, but, I feel that any lens hanging sideways off the tripod is a recipe for disaster so an L Plate is the order of the day.

Just got to find one that's comparable with my Canon mkIII so hopefully it has a gap at the side to get to the remote socket.

Can't find anything on Amazon that is specific to my camera yet
 
IanD said:
Cheers for that Phil - that's what I was worried about to be honest. Would feel much more confident with an L Plate fitted to use with all my lenses. I know my ball head isn't the bulkiest and strongest grip with heavier lenses, but, I feel that any lens hanging sideways off the tripod is a recipe for disaster so an L Plate is the order of the day.

Just got to find one that's comparable with my Canon mkIII so hopefully it has a gap at the side to get to the remote socket.

Can't find anything on Amazon that is specific to my camera yet
Click to expand...
If you attach your clamp to the foot and collar of the lens, with the lens rotated within the collar so the camera body is in portrait orientation, then the lens won't be hanging sideways off anything, and your kit will be better balanced fore and aft of the mounting point. If you mount a camera body onto a ballhead, L plate or not, and you have a lens like a 70-200 f/2.8 sticking out the front of it, then expect it to droop, unless you can get that ballhead extremely tight.
 
IanD said:
Cheers for that Phil - that's what I was worried about to be honest. Would feel much more confident with an L Plate fitted to use with all my lenses. I know my ball head isn't the bulkiest and strongest grip with heavier lenses, but, I feel that any lens hanging sideways off the tripod is a recipe for disaster so an L Plate is the order of the day.

Just got to find one that's comparable with my Canon mkIII so hopefully it has a gap at the side to get to the remote socket.

Can't find anything on Amazon that is specific to my camera yet
Click to expand...
The 70-200 really should be mounted by its foot, I wouldn’t want to leave it hanging off the front of my camera unsupported.
 
Understood Phil and Nifkin- I'll definitely use it mounted that way. I've only used that lens hand held so far so I'll do what you both suggest.

So one final thing to all before I buy an L Plate - does it have to mount onto a ball head or can it mount directly onto the tripod maybe alleviating any firm of imbalance? I noticed about the Mickledore mentioned that is need a different head on my tripod?

I can see this, if possible, being a good thing but also maybe then you'd not be able to centre an image properly
 
By all means buy an L bracket for shorter lenses. Great bit of kit and your ball head is compatible with arca Swiss. To use your 70-200 you just need to buy a short straight Arca Swiss plate for the lens foot and, as Phil has said, rotate the camera/lens assembly in the lens ring. L brackets are designed for quick and easy mounting to change from landscape to portrait mode so don't try and fit it directly to the tripod.
 
You can use the plate you now use on the camera on the long lens when you purchase the L bracket for the camera body.
 
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