Do you have an RRS L-bracket for the R5 or R6 pre-ordered?

koenkooi said:

Mine was delivered yesterday, it is very well made, on par with my other smallrig brackets. It is sitting next to the BG-R10, spare batteries, CFe card and CFe reader, awaiting delivery of an R5. So I can't say how it fits on the camera.
I ordered it directly from smallrig.com to get it laser engraved, the estimated '5 weeks' for lead time was 6 days and it took a week to go from China to my desk.

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I have the smallrig L bracket for the R5. It fits well and seems well made - and much more reasonably priced ($30 + $10 shipping). The screen can be opened and rotated - however, if the screen is extended (away from the R5 body), it cannot be tilted.

Ok! My SmallRig L-plate has shipped. Really looking forward to comparing it to RRS brackets for older cameras. Fingers crossed? Who wouldn't want to save over $100, plus have the module design of the 5D4's bracket, rather than RRS's current one-piece? I'll report soon!

First impressions, the SmallRig does not inspire confidence. First, the shorter, vertical bracket has enough flex to press it against the body of the camera, something that does not happen with the RRS brackets. *See update in my next post below.

Second, the silly holes drilled into that vertical bracket seem too close to the inner part of the frame, so there is only about a ONE MILLIMETER "skin" of aluminum remaining where the holes are closest to the inner surface. Why does smallrig use these holes? Weight saving? Style? They just give the impression of weakening the structure.

Third, big flat-head screws are used to tighten the bracket to the body and to tighten and loosen the sliding portion. There is a dime-sized "screwdriver" magnetically attached to the bottom of the plate; however, it can very easily be bumped out and lost forever. Without that, if the plate needs to be tightened, or the sliding portion adjusted...Who still carries coins in their pockets? Ok, so now we'd need to keep a wide bladed flathead in our bag--or I suppose we could just keep that little round flathead (included with the bracket) in a bag.

Irritatingly, there are small hex-screws that fasten the vertical bracket to the horizontal, but SmallRig does not include a hex-wrench for these. Out of the box, or when first attached to the body, it would be nice to be able to give those little hex-screws a quick check with a wrench, tightening if needed. Purchasers will have to find the right hex-wrench to be sure the two brackets are securely attached.

Finally, it definitely feels chunkier (and clunkier) on the bottom of my R6 than any RRS bracket felt on a FF dslr.

Of all the points above, the unsettling amount of vertical-bracket flex is the deal breaker, in my opinion. *See update in my next post below.

Yes, it is only $30 USD (plus $10 shipping from Shenzhen) , so we get what we pay for. But when it comes to attaching a body and lens to a tripod, I don't want a dubious, cheap piece of hardware. I couldn't resist trying it for the money. Will I be able to ship it back and get a refund? Even if their customer service arranges it, I'd likely have to pay $10 or more for return shipping, meaning my actual refund would be worth about $20. Probably not worth the hassle unless I'm just trying to "make a point."

In the meantime, as of right now, Kirk's L-bracket is in stock, but RRS is not. Kirk doesn't have a sliding plate to pull the vertical bracket away from the ports; nor does it have a hex-wrench tucked in the bottom of the bracket. But otherwise it looks solid, and they state the type of aluminum used (unlike smallrig). A little vague as to whether it is manufactured in the USA, but I'm not sure that is an issue.

Just comparing the L-Brackets of each (to fit w/o grip) of the ones I looked at. (Prices w/o shipping... as it varies)

RRS = $165.00
Seems like a well made 1-piece, but way to pricy IMO (it should not cost this much for what it is).

SUNWAYFOTO = $49.99
Not much I like about this one compared to the other 2.

SmallRig = $29.90
I like this one the best and not only that, it's the best bang for the buck. It does what I need it to at a price I don't even bat an eyelash over (I received mine and used it a little bit).

@YuengLinger , I'm sure you could put it on buy/sell for 30-35 shipped and someone would pick it up.

Bdbtoys said:

Just comparing the L-Brackets of each (to fit w/o grip) of the ones I looked at. (Prices w/o shipping... as it varies)

RRS = $165.00
Seems like a well made 1-piece, but way to pricy IMO (it should not cost this much for what it is).

SUNWAYFOTO = $49.99
Not much I like about this one compared to the other 2.

SmallRig = $29.90
I like this one the best and not only that, it's the best bang for the buck. It does what I need it to at a price I don't even bat an eyelash over (I received mine and used it a little bit).

@YuengLinger , I'm sure you could put it on buy/sell for 30-35 shipped and someone would pick it up.

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*UPDATE: My major complaint was that the vertical bracket had too much flex. I solved this by finally tracking down a small hex-wrench that fit the two hex-screws which fasten the two parts of the bracket together. (The smallrig L-bracket does NOT come with the hex-wrench.) Sure enough, both hex-screws were loose, and once they were properly tightened, the flex was gone.

(I think for a couple dollars more, including the hex-wrench would prevent others from having the same bad impression---or, much worse, having the vertical bracket detach while loaded with camera and lens.)

Still, I have doubts about the quality of the aluminum at this price, and I also wonder what so many holes do to structural integrity.

Furthermore, buying the expensive RRS brackets over the past ten years became a sort of nasty habit. I'd grimace each time I purchased one (or two!), and then not think about it again until it was time to sell a body with the RRS bracket. And then I'd get angry all over again when buying yet another RRS bracket for a new body. Like paying a tax. Ugh.

Now whether it makes sense to have faith in a $30 two-piece L-bracket or not is up to the buyer, but it does do the job (unless it fails!). And whether it makes sense to have more faith in a RRS bracket at 5.5 times the price is also up to the buyer.

One more nice thing about the smallrig and RRS designs compared to alternatives: Look at photos and you will see that the gap on the vertical bracket, the one meant to allow the flip-screen to swing out and have some tilt, has the upper and lower points beveled at a nice angle to slightly reduce the pinching/scratching/crushing effect of inadvertently pressing those points into the LCD screen. This is a nice touch which the R version of the RRS did not have quite right. On the Kirk and the Sunway, you can see that where the bracket's tip would contact the LCD screen is sharper and more likely to cause quick damage. It's not a huge difference if much pressure is applied, but still shows that smallrig and RRS were on the ball when thinking about the flip-screen.

I will be ordering a RRS for the R6. The major weak point that I see with the SmallRig is the fasteners used to connect the vertical and horizontal plates together. They are two small hex-screws placed too closely together. If these fail while the camera is in portrait orientation on a tripod, the rig will come tumbling down. I simply don't have enough confidence in those two short hex-screws--there are no additional pegs to add support and reduce the chance of breaking if stressed or faulty.

It's no fun paying the high price!

YuengLinger said:

I will be ordering a RRS for the R6. The major weak point that I see with the SmallRig is the fasteners used to connect the vertical and horizontal plates together. They are two small hex-screws placed too closely together. If these fail while the camera is in portrait orientation on a tripod, the rig will come tumbling down. I simply don't have enough confidence in those two short hex-screws--there are no additional pegs to add support and reduce the chance of breaking if stressed or faulty.

It's no fun paying the high price!

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From an emotional standpoint I understand your point, and I am certainly not trying to change your mind, however from an engineering standpoint the failure loading vs the weight of the camera and any lens you might have attached is simply not an issue.

privatebydesign said:

From an emotional standpoint I understand your point, and I am certainly not trying to change your mind, however from an engineering standpoint the failure loading vs the weight of the camera and any lens you might have attached is simply not an issue.

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Have you examined the SmallRig bracket? And why are you assuming it is an "emotional standpoint"? I'd love to save the money, that would be a relief. But after looking carefully at the fasteners, and how close they are together, I can see that the vertical support is not attached with enough strength to hold a camera and heavy lens in portrait orientation over the long haul. A failure would cost much more than simply choosing a better made L-bracket.

If it were "emotion," I'd say screw RRS and their high prices, I'm going for the cheaper brand. But my concern is based on common sense and ten years of personal experience with RRS's products.

And I'd love to subscribe to magical thinking, believing that we don't get what we pay for; instead, we get what we hope for.

But before responding to anything else, just let me know--have you examined the SmallRig yet yourself? Hands on?

YuengLinger said:

Have you examined the SmallRig bracket? And why are you assuming it is an "emotional standpoint"? I'd love to save the money, that would be a relief. But after looking carefully at the fasteners, and how close they are together, I can see that the vertical support is not attached with enough strength to hold a camera and heavy lens in portrait orientation over the long haul. A failure would cost much more than simply choosing a better made L-bracket.

If it were "emotion," I'd say screw RRS and their high prices, I'm going for the cheaper brand. But my concern is based on common sense and ten years of personal experience with RRS's products.

And I'd love to subscribe to magical thinking, believing that we don't get what we pay for; instead, we get what we hope for.

But before responding to anything else, just let me know--have you examined the SmallRig yet yourself? Hands on?

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Yes I have, the first R5 I borrowed had one fitted, I don't have pictures of it but I do have pictures from it...

The 'washer' screwdriver thing on the circular magnet was a first for me and I have other Smallrig gear.

By emotional I meant observation, or intuition, or feeling, that is, not based on engineering principles. Stand in the empty hold of a Lockheed Galaxy C5 and you'd be perfectly sane to believe there was no way that thing could fly, yet it does (and yes I have done that too).

But again, I'm not trying to convince you to do anything, just pointing out your intuition of the engineering is not based on engineering principles just intuition, which is an emotion.

privatebydesign said:

Yes I have, the first R5 I borrowed had one fitted, I don't have pictures of it but I do have pictures from it...


But again, I'm not trying to convince you to do anything, just pointing out your intuition of the engineering is not based on engineering principles just intuition, which is an emotion.

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Ok, I am glad you are speaking from firsthand knowledge, which, in your case, I should have assumed. Your posts here have been very reliable and fact based, PBD. I generally look forward to them!

But here we are going to disagree. If you take apart the bracket and examine how thin and short the hex-screws are, and how close they are set together, do you really have confidence in how well they will hold up over time? I don't. I've seen all sorts of shortcuts in construction and remodeling, and, to me, the way the plates are fastened together just looks "below code." If it weren't for this perceived weakness, I'd stick with the SmallRig and save the money.

In this case, it ain't rocket (or aeronautic) science. It's trying to go cheap on a part, the lowest bidder mentality, that could fail and cost 30 times the cost in replacing gear that has been destroyed by falling from a tripod. Any little bit of stress would bend/shear off the vertical plate, in my opinion.

Later I'll share photos of the SmallRig in two pieces, just to graphically explain what I'm going on about. They can't use thicker and longer fasteners because of the holes they drilled in the plate, and they decided not to use a design that allows for strengthening pegs like RRS used in their 60D two part L-bracket. (The closest I could find in terms of design.) Pictures soon!

So my RRS L-bracket (not gripped) arrived yesterday. I just installed it. The RRS L-brackets lived on my 5DIII and 5DIV. I am not sure that will be the case here. Construction seems to be up to RRS standards. I will say, the bottom part of the plate is perfectly flat, whereas the previous RRS plates were essentially a cradle that the cameras fit in. I did not even notice this about the R5 before, but there are two pin holes on either either side of the tripod mount, offset about 1.5 inches. The RRS plate uses one of those pin holes, so I can see how they are stopping rotation.

Overall, normal snug fit I would expect.

Potential issues, that I see so far:

• The hex-wrench is held in place by two magnets. There is nothing physically holding it in place. This actually does two things: 1) makes it a bit more difficult to remove, and 2) I can see it getting bumped and losing it. Personally, I'll trust RRS here until I do lose one, assuming they've tested it. But, I did feel more secure with the 5DIV design where there was essentially a holster for the wrench.
• The wrench is small, not all that nice to use.
• If I have the vertical part of the bracket all the way against the body, it is very difficult to access the connections. Move it out slightly and it works, but is not great.
• The range motion allowed for the LCD is fine when looking down (screen pointed up), but limited when holding the camera up (screen pointed down). I can still see the screen, but it is not straight unless I hold it more vertical than I do. So, when holding the camera up, if I have the L-bracket on, I will likely not be looking at the screen head on, but more of a side view.
• Minor, but some have been mentioned recent quality of RRS products. This seems good out of the box, but I did notice they added the wrong instruction guide. Not that I need it, but still: QA/QC.
• As I am not sure if I will have the bracket on my camera all the time, I wish it wasn't two parts that can be easily separated. I'll probably need to add them into a bag, so they do not become separated.

Overall, I think this will work just fine. I'll have to decide if it lives on my R5 or not. Quality seems up to the previous RRS brackets I've owned. Ultimately, I think the issue is the R5 layout with all the connections and swivel screen are difficult to design for. This seems reasonable.

YuengLinger said:

Ok, I am glad you are speaking from firsthand knowledge, which, in your case, I should have assumed. Your posts here have been very reliable and fact based, PBD. I generally look forward to them!

But here we are going to disagree. If you take apart the bracket and examine how thin and short the hex-screws are, and how close they are set together, do you really have confidence in how well they will hold up over time? I don't. I've seen all sorts of shortcuts in construction and remodeling, and, to me, the way the plates are fastened together just looks "below code." If it weren't for this perceived weakness, I'd stick with the SmallRig and save the money.

In this case, it ain't rocket (or aeronautic) science. It's trying to go cheap on a part, the lowest bidder mentality, that could fail and cost 30 times the cost in replacing gear that has been destroyed by falling from a tripod. Any little bit of stress would bend/shear off the vertical plate, in my opinion.

Later I'll share photos of the SmallRig in two pieces, just to graphically explain what I'm going on about. They can't use thicker and longer fasteners because of the holes they drilled in the plate, and they decided not to use a design that allows for strengthening pegs like RRS used in their 60D two part L-bracket. (The closest I could find in terms of design.) Pictures soon!

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I don't disagree with anything you say. Time will obviously tell on whether the engineering is up to 'code' or not, and I can well understand not wanting to be one of the guinea pigs.

Individual manufacturer aside personally I wouldn't buy another one piece L-Plate after having modular plates for so long. I pretty much leave the baseplate section on 90% of the time and will only attach the L part when needed. Now with the swivel screens I can't imagine living with the restricted functionality necessitated by the L-Plate design on a near full time basis.

Ok, here are the photos I promised in my previous post.

After reading a good review--docsmith's--I'm less happy than ever about coughing over for RRS. But I see the way the Kirk's gap has those sharper points, which I really don't like. Sigh...

Remember, there are difference grades of aluminium as well.

I finally shrugged my shoulders and ordered directly from RRS, where, as of today, the L-plates for R5/R6 are in stock.

I did keep the SmallRig on my R6 for the past few weeks, using it sparingly in portrait orientation, but freely in landscape. Compared to the ergonomics and PERCEIVED quality of the RRS L-bracket on my trusty EOS R, the RRS is just much more comfortable for the 90% of the time I'm not on a tripod, and the aluminum feels a bit denser and stronger on the RRS. The SmallRig "feels" brittle when I tap it with a fingernail. And it is definitely not comfortable in my palm or fingers--the corners and edges just aren't beveled quite enough.

The deal-breaker, however, is explained in my above posts. Who cares so much about ergonomics to spend 5x as much? In this case, not me, but I don't like the way the SmallRig connects the two parts with those two tiny screws so close to each other.

Btw, since the 5DIII, I just keep the L-bracket on the body at all times. The extra bulk and weight become negligible pretty quickly, and, compared to many friends' Canons, the bottoms of mine have remained scratch free when selling time comes around. (And I also always use a back-display screen protector, so the glass there looks good too!)

After two weeks with the Really Right Stuff L-bracket on the R6, I am EXTREMELY happy I bought it! It just feels great when holding the camera, so great I forget it's attached. Solid, simple, perfect for outdoors or studio. And from experience, I know it protects the bottom finish of the camera for resale value later.

So, what are the current recommendations for L-bracket for a gripped R5?

Kit. said:

So, what are the current recommendations for L-bracket for a gripped R5?

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That’s easy. The Kirk L bracket for the gripped R5 has it all. Dual QD sockets, a modular design and a slim profile

jdavidse said:

That’s easy. The Kirk L bracket for the gripped R5 has it all. Dual QD sockets, a modular design and a slim profile

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I was only looking at that last night, it is an impressive looking solution.

I’ll chime in with my experience. I ended up ordering a Kirk base plate at first, which is excellent and provides a good bit of coverage across the bottom of the camera. But when Promedia Gear released their design for the L bracket I jumped on that.


The Promedia has an offset design to the vertical L which makes the screen and cables completely free and clear of the bracket. You can move the screen unimpeded. They sell an accessory which clamps any cables to the bracket to prevent them from being yanked, even though the bracket is over on the side.

The forward set vertical provides some unique protection to the first third or so of most lenses as well as, to a lesser degree the camera itself. If you’re ever frustrated that your AF and IS switches on the side of the camera get switched off by your clothing, that problem is gone with this design.

There are pros and cons to the handling. First, the vertical makes for a very nice handle that you can actually wrap your fingers around. Whether you’re pulling the camera from the case or swinging it at your side, you can fully close your fingers around the bracket like a suitcase handle. You can also hold the bracket in your left hand as you shoot, if you don’t need to have your hand on the lens.

Changing a lens is a little weird. The bracket is right in the way, which could be a deal breaker until you realize you can push the lens release through the hole on the side of the bracket. It takes some getting used to but it works.

This bracket comes with a storage cost. The camera will not fit into it’s normal slot in your bag or case due to the added bulk to the side of the lens and the added width. (See red marks in image above) I’ve found that to store the camera with the bracket on, I have to reconfigure nearly every bag I own, eliminating space otherwise used for an extra lens.

One of the best features is that the bracket is modular and the L can be removed. It has chunky robust steel rods that connect to the base plate, which is probably the most solid connection I’ve seen. It also allows you to slide the bracket way out and screw it tight, which allows you to have a “wide” handle or even use the cold shoe on top for a flash bracket.
There are also tons of accessories for the Promedia. I’m looking to get the Spider Holster style connector, which screws to the side of the base plate and allows you to use a pin that slides into a spider holster. Also they sell a crazy flash bracket and lots of other accessories. They now offer either a QD socket or their proprietary SS2 socket for strap connection.

Overall, I’m kind of lukewarm on this bracket due to the bulk and storage challenges. I keep the vertical detached often, but I’m missing the additional base plate coverage (the baseplate is really small once you detach the L) provided by the Kirk.