Best L-Bracket for Canon EOS R5 and R6
Whether you are a landscape photographer, a product photographer, or a social media content creator shooting 9:16 video, an l-bracket is an essential piece of gear.
L-brackets are useful because they have two Arca-Swiss compatible plates — one on the bottom, one on the left. This makes switching between landscape and vertical orientations (and vice versa) simple and fast. Simply unlock the plate, flip the camera, and lock it back down.
Because l-brackets are custom designed and fitted for camera bodies, when I upgraded to a Canon EOS R5, I had to buy a new one. So I purchased three, hoping to find the best overall l-bracket for the EOS R5 and R6. Here’s what I found.
L-Brackets for the Canon EOS R5 and R6
EOS R5 / R6 L-Brackets | Links | |
 | Sunwayfoto PCL-R5 | |
 | Really Right Stuff L-Bracket for R5/R6 | |
 | ProMediaGear PBCR5/6 |
All three brackets are compatible with both the EOS R5 and R6, are made of aerospace-grade aluminum (which makes them lightweight yet strong), and have scratch-resistant black anodized finishes.
The vertical brackets on all three plates are also adjustable; allowing additional room for lifting flaps and plugging cables into the HDMI, USB, microphone and headphone jack.
Sunwayfoto PCL-R5
The Sunwayfoto PCL-R5 is the cheapest l-bracket of the three, currently retailing (at the time of this review) for $50 in the United States.
On a positive note, the Sunwayfoto is inexpensive and does the job. It securely grips the R5 and R6 with two metal stabilizing pins and provides 1/4″ threads around its frame for mounting accessories (microphones, lights, etc).
Three spirit levels are embedded in the bracket, which is a clever design touch, however I found the levels to be too small for practical use.
As for screen articulation, there is a cutaway in the frame that provides sufficient clearance for an articulated screen facing straight up or down. However, you cannot twist and tilt the screen as you may be accustomed to.
Overall, the Sunwayfoto bracket is not as well designed or constructed as the other two brackets in this review, but then again it costs 1/3 as much.
Really Right Stuff (RRS) L-Bracket
Really Right Stuff (RRS) is known for manufacturing high-quality, expensive photo gear, and their R5/R6 L-bracket is no exception; currently retailing (at the time of this review) for $165 in the United States.
Compared to Sunwayfoto, the RRS l-bracket is simple, thin, and lightweight. There are no joins or welds between the horizontal and vertical plates because the entire plate is cut from a solid block of aluminum. No threads are provided for mounting accessories like microphones or lights.
This bracket also provides a cutaway for an articulated screen facing straight up or down, but you lose the full range of motion.
The most unique feature of the RRS bracket is its metal mounting plate. This plate attaches to the camera’s 1/4 thread and (when loosened) allows the bracket to slide away from the camera body. This creates more room for cables just like the Sunwayfoto bracket, but the design is simpler and less clunky.
Unfortunately, there is a design flaw in the metal plate. When the bracket is not mounted to the R5 or R6, the plate frequently falls out. So much so, I would be anxious traveling with this bracket out of fear I might lose it. The user experience would be much better if RRS found a way to prevent this.
ProMediaGear PBCR5/6
Similar to Really Right Stuff, ProMediaGear also makes high-end, professional photography gear in the United States. Their L-Bracket — the PBCR5/R6 — currently retails for $160 in the United States, making it a few dollars cheaper than the RRS bracket, yet still over three times the cost of the Sunwayfoto model.
Of the three l-brackets in this review, the ProMediaGear PBCR5/R6 is the only l-bracket that allows full screen articulation on the R5 and R6. It does so with by angling its vertical bracket out towards the front of the camera. This also makes opening the flaps and utilizing the ports on the side of the R5/R6 easier because there’s nothing is in the way.
But that’s not the only trick the ProMediaGear bracket offers. When not mounted to a tripod, the vertical plate also functions as a left-handed grip — similar to a video cage — for more stable, handheld use.
For mounting accessories, the ProMediaGear bracket includes many 1/4″ threads as well as a cold-shoe mount on top.
The ProMediaGear PBCR5/R6 isn’t perfect. It’s heavier and chunkier than the other two (especially compared to the RRS plate), but it is the most functional and accommodating of the articulating screen.
Best L-Bracket for the EOS R5 and R6
Overall, my favorite l-bracket was the ProMediaGear PBCR5/R6. While I would normally prefer a lighter l-bracket like the RRS model, and spending more than $100 is a bit harsh on the wallet, the ProMediaGear PBCR5/R6 is worth the investment.
Video review
Below is the video version of this review from my YouTube channel.
