ProMediaGear L-Bracket for Canon R5 and R6

I've been using PMG L-brackets for several years starting with Canon 5D III, then 5D IV and now, R5. I've never used any other brands, so I can't make comparisons with other L-brackets out there. Once I had it for 5D III for the first time several years back, I saw no reason to look elsewhere, so I stayed with PMG each time I upgraded the camera body because I like their modular, multi-functional and esthetic designs.

The PMG design for R5/6 L-bracket is unique and different because of the need to accommodate the vari-angling rear LCD touchscreen, full access to side ports and unhindered access to the battery compartment, all the while providing the usual modular and multi-functionality. Here are some photos and my accompanying commentaries.

Rear View

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I didn't know at the time of ordering the L-Bracket, but to my pleasant surprise, PMG added a built-in cold shoe as a part of their design. Nice touch!

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Looks interesting, to say the least.

What is supposed to be the advantage to this model, as opposed to other tripod brackets?

abacus022 wrote in post #19150185
Looks interesting, to say the least.

What is supposed to be the advantage to this model, as opposed to other tripod brackets?

As I've stated at the beginning, I'm not familiar with any other brand L-brackets out there as I've only had PMG L-brackets. When I was researching for my first L-bracket some years ago for my then 5D III, I was attracted to PMG because of its:

1) unique modular design, i.e., you can attach/detach/extend the vertical portion of the bracket as well as adding adapters; for example, adding the PASL3 adapter with an additional SS2 Port allowed me to connect my shoulder strap in off-center position as opposed to the center. Having only the center position SS2 Port means you'd have to detach your shoulder strap each time you want to use your camera on tripod. With the adapter attached, I no longer have to; my strap stays on all the time and still be able to use it on tripod.

2) SS2 Strap Port or QD Strap Port choice.

3) various accessories that can be attached via multiple 1/4"-20 threads provided (for my 5D IV, I attached the Spider Holster Pin, for example, or you can attach a phone holder with a mini magic arm, which is what I do while out shooting birds in the field for hours with either my monopod or tripod, etc).

4) with this particular L-bracket for R5/6, PMG added another functionality, a built-in cold shoe.

This is pretty interesting. I just tried a 3 Legged Thing Ellie bracket and realized that it wouldn't work with the R6 flippy screen. I've always had L brackets so I've been searching for a solution. Thanks for posting this one.

flowrider wrote in post #19150958
This is pretty interesting. I just tried a 3 Legged Thing Ellie bracket and realized that it wouldn't work with the R6 flippy screen. I've always had L brackets so I've been searching for a solution. Thanks for posting this one.

After my first experience with PMG's L-bracket for my then 5D III several years ago, I knew that they'd come up with another good design for R5/6, so I placed it on order without even bothering to really researching into it against my usual approach to purchasing decisions. That's why I was pleasantly surprised that they added the cold shoe. Wish they had done that earlier with my 5D III and 5D IV. Any L-brackets would do the job as long as they can accommodate the rear flippy touchscreen, but I've grown to be partial to PMG products for their innovative, multi-functional and modular designs.

Thank you, SYS, for a great review and the photos. I'm not an R5 owner yet - hopefully in the near future - and this bracket is now at the top of my list because of the excellent usability of the articulating screen. When doing landscape with the 5D4 and having the camera very close to the group, I used the WiFi connection to my phone to see compositions, so looking forward the new to me style screen.

One question if I may - hard to tell from looking at photos - is it still easy enough to get to the N3 port on the front of the camera? I do a fair amount of time lapse work with a slider and would need easy access to that port to connect the TL controller unit. Many thanks for any thoughts.

KaosImagery wrote in post #19186424
Thank you, SYS, for a great review and the photos. I'm not an R5 owner yet - hopefully in the near future - and this bracket is now at the top of my list because of the excellent usability of the articulating screen. When doing landscape with the 5D4 and having the camera very close to the group, I used the WiFi connection to my phone to see compositions, so looking forward the new to me style screen.

One question if I may - hard to tell from looking at photos - is it still easy enough to get to the N3 port on the front of the camera? I do a fair amount of time lapse work with a slider and would need easy access to that port to connect the TL controller unit. Many thanks for any thoughts.

Because the location of the N3 port is sandwiched between the lens and the vertical part of the L-bracket, it's not as easily accessible compared to the side ports but it is accessible without any blockage. The easiest way is to connect the cable first before the lens placement. Took a quick phone image of the N3 port view sandwiched between the RF 24-105 f/4 lens and the L-bracket to see for yourself. By the way, have you looked at the timelapse features built into the R5?

Many thanks for the photo and the great idea of connecting the cable before mounting the lens. Looks very doable.

I am a bit familiar with the TL features in the R5, but in my case, I'm using a Dynamic Perception 3 axis rig with a programable controller which handles the motion, interval, and triggers the camera. As far as processing stills for TL, I prefer RAW of course and use LRTimelapse software in conjunction with LightRoom for full control and best results.

Appreciate the input!

KaosImagery wrote in post #19186481
Many thanks for the photo and the great idea of connecting the cable before mounting the lens. Looks very doable.

I am a bit familiar with the TL features in the R5, but in my case, I'm using a Dynamic Perception 3 axis rig with a programable controller which handles the motion, interval, and triggers the camera. As far as processing stills for TL, I prefer RAW of course and use LRTimelapse software in conjunction with LightRoom for full control and best results.

Appreciate the input!

Will look forward to seeing some of your timelapse photos done with the R5.

Since the original posting, I decided to get the BG-R10 Battery Grip and the PMG L-bracket for R5 with the grip. The PMG L-brackets for with and without the grip are pretty much the same except for the height difference, so I'll just add a couple of images here. One thing I forgot to mention in this post is that, for those into videography, the PMG L-brackets' multi-functional and modular designs allow adding side handle-bars (sold separately) and that's what four, two holes and two 1/4"-20 threads, you see on the bottom of the L-bracket are for.

Wow, this is cool. It's an innovative approach to an L-bracket, to say the least!

dantheobserver wrote in post #19188378
Wow, this is cool. It's an innovative approach to an L-bracket, to say the least!

That's one of the things I love about PMG; their designs are innovative, modular and multifunctional. When Wimbley came out with their MonoGimbal, it's exactly the kind of thing I needed except I didn't care about their design, so I approached PMG and asked them to make their own version of the MonoGimbal. The last time I communicated with them, they said it should be out sometime this year. Looking forward to seeing how innovative they will go with this.

UPDATE:

Unfortunately, I've just recently discovered a defect with the L-bracket for the grip, and I should alert any of you thinking about using the affected feature. The L-bracket itself works as designed, so no issues with it per se. However, when I tried to connect a couple of adapters (one for handle and one for plate strap) into the four holes seen in the below image (two outer edge holes for rods and two inner screw threads), I discovered to my dismay that the adapter screws are slightly larger in diameter than the threads, i.e., they cannot connect. As an integral part of the PMG's modular design, these adapters are designed to connect seamlessly, and indeed they do with all of my PMG L-brackets, including the one for the camera without the grip. It's just the L-bracket for R5/R6 with the grip that's affected.

I had to return the L-bracket for the grip for their inspection, and the defect was confirmed and the bottom affected part was replaced and returned to me. Even with the new replacement, I had to struggle placing the handle adapter into the four holes as new issues surfaced. The length of the rods in the handle is a bit too long, I discovered. If the handle rods are to be flushed against the four holes without any gap in between, as seen in the second image below, then the rods inside that connect to the grip's base plate would have to be pushed back toward the base plate, which then creates another problem of tightening down the rods with four screws underneath. It took me nearly two hours wrestling with just the tightening part, and I ended up stripping one stainless steel screw. Two of these stainless steel screws that I had sent along with the defective part wasn't sent back. Rather than bothering to wait another two weeks for them to send those back to me, I just went to a nearly hardware store and purchased a few of these.

If you do not plan on adding any adapters to the L-bracket, you have nothing to worry. My recommendation is not to mess with those four stainless steel screws that hold the vertical portion of the L-bracket to the base plate. Once you loosen them, you might have a very tough time screwing them back together. Unless you absolutely need to mess with those screws, just leave them alone. It's a nice design only in concept, but in real use, it's a poor modular connection method.

And the reason why attaching any adapters worked just fine with the L-bracket for the camera without the grip but did not with the L-bracket for the camera with the grip is because of the critical design differences. Compare to the above photo of the L-bracket with the grip where the four holes are, this photo of the L-bracket without the grip shows four holes on top with additional two rod holes below dedicated just for the connection between the vertical and the base plates of the L-bracket. The way the L-bracket for the camera without the grip is designed, there is no conflict between attaching any adapters (top four holes) and attaching/detaching the vertical and the base parts of the L-bracket. The L-bracket for the camera with the grip, which came after the L-bracket for the camera without the grip was manufactured, was designed as if to cut corners or to produce in a hurry.