3 Legged Thing Announces Huge Upgrade to Ellie L-Bracket System
The British tripod and photo accessory manufacturer builds on the success of its Ellie L-bracket System with three alternative base options for ultimate universal compatibility.
Following the success of Ellie, their highly-configurable, universal L-bracket, 3 Legged Thing has announced new versions of the L-bracket which offer improved battery door access on smaller camera bodies, as well as unique compatibility with camera clip systems, including Peak Design® Capture v3.
L-brackets are used to maintain the focal plane and a level horizon when switching from landscape to portrait on a tripod. Ellie was released in March 2019 and immediately became a global success for 3 Legged Thing. Ellie has an unprecedented level of functionality and two-axis adjustability, making it a firm favourite for photographers around the world.
“It was always the plan to expand upon the Ellie System,” explains 3LT Founder & CEO, Danny Lenihan. “The ultimate goal for any universal product is to make it truly universal, so this is a huge step forward. Creating an L-bracket with the ability to lock into Peak Design’s Capture system has been on my mind since we launched our first L-bracket in 2016, so I’m really excited that my little brand has innovated something globally unique.”
Danny continues: “The moment we launched Ellie there was a resounding call for a version to fit on smaller camera bodies, or those where the camera screw mount is near the battery door. In response we spent some time, primarily with mirrorless cameras, which led to the production of ELLIE SHORT. This new version retains all the functionality of its wider-based predecessor, but with a shorter base plate which better accommodates access to the battery door on some models from Fujifilm, Olympus, and smaller Canon consumer DSLRs.”
Alongside Ellie Short, 3 Legged Thing is also releasing BASE 70, a standalone base plate which can be used as a quick release plate on its own, or for existing Ellie owners, can replace the original base plate.
At the same time, 3 Legged Thing will also release BASE 85 – the original ELLIE base plate – as a standalone product. This provides a wider, stable base for users of larger DSLR and mirrorless cameras, and broadens 3LT’s release plate offering which already includes the Arca Swiss compatible QR4 and QR7.
Both BASE 70 and BASE 85 are made from aerospace grade anodised magnesium alloy. They feature a stainless steel 1⁄4”-20 Stagsden camera screw, and rubberised pads to ensure a secure connection with the camera. They also have a slot at the end for attachment of camera straps.
A number of photographers prefer not to use a strap to carry their camera, instead using clip systems which attach to belts or bags. The most popular of these is Peak Design’s Capture. It’s been a brand ambition to introduce Capture compatibility to an L-bracket, and as such 3 Legged Thing has now designed compatible universal L-Brackets which can be mounted into a clip system.
These L-brackets, expanded from the original design of Ellie, feature Peak Design geometry on the base that clips into a Capture v3 and can be locked in place. This “shoe” is also Arca Swiss compatible, and being square it has the added attraction of being able to mount in any one of four positions in any Arca-Swiss compatible clamp or head. The vertical aspect has the same design as Ellie, and features a space on one side for cable management. This space can be placed in one of four positions by rotating and/or inverting the upright.
The Capture v3-compatible brackets will be available in two sizes – ELLIE PD with an 85mm / 3.35” long base for standard DSLR and mirrorless cameras, and ELLIE PD SHORT with a 70mm / 2.75” base for smaller camera bodies or those where the screw thread is close to the battery door.
For photographers who wish to use a larger base plate, or current owners of Ellie who want to use the Peak Design Capture system, the new base plates are being made available for purchase separately. BASE 85 PD is the 85 mm length plate with the Capture shoe and BASE 70 PD is the shorter 70mm plate. These also feature a stainless steel 1⁄4”-20 Stagsden camera screw, and rubberised pads to ensure a secure connection with the camera, as well as a slot at the end for strap attachment.
All versions of ELLIE and BASE are now available to pre-order with participating retailers, or at 3LT.com.
Suggested retail prices are:
ELLIE SHORT – £61.99 / $64.99
ELLIE PD – £72.99 / $79.99
ELLIE PD SHORT £69.99 / $74.99
BASE 70 – £31.99 / $34.99
BASE 85 – £34.99 / $39.99
BASE 70 PD – £39.99 / $44.99
BASE 85 PD – £44.99 / $49.99.
Products are expected to be released in mid November 2019.
