ACCESSORIES
Andy Westlake tests a dedicated L-bracket for the Fujifilm X-T5
● £99.99 ● 3leggedthing.com
3 Legged Thing’s Freya is an L-bracket designed specifically for use with the Fujifilm X-T5. It allows the camera to be attached to a tripod for both landscape and portrait format shooting, while keeping the body positioned directly above the head for maximum stability. As the bracket uses standard Arca-Swiss type plates, it will fit onto a wide range of tripod heads.
Freya comes in two sections, so needs to be assembled before use. This simply requires fixing the vertical and horizontal sections together using a pair of screws. It should only take a minute.
Unlike ‘universal’ L-brackets, Freya has been designed to fit the X-T5 as closely as possible. For example, it doesn’t block the battery compartment door and has cut-outs to provide access to the camera’s 3-way tilting screen. There’s an anti-twist lip on the horizontal section, while the vertical bracket has been specifically shaped to accommodate the camera’s connector ports.
It is, however, practically impossible to open the port covers when the bracket is attached, without using some sort of tool (such as the tip of a penknife). However, help is at hand from one of the bracket’s key features, as it can be extended away from the body. This provides much easier access when using a wired shutter release or a microphone. There’s even a slide-on plastic bracket that should stop cables from being accidentally pulled out, for example when using an external video recorder, which is something of an occupation hazard with the X-T5’s micro-type HDMI port.
Extending the bracket isn’t difficult, but it is quite fiddly. It requires undoing a screw using the 2.5mm hex key, pulling the bracket out, then matching up the screw with one of 7 holes and tightening it back up again. This also means you have to remember to either carry that hex key with you, or accept having the bracket sticking out form the side of the camera. Another minor gripe is that the camera won’t
