Smallrig L-Bracket for Nikon Z6 Review

front view of the bottom plate.  The 2 screw holes are for an accessory bracket that can support the FTZ adapter.  This bracket is sold separately.

Extra gripping and camera protection have been on my mind here lately.  There are a lot of options out there of varying degree - quality, price, materials.  So many that it can be daunting.

What I have been doing is analyzing what it is I need and going in that direction.  For the Olympus PEN-F, I've just wanted something to protect the bottom plate from getting scratched up, same as the Nikon Df.  The Nikon Z6 was slightly different in that I wanted to have something that would add a little more vertical grip to the camera.

Final decisions were made on that basis.
 
How will the Smallrig L-Bracket perform?

Bottom rear showing the arca swiss ridge and centering indicator

First Impression/Unboxing

Even though the Nikon Z series mirrorless cameras have not been out for that long, there are quite a few l-brackets out there for it.  Most l-brackets are about the ability to connect the camera to an Arca Swiss compatible tripod head.  What I wanted for the Z6 is to add a little extra vertical grip to it.   A lot of the top makers left this area off, more than likely to cut down on weight that would be added to have metal across the entire bottom of the camera.

That omission is the reason a lot of the more well known brands were removed from consideration.

Price was also a factor, as the other brands also were, in some cases double the price or more and some were not even tailored to the camera, they were more the universal type.

Not only did I need the extra grip, I had a requirement that the battery compartment be open and not obstructed.

At $69, the Smallrig l-bracket for Nikon Z hit all the marks on paper.  The problem was that no one local had one. Smallrig's reputation is good online and their camera cages and other l-brackets get good reviews as well.  I decided to take the chance.

I ordered from Smallrig, located in China.  The item was listed as back-ordered.   Within a few days, though the item had shipped via FedEx and I received the item within 3 days after item marked as shipped.  Impressive!

I received a small non-descript brown box.  Opening the box, you get a pamphlet from Smallrig as well as the l-bracket, wrapped up very well in 2 layers of bubble wrap.

The fit and finish is excellent.  There is not a blemish on this thing.  It is solid feeling well worth the asking price.

bottom, you can see additional tapped slots for connecting standard tripod attachments or in my case a BlackRapid ConnectR.  You can also see the allen wrench at the bottom as well.

Installation

Smallrig includes an allen wrench with the l-bracket.  Not only that, but the bottom plate houses the wrench and holds it in place via a magnet system.  Very clever.

Before installing, I removed the side bracket.  I didn't want that part, only the bottom plate.  I wasn't sure if the side bracket was removable, so I did inquire about this via email to Smallrig before the order.  They very quickly responded and informed me that the side bracket is indeed removable.

Using the supplied screw and allen wrench, the bottom plate was installed quickly and easily.    It couldn't be any easier than this - which I'm sure every l-bracket is probably just as easy.

this is the area where the side plate of the l-bracket should be

Feel In Hand

Every edge is smooth, not a rough edge anywhere.  The bracket gives plenty of distance for your pinkie to rest on it without falling off the edge.

I really do not notice any additional weight either.

This things is darn near perfect!  It is 100% what I wanted.

It also gives plenty of clearance for the FTZ adapter.  In actuality, the bottom of the adapter does not touch the table top when the Smallrig is installed.

grip side.  Looks like some kind of lanyard or strap slot perhaps?

Final Thoughts

I will start out by saying that I will definitely be looking to Smallrig in the future if I ever need/want another l-bracket or camera cage.

This stuff is quality all around and the prices good.  Customer service is top notch.  I would not hesitate to recommend Smallrig products in the future.

If there are any additional questions about the product, drop a comment below and we can discuss.