3 Legged Thing Zadie QD brings 3LT's custom-fit L-bracket to Nikon Z6 III

3 Legged Thing has unveiled its latest custom-fit L-bracket. Zadie QD has been engineered to snuggly fit the contours of the Nikon Z6 III, and follows in the footsteps of 3LT's other Nikon Z-series L-brackets – the Zelda, Zooey, Zayla, and Zaara – surely the company is running low on suitable names that begin with 'Z' by now…

Like the other brackets in the series, it has been crafted from anodized aerospace-grade magnesium alloy and is fully Arca-Swiss compatible, so it slots seamlessly onto most tripod heads. It has cutouts to leave the battery door, all the important connector ports, and camera straps fully accessible, as well as clearance for full rear-screen articulation.

The 'QD' appended to the name signifies that it has Quick Detach sockets for connecting to compatible straps or accessories. The bracket also includes a Peak Design Capture clip-compatible adapter and long camera screw. There is a range of 1/4”-20 and 3/8”-16 mounting points, plus adapter inserts, as well as a camera strap slot in the base for conventional or modern slings. It is also designed to work with 3 Legged Thing’s forthcoming XPand System, which the company says is a modular collection of interconnectable plates, risers, and connectors that allow photographers and filmmakers to build custom rigs for any workflow.

Unlike previous brackets in the series, the Zadie has not only been designed in Great Britain, but made there too. Danny Lenihan, Founder & CEO, 3 Legged Thing, explains: “Zadie represents a new chapter for us – not just in product design, but in homegrown innovation. Ever since the pandemic, we’ve been working towards moving our production to the UK, and we’re absolutely delighted that Zadie is the first such offering to come to fruition on our shores. She’s tough, elegant, and built with intent, offering real-world functionality for working professionals and creative explorers alike.”

I can't help but wonder whether the decision to manufacture in Britain might also have something to do with the UK having signed a relatively agreeable deal on the recently introduced tariffs imposed by the US on foreign-made goods. This is opposed to the uncertainty caused by the on-again-off-again threats by the Trump administraion to hike tariffs on Chinese imports, the country where other 3LT products are usually manufactured (at the time of writing, a last-minute 30-day 'pause' had just come into effect, keeping tariffs on Chinese-made items at 'only' 30 percent rather than the threatened 125%, but who know where they'll end up).

But I digress! An L-bracket is prized by landscape and studio photographers because it enables orientations to be quickly switched from landscape to portrait, while maintaining the camera's center of gravity above the tripod and keeping the composition similar in both horizontal and vertical shooting.

I really rate 3 Legged Thing's L-brackets, and if the Zadie is true to the other products in the series, it will be one of the top options, as you can see in our best L-brackets buying guide. The Zadie QD is available any minute now in Darkness (black) and Copper (orange) colorways and costs $129.99 / £109.99 (Australian pricing to be confirmed).

Zadie QD is available for pre-order is available from these retailers:
 🇺🇸 3 Legged Thing Zadie QD at B&H (US)
 🇬🇧 3 Legged Thing Zadie QD at Wex (UK)