August 9, 2016

Sunwayfoto Custom L Bracket PCL-1DXII for Canon 1DX MK II Preview

Sunwayfoto PCL-1DXII Custom L Bracket  for Canon 1DX Mk II

It's been almost four years since the release of the Sunwayfoto Custom L Bracket PCL-1DX (preview) for  the original Canon 1DX.

Nonetheless, as of July 2016 Sunwayfoto has released a new version of the L bracket, tailor made for the new Canon top model EOS 1DX Mk II.

The Sunwayfoto PCL-1DXII follows exactly the steps of its predecessor, skeleton design with convex edges, almost identical I would say, but for some details, that make it fit to the Mk II requirements.

The new L bracket brags a even lower weight and inherits the quite innovative two-part modular design.

The PCL-1DXII Bracket

Manufacturer Specification:
Model:PCL-1DXII
Length:100 mm
Width:82 mm
Height:127 mm
Dovetail Width:39 mm
Mounting screw thread:1/4"-20 UNC
Net Weight:170 gr

Once again, PCL-1DXII as all Sunwayfoto products is CNC machined from aircraft-grade aluminium with high quality surface finishing and hard coat anodizing.
Convex edges both at the front and the back sides of the base plate fit nicely over the curves of camera bottom battery compartment, preventing twisting under side pressure.

Sunwayfoto PCL-1DXII Custom L Bracket  diamensions
Sunwayfoto PCL-1DXII Custom L Bracket top front view with dimensions.

Same as the PCL-1DX the newer PCL-1DXII is a combined two-in-one L Bracket. The vertical plate with the grip embracing part of the bracket is retained by two small hex socket screws, so it may be removed from the horizontal plate if desired, while the latter remains on the camera. In this way the bulky part of the bracket goes away together with most of the weight.

Sunwayfoto PCL-1DXII Custom L Bracket components
Sunwayfoto PCL-1DXII Custom L Bracket is made of two parts, shown above with the mounting screws and tool.

Accordingly, all excess material has been removed, in order to minimize weight, making it a skeleton design, while the strength of the structure is maintained.
Apart from the laser engraved Sunwayfoto logo and model name on the top side of the base plate, the usual Φ lens center marks are laser engraved on the base and the vertical plates visible in both the landscape and portrait orientations.

Sunwayfoto PCL-1DXII Custom L Bracket top rear view
Sunwayfoto PCL-1DXII Custom L Bracket top rear view showing index marks.



A gap on the vertical side of the bracket permits the use of a remote release cord without need of moving the bracket. It is also clear that there are two M3 safety stop screws on the edges of the vertical Arca Swiss® compatible dovetail.
However, due to the gap, I feel that a longer quick release clamp would be required to support better the bracket. That is, in order to clamp the dovetail on both sides of the gap, when in the portrait position.

Sunwayfoto PCL-1DXII Custom L Bracket vertical plate detail
Sunwayfoto PCL-1DXII Custom L Bracket vertical plate details of cable gaps.

A side view of the L bracket reveals both vertical and horizontal Arca Swiss® compatible dovetails, with the side plate actually misaligned to the base plate, as it was required to be moved a little to the front allowing clearance to the side connectors.
Two M3 safety stop screws exist at the edges of each dovetail to prevent them from falling of, while an extra 1/4"-20 threaded hole resides next to the mounting screw captive slot, for use in mounting the camera directly on a pod stud without removing the plate.

Sunwayfoto PCL-1DXII Custom L Bracket side and bottom view
Sunwayfoto PCL-1DXII Custom L Bracket side and bottom view details.

The package except for the two parts of the PCL-1DXII L bracket, includes as usual all hardware, that is: 4 x M3 safety stop screws, 2 x M4 vertical side-connector screws, 1 x 1/4"-20 captive mounting-screw and 3 x Allen wrenches appropriately sized for the hex screws included.

I hope you found the information useful, thank you for viewing.
All Photos used by permission © 2016 Sunwayfoto.com

Price and Availability:
Current retail price for the PCL-1DXII Full L Bracket is US$ 69.95 in the US and is available from Amazon, while with a little higher price is also available from eBay.

Referenced Articles:

New Sunwayfoto Custom L Bracket PCL-1DX for Canon 1DX Preview







Relevant Articles:

New Sunwayfoto Specific Plate for Canon 5D Mk III

New Sunwayfoto Specific L Bracket for Canon 5D Mk III

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