Platypod

New Gear!! Part 2 - Platypod Ultra Review

Over the holiday weekend I did a photowalk in Cleveland Metroparks Viaduct Park where I had the opportunity to put my new Platypod to work. 

My regular tripod is fine in many situations, but a few shots I wanted to be down close to the water and the rocks made use of a tripod challenging. The Platypod with spike feet installed provided excellent support for my Canon 5DS R with a 12mm lens attached. 

Canon 5DS R mounted on a Platypod Ultra with an Oben BA-113T ball head.

Thanks to rubber caps on the opposite end, the spikes are easy to adjust and provide grip on the uneven surface of the rocks.  It is important to make sure the surface is stable. You don’t want the rock (or whatever surface) to move after you setup your camera. 

The Platypod has a hole for attaching a carabiner clip.  This was really helpful when moving to new locations. I attached the Platypod with the ball-head to my gear bag (backpack), saving the hassle of detaching the ball-head each time. For transport and storage the ball-head unscrews and fits nicely in my bag. 

A few days prior to this hike I used the Platypod at the beach to hold my iPhone while recording a timelapse of the sunset. It setup beautifully on a piece of washed up driftwood. 

So far I am very impressed with the build quality and usefulness of the Platypod. I have a trip coming up later this month and plan to use it a lot there. 

 

New Gear!! Part 1

My annual trip to Milwaukee for DoorsOpenMKE is coming up next month. I decided to buy some new gear. Most of the sites we visit in Milwaukee are tripod friendly, but I've been seeing ads for the Platypod Ultra and decided to give it a try.  It arrived a couple weeks ago, but I haven't taken it out in the real world yet. I've only done some testing at the house.

I bought the Platypod Ultra, the Multi-accessory kit and an Oben BA-113T ballhead (which matches the ballhead on my regular tripod) from B & H Photo

In testing it around the house, the Platypod is exceptional well designed. So much thought went into every aspect of the design. It also appears to be really well built. Again, real world tests will prove it out, but I have no doubt I will lose it before it fails. 

Here's a tip for those with multiple cameras and/or tripods. Use the same model ballhead on your tripod and Platypod. It will save a lot of time being able to switch cameras without having to unscrew and reattach the adapter. 

Platypod Ultra, Multi-Accessory Kit (nylon straps not shown), Oben BA-113T Ballhead

Canon 5Dsr on Platypod Ultra