Max The Flat Tripod Base for Low Angles and Tight Spaces That Traditional tripods Won't go

Goes to show how something so simple can sometimes solve complex problems. Don’t get me wrong, this does not replace a tripod but places that tripods won’t fit or are cumbersome, where a full tripod is unnecessary, and especially in areas where tripods are not allowed, this maybe acceptable! All from a relatively small, light and thin aluminum plate that fits perfectly in my camera bag.First let me mention I purchased my PlatyPod Max with the Oben ball head as a package deal on Amazon, so no head is included in the $99 price. But the combo in my opinion is so worth it. If you already have a head or if you’re like me, I’m lazy (lol), I’d rather leave the one I have on my tripod. This is a great option.Now about function, I can think of so many ways and possibilities this could come in handy. Once you have your camera mounted on it this thing is rock solid! You can tilt the camera back and forth at any reasonable degree and it not so much as hints at tipping over! You can use it as is on a flat surface, you the included (4) screw-in feet, spike side down or rubber side down for surfaces you don’t want to damage or It to slide on. Also if you’re on a very uneven surface, you can use just one, two, three or all four to give it Stability. Once you’re done with the feet you can store them back in their genius magnetic holder! Brilliant!I posted several pictures of the product, look at those, think of the many ways you can use this product, then immediately purchase one! 👍🏾

I am a professional photographer working in the racing industry. During races, tripods are not permitted in the hot-pit areas. I have been wanting to take some long exposure shots of pit stops to show blurred motion and the allowed mono-pods just aren't steady enough for 1/3 to 1 sec exposures. The pit wall is about 8 inches wide and flat, about hip high. I took delivery of my Platypod a month or so ago and practiced a number of applications. I have included two that I have found very valuable. First it permits me to easily, and more importantly quickly get very low shots of cars, or in this case race car haulers while they are moving. The second shot is a pit-stop from the Brickyard 400 NASCAR race in Indianapolis last week-end. I glued a rubber mat on the bottom of the Platypod to prevent it from slipping and set it on the pit wall during the pit-stop. I had a thin safety cable attached from my camera belt to the Platypod so it cold not fall over the wall, and placed the Platypod on the pit wall holding it down by hand and firing by hand using a Nikon D750 with tilt screen. The tilt screen works great with the Platypod. It permitted me to get shots that I have visualized for a long time. It seems like a solid piece of equipment that I can easily take with me and use anywhere on the track.

I love the Platypod Max & all of the Platypod stuff. This is a very handy platform for my camera. I haven't had it long but I am planning on using it on a photography trip in Oct. I have used it around the yard & hope to hit the park next week. It makes it possible to shoot at very low levels or to attach it to a tree or lots of places. Before I had it in hand I was leery about putting it on a tree. I was afraid it would fall & I'd lose my camera. After seeing it & trying it I feel comfortable.It is sturdy,lightweight easy to carry. The smaller one the ultra would fit in your pocket but this might have to slide into your camera case but it will tuck in lots of places. It does take a few minutes to screw in the feet & set it up but everything does. There are rubber feet which I purchased so if you are putting it on a table it is protected. I think it will be a great asset to my photography accessories.

I used this extensively for the first time yesterday. Getting low when shooting water scenes is the way to go and doing that with a tripod is painful, splaying the legs out, keeping the legs out of the shot, etc. Pain in the rear. This is why the Platypod was so appealing. I have it paired with a Vanguard ball head. I went up to the Delaware Water Gap and used it exclusively for the the water shots I took that day.Using the screws to get it level wasn't easy at first. When your on the side of a stream, with rocks of all different sizes and shapes, I found it wasn't easy at first however, I found a flat rock that was the perfect size to put the Platypod on and used that rock for most of the shots I took. After that, the Platypod is very stable, exactly what you need.Going forward, being able to take this thing into places were regular tripods are not allowed is also a very appealing prospect. I can't wait to see what I can do.I gave it only 3 stars for value because I just bought this two weeks ago and now it is on sale for 30 bucks off.

I do like this a lot. This thing is stable but not as portable as I thought it would be. I guess I wasn't thinking but the ball head, which I purchased separately, alone is pretty big and heavy. The little leg stakes that are in a magnetic case can easily be lost. The thing is heavy and large so it won't fit in your pocket. Again, I do like this but I ,might have to buy the smaller one and maybe the lightest smallest ball head. I personally would like one that I can pack and take everywhere and use at a moments notice

This product is well built and easy to use. The screws hold into place magnetically so they do not fall off. I got this for my Canon 11-24mm for on the ground photos. Using the screws you can put the plate on rocks and use them to level it. That said it is best to use a ball head with this product. It would be nice if the company also offered extensions so that plate can be put into water and lift the ball head above the water for water photography. I carry the camera with the plate attached and it is easy enough to carry. I think the price is right for this product.

Had this gizmo for sometime now and finally used it yesterday. I needed a wide shot of a very tiny place so I ended up using it by placing it on top of a table. This thing is solid. It will hold a full frame camera without worries. The four screw on legs are great - the rubber keeps it steady while the threads gives you great flexibility of balancing or leveling your camera. Great gadget! Definitely well worth having in the bag.

Um für schwereres Gerät und Zubehör einen stabileren Stand zu sichern, habe ich mir den Platypod Pro Max geleistet. Er erfüllt meine Erwartungshaltungen. Die bewährten 4 Schrauben, sowohl nutzbar als Spike oder Gummifuß, verbessern die Einsatzmöglichkeiten. Der Preis ist jedoch deftig. Leider liegt der Packung kein Spanngurt bei, wie es bei den Standard Platypods zu finden ist. Das wäre das Sahnehäubchen gewesen. Auf Grund des Preises und des nicht vorhandenen Spanngurtes gebe ich insgesamt 4 Sterne.

A very useful desk top tripod. It easily supports a full frame DSLR with lens and feels very sturdy and secure. My set up (image attached) is for copying slides which makes the task very straightforward. Outdoors it will prove useful for ground level photography or positioning on a wall or bench.It is very well constructed and easy to carry and could be used where it is not practical (or easy) to carry a full sized tripod. Highly recommended.

When I received the Platypod Max, the first thing I wanted to test was its stability. Using an Acratech GP-s ball head, I screwed the 4 legs into the Max with the rubber tips down and secured them with the locking nuts. I placed it on my coffee table and attached the heaviest configuration I have—the Nikon D810 with the Nikon 200-400mm f/4 VR II (about 11.5 lbs). Even without the anti-slip pad that is part of the accessory kit (sold separately), the Max didn’t even move and it likely could have sat there indefinitely. This is shown in the first attached photo.The spiked side of the legs is quite sharp and didn’t have any problem grabbing wood or concrete, even with a small incline or decline. It couldn’t be pulled against what it was poking into without using some force.The Max is labelled with pictograms to designate where the legs should be attached, 1/4-20 or 3/8-16 tripod mounts and holes where screws can be inserted for permanent attachment to a wall. There are also holes for attaching a clip which can then be attached to a camera bag or backpack. It is a nice touch that the legs are held by magnets in a holder which itself can be attached to the Max by twisting it into its securing holes. The legs can be removed from their holder without removing the holder from the Max. I have read reviews that said the rubber caps on the legs can become loose and easily lost, but I doubt I’ll have this problem if I use the Max and its legs as they were designed to be used. The rubber cap that covers the tripod post of the Max has a greater chance of getting lost, but it can easily be stored elsewhere if you don't use it since traditional tripod posts don't usually come with caps anyway.The strap in the accessory pack proved to be quite strong. As seen in the second attached photo, I was able to secure the same camera/lens combination to a support post in my house having 7” drywall sides. I didn’t want to try any higher off the floor than shown for fear the Velcro strap would let go, causing $10,000 in gear to come crashing to the floor, but nothing budged. The weight secured on a tall ball head did cause the entire combination to sag a little bit, but this is to be expected. The camera and lens could be made level again simply by adjusting the ball head a little off centre. The same could be done when I tested the combination secured to a 4” x 4” post on my front steps. I didn’t have any large tree branches or fences to test the weight on those, but I suspect the strap would function just as well if the Max was positioned correctly on what it was attached to and the post/branch had a sufficient diameter. There was no sagging with the camera and the 70-200mm f/2.8 VR II. I’m more comfortable now attaching the Max higher off the ground.The only complaints that I have are it might prove difficult to look through the viewfinder when the camera is placed on the ground in portrait orientation, but if you have the Hoodman HRAV or something similar, this should be less of a challenge. The Platypod Max and the accessory kit were about $175 CDN, which might seem pricey, but it soon pays for itself in terms of convenience and having trust in stability if you shoot a lot of macro work at ground level without having to shoot your subject from above.

Es un producto que como fotógrafo valoro mucho. Es pequeño, pesa poco y es muy útil, representa llevarlo siempre en la mochila y poder realizar esas fotos que por no llevar siempre el trípode a cuestas, que por peso y volumen siempre dejas en casa, que de otra manera no harías o no tendrían la calidad que buscas.

Un produit qui sans remplacer un trepied ds 100% des cas est devenu mon compagnon de voyage. C’est une sorte d’outil quasi indispensable à avoir lorsqu’on voyage ou que l’on veut voyager léger, cette version est plus faite pour les Très gros appareils, style 1dx mkII avec un gros objectif tel un 70/200 f2.8 pour la plupart des utilisateurs de reflex le platypod standard conviendra ... n’oubliez SURTOUT PAS de prévoir une SANGLE ainsi vous pourrez le fixer rapidement sur un arbre, un poteau, un garde-corps etc ...