I’m someone who firmly believes in the importance of a good tripod and ball head in photography. I also do recognize that you can’t use a tripod in a lot of places such as New York City or in pedestrian heavy locations. That was a dilemma I was having until I discovered the Platypod mini tripod. Two words for, game changer.
I will be perfectly honest, I’m not sure how I stumbled onto the Platypod mini tripod by of course, Platypod. I was taking a little trip to be a tourist during Christmas time in New York City and I wanted to do some long exposure photography in Grand Central Station and maybe on top on the Rockefeller Center. And anyone who has ever brought a tripod to NYC knows that even before you extend that third tripod leg, the police will be all over you telling you how you need a permit to use a tripod and if you don’t have one, then you’re out of luck. I’ve used the Joby Gorillapods before and they never worked for me. Never found them sturdy enough to hold me camera and lens combo. I didn’t know what I was missing until I used my Platypod Max in New York City with my Really Right Stuff BH-55 ball head.
When you think of a tripod you thing of this tall thing with three legs that expands and takes up a lot of space. The Platypod tripod is flat. You heard me flat. Like 5mm in height. You must be thinking but a tripod has legs, where are the legs if the Platypod is flat. Good question. The answer is simple; it comes with three screws you can use to prop the “tripod” up at different angles.
Platypod has two tripods, the Ultra and the Max. Both are under $100; a deal I know. I went with the Max because it could support more weight and I felt it was better suited to handle what I wanted to do. The Platypod is super light and flat which means I can take it every and anywhere; which I do. I’ve used my Platypod more than I have used my tripod. That doesn’t mean I’ve abandoned the tripod completely, I just love ther versatility the Platypod provides me.
The Platypod can lay flat on the ground or I could prop it up against some rocks. I could tie it to a light pole using the strap you can purchase as an accessory. There is nothing I can’t do with my Platypod mini tripod.
If you’re a wedding photographer, a landscape photographer or even a sports photographer, you need a Platypod mini tripod in your bag.
Below are some examples of the types of shots I get with my Platypod Max.
