Episode 336: An Exciting New Product, The Platypod Handle!

Show Transcript

Greetings, you’re listening to the Liam Photography Podcast, I’m your host Liam Douglas and this is Episode 336. In today’s Episode I want to talk about an exciting new photography product that just launched yesterday on Kickstarter and it’s called the Platypod Handle.

Platypod Handle Unbox and Review

If you missed it Dr Larry Tieffenbrunn and Jesse Feyereisen were both on Scott Kelby’s the Grid yesterday for the launch of this new Kickstarter project which is open now. But what is the Platypod Handle, well let’s take a look at it now. If you listen to this show or Subscribe to my Youtube Channel then you know already that I have been a supporter of Platypod since their very first Kickstarter. Platypod doesn’t sponsor this show, but Dr Larry and Skip Cohen have both been on the show and they are both great guys that I am proud to call friends. I have owned EVERY piece of official Platypod gear because they are so well made and thought out. I don’t still own all the Platypod flat tripods I bought over the years as I have gifted some of them to student photographers, but I currently own two Platypod Max tripods as well as the new Platypod Extreme with the attached, swivel legs. I also have a pair of the Platypod Goose Neck arms as well as their knuckle joint mount and I have both the Platypod Elite and Ergo ball heads as well.

Why do I own so much Platypod gear? Well because I have a use for all of it in my photography and videography. I shoot professional Motorsports from NASCAR to IMSA racing and my Platypod gear has been so handy for that work. I can position my Platypod tripod and ball head on the ground near the edge of the track and place one of my Fujifilm X-T4s on it and using the remote app I can capture stunning photos of all the action as the cars go racing by!

I have also used my Platypod gear for my Forgotten Pieces of Georgia and Pennsylvania projects and many of the images in my first book were captured using the Platypod Max tripod. Another reason why I support Platypod so much is because they are an American company, an American Small Business and as someone who owns two of my own small businesses myself, I always support fellow small businesses.

All of Platypod’s products are devised and developed by Dr Larry and they are beautiful, rugged and genius designs! A single piece machined flat tripod, with all the ways you could possibly need to attach gear to it for photography or videography. Multiple 1/4-20 points for attaching Gooseneck arms for lights like the Lume Cubes or Litra Torches. The standard 3/8-16 bolt for attaching your favorite tripod head and the carabiner mount points so you can clip it to your backpack for carry in the field. The Platypods also have metal feet with spikes so you can anchor them in the ground or strap it to a tree or pole using the strap slots on the sides and mount your camera in totally unconventional ways for photography.

The Platypod Ergo and Elite ball heads that are totally reversed from a standard ball head with the panning function on the upper portion of the ball head instead of on the bottom like most ball heads are designed. The beautiful Arca Swiss mount system that makes it so simple to mount your camera quickly and easily. The Elite comes with a built in electronic level for the times when you need your shot perfectly level and it lights up so you can easily see it at night for astrophotography!

Now we have the newest member of the family, the Platypod Handle for even more flexibility when out shooting photography or videography. The Handle is made from machines aluminum and in it’s standard configuration is 6.5” long and when extended it is 10.5” long and able to handle 11 pounds of gear without any issues. In it’s collapsed 6.5 size it can easily handle 22 pounds of gear. You can even remove the top cap with the 3/8-16 bolt and then remove the very bottom part and combine these two pieces for a very compact 3/5” riser.

The Handle’s top cap is ringed with eight 1/4-20 holes for attaching Gooseneck arms and other accessories. The very bottom of the Handle has a 3/8-16 socket so you can easily mount the Handle on any tripod or monopod whether it is one made by Platypod, Manfrotto, Gitzo, Peak Design or any other company. If you need a taller riser, if the max height of 10.5” is not enough you can easily combine two Platypod Handles and get a maximum of 21” of riser height.

To extend the Handle from 6.5” to 10.5” you only need to turn the collar lock 1/8 of a turn, extend the Handle and then twist the collar back to lock it tight. The beauty part is that when you need to lower it again, Platypod has left a gap so you cannot pinch your fingers when lowering it. The very bottom of the Platypod Handle has a round plate built in to allow it to stand but it also serves as a built in Arca Swiss plate so your Platypod Handle can be locked into any Arca Swiss tripod head without having to add an Arca Swiss plate to the bottom.

I am lucky enough that since I have been a long time supporter of all of Platypod’s products, Dr Larry and Skip Cohen were kind enough to send me one ahead of the Kickstarter campaign and asked me to test it out in the field and let them know what I thought and I can say this new product is fantastic! I have had no issues at all during my time with the Platypod Handle. I have even used it as a selfie stick for vlogging, which is another great use for this product whether you shoot your Youtube videos with an action camera like I do or your want to use your Mirrorless or DSLR camera, you are covered as this Handle will NOT let you down!

I am so grateful that Dr Larry keeps innovating new products at Platypod and there are actually a number of times when I was shooting out in the field with my Platypod and I had to set it on one of my Pelican cases to get just a few inches of extra height for either a new perspective or to get above something else that was close to the ground. Now with the Platypod Handle, I have the ability to get the extra height I need without having to drag a heavy Pelican case out of my vehicle and instead just grab my Platypod Handle and BINGO I have the extra height I need! I am personally planning to get two of the Handles just in case I run into a scenario where I need to combine two of them to get an extra 21” of maximum height in the field with my Platypod tripod.

So, as you can tell I am VERY excited about this new Platypod product and I highly encourage you to check out the Kickstarter campaign for yourself, you can find the link in the show notes. In the past I have repeatedly reminded my audience that Kickstarter is NOT on online store and to be cautious what products you back on there, but in this case you are totally safe. I have backed ALL of Platypod’s Kickstarters and I have received each and every product on time without any issues and every one of them have been super high quality so you can back this campaign with confidence that you will get your product on time.

Remember I now have my own discount code for all Platypod branded products at http://www.platypod.com using my code LD20 you can save 20% off on ALL individual Platypod branded products EXCLUDING Bundles, which are already discounted and Square Jellyfish or Lume Cube branded items.

I also now have my own affiliate link for Think Tank Photo, use the link to guy any of their gear, get a free gift and free shipping!!!

https://www.thinktankphoto.com/?rfsn=7232819.5f5392&utm_source=refersion&utm_medium=affiliate&utm_campaign=7232819.5f5392

Also be sure to join the Liam Photography Podcast Facebook Group https://www.facebook.com/groups/liamphotographypodcast/ You can reach the show by call or text @ 470-294-8191 to leave a comment or request a topic or guest for the show. Additionally you can email the show @ liam@liamphotographypodcast.com and find the show notes at http://www.liamphotographypodcast.com.

You can find my work @ https://www.liamphotography.net and follow me on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter @liamphotoatl. If you like abandoned buildings and history, you can find my project @ http://www.forgottenpiecesofgeorgia.com. and http://www.forgottenpiecesofpennsylvania.com.

Please also stop by my Youtube channels Liam Photography

Forgotten Pieces of Georgia Project

Forgotten Pieces of Pennsylvania Project