I found an amazingly useful laptop support system

[Enda Cavanagh]

Hi guys I just have to share a link to this guys website. Initially set up as a kickstarter campaign. It's very useful and clever laptop support for when your out and about in the field. You can support your laptop of your tripod legs, support a portable hard drive, and it even has a way of preventing your cable from popping of the laptop. (A huge issue when shooting tethered to a mac pro with firewire 800 as many of you may know. The guy is a photographer and it's obvious when you look at the design. He really has thought everything through.

Here is the link to the system.

[mhospelt]

Bought the Digiplate system when it came out. Very well build, but too heavy. You need an assistant to carry it around. I think recently, they offer a lighter system....

[BernardLanguillier]

Bought the Digiplate system when it came out. Very well build, but too heavy. You need an assistant to carry it around. I think recently, they offer a lighter system....

I have their light system on order, I had been looking for an elegant solution for my betterlight tethered shooting and this seems to fit the bill.

Cheers,
Bernard

[Rob C]

So really, digital photography is taking us right back to the present-day equivalent of the Dark Ages of wooden tripods, wooden cameras, boxes of slides as well as a string of porters to carry all the stuff. And an Airstream chuck wagon to feed 'em all.

Progress!

Rob C

[Enda Cavanagh]

So really, digital photography is taking us right back to the present-day equivalent of the Dark Ages of wooden tripods, wooden cameras, boxes of slides as well as a string of porters to carry all the stuff. And an Airstream chuck wagon to feed 'em all.

Progress!

Rob C

Bought the Digiplate system when it came out. Very well build, but too heavy. You need an assistant to carry it around. I think recently, they offer a lighter system....

The new digiplate system is extremely portable. That is what I ordered and fits the bill perfectly.

[Ken Doo]

DigiPlate Lite is 1.5 lbs vs the standard Digiplate at 4.2 lbs.

The system looks well designed.

[Enda Cavanagh]

DigiPlate Lite is 1.5 lbs vs the standard Digiplate at 4.2 lbs.

The system looks well designed.

+1

[K.C.]

Hi guys I just have to share a link to this guys website.

Here is the link to the system.

Your link takes us to the bundle packages and very small images of the products. It says click to enlarge on the group images. So I did and then thought what an idiotic web site. You really can't see the products.

Here's the system.

[Enda Cavanagh]

Your link takes us to the bundle packages and very small images of the products. It says click to enlarge on the group images. So I did and then thought what an idiotic web site. You really can't see the products.

Here's the system.

It's a link to the system I bought. It's not my website. I apologize for the mental anguish of having to navigate through a few pages on the website. JFYI There are small clues scattered around the page to give an idea of where you can go to find out more. It might be useful in the future!! For example.
Home,
Products
DigiPlate,
DigiPlate Components
DigiPlatePro Bundles
DigiPlateLite Bundles

[mhospelt]

like this system much better, it's integrated in a case and waterproof.   http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/902932-REG/skb_iseries_3i_18135snsc_waterproof_laptop.html

[gss]

I've had a DigiPlate since they came out.  It does a wonderful job of holding my laptop securely.  I wouldn't use it for long hauls, though, as it is fairly heavy.  I will probably order a light version, also, but the full-sized is great for studio or easily accessed location work.

The only piece I find needs a redesign is the one that attaches the plate to the tripod legs.  It creates a very focused sharp force against two of the legs.  They provide some gaffing tape to protect the legs, but it cuts right into that tape quite quickly.

[Enda Cavanagh]

I've had a DigiPlate since they came out.  It does a wonderful job of holding my laptop securely.  I wouldn't use it for long hauls, though, as it is fairly heavy.  I will probably order a light version, also, but the full-sized is great for studio or easily accessed location work.

The only piece I find needs a redesign is the one that attaches the plate to the tripod legs.  It creates a very focused sharp force against two of the legs.  They provide some gaffing tape to protect the legs, but it cuts right into that tape quite quickly.

I got the digi plate light and it's almost 1/3 the weight so it makes a big difference. Including the plate that attaches it to the tripod it physically as a large area. IE won't really fit inside most bags. I have the f stop satori and it won't fit. However I got extra some straps with the bag and it's easily attached outside the bag. The alternative is to disassemble it while trekking or changing shots but that would be a pain in the bum, especially when moving around locations in proximity to each other.

I must say the build quality is excellent. I particularly like the carrier undeath the plate to house a small hd and the adaptor to prevent the firewire cable. One of the mail reasons I didn't bring the laptop in the past was the fact the cable keeps popping out.

The instructions I found pretty dire and some of the accessories were a bit of a pain to assemble but otherwise it's a great niece of kit

[nma]

Have you guys considered the low cost, light weight option of the Android tablets or iPad for controlling your camera? For the Canon 5D ii I chose a Samsung 7 inch tablet (~ $170) and the dSPLR ($9) controller app. I mounted it to the tripod leg with a RAM clamp (~ $50).  Large display from Live View, all camera controls remote, pull focus from A to B, HDR, HDR + pull focus, etc., etc.  Lots of pluses and a few minuses: Hard to focus in some lighting conditions, not waterproof at all (that is what plastic bags are made for). You xn even use your phone in a pinch with this software.

[BernardLanguillier]

Yes, but I couldn't find a way to run the Betterlight control software on an ipad.

The light plate is nice, but a bit too large for the macbook air 11 inch. I'll probably attempt to cut the sides short.

Cheers,
Bernard

[henrikfoto]

Just ordered the DigiPlate lite system. Fantastic service!!!
The system was send after 20 minutes!!!!

World record?

[Enda Cavanagh]

Just ordered the DigiPlate lite system. Fantastic service!!!
The system was send after 20 minutes!!!!

World record?

+1

[Enda Cavanagh]

Have you guys considered the low cost, light weight option of the Android tablets or iPad for controlling your camera?

Oh I would love that option but unfortunatly you can't tether an iPad directly to a Hasselblad

[figure1a]

Now they have a sun shade too. Ordered mine to go with my DigiPlate. www.digi-shade.com