So I made one...

http://swiftbklyn.com

Hey y'all,

I used to trawl these forums pretty hard "back in the day" and I credit them with connecting me to good people, and giving me a leg up as I jumped into the photo industry proper, aaaages ago. I've now been in NYC in the photo industry, at different points in just about every capacity, for 14 years.

I'm sure many of you, like me, end up shooting in less than spacious circumstances - not only the usual corporate headshot stuff, tucked in some office corner, shooting between ferns... but for my commercial fashion & beauty clients, I'm asked to make do with similar constraints, working out of a location that's a mix of small spaces, flights of stairs, and varied outdoor terrain.

So I've often looked to work from a more compact, nimble laptop platform for tethering, one that's lightweight, can keep things orderly, and transforms quickly from "on top of a cart" to a rolling stand, to a baby C, to a tripod.

There are a lot of options on the market, with more appearing seemingly every few months, but I took some time, invested in machining, and iterated a design I'm really proud of - it's the laptop plate I wished I could buy, but it didn't exist:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5VATlW7dUJ4

If you're new to this sort of setup, you can learn a lot by browsing the IG feed of Faini Made, another independent producer working mostly with PA-12 nylon 3d prints: https://faini-made.square.site/s/instagram

I'm a big fan of the Faini stuff, and use a raft of his accessories to make it easy to carry the laptop around with - typically - a card reader, external power supply (Hyperjuice, Anker or Zendure), and at least one backup drive (Samsung T5/T7).

Along with Faini, I'm also all in on the LSDigi hybrid Arca Swiss + baby pin mount, which is simply the best way to move fluidly from tripod to, say, a rolling stand, or baby C:

https://www.lsdigi.com/products/digipla … swiss-base

Anyway, I'm here to answer any questions you might have about location tethered workflow, and certainly how this thing I made, makes it a more efficient and... maybe even pleasurable experience

You didn't try the Inovativ DigiPlate? I've had one for 4-5 years for that purpose. though I don't tether on location as much as I used to.

I have and it’s partly what prompted me to make mine. It’s 4lb, which at this point makes it like carrying two laptops. It’s only threaded for 3/8. It’s too big for a smaller Pelican 1510.

Edit: Kerhonkson, eh? I’ve got a spot just up the road in Accord, neighbor.

I have the DigiPlate Lite version which served the purpose. I don't use it much anymore, but mostly in the studio or my house lately. Yes, Accord is next door.

It has been released and orders are shipping out. I've done the most concise overview I can manage to demonstrate how useful it can be for people unfamiliar with the concept and/or the emergence of some really useful 3d printed accessories:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xcaS9q0_cKo

What a very cool and nicely tooled platform. I wish I had a need for it! Best wishes for a successful launch.