Overview

This one little piece of gear is a lifesaver! Originally I thought it was way overpriced to begin with, but it is well thought out and well worth the money. The initial reason I ended up purchasing this sleek well-machined laptop stand, I was halfway through a cross country photo shoot traveling from ski resorts to beachside resorts and I needed the laptop to be safe, secure and be able to move fast on location. When I received it at the hotel it took me about 15 minutes to assemble it and have it working on my carbon fiber tripod.

Shooting in the studio I always captured tethered, but now it makes working on location far easier tethered, especially when there’s no budget for a tech. This allows me to be more critical of what I’m capturing, resulting in better images and happier clients!

Accessories

There is a bunch of accessories for such a simple system. When I purchased this I bought the kit that included the digibase to attach the digiplate to a standard light stand – C-stand, Lightstand or Laptop. (You don’t need it to attach to a tripod – the workstation has the standard 3/8 threads to mount it how you would like)

Additionally, I purchased the digihangar which keeps the tether cord in the computer and helps protect the USB-C ports from getting damaged. The $34 can save a ton of money in the long run compared to computer repairs!

Inovativ makes a digishade which I can’t work without to help keep the glare off the screen when working in the midday sun or having a light in the studio that I can’t move. One word of caution, when the rubber on the corners wears out, it can easily scratch the Macbook Pro – I learned this the hard way and now use some black gaff to prevent future damage.

One item I wish I picked up was the Lacie Drive Mount to keep time machine backup running while shooting tethered. The next purchase I get will be this item to complete my digitech station.

Pros

  • Keeps the computer secure on a light stand, tripod, super clamp with a spud
  • Simple design
  • Super easy to build
  • Fits in my Casecruzer digital tech case with Tekpak like a glove to create a great workstation
  • Looks sleek – impresses the client + myself

Cons

  • Scratches easy, but I love the color scheme
  • Hard to transport with additional accessories (the digihanger + digibase) I use a canvas bag to protect it during transport
  • A little pricey, but that goes with everything in the photo industry

Bottom Line

I wish I bought this one piece of gear sooner, especially with all the rugged locations I end up working in. It’s a big weight of my shoulders being able to tether as a one man band in the studio, on location, or on the side of mountain and know my computer is less likely to fall on the ground than me.

Follow the links to buy these great products below – buy direct. B&H had a 4-6 week turnaround last time I checked and they ship within a business day or two direct from the warehouse in California.

Footnotes

  • It would be great to hear any feedback you have please comment or message me directly. I will also plan on updating this as time goes on and will post additional notes.

** I am no way affiliated with Inovativ, I’m a really happy customer and will continue to buy their products!