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 + me
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 off my shoulders being able to tether as a one-man band in the studio, on location, or on the side of a 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.
• Inovativ Digiplate Lite Kit
• Inovativ Digihangar
• Inovativ Digishade Lite
• Inovativ Lacie Rugged Digiclamp
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!
** Update 2020: I purchased the Lacie Rugged Drive Mount and it work’s great being able to keep all the content backed up when working on the go!
