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Make a DIY low-angle quadpod under $20

by 7 Comments

I love low angle photography! It brings fresh and unusual angles that makes your pictures  stand out. You can buy Platypod for this purpose but I didn’t want to spend $100 on a chunky piece of metal. This site have many  suggestions for do-it-yourself low angle stands including a frying pan.  Good luck taking it on your trip. Here is a super low angle solution under $20. In addition, in my opinion, it is more stable, probably lighter and more compact then Platypod.

I bought a couple of Dual Flash Bracket Holder for 1/4″ Screw Studio Tripod Light Stand. Cost is from $5 to $9 on Ebay. $5 if you are willing to wait for it to arrive from China.

Also get four 1/4′-20 bolts.  In addition, I bought a Pergear Heavy Duty Photography Camera Tripod Ball Head. It is only $19.89 on Amazon. it includes Arca-swiss quick release plate. It is amazingly cheap and feels pretty solid fit for large SLRs.

Remove 1/4” adapter screws from the brakets and use one to connect two brakets in the middle making a cross. Screw four bolts to the ends of two bruckets and finally screw in the Pergear ball head or any other tripod ball head to the middle of the brackets.

Congratulation! You are done! You have a low-angle quadpod solution. It is more stable than Platypod because the legs extend further. That allows you to use longer lens. You can adjust the screws to position it as parallel as you want depending on a surface. When done unscrew the ball head and the screws and store two light brackets in your bag. You can also accessorize it the same way Platypod is doing, like using a strap or a pad.

About the Author

Ilya Schiller learned photography in college and has never left his camera since. His major passions are wildlife and street photography. He tries to travel as much as he can on this globe to search for beauty, color, composition, and emotions. He strives for that special moment to capture the shot that tells the story.

Ilya is a member and on the executive committee of Boston Camera Club. If you’d like to see his work, visit his Flickr page.

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  • Nicolas Racine

    Hmmm. looks like $30 plus the bolts to me, not $20, but great idea!

    • Richard Doktor

      That’s if you don’t already have a ball head you could use.

      • Huge Dom

        Or couldn’t use ones from the dollar stores.

  • Huge Dom

    Thanks. Been wanting to have one so bad but just find it hard to pay for the Platpod since it seems overpriced for a plate and still required a head to go with it. Thank you very much for the idea.

  • Erik Westby

    I use this.

    http://a.co/d/3dsqdwe

    Extremely flexible, so I can literally put my camera anywhere. On top of a street sign, in a tree, or on the ground. And then angle the camera just about anywhere. I shoot video around the world, and this fits in my small backpack with my Sony A73 quite nicely.

  • GJoachimGals

    I’ve been looking for a DIY alternative to the Platypod. This looks great. Thanks.

  • Rick

    Just made one, and I am taking the back and plate off the tripod(Pergear also)and mounting it onto the “cross” so I can get as low as possible for insects and mushrooms. Thanks.

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