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Reviews
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Views
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Date of last review
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1
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5239
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Wed February 25, 2009
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Recommended By
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Average Price
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Average Rating
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100% of reviewers
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£30.00
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8.0
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Description:
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Finally there is a way to stabilise those aggravating windblown subjects! The Plamp is an easily positionable arm which can be used to hold macro subjects and other useful objects. One end of the Plamp clamps to your tripod while the other grasps the object. One day in the field with a Plamp (or two) and you will begin to realise its full potential. The Plamp is a must for any macro enthusiast!
Use the Plamp to:
• Stabilise windblown subjects.
• Adjust the position or angle of your subject.
• Move background objects and obstructing foliage.
• Hold reflectors, graduated filters, and lens shades.
Using your Plamp:
The plamp's large clamp can be attached to essentially anything that will fit in its jaws. This includes nearly every tripod on the market, tree branches, furniture, stakes driven into the ground, vegetation, etc. The Plamp is designed to attach to your own tripod but it is often handy to attach it to a second tripod so that you are free to move your tripod around without affecting the subject.
Positioning the arm of the Plamp:
The arm of the Plamp is made of LOC-LINE ball-and-socket segmented tubing. To position the arm, simply bend it to the desired position and let go.
Grasping your subject:
Apply pressure to the sides of the green clamp at the end of the arm. This will open the jaws of the clam. Slide the stem or leaf of your subject between the clamp's jaws, let go.To grasp a particularly delicate plant leaf or flower petal you can make the jaws of the Plamp softer and flatter by inserting a folded piece of heavy paper betwee the jaws of the clamp. If you are having a hard time positioning the Plamp so that the green clamp is not in the picture frame you may want to wrap a loop of grass around your subject to steady it. Alternatively, you may want to use a forked branch or twig with a bud to prop up your subject. You can also use a selection of household items such as rubber bands, string, pipe cleaners and twist ties instead of grass and twigs.
Shortening your Plamp:
The segmented arm of your Plamp is approximately 19" long. If you do not need all this length, we encourage you to shorten your Plamp. To shorten the arm, bend the arm sharply until it snaps in two (do not worry, you will not hurt the Plamp), remove a length and reconnect the pieces.
Reconnecting the ball-and-socket joints of your Plamp:
If you have a hard time reconnection the joints (we realise it takes quite a bit of force), it helps to place your fists (each holding half of the Plamp as close to the broken joint as possible) between your knees. Squeeze your knees together forcefully as you force the joints together with your hands. If this does not work, you can warm the socket end in hot water or in your car on a hot day. This will cause the socket to expand and make it easier to pop the ball into place.
An important note for 180mm and 200mm lens users:
If you need more reach (e.g. if you are using a 180mm or 200mm macro lens), you have three options. The first option is to attach the Plamp to an object other than your own tripod. The second option is to extend one of the legs of your tripod toward your subject and then attach the PLamp further down the leg of your tripod and thus closer to your subject. The third option is to extend the length of your Plamp by adding extra links to its arm. The trade-off to adding extra length to your Plamp is that it becomes less rigid.
A word of warning about vibrations:
If you are using your Plamp on a very light tripod or on a fully-extended tripod it is possible for vibrations from mirror slap to translate through your Plamp to your subject. If this is the case you will be able to see your subject vibrate when you snap the picture. If you are having problems with this you may want to use mirror lock- up (if your camera has this feature) or you can attach the plamp to an object which is not connected to your camera (e.g. a second tripod or a stake driven into the ground
Being able to steady and position your subjects really opens up the world of macro photography. Steadying a plant in the wind can make an impossible shot possible. A small change in the orientation of your subject or its surroundings can make the difference between an OK shot and a great shot.
If you use a 180mm or 200mm macro lens, you may want to extend the length of your Plamp by using a PP-110 12" Plamp Extension.
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Keywords:
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Wimberley Plamp Clamp Pod
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Author
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Rob Barron
Loves the place
Registered: September 2006
Location: Poole, Dorset
Posts: 7225
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Review Date: Wed February 25, 2009
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Would you recommend the product? Yes |
Price you paid?: £30.00
| Rating: 8
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Pros:
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Very adaptable and useful
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Cons:
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A bit steeply priced
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My rating of 8 includes a point knocked off for the price which is definitely a bit too high. The product itself is very well-made and works excellently.
Stephen has included an excellent listing of the product's described usage so I am not going to repeat that all again. I shall give you my feedback on how I found it to use in practice.
The Plamp (Plant Clamp!) is useful for keeping something steady while you shoot it: like a plant that is swaying in the breeze and hard to get a static shot of. It is a simple piece of adjustable snake like pipe-work that has a strong clamp on one end for attaching to any firm object like a branch, a fence or the leg of your tripod. On the other end is a much more gentle clamp that can grip the stem of a flower without damaging it. The pipe itself is very similar to the type used in Gorillapods.
I have used it for some plant shots and it really does exactly what it says on the tin. The plant remained steady despite a breeze moving the others around. It is fully adjustable and firm enough to hold horizontally though I recommend using a slight upward angle as this avoids 'drooping'.
I have also used it to support my 12" reflector (not really firm enough for a 36" reflector and not what it's designed for) which it does quite happily without drooping other than 'settling' into position slightly. You can of course use anything as a reflector so it's the easiest thing in the world to grab a sheet of white card or silver foil or whatever and use the plamp to hold it in position, angled to push light right where you want it.
When I bought it, I also ordered an extension to the main pipe. This was actually not worth doing and I wouldn't recommend wasting your money on it, albeit it is only £6 or so. The main Plamp is 22" long, more than enough for most things I have found. This is also about the optimum length that allows it to be used without it becoming too floppy. The extension is 12" long but would definitely make it hard to support if added in-line with the rest.
However, there is one purpose for which you may well find it useful and worth the extra few quid: it coils nicely around things and can be used to hold a bunch of flower heads together and so forth. This is a worthwhile usage and so would be a practical extra for some people.
This folds down and is easily transportable in any camera bag and if you are going out for some nature work then I would highly recommend it. You will find it very user-friendly and versatile and I am certain that I will be finding more and more uses for it over the coming months.
Cheers,
Rob
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