Ground ‘Pods

Our experience with market-available ground-level camera support equipment has been disappointing at best and led us to develop what we believe is now the strongest, most versatile, feature-rich ground and tabletop tripod obtainable: the TP-243. We wanted a height-adjustable device that would handle 500/600mm/f4 lenses with aplomb, manage practically any type of terrain, allow our BH-55 or BH-40 ballheads to get as low to the ground/deck as possible, handle the grime of working in the dirt, be field-strippable, and most tellingly, withstand abusive airport baggage handlers! We wanted intuitive, quick operation and as always, we insisted on aesthetically pleasing lines.

We are pleased to present the TP-243 Ground Level Tripod.

TP-243
  • Entirely CNC machined 6061T aluminum or stainless steel. All aluminum is Type III hard anodized (black) for maximum abrasion resistance.
  • We ruled out carbon fiber for three reasons: 1) carbon fiber is not abrasion resistant and does not handle abuse well; 2) we wanted more heft – weight is a two edged sword in that we like light weight for carrying, but nothing trumps mass for stability and we like as much weight as practical for steadily handling telephoto/macro equipment; 3) vibration-dampening aspect of carbon fiber is of minimal benefit for a tripod this short.
  • Reversible bottom leg sections have a stainless steel point at one end for rugged outdoor use and a rubber tip on the other end for indoor/table-top use. Spring-loaded stop-button is depressed for easy removal.
  • 4-position legs for maximum positioning flexibility. Minimum height is only 1.9” (48mm).
  • Super robust. Rated load capacity is 50lbs (23kg), but it can handle much more than that; more weight than any practical photographic application requires!
  • Two section legs are quick to extend/retract; only one easy-grip knob lock per leg.
  • Rubber grips are strategically placed on the inside of each leg to provide protection and traction when legs are fully splayed.
  • Stainless steel screws are black zinc plated to be unobtrusive.
  • Five year warranty on parts & workmanship.

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TP-243 with legs fully splayed
Fully splay the legs of the TP-243 (shown here with BH-55 LR) for on-the-ground shooting.

Key Features

Part #: TP-243
Price: $375
Material: Aluminum
Center Column: none
# of leg sections: 2
Max Height: 16.9" / 430mm
Min Height: 1.9" / 48mm
Closed Length: 12.4" / 315mm
Max Load: 50lb / 23kg
Weight: 2.6lb / 1.2kg

TP-243 tip options
TP243 comes with both stainless point and rubber tip. Stainless tip is replaceable by purchasing optional rubber tips.
TP-243 tips are removable
Stainless point removes easily by inserting simple hex key (included).
TP-243 in the field
TP-243 shown here with BH-55 LR ballhead and Canon 500mm/f4 L-IS with LCF-50 replacement foot.
TP-243 in use
Joe shown here using TP-243 at its maximum height.

 

 

TP-243 with captions
TP-243 bag

The TP-243 comes packed in its own custom tripod bag; included with each tripod.
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