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In the first installment of this article, I talked about the benefits of using the Skimmer Pod II. In Part No. 2 I will talk about a very cool and interesting product that we as nature photographers can benefit from: the Puffin Pad.
Let’s read more about the specifications of the Puffin Pad.
Overview
- Weight: 3.4 oz
- Dimensions: 7″ X 5″ X 5″
Build
The Puffin Pad is a light-weight alternative to the traditional beanbag. The Pad base is made of durable automotive foam and topped with a 1/2 inch of memory foam. The Puffin Pad is a simple, lightweight, and very useful product to use when photographing from your vehicle.
Benefits
- Supports your camera with a long or short lens without damaging your equipment
- Lightweight
- Durable
- Inexpensive
Design
The idea behind the Puffin Pad deserves a high five. It is much more lightweight than similar products on the market. However, the design causes some limitations when traveling. The main reason is because the Pad is not compact nor can it be folded flat like you would with a beanbag. The Puffin Pad was designed to be used mainly from your vehicle.
Another important factor to mention is that at 7″ long, The Puffin Pad may not support larger lenses like the Canon EF 800mm L f/5.6 USM or the Nikon AF-S Nikor 600mm f/4 II lens worry free. The maximum diameter of the Canon is 6.7″ while the Nikon is 6.6″. That means that even when centered on top of the Pad, these lenses will be almost at the edge of the Puffin Pad, which can prove tricky when you rotate your camera and lens from horizontal to vertical for a different composition. I often find myself lifting my Canon 500mm L lens before rotating to vertical or horizontal.
In the Field
The Puffin Pad supported my longest lens nicely while photographing from my vehicle’s window. If the situation allows, you can get out of the car and set the Pad on top of your vehicle’s roof and support your lens that way as well.
The Puffin Pad can be also be used in those awkward locations like a fence pole or if you are photographing from a boat.
Final Thoughts
Overall, The Puffin Pad will serve and support your equipment well. There are endless ways of using it and the more creative you are the better the Puffin Pad will deliver!
Back to Top
The Puffin Pad is very versatile — it can even be used on a fence rail or atop a fence post. Its downside, however, is that it is very weak at the top of the pad above the cut-out. It is easy to split that narrow strip with too much weight on something thin, like a car window. It is also vulnerable to breaking by being crushed on its side. I’ve been careful with mine but I know people who have had theirs split and the manufacturer’s respons is “you must have stepped on it” — pretty insulting for people hauling around thousands of dollars of camera and long lenses.
A cheap alternative? Go to a hardware store and pick up a thick pool noodle float, one of those long foam tubes that your kids beat over each others’ heads in the pool. Cut a 2 foot section, slit it lengthwise on one side, and it’s a perfect soft fit over the edge of window glass. You can make a number from each cheap float. A friend is so confident of his that he shoots his Canon 500mm. on it regulalry and has never had a problem. And if it blows away, he makes another — piece of cake.