Gorillapod

Pretty cool. http://www.gorillapod.com/products.html

Tell us if it will wrap around the handle of a trekking pole. I have a Canon Digital Elph that doesn’t need much for support, but I’d like to be able to shove a trekking pole in the ground and mount the camera on it.

Come to think of it, I might be able to put a quick release on my trekking pole handle. You can get a flash foot with a 1/4-20 screw to go in a camera tripod mount and all kinds of flash swivels and mounts to go on the trekking pole end— I’m thinking flash mounts for their light weight and low profile.

I figured that it would wrap around a trekking pole, so I bought one, it arrives Monday : )

I played with one in the store. I think it would cling tightly to a trekking pole handle, but won’t speculate about the shaft without trying it out.

p.s. FWIW my local REI carries them.

I have a question…if you tilt the camera so it is pointed upwards or downwards, will the camera swing around on the camera mount due to gravity? The WPi doesn’t have it’s tripod mount centered, so on my current tripod I can only shoot horizontal shots.

No it will not with the WPi. I see if I
get the time to take some pictures tomorrow.
Franco

Here are some of the many ways the Gorilla tripod can be used

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It will hold those weird positions up to at least 200g, I tested this with the Fujifilm F10
Franco

thanks franco!

check out the thread over in multi use gear section listed as “gorila pod light”.
…tim

While shopping for a camera, I noticed the Flexpod:

Sunpak PicturePlus Flexpod (FLEXPOD)

Take it anywhere: The FlexPod has uniquely designed segmented legs that securely wrap around just about any suitable object to give your photos a fresh perspective. For example, attach your FlexPod and compact digital camera to a pole, railing, chair, bottle or tree branch. Or use it in tight spaces—where a regular tripod won’t fit.

Non-slip legs: FlexPod’s specially designed non-slip leg segments grip tight and will not slip when properly wrapped around most smooth, dry surfaces. In addition, it can be used as a tabletop tripod by simply extending its legs.

Mounting plate: The built-in quick release mounting plate makes it a snap to instantly attach your camera. At just under two ounces, your FlexPod is a perfect compact companion for your compact digital camera.

Compatibility: This tripod works with most compact digital cameras.

This appears to be similar to the Gorilla pod carried by BPL, possibly made by the same vendor and functionally identical. Anyone have one of these or can offer comparison to the Gorilla pod?

Has anyone experimented with the SLR version of the Gorillapod? I'm sure a nice set of carbon fiber legs have better vibration resistance but I'd rather not lug them around with my Canon Digital Rebel.

I use it with my rebel. It is definately strong enough to support the rebel and very useful in a multitude of envirionments. as far as stability, I typically have only used it with the timer so that I could jump in a group shot, but I think that it would be much more stable than trying to take a picture using only your hands. also, mine weighs 5.8 oz. hope that helped.

Thanks for your reply Stephen. Is yours the SLR or the SLR Zoom? What sort of lens do you have on your rebel? Are you using a separate head attached to the gorillapod?

mine is just the gorillapod SLR. I have only used the standard 18-55 lens with it, but i would cetainly think it could handle a bigger one. The gorillapod come with a detachable piece that screws directly intt the bottom of the camera so that it can be removed and assembled easily and quickly.

I ended up getting the SLRZoom and my own quick release ballhead. This thing is really meaty! So far I have wrapped it around branches and lamp-post with a lot of confidence, and the ballhead makes framing the shot a lot easier. It isn't exactly light – 239g for the legs (125g for my ballhead) but it beats lugging a couple kg of carbon fiber bulkiness.

has anyone used gorillapod original for tz3? it says max weight 275gms and tz3 is just that.

The question came up just a few days after I returned the last of several similar cameras I was testing, so I cannot tell you for sure but adding some weight to one of my cameras ,for a total of 350 g , it held just fine. The trick is to keep one of the legs directly under the zoom, as you should with any tripod. The alternative is the Ultrapod, about 5g heavier, but smaller and stronger. This one works well if you want to attach it to a stick or a walking pole and turn it into a monopod (via the Velcro strap)
Franco

The GorillaPod is currently being tested at Backpackgeartest as well.
One thing to remember is that it is not ultra-rigid. The camera can vibrate a bit when you let it go. But using the delayed shutter release on the camera usually handles that.