Tripod and microphone for iPhone

I don’t have a microphone suggestion, and I have no idea if you want a 6-inch-tall tripod or a 6-foot-tall tripod, so I’ll just skip that. But as far as phone adapters go, this one by Joby folds up tiny, is very light, and works fine. Joby GripTight

I had one of those break with very little light usage. I liked it a lot until it broke where the threaded insert for the tripod goes through it.

Yeah, I could see that being a potential weak point. Maybe it’s because I’m lazy, but I hate having to constantly screw-on and screw-off the 1/4 x 20 tripod mount over and over again each time I set up. Instead, having a permanently-installed micro quick-release plate like many of the Joby products use will likely mitigate that weak spot by obviating repeated use.

Install it with a drop of blue Loctite, and never a bother with it again.

My complete camera set up- everybody gets a quick release plate:

Same. I had mine on one of these tripod bases with a drop of blue loktite as well. it was a perfect setup for me other than it breaking.

I’m currently using a $.99 phone holder from Ikea. You adjust the angle with a rock or stick. It works for my use case but it might not be the best choice for everyone.

Huh, now you have me nervous. Maybe I’ll prophylactically put a glob of epoxy over the area, lol.

Because of my dedication to making videos of my trips, I have become pretty reliant on a quickly-deployed and adjustable camera platform system like the Gorillapod. On one trip I lost my micro tripod on the first day, and still recorded the rest of the trip by carefully building rock or stick platforms for my cameras. The constant hillbilly engineering was a time suck and major annoyance. To wit: I accidentally left it behind at the point that occurs two minutes into the video of this trip:

Unsurprisingly, there are a million versions of these phone adapters on the market. Maybe some other one is more durable.

I recall getting a small amount of Loctite on the plastic and wiping it off. The internet says it can degrade plastic so maybe it was user error on my part.

I use the ultrapod which I recommend. Mine came with a phone holder.

I can recommend the Pocket Tripod Pro – very small and ingenious solution. Much better for my needs than the gorilla pods I had previously. :)

I was looking at my Joby phone adapter the other day and noticed a crack in the base near the mounting insert. This thing has only seen light use, so this is a manufacturing defect and probably the same issue Matthew experienced.

The Joby, getting ready to fail:

I decided to try to take advantage of my iPhone’s MagSafe and create a phone adapter for my Gorillapod. I use JB Weld to attach a T-nut to the cut off base of a MagSafe mount to add 1/4 x 20 thread capabilities. The Joby weighs 24 g with the quick release adapter, and the thing I built weighs 42 g. The one thing I would change is to make it a bit shorter, as I made it taller than is necessary.

My DIY MagSafe mount next to the Joby:

A little JB Weld to attach the T nut:

The MagSafe magnetic adapter is pretty sweet in that you can just touch the phone to it and it immediately pops on securely, and you can achieve any rotation angle you want.

I really think the Gorillapod is the best solution for my backcountry use, because I am always setting my equipment up on strange, irregular surfaces, hanging it from branches, etc. If all I ever did was set it up on perfectly level surfaces, some of those more minimalist solutions might work though.

Yes, that corresponds with my recollection of how the Joby adapter broke.

I like your DIY solution. I have a car mount that works with MagSafe and it’s very secure.

What is the MagSafe part made from? Is that DIY or did you repurpose it from another product?

It’s a re-purposed MagSafe phone mount meant to attach to the screen of a laptop.

There are lots of other inexpensive  alternatives available.

I picked up a carbon version of one of those laptop MagSafe phone holders, and made the most compact version I could get away with. I use JB Weld epoxy to attach a t-nut to a slot I dremeled in the cut-off arm. 34 grams with Joby QR shoe, but more importantly it looks cool, lol.

That looks great. I have had very good experiences with Joby’s bendy legs like your pink ones. I just ordered that mount to see what I can come up with. Thank you for the inspiration.

For a microphone, I use a Sony ECM-DS70P. It has a 3.5mm plug, so you’ll need an adapter.

Not top quality by any means, but it weighs less than an ounce. Here’s a recording I made on the AZT, in the Tortilla Mountains I think. Should give you an idea of the recording quality (with proper allowance for my very modest musical skills).