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Backpacking Light

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Which Mini Tripod – Joby Gorillapod/GP Magnetic or Pedco Ultrapod?

Home › Forums › Off Piste › Photography › Which Mini Tripod – Joby Gorillapod/GP Magnetic or Pedco Ultrapod?

Viewing 13 posts - 1 through 13 (of 13 total)
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    Posts
  • Sep 14, 2018 at 4:11 pm #3555825
    Ethan A.
    BPL Member

    @mountainwalker

    Locale: SF Bay Area & New England

    Pedco Ultrapod I’ve used for years for point and shoot photography went missing and need a replacement. This is the smallest Pedco tripod model. Has anyone tried both the Ultrapod and Gorillapod? Which do you prefer? The Gorillapod seems faster to deploy because you don’t need to unwind velcro to attach.

    1) Does the GP remain taught with use or become floppy? Is the GP weight limit strict, as in anything a bit over will cause it to droop? The Pedco is quite stable.

    2) Is the GP Magnetic worth it over the regular GP, especially for indoor settings?

     

     

     

    Sep 14, 2018 at 4:15 pm #3555827
    Ethan A.
    BPL Member

    @mountainwalker

    Locale: SF Bay Area & New England

    I should have said smartphone and point and shoot photography, of course forgot first post can’t be edited.

    Sep 14, 2018 at 5:09 pm #3555837
    Philip Tschersich
    BPL Member

    @philip-ak

    Locale: Kodiak Alaska

    I used the Ultrapods for many years and switched to a Gorillapod (classic, or original, or whatever; I’m not sure they still make it…?) a few years ago. I do prefer the Gorillapod. Maybe the best part is the QR ‘plate’ for the camera making for a quick setup, but I’m not sure any of the current models have a QR system. It also conforms to uneven ground more easily, and you can hang it from branches without needing to resort to a velcro strap (though I do have a thin one wrapped around one leg). The grippy feet also are nice. It is perhaps a little more affected by wind since it’s less rigid, but I just lean a rock up against it if it’s breezy. The leg joints don’t seem to loosen up over time in my experience. I tried one of the cheap copies off eBay but it was crap. The rubber rings on the leg sections started to chip off and the plastic cracked at the ball joints. The original Joby seems solid.

    Sep 14, 2018 at 7:13 pm #3555850
    Bruce Tolley
    BPL Member

    @btolley

    Locale: San Francisco Bay Area

    RE: quick release plates

    My mirrorless cameras have Arca Swiss plates.  I use the Newer® Fish Bone quick release for tripod head with Pedco Ultrapod II. Works great to provide a stable platform.

    If I were looking just to stabilize my smartphone for photography, I would probably use the Joby GripTight.

    Sep 14, 2018 at 9:50 pm #3555869
    Mike In Socal
    BPL Member

    @rcmike

    Locale: California

    I have the Ultrapod, a couple of Joby mini tripods, and a Manfroto PIXI tripod. The Joby is my least favorite for stability and the legs get loose over time so I can’t rely on it to hold tightly. The Manfroto is the heaviest but most stable and quickest to deploy. I’d buy an Ultrapod again if I had to. I’d also install a slim quick release plate.

    Sep 15, 2018 at 1:27 am #3555899
    Ethan A.
    BPL Member

    @mountainwalker

    Locale: SF Bay Area & New England

    Thank you Philip, Bruce and Mike.

    Philip, how heavy is the camera you’re using on the Gorillapod? Are you using the light GP that supports 325g? By the way, my wife and I love your films. Just watched your last one and neglected to comment. Went to bed with Alaska dreams…

    Bruce the Ultrapod II is very solid, but heavier and larger than the Ultrapod. I might use that for a heavier camera, but as you noted for a large smartphone or RX100-sized point and shoot, I’d try to stay more compact and lighter.

    Mike are you using a heavier camera? What kind of quick-release plate would you install? I’m assuming that quick release plate would be only for a point and shoot or mirrorless, not for a smartphone, right?

    I’m planning to use a smartphone holder with a cold shoe, like the Ulanzi ST-03 (which I just posted about on another thread), which screws into the light tripod.

     

     

    Sep 15, 2018 at 3:22 am #3555918
    Philip Tschersich
    BPL Member

    @philip-ak

    Locale: Kodiak Alaska

    Yes, I’m using light cameras. I always carry a GoPro and also a Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS20 or -ZS40 (both under 250 grams). I use this Gorillapod

    As you can probably tell from my videos, I only use the tripods for self-exposure scenes (normally wide angle shots). I hand hold all telephoto shots (animals, etc). Since the cameras are so light, I have pretty modest tripod needs.

    Sep 15, 2018 at 7:31 am #3555936
    Mike In Socal
    BPL Member

    @rcmike

    Locale: California

    Hey Ethan,
    I am mostly using iPhones and compact P&S cameras with those tripods. I do sometimes put a QR plate on a smartphone holder when I am also bringing a small camera for tripod use. It just makes it easier to swap cameras to the tripod. A slim arca plate works well but I’ve also used a full size manfroto QR plate on a small camera when using a larger tripod with a dSLR.

    I like that Ulanzi ST-03. If you are just carrying a smartphone then you obviously don’t need a QR plate – they just come in handy sometimes. I’ve been using the Shure MV-88 mic with my iPhone so I haven’t needed an external hotshoe mount.

    If I didn’t have a hotshoe mount, I’d probably make something custom using Instamorph (reusable plastic pellets that become moldable in hot water) or Sugru.

    Sep 17, 2018 at 12:10 am #3556154
    Ian
    BPL Member

    @discopants

    I have the Ultrapod, Platypod, and Gorillapod.   Of the three, the Gorillapod functions the best for phones and P&S cameras.

     

    Oct 2, 2018 at 8:05 am #3558106
    chris smead
    BPL Member

    @hamsterfish

    Locale: San Jose, CA

    I use ultrapod. It’s lighter, and seems more solid IMO than the Gorillapod.  I wanted to like the gorrillapod, but just found it more likely to move during timelapses and stuff.

    Apr 23, 2019 at 3:58 am #3589982
    Will Elliott
    BPL Member

    @elliott-will

    Locale: Juneau, AK

    Ultrapod plus super light Arca-compaible clamp, plus voile strap where the Ultrapod’s original velcro strap went. Works great for me and closes the distance in features vs the Gorillapod, at a lighter weight.

    Apr 25, 2019 at 3:38 pm #3590379
    Dale Wambaugh
    BPL Member

    @dwambaugh

    Locale: Pacific Northwest

    The Ultrapod is light and I like the simple leg design.

    Apr 26, 2019 at 5:55 am #3590480
    Rex Sanders
    BPL Member

    @rex

    Locale: Central California Coast

    Several high-profile vloggers are in love with the Switchpod, a Kickstarter-funded replacement for Gorillapods that’s much stronger, more stable, and easier to hold. And unlike Gorillapods, Switchpods don’t wear out and collapse without warning.

    Unfortunately, Switchpods weigh 11 ounces – a pretty big hit for backpackers, especially compared to the 3.2 ounce Ultrapod. But maybe some will like it.

    — Rex

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