Tripod/Gorillapod

abbotsmike · 29 Jul 2014 at 22:58

Anyone used one? GF has the little one for her point and shoot and I like it, but no experience on the larger ones.

Looking mostly at the SLR Zoom + Ballhead X. Can't quite stomach the £100 for the focus + Ballhead X, but It can be had from amazon US for ~£80...

Would be used with my 650D and the 18-55 kit lens for now, next lens will probably be the 55-250stm or a wide angle something or other, but that wont be for a while yet.

Raymond Lin · 29 Jul 2014 at 23:00

I have a big Gorillapod, it is okay but it buckles under the weight of my 5Diii if it is not dead centre. It works but it is limited.

I replaced it with a Redged carbon fibre instead.

englishpremier · 30 Jul 2014 at 09:54

Had one. Used it loads but hated it. It's a right pain to get it even and the legs are prone to falling off as the socket joints weaken over time.

PU7E · 30 Jul 2014 at 16:21

I've got the focus and ballhead X, so far I like it, build quality is great and seems really robust compared to the SLR, but it's actually a bit longer then my carbon redged so I end up taking that out more.

abbotsmike · 3 Aug 2014 at 15:50

It's the flexibility of attaching to trees and the like that I'm after. Based on a few video reviews (and my small camera) I think I'm going to get the SLR-zoom and ballhead X and see how I find it.

Nexus · 3 Aug 2014 at 19:46

I have an SLR Zoom and head, I personally wouldn't recommend it.

It can't hold my 7D or 5D very well, especially if you have some decent glass on it. The head also seems to be more hassle than its worth, as it makes the centre of gravity higher and more prone to collapsing.

It's also too flimsy if you want to use it for long exposures, as chances are, it will move or shake a little.

My biggest issue of all, which makes it pretty useless, even with a light camera, is that the ball joints pop off when you are trying to bend it into various positions. So say you are wrapping it around a tree, they may just pop off. It seemed alright when I first bought it, but it only took a few uses for it to do it every time I've used it. I almost lost an entire leg from it when I was shooting on some rocks by the sea, bent it into a position, ball joint popped off, and it fell down a crevice and I spent 30 minutes trying to fish it back out.

I'd just get a very small tripod to do the job.

abbotsmike · 4 Aug 2014 at 18:44

Hmm, that's not so encouraging. I only have a 650d so much lighter.

Phal · 4 Aug 2014 at 18:53

I'd worry more about the lens than the camera since it's often the lens which weighs more

abbotsmike · 4 Aug 2014 at 18:58

I currently have a kit lens

It's highly unlikely that any chunky L glass will be mating to my camera any time soon!

Nexus · 4 Aug 2014 at 19:03

It's not even just the weight though, as I and some others have remarked, the ball joints just come off when you are trying to wrap it around something.

abbotsmike · 4 Aug 2014 at 19:13

That's the more worrying thing to be fair. It's a shame as the flexibility of placement is pretty handy. Only really considered one because the GF has the original for her little point&shoot and it works great on that!