Anyone have any experience with mini tripods? I have a full size tripod at home, but am looking at something with a smaller hight range to carry around everyday.
I'm looking at something like a Joby Gorillapod SLR, seems to be a flexible little unit.
I have one and really like it. It is really flexible and will hang or sit just about anywhere. I've hung it off my cupboard handles to get shots of me cooking. Once I figure where it needs to go I set the timer and go to work. It's also small enough to put in my purse. How handy is that? It's perfect.
I was given a Gorillapod for Christmas. The concept is great. The only problem with it is that it is really difficult to get it maneuvered around so that the camera is level. The other issue I have with it is that once you bend the legs, there is no getting them straight again. I used it maybe three times, then gave up. It was just too hard to use, and I found I could do better free hand. So, like I said, GREAT idea, but I really struggled with it. I would love to hear if anyone else had a different experience. Maybe there's a trick to it that I'm just not understanding.
I take my gorillapod everywhere with me, but I've got one of the smaller ones as I don't have an SLR camera. I think it's amazing, fits in my handbag, and there are so many shots that I simply couldn't have got without it. It is tricky to get it level as Sheri says, but I usually just straighten the picture afterwards when editing if I need to.
I received a Gorillapod for Christmas. The version I have is for small, for point and shoot cameras. It did take a few tries to get the legs straight again, but I haven't had this issue since the first time I used it. I love that it is so compact and because of the bendable legs, you can get angles that would normally be much more difficult to capture.
Based on the few times I've used it, I definitely plan on purchasing a second, larger one now that I have a DSLR.
I was given Sunpak's version of the Gorillapod for Christmas. I wanted a Gorillapod, but my husband couldn't find one, so he got me another brand. I broke it the first time I used it. I've heard great things about the Gorillapod, but I think there's something to be said for purchasing the right brand!
I have the gorillapod for an slr camera and I have not fallen in love with it. It is great to have flexibility on uneven spaces, but I find that sometimes mine slides a bit which makes me very hesitant to hang my camera off a railing with the tripod. I sometimes think the weight and the balance of my Olympus DSLR may be the issue, but I have a small metal table top one my father got me and am more confident with using that.
I also have to agree with @petersonsheri said, it takes forever to get it aligned and even. I am not worried about the perfectly straight legs, until I want a perfectly straight photo on a flat surface. I personally am glad it was a gift and not a purchase.
i have a small metal table top one but i can't get the flipping thing to stay upright with my dslr on it it just falls forward because of the lens,which makes me worry about a gorrilla pod not being up to the job either,i shall be starting some tripod research soon as i want to do self portraits and i don't have any decent surfaces in the house to stand my camera
i am in the same boat as mary anne, the small tripods cant handle my main camera.... however.... i picked up a half dozen mini generic gorilla pods from hong kong / ebay for the price of one real gorilla pod, and they work great for my point and shoot, and i can also use them for mounting my flashes to for off camera work. verdict: (in my opinion) if it is for a point and shoot they are great, but the danger on a larger DSLR is weight is a huge factor, and wind can knock them over. if they are on a smaller DSLR they may work well also.
@hellomap@cchambers If you look at the different options in the link @bobg provided the "biggest" one says it supports 5kg (11 lbs), for a video camera. I don't have one but I have looked at buying one recently also. I don't know if it would support your SLR setup but it seems like if you have something heavier than that, you would probably need/have some sort of setup already equipped to handle it. .......MHO
@sallycheese
That's the problem I'm having too. I've only tried using it once since getting it last month. The concept is great, I just haven't figured out the best way to use it yet!
I have a Gorillapod and also a little one with extending legs. I do have to angle them back then tip the head forward so that the weight of the lens is counteracted. My biggest grumble is that I like to leave the snap on adapter for my full sized tripod permanently on the camera which means that I am loathe to take the trouble to unscrew it and then fit the adapter for the Gorillapod. Why can't I find some standardisation for these fittings.!!
I've got a gorillapod for both my P&S and my DSLR. Absolutely LOVE them. When I got my first one (for the P&S) I spent an entire afternoon wandering around my house, practicing how to use it on various 'anchor' points around my house - door knob, cabinet handle, back of a chair.....radio antenna on my truck...
I don't worry about the legs being PERFECTLY straight, although I do generally try to get them close after each use. (they fit better in my camera bag that way) But coming from an engineering/surveying work background, I never assume tripod legs are level, even if they're rigid and on a supposed level surface.
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Based on the few times I've used it, I definitely plan on purchasing a second, larger one now that I have a DSLR.
I also have to agree with @petersonsheri said, it takes forever to get it aligned and even. I am not worried about the perfectly straight legs, until I want a perfectly straight photo on a flat surface. I personally am glad it was a gift and not a purchase.
That's the problem I'm having too. I've only tried using it once since getting it last month. The concept is great, I just haven't figured out the best way to use it yet!
I don't worry about the legs being PERFECTLY straight, although I do generally try to get them close after each use. (they fit better in my camera bag that way) But coming from an engineering/surveying work background, I never assume tripod legs are level, even if they're rigid and on a supposed level surface.