Gorillapod

canon400d

I was thinking about purchasing a Joby Gorillapod SLR Zoom as the practicability seems quite good and useful. I was wondering if anyone can give me any advice on one of these and would it support a Canon 7D with battery pack and a 24-105 lens.
Cheers
Bob

NeilL

I have one, but have not had a need to use it yet. It probably would, but I suspect not in all circumstances. I don't think I'd trust to it that dollar value of gear hanging it from a tree branch for example! Test it with a solid brick first! And then still be skeptical, I reckon!

Neil

canon400d

NeilL wrote: »

I have one, but have not had a need to use it yet. It probably would, but I suspect not in all circumstances. I don't think I'd trust to it that dollar value of gear hanging it from a tree branch for example! Test it with a solid brick first! And then still be skeptical, I reckon!

Neil

I have read the reviews on it and although some say it is good others say not. One review said it would hold a 5D2 with a 24-105 but it didn't have a battery pack attached.
Cheers
Bob

RogersDA

Weigh all your stuff and see how close it gets to the weight rating of that model. I found that my older gear (20D, grip with 2 batteries, 28-300 zoom) was too much mass. You might want to consider the Gorillapod Focus as it supports more mass.

canon400d

RogersDA wrote: »

Weigh all your stuff and see how close it gets to the weight rating of that model. I found that my older gear (20D, grip with 2 batteries, 28-300 zoom) was too much mass. You might want to consider the Gorillapod Focus as it supports more mass.

Yes I have been looking at a Joby Gorillapod Focus GP-8 which says it will support 11lbs in weight. It is a lot more expensive but will probably be worth it. I was wondering if many of our viewers used this type of tripod. I do have a good tripod and also a monopod but I thought this Gorillapod seemed extremely handy and very versatile if it works ok.
Cheers
Bob

RogersDA

I gave mine to the wife. It sits in a bin.

BradfordBenn

I used mine quite a bit when I travel. I actually have two, one is the smaller one for my PowerShot the other is the medium one for my XTi which is not as heavy or $$$ as you are thinking of. I also typically use my strap as a safety loop just in case it falls

canon400d

RogersDA wrote: »

I gave mine to the wife. It sits in a bin.

Hi David
I take it was trash or rubbish as we call it!!!
Bob

canon400d

BradfordBenn wrote: »

I used mine quite a bit when I travel. I actually have two, one is the smaller one for my PowerShot the other is the medium one for my XTi which is not as heavy or $$$ as you are thinking of. I also typically use my strap as a safety loop just in case it falls

Well I am thinking, providing they support what you are using they will be quite useful. I am sure you do the right thing by using the support strap.
Cheers
Bob

yendikeno

I have the Focus and used it with a D300 and 55-200mm as longest lens for a trip I took. Normally I would use a sturdy tripod, but needed a lightweight kit. The Focus model did the trick and supported my gear with no issues whatsoever. One tip, you might want to add a small ball head, as this will help you compose your shot. I had none, so it was somewhat difficult to get the exact composition I wanted. Hope this helps.

canon400d

yendikeno wrote: »

I have the Focus and used it with a D300 and 55-200mm as longest lens for a trip I took. Normally I would use a sturdy tripod, but needed a lightweight kit. The Focus model did the trick and supported my gear with no issues whatsoever. One tip, you might want to add a small ball head, as this will help you compose your shot. I had none, so it was somewhat difficult to get the exact composition I wanted. Hope this helps.

Thanks AZFred. I have purchased the Focus and it is as you say. I have found this will hold my 7D with 24-105 and battery pack no problem whatsoever. Mine did come with the ballhead and in all cost £103. This is the one that will support up to 11lbs in weight. I would recommend this to everyone if they want to travel light. Thanks once again for all your kind replies.
Cheers
Bob

yendikeno

Hi Bob
Glad to read that it worked for you.

Best,
Fred

kelvin

Due to Parkinson's all my shots are on a tripod. These little gems are great! I refuse to let a stupid illness cause me to give up my passion. They work as advertised

Zerodog

I have a focus and an slr. I have used my focus a lot. Most of my favorite landscapes have been taken using it. I use it with my d3s and d300s. Mostly with primes but I have used it with the d3s with 80-200 afs 2.8. This is a heavy setup. The focus handles it no problem.

The slr has mostly been used for off camera flash.

After using the focus for a few years I have found that you need to be very creative while using it. It sucks as a tripod. It needs to be wrapped onto something or laid out sort of like an octopus. The octopus configuration is useful on rocks or fat logs. Wrapping is perfect for railings, small trees, skis or snowboards. I bring it on vacation, backpacking and backcountry skiing. It is just smaller than a tripod. And if you find the right spot, much more solid than a scrawny travel tripod.

At some point I will get a joby ballhead. For now I use my gitzo ballhead that has been modified with an arca swiss QR plate. The nice thing about the joby is it is small feels strong and it is arca swiss. All for about $60. For camera stuff that works right, that is a bargan.