You need a tripod … a Gorillapod

I love my Joby. It makes anything into a rock-solid tripod for extra accurate digital photos — how else could I make my now-famous “Here We Are” photos on the road? Got a digital camera, digital video cam or iPhone / Cell camera? You need this…

JOBY Gorillapod

Yes, that’s my wife’s Subaru … but now, it’s a rock-solid, tripod for my camera! No, I haven’t tried it while the car is in motion … but I will!

Having been to four continents with my digital cameras and video cams, I’ve come to really appreciate the difference between a hand-held snapshot, and a solid tripod-held photograph. Otherwise, how would I get all those now-Facebook-famous “Here We Are” shots of myself at various exotic locations?

magnetic tripod sticks to anything metalYes, digital cameras and video-cams are capable of superb photography — however they are very sensitive to camera movement — specially the new iPhone camera. If that camera moves, even slightly, during the exposure it introduces ‘shake’ and degrades the shot — even if they say it has stabilization control. It’s a fact of life. Tripod held photos turn out much better than hand held — even if you think you are holding the camera still.

Squish those legs… good to go!

So, you can imagine the thrill of getting my hands on the Gorillapod Magnetic flexible tripod. I had been carrying a little 12-inch folding travel tripod, but it was difficult to set up, and difficult to carry. Adjusting the legs, tilt and height became a real nuisance in most situations. Enter the Gorillapod Magnetic — you slap it there, and with camera firmly in hand, press into the “legs” and move to the direction of the shoot — PRESTO: you’re set. I can set this tripod in moments, where before, by the time I was set, the shot was gone.

works fine as a traditional tripod tooThey call the Gorillapod Magnetic flexible tripod “The world’s most versatile tripod” and you’d better believe it! This is even better than their regular Gorillapod because the powerful magnets in the feet allow you to anchor that camera to any metal surface! (Not aluminum, not fiberglass. And be careful to keep the magnets away from memory cards or cell phones!)

Yo, check out this shot where you can see the articulating “balls” close up. In this shot, I quickly stuck it to a metal deck chair for a shoot. Where in the world would I have put a traditional 12-inch travel pod?

The fully-articulating legs are incredible. You can stick it to a pole, wrap it around a tree-branch, or perch it on a jagged rock – the positioning possibilities are truly endless — because you simply bend and push. No twisting locks, no angle matches. Just stick it.

As a side benefit, it appears to be made mostly of plastic. So the security monitor at the airport doesn’t see a solid metal object that looks like a folding weapon. The Joby just doesn’t encourage much attention — and if they do pull a bag check, the reaction is “What is this thing” … Tripod … and the ones who actually speak English, and know what a tripod is, say “Way cool!”

Joby BoxGood news for iPhone (and other cell phone) owners. Your camera can take great photos and videos — but guess what: ONLY if it’s held perfectly still. So the Gorillapod is the next accessory you have to buy if you plan to take any serious photographs at all! They even have their own free iPhone app. See: Gorillacam and GorillaMobile

I love this Joby.

JobyThey come in different sizes, for different weight equipment, and there are some color choices. You owe it to yourself to get one. You can get these at most any retailer, but the best prices are at Comp USA, and Amazon. But do not be afraid to pay retail, because it will be the best 25-bucks you ever spent on your cameras!

Go see: joby.com/gorillapod/magnetic

Thanks for reading

Fred Showker

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Joby creates well designed product solutions that enhance the creative and active capabilities of consumer electronics. The Company revolutionized the camera accessories market in early 2006 with its Gorillapod line of flexible tripods and continues to redefine the consumer electronics market with its Gorillamobile and Gorillatorch product lines. Founded in 2005, Joby is a privately-held company headquartered in San Francisco, CA, with offices in Santa Cruz, CA; Geneva, Switzerland; Singapore and Shenzhen, China.