If your loved one already has a digital camera (and c'mon who doesn't?), then this little widget will be a godsend. They'll be able to mount their camera to just about anything (stair railing, tree limb, etc).

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Product Description

The Gorillapod SLR-ZOOM is designed with the serious photographer in mind. Its sturdy prehensile legs help achieve a steady shot with your SLR and zoom lenses. It attaches to any standard SLR cameras, video cameras, or even your own tripod head. The Gorillapod SLR-ZOOM can support a whopping six pounds, while still maintaining its compact size.Whether you're using your SLR camera to shoot time-lapse photos, get up close with a macro lens, capture your daughter's winning goal from the sidelines, or snap images for the local newspaper, Gorillapod SLR-ZOOM is the perfect companion for your next adventure. Throw one in your bag and start shooting like a pro!

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Product Details

• Color: Gray
• Brand: Joby
• Model: GP3-01EN
• Released on: 2006-12-08
• Dimensions: 2.40" h x 2.40" w x 9.80" l, .53 pounds

Features

• Flexible tripod designed for digital SLRs or camcorders weighing up to 6.6 pounds (3 kilograms)
• Fits into your purse, backpack, or roomy jacket pocket
• Innovative segmented leg design to ensure secure mounting
• Standard universal 1/4-20 screw for attaching your camera to the tripod mount (or use your own tripod head); 1/4-to-3/8-inch adapter included
• Expands creative options, or lets everyone get into self-timer shots

From the Manufacturer
The Joby GP3-01EN Gorillapod SLR-Zoom makes taking digital photos more fun than ever. Designed with the serious photographer in mind, the Gorillapod lets you mount your camera or video camera just about anywhere you want so that you can increase your creative options. All you need to do is use the universal 1/4-20 screw or your own tripod head to attach your camera to the standard tripod mount, then wrap the three flexible segmented legs securely to a nearby tree branch, fence, park bench, or anything else that's convenient. Say goodbye to looking for ways to stabilize your handheld shots or to get that unique perspective--now you can be free to shoot however you like!

Durable and innovative, the Gorillapod weighs just 8.5 ounces, or 241 grams, and can support cameras--such as DSLRs with zoom lensea and video cameras--weighing up to 6.6 pounds, or 3 kilograms. Measuring just 9.8 inches in length, the Gorillapod fits easily into a purse, backpack, or even a roomy jacket pocket.

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Customer Reviews

What seemed like a good lightweight solution is more gimic than useful
I bought this small tripod to take on a backpacking trip across glacier. Having read reviews of the smaller versions of this tripod I opted for the biggest one since I have a rather solid D200 with 18-200mm lens that I intended to use with this product.

First, the joints are quite firm, yes it will support the camera fairly well, however when the legs are bent too far from a straight tripod style the leverage will over come the joints and your camera will sag in frustrating ways.

Second, forget framing a shot in a reasonable amount of time. Horizen line off a little bit? Be prepared to fight the above slops and sags while trying to make precision adjustments.

Third, make sure when you buy this that you are not expecting small tripod style behavior. You can't throw this thing down, make a couple of quick leg adjustments and go. You will be screwing around for a good 5 to 10 minutes trying to force it to do what you could have done in less than a minute with a real tripod.

Bonus - the screw that attaches to your camera is a pain to use. It is not fixed to the tripod; it spins freely. Who has a screw driver around all the time to take it on and off? I ended up lightly screwing it on and off by spinning the whole tripod while holding the screw with my thumbnail. This sort of works as you fight the non-slip rubber on the camera and the tripod top. After the frustrations of using it and not getting what I wanted in the shots, fighting to take it on and off the camera can be enough to evoke choice words from the most patient...

Overall this product might be easier to use with a tiny ball-head. Points two and three could hopefully be resolved for the most part but it would cause even more leverage on the legs compounding the observations in point one above. Since I own it I will probably go this route to give it one more shot and update my review if it helps out a lot.

Over all this product works as described, you can hang it off random posts (upto about 2.5" in diameter) and entertain small children. I probably won't use it more than 2 or 3 times in the next couple years for the type of work I do though.

Caution: you get full use only with a light dSLR
This version of the Gorillapod is supposed to hold up to a 6.3lb combination of lens and camera but... it doesn't. If you use it as a regular tabletop tripod, the top knuckles buckle under a medium weight dSLR (Canon 50D or 5D) equipped with a solid lens. It would probably hold a lighter camera and mostly-plastic "kit lens" -- a Canon 500, 1000 or XT series or a Nikon D40 or D60 series.

Even then, it's a very springy platform and it will vibrate to the slightest touch, so if you're in a low light situation and need to use a stable platform, you'll need to use a cable release or use the 10-second delayed release timer. (Two seconds is too short a time -- the Gorillapod vibrates for longer than that if you exert enough pressure to trip the shutter.

There are two places where where I can use it with a mid-weight dSLR: (1) when I wrap the legs around, say, the top rail of a chair, or a two to three inch thick tree branch and get the platform close to the horizontal support and (2) if I want to get very close to the ground for a shot and can bend out the bottom half of the legs so they're horizontal. That makes it less likely that the knuckles just below the platform will buckle under the weight of the camera.

So: OK for a light SLR; limited use for a medium one (Canon 20D-40D-50D & 5D series or a Nikon D700); don't even think about it for a pro camera (Nikon D3 or Canon ID series). I'm sure this would work well for just about any camera lighter than an SLR. But even with a light camera, you need a delayed shutter release to let the considerable vibration from tripping the shutter to die down.

Flexible Accessory for Travel Photog
When traveling, less is more. This is especially true for the serious photo enthusiast. When I travel, I want to carry as little as possible. However, I also want to have at hand everything I need to deal with the variety of situations I might encounter. In other words, my equipment choices need to be relatively compact, lightweight and flexible. I don't want to carry multiple single-purpose items. Instead, I look for single multi-purpose items.

That said, the Gorillapod is ideal. It's clever design and lightweight materials make it easy to carry and useful for a variety of photo situations. The SLR-Zoom Gorillapod is sturdy enough to support my Nikon D200 with 18mm-200mm Nikor zoom lens, and at the same time compact and light enough to attach to my camera bag with a hook and loop strap. All 'n all, a clever, useful and travel-friendly photo accessory.