Joby - Gorillapod Outdoor Camera Tripod Review

I was just searching for a camera wrap, nothing else.  Then I found one that had a mini-tripod (very mini, like 1" lift) attached and thought "Hey, a tripod would be cool for vacation!"  I then changed my search to mini tripods and quickly found the GorillaPod on BestBuy.com!  It had many good reviews on the store's website so I ran out to get one right away.  It is the coolest camera accessory ever and I cannot wait to use it on all vacations.

What is it and how does it work?
It's a tripod, of course, but it's so much more.  It can be used as a regular tripod by simply spreading out it's 3 legs and aiming.  However what makes it different is it's bendy!  You can lean the camera forward or back to get it to aim just right at what you want.  The second way it is different is that it is flexible.  The legs are made up of these little balls that can be wrapped around anything smaller than the legs.  Since the legs are about 5" long, that means you should be able to wrap it around anything 4" or less in diameter. 

The final difference between this and a regular tripod is that it is very mini and will easily fit into a purse or camera bag or even a coat pocket.  I carry my purse with me everywhere on vacation so this won't be a problem to carry around.  You screw a little piece to the camera and you can leave it on all the time making it literally a snap to attach the tripod when you need it!  The tripod slides on to the camera attachment in seconds.

Set up doesn't take long either.  I read a few reviews complaining that they would spend forever setting the camera up just perfect, then they would hit the button to start the picture timer, and suddenly the camera moved and had to be adjusted.  I did not have this problem and I think you just have to be gentle.  First it only took me seconds to set it up regular (just like a tripod) and about 30 seconds to set it up around the lamp in the picture.  Then, when I push the timer, I just held the camera with both hands and pressed it gently and it didn't move at all. 

Why do you need it?
The one review that really convinced me to buy this was the one that said I would no longer have to ask strangers to take our picture!  I had this problem in Vegas where everyone we asked ended up not speaking English.  Then I'm going to the Bahamas in May and I've heard that you are often on the beach all alone.  My husband and I definitely like to get pictures together, so now we can do this anytime we want, even if no one is around! 

I also hate when I ask someone to take a picture and it turns out bad.  I never want to ask them to take another because that would be an insult, especially since they just helped me.  Now if the picture comes out bad with the GorillaPod, I can just try again and again until I get it right, or until my husband gets bored :)

In the past, I've taken pictures at my house of my husband and I before we left for any occasion.  It took me 10-20 mins to get the camera angled right and then angle it so it wouldn't fall.  This was really hard b/c I like up and down full length pics, and my camera doesn't really stand on it's side without support.  Now you can see with the GorillaPod I was able to put the camera verticly in seconds by attaching it to a lamp!  Now on vacation we can get up and down photos anytime we want.

Tested it out to see if the Negatives were true for me, and they are not!
Reading some reviews, I can tell some people get irritated that it doesn't attach around a tree or to every little thing they want it to.  The way I see it, this GorillaPod just gave me the ability to take a lot more pictures of myself and my husband together without a stranger.  I don't mind if I can't get it to wrap around everything, but I've played with it at home and easily got it wrapped around a lot of things, so it's still better than not having the product at all.

The second thing I read one person say was that it broke easily.  I think you just have to be gentle with it.  I have been bending it all over the place with no signs of weakness.  I just do it slowly and start from the inside to the ends of each legs.  You won't want to just quickly throw the legs around, because then maybe it will break.  Instead, be gentle, and it should be fine!

The final thing I read was that it won't work for some heavier cameras.  This particular model is made for smaller digital cameras but they do sell a larger for SLR cameras.  As you can see, my camera is about standard size for a digital and in that second picture it isn't falling over at all.  For only $22, this is a deal!  Check it out today!!