Joby GP3 Gorillapod SLR-Zoom Flexible Tripod with BH1 Ball Head with Bubble Level for Digital SLR Cameras Review
I bought one of these in a hurry so I could bring it with me on a trip to visit with my daughter and family when my 2nd grandchild was delivered. I own a couple of full size tripods (a Manfrotto and a Velbon), but did not want to be lugging these around and manipulating them in a hospital. This tripod w/ball head worked great for taking in-hospital photos of my newborn grandson et al, and for a number of other photos I shot on the trip in question (e.g., shots I took during a long walk with a friend in a wooded area alongside a river).
The Joby GP3 is a heavier-duty tripod than what I need for my Panasonic Lumix FZ28 digital camera (as well as a couple of hand-held prosumer HD camcorders I own), but I wanted the ball head, wanted to err on the side of caution as far as sturdiness is concerned, and think that someday I will step up from my “bridge” camera (the Lumix) to a digital SLR. My son-in-law is a professional photographer and he tried the GP3 with one of his gi-normous digital SLR’s with a giant zoom lens attached, and the tripod and ball head held the monster stably and my son-in-law was impressed and said he may have to pick up a Joby GP3/ball head combo.
The tripod/ball head combo is as portable as can be. When hiking in the woods I carried it attached to my camera which was slung ’round my neck, and it never got in the way when I was walking and when I took a few hand-held shots, and I barely noticed the extra weight. When carrying it in and around the hospital, I simply bent one of the legs in such a way that it held to part of the handle of my camera bag and it was as unobtrusive as can be.
I also own an original Joby tripod which I use for Flip and Vado mini-camcorders, and when I had a problem with that Gorillapod’s locking mechanism (a mechanism not found – or necessary – on the GP3), I emailed Joby and received some of the best customer service I’ve ever received (I say that as someone who once managed customer service reps). That excellent customer service experience convinced me that Joby stood behind its products and was an ethical, trustworthy company, and so I had no problem paying what I would say is a price on the high side for this tripod/ball head combo.
The ball head itself is as smooth as can be and is easy to adjust. The flexible tripod legs are not as easy to adjust as are the flexible legs of the original Joby tripod, but that is to be expected given that the original is only meant to hold up to 11.5 ounces while the GP3 (AKA the SLR-Zoom) is meant to hold up to 6.5 POUNDS. It just takes more force to adjust the flexible legs, but they adjust just fine and adapt well to tree limbs, chair arms, the rails of hospital beds, backyard deck rails, fences, etc. They are also easy to re-straighten if you straighten each leg one movable part at a time (a procedure that takes much less time than it sounds like it might take).
I consider the Joby SLR-Zoom/ball head combo a great addition to my modest collection of digital photography supplies and accessories, and am glad I sprung for it. I want to add that one reason I wanted this ultra-portable tripod was so I could take more photos using my camera’s timer (so I can get sharper photos than I typically can when hand-holding the camera, and occasionally include myself in shots; unfortunately my Lumix is not designed to be used with a shutter release cable), and this combo is ideal for that.
Joby GP3 Gorillapod SLR-Zoom Flexible Tripod with BH1 Ball Head with Bubble Level for Digital SLR Cameras Feature
- Adaptable Screw: attaches to cameras with 1/4″ or 3/8″ tripod thread
- Flexible Joints: bend and rotate 360 degree to form the perfect shape
- Ring & Foot Grips: provide extra gripping power to grapple wherever you go
Joby GP3 Gorillapod SLR-Zoom Flexible Tripod with BH1 Ball Head with Bubble Level for Digital SLR Cameras Overview
The Gorrilapod SLR Zoom attaches to SLRs (with zoom lenses!), video cameras, and your own tripod head, and can support a whopping 6.6 pounds (3kg)!
The BH1 Ballhead is designed to work with the popular Gorillapod SLR-ZOOM model, the ball head affords users the ability to easily tilt and rotate their cameras, while the Gorillapod provides unwavering support on almost any surface. The ball head is capable of a full 360-degree pan and 90-degree tilt. When locked into place with its indexed adjustment knob, the ball head, like its eponymous Gorillapod, can support up to 3 kg (6.6 lbs). The ball head also includes a quick-release bubble level clip that can remain attached to a camera for effortless, instant setup, ensuring a perfectly level photo every time.
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