I had always looked at GorillaPod tripods whenever I went into camera shops when I was younger. I thought the design looked really interesting and was something different to all the other ones out there. As I've got more serious about photography in the past few years I had really started to want to get one as I saw times when I would get more and more use out of it for my Fuji Camera. When I bought my first GoPro I was going to get the Action Camera GorillaPod, but then realised I would be much better buying a larger version so that I could use it for both my Fuji and GoPro.
After looking at the other versions they do, I ended up going for SLR Zoom model, which can fit DSLR size cameras that weigh up to 3kg. The flexible legs are what makes the GorillaPod's so great as they give you so much freedom for where you can mount your camera and lets you take shots that you might not have otherwise been able to get. The feet have a rubberised outer which means they grip really well on pretty much any surface. Even if you want to lay the tripod out, all of the joints have a rubber ring on the outside which help to keep your camera secure.
My Fuji weighs in at just over 1kg so is well within the limit of what you can mount. Even when I have the lens extended to full zoom, the tripod still holds perfectly steady and there is no concern as to whether it will be strong enough to hold it in place. I've used it to take do some night photography and it performed really well, and meant I could get clear and long-exposure shots. I was taking a lot of photos around the Albert Dock in Liverpool and it has a lot of rounded bollards that provided an area to set up my camera where a normal tripod would have been stuck. Even with the smooth surface, the rubber grip held perfectly.
I've also made use of the GorillaPod when using my GoPro. All I had to buy extra was the GoPro tripod mounts and it slotted on in no time. I have mainly used this for taking time-lapses of things such as sunsets as it gives me a stable base to leave it running from so that you end up with a high quality time lapse video. I can easily carry my GoPro around when it's still attached to the tripod as the joints make it easy to hold onto.
Even though its a very compact tripod, there are still plenty of features packed into this GorillaPod. I got the Ball and Socket Head attachment to go on the top which gives you loads more freedom with where you want to angle the camera. It has a small wheel to tighten and loosen the head which makes it really easy to get it where it's needed. There is also a quick release plate that attaches to your camera which has a spirit level built into it. This means you can have it ready to just slot into the tripod and saves you time when putting your camera on, with the spirit level making fine tuning much easier to get a level shot. I own another small tripod and a full size Hama Tripod, but if I had to choose to just have one, I would 100% go for this one. I think this is a perfect travel tripod, being lightweight, compact and so easy to carry around and use, and would be a welcome addition to any photographers kit bag.
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