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Most importantly it is the largest of the Joby products. But as an attachment device with the goal of attachment and hands free tripod operation, it has no real product opposition in the marketplace for the price. This smaller head fits perfectly on the top of the Gorillapod. I would not recommend trying to photograph in portrait position without a L bracket. I bought this for use with a D300 and a 55mm f2.8 MF and a 18-200mm VR. In short this product will force me to improve my technique: Shutter up; Remote actuation; correct weight alignment on Gorillapod; etc.
It also allows you to align everything so that gravity goes straight down the tripod and then focus the camera where you want. The gorillapod focus does not dampen vibrations; I bet it increases them. I am not sure how valid and important a metric that is. I wanted to attach this thing to an adjoining tree and get into the picture.
Yahooo. But for me and its intended use, I think I am going to like it a lot. I also wanted to use this as a basic small travel tripod, again to allow me to get into the picture. Its specs report it to be able to hold 11 pounds.
It lists for almost 110$ US on Amazon, but I got it for 53$ US due to future shipment date and sale prices. Once I got this, I found it quite nice for a very low tripod to take macro photos of small flowers like crocuses and such.I would recommend always using a head; In my case, I use the same smaller head I use on my monopod, a Manfrotto 486RC2 head. With the right head, you obviously can do it but the center of weight is all wrong and the vibrations are magnified. In the short time I have had it has already proved worth its value.PS, while I got a reduced price due to agreeing to a future shipment date, I got mine delivered earlier than estimated.
First thoughts of Joby Gorillapod Focus GP8.Joby Gorillapod FocusThis is a short first thought on my latest toy. I got it for hiking and snowshoeing so I could be in the picture without having to lug a monopod or tripod. And even pressing the picture release button with this Gorillapod aligned correctly with gravity will move the camera; doing so with the camera in non centered portrait position, even more so.Perhaps it is best not to think of this as a tripod; instead think of it as a hybrid mini tripod attachment device.
If you hang a coat with 60 lbs of bricks in the pockets on a coat rack, it's going to tip over. But if you're hiking in the mountains or flying across the country to visit family, this is what you should take with you. If you need to shoot portrait, use an L bracket. Will it replace your Gitzo series 5 carbon fiber tripod and Markins ball head. While it's true that you probably shouldn't trust the Focus with 11 lbs of gear, I do use it regularly with a gripped Nikon d700 and 70-200mm which weighs in at about 7 lbs.Overall this is a fantastic accessory and I highly recommend it to anyone who sometimes needs extreme portability and versatility but doesn't want to sacrifice the benefits of tripod shooting. It's small, light, versatile, relatively inexpensive, and with some clever use of your surroundings, it will achieve 95% of the benefit of any other tripod.Negative comments about Gorillapod's stability are overstated, in my opinion.
If you need to shoot off-axis in a hurricane, use your Gitzo. Within its intended niche, the GP8 is an extremely cool and useful accessory. No. As long as you understand that it has a small footprint compared to larger tripods and that you consequently need to be more aware of the center of gravity of your camera rig, you should be fine.
It's light, compact and easy to carry around vs having to carry around my manfrotto tripod.All in all, I'm very happy with my purchase and recommend the Gorillapod Focus GP8 to anyone looking for an inexpensive, portable, durable, flexible and compact tripod.Get one when you can. If you shape the legs like it was a walking monster octopus (minus 4 legs)(bend (from top to bottom) at ball #5 and ball #7 on all 3 legs) the Gorillapod seems to be able to handle and maintain the weight very nicely.Absolutely no problem with my 30D mounted onto the GP8.I'm also using Joby's BH1 Ball Head which is an excellent addition to my set-up. I've learned how to take advantage of the Gorillapod's flexibility. - Buy a second Quick Release Replacement Clip if you're using more than one camera.At first, the Gorillapod's legs are stiff and a bit hard to position/maneuver but after it loosened up with use, it seems to flex and shape very easily. I use the Gorillapod Focus GP8 with my Battery-Packed 5D and 17-40L Lens and 30D mounted with a 50mm 1.4 lens.First off, the Battery-Packed 5D is (sadly) a bit too heavy for the GP8 in that the legs start to sag due to the tremendous amount of weight from the 5D. Not a big deal. It allows easy and convenient mounting and off-mounting of my cameras from the Gorillapod.
I used it recently to take photos in a stream--witht he lense just above the water--this was great. Incredibly flexible. We used it for the holidays and family self portraits--its alot of fun. If you have ever tried to take pics with an SLR and have propped it up for that great shot with something unstable--YOU NEED THIS. No more worries about your camera falling over. Lower than any of my tripods could ever go.
You can get buy with a one way up and down head if you need to. I use this one with a D300 and medium sized lenses. I now use the SLR model on my point and shoot which is SO much better than the P&S size. I use it with my full tripod and it might be overkill for the average person. I just love these tripods. My best advice is to buy a model that supports more than you need. You still have to curve the legs around once to make it more stable.Arca Swiss P1 works wonderfully with this rig as well.
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