Gorilla pod

The Gorilla Pod would probably be plenty strong enough to hold a flash. I use my flash off camera, activated with an FM sensor that fits onto the hotshoe. There is an L shaped bracket on the FM sensor and that can be tilted.

I have simply taken the screw from an old tripod head and bunged it onto the handle on one of the spring clamps you get for a couple of quid from DIY stores.

I was out yesterday with it and trying to catch a photo inside an old farmhouse with a collapsed ceiling. I decided to use the flash to even out the exposure and clamped the flash at the back of a bunch of fallen planks. It held perfectly and can't be seen in the shot.

Personally, I would probably not bother with the Gorilla Pod simply because it is a bit of a gimmick that you could easily improve on with something like a spring clamp.

Good luck
 
I have one for my canon 400d and I think its great. I do alot of walking so wanted something that was light weigh and could easily be adjusted for rocks and gates etc. I find it really quite sturdy, the legs don't buckle under the weight and are easy to adjust.
Hope that helps
Nix
 
Cheers for the info mate,appreciated. Thing is alot of what I will be shooting will be at floor level so nothing to clamp onto as such so the pod would be ideal just to sit the flash on..I did like the look of this clamp though. http://www.warehouseexpress.com/product/default.aspx?sku=1019512
Thanks Nix it certainly looks like it could be handy and main thing is its flexibility..
 
For floor-level flash I use the mini tripods you get from Poundland, might not be quite strong enough for a heavy flashgun (I use mine for some mini flashes for fill or backlighting) but at £1 it would be worth a try before wasting £30 or so on a Gorillapod.

Alternatively, what about the wee stands you get with the Nikon SB-600/800 models?
 
Alternatively, what about the wee stands you get with the Nikon SB-600/800 models?
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They are fine but not flexible..I want to be able to raise and lower,tilt etc..
 
The one that came supplied with the flash gun, I guess much the same as mentioned above for Nikon guns. As well as being a simple foot with a coldshoe it also has a threaded hole underneath to screw directly onto a tripod. The Gorillpod has a quick release plate with a 1/4" bolt that screws straight into the flash "foot".

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Thanks Tim..after tearing the loft apart I can't find mine but think they are only a fiver or so to buy new..I may get that manfrotto clamp as well as it would clamp nicely onto the centre column of my tripod when used horizontally..clamp has mini ballhead built in too
 
Doh! Never thought about using my gorilla pod for my flash! That's simple genious! Thanks!
 
I actually think using a Gorillapod for a flash gun makes way more sense than as a tripod for an SLR and a weighty lens. That said....

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Don't try this at home, kids.
 
grim8634 said:
Doh! Never thought about using my gorilla pod for my flash! That's simple genious! Thanks!
Click to expand...

Your welcome..cheers for the pics Tim.. Is that the slr pod and not the slr zoom in the pic?
 
Stuart. I have an SLR Joby pod that you can borrow if you like to see if it is any good. It is gathering dust since I got the magic arm. If you like it then keep it and make a donation to the forum pot of say £15. If you don't like it then post it back.

Drop me a line if you are interested via PM.

Best wishes,

Bob
 
Correct - it's the SLR model, not the SLR Zoom. The only reason it is supporting that weight is because I have the camera/lens balanced directly over the pivot point. If I tried to adjust the angle by more than +/- a degree or two the whole lot would collapse. With this load, for practical purposes it is completely unusable. The rated load is only 800g. Since a 40D is 740g (not sure if that includes a battery) without lens, the SLR version is near useless for anything more than a Rebel series SLR, plus a light lens, unless you're happy to keep the load pretty well balanced and not tilt things too far.
 
Thanks again Tim..wasn't sure wether to go for the slr zoom one so could use the camera on it now and again if the need arose
 
For completeness,, it's worth noting that the Gorillpod stability is much improved when it is wrapped tightly around something. When used as a tripod substitute, with the legs fully extended, it lacks strength, and it is easy for the legs to buckle and/or the head to tilt and collapse.
 
Mine works as a normal tripod and doesn't buckle, but I'm only using it with the 400d and kit lens!
 
I think a 400D and kit lens is exactly the sort of (maximum) load that the SLR version was designed to handle, but more than that is probably asking for trouble.

Are you able to tilt the camera at any angle you wish with the Gorillapod like that? For example, if, hypothetically, you were to position the Gorillapod on top of a cupboard and aim it down into a room, say to photograph diners at the dinner table below, would it remain safely in position at that sort of angle, or would the head just sort of droop until the whole lot fell to the top of the cupboard - or the floor?

I know that when I first tried mine with my 30D and 17-85 I could only tilt so far before the camera would then just continue tilting all the way to the ground, simply through gravity. Maybe the 400D and kit is light enough to avoid that problem.
 
Well I am hoping that the sb600 and softbox should be fine on it..:)
 
I've been able to twist it into all sorts of angles without it tipping. But I've never tried it any other lens than the 18-55mm kit! To tilt it down I just bend the front two legs into L shapes and keep the back straight.
 
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