Chinese photographic accessory company Fotopro has developed a heavy-duty flexible tripod that has interchangeable feet. The Fotopro RM-110 is comprised entirely of adjustable joints and comes standard with four sets of feet: spiked, suction, rubber and magnetic. We’ve tried all four and they offer a stable mount on any surface, but particularly so on flat or metal surfaces - the suction cups and magnetic feet are capable of affixing so solidly they can handle the weight of even a middleweight pro video camera. We’re predicting the USD$60 RM-110 will become a standard fixture in the kit of every photographer and videographer.
A similar product, the GorillaPod, revolutionized photography. It offers amateur and professional photographers and videographers a portable, lightweight tripod that can adapt to just about any environment and facilitate shots that were often impossible prior to its invention.
I carry one with me almost permanently – whenever I have a camera, I have a Gorillapod. As a professional videographer said to me recently, as he produced one from inside his jacket, “the future of video reporting is the lone first person reporter and this is the camera crew of the future.”
I have used it for attaching cameras to cars, jet skis, motorcycles, telephone poles, and a few weeks back, hanging off the hand rail of a 63 story building. There are often places where the Gorillapod will enable you to put a camera in a place it couldn't previously have gone, or to steady a long lens or to do a dozen other things... making the impossible possible.
When I saw the Fotopro though, I knew I was about to become unfaithful to my trusty Gorillapod. Fotopro’s second generation flexible tripod, dubbed the RM-110 Spide (not "Spider"!), has adjustable joints which can be tightened with a screw driver so that they lock exactly where you want them. When you need to ensure the safety of your camera, let alone the stability of your shot, this will be very handy.
The swappable feet will offer a new dimension to the flexible tripod. The magnetic feet offered an incredibly stable platform, which required a large part of my not-inconsiderable bodyweight to budge. The suction feet will hold a heavy DSLR with a big lens rock steady. The others simply provide a stable footing on different surfaces - all together, they form an unbeatable combination. The RM-110 will be launched at the end of Q3, with an approximate retail price of USD$60 for the package, including the four sets of feet.
