Ah, Gorillapods. There’s something almost endearing about the little tripods that can hold onto things like branches with their grippy, bendy legs – they’re just the thing for getting a steady shot in those tripod-unfriendly locations. One might think that manufacturer Joby had gone as far as it could with its various versions of the Gorillapod, but at the Photokina tradeshow in Germany, we spotted the just-released next step in the evolution of the device: the Gorillapod Video.
Like the other Gorillapods, the Video is made from anodized aluminum and ABS plastic, with rubber grip rings. Like the Magnetic model, it also has neodymium foot magnets for adhering to metal surfaces. People certainly can and do use the other versions for video cameras, but the head is what makes this version particularly well-suited to shooting moving images.
An aluminum ball-and-socket joint allows the head to be moved and locked into almost any position relative to the legs. It can then be panned 360 degrees or tilted 135 degrees, via its aluminum arm. A quick-release camera mounting plate allows the user to easily go back and forth between handheld and tripod shooting.
The Gorillapod Video is intended for compact camcorders only, not being designed to support anything that weighs over 11.5 ounces (326 grams). It costs US$29.95.