Welcome back to another gear review, folks! Today I’m bringing you all a revamped version of a classic product from my friends over at Joby, The NEW Gorillapod!
Joby Gorillapod 5K Kit Review
Joby, the sister brand of Lowepro recently revamped their line of tripods known as the Gorillapod. While this is my first Gorillapod and I cannot weight in on past versions, I can say that I am impressed by the quality of this one.
Gorillapod Ball Head X
The Gorillapod 5K Kit that I received has an Arca-Swiss mounting plate, a ball head and is capable of withstanding 11lbs of weight. (which is more than enough for my little mirrorless setup)
I really like the x-mount plate that Joby provides with this kit. The X-Plate looks great, has a lot of grip and it’s easy to install/remove from my camera. (provided, I remember to bring a penny or something to screw it in with)
I am a huge fan of ball heads for my type of photography work. They allow me to quickly dial in a nice composition. I just loosen a couple of knobs, maneuver everything to my desired composition, tighten the knobs back and I’m good to go. It couldn’t be simpler.
Gorillapod Bendable Legs
We’ve all seen popular YouTube Vlogger’s using these as improvised selfie sticks as they record their videos. But this is more than just a vlogging tripod.
The bendable legs on the Gorillapod 5K do a fantastic job of adapting to whatever scenario you encounter in the field as a photographer. And if you pair the bendable legs with a ball head, I believe you could create any composition your mind could think of.
Gorillapod & Long Exposures
You’re seeing photos from a recent trip I took to the Smokey Mountains. I brought along a minimal kit, which included the newly announced Gorillapod 5K from Joby. I really wanted to see how this tripod handled long exposures.
I’ll be honest, I had my doubts that this tripod would stay completely still and steady for a 5 to 30-second exposure. But it did. The photo below is a 10 second exposure, just as the sun began to fall towards the horizon.
Razor-Sharp Long Exposures
I tightened the Gorillapod’s legs around the guard rails of an observation deck. It looked a bit funny and was definitely outside of my norm as I’m used to a traditional tripod. But I have to say, it did the job and my image turned out razor-sharp as you can see above.
What’s different about the Gorillapod?
The Joby Gorillapod 5K is a super quirky and fun tripod. Most photographers are familiar with traditional tripods, however. The Gorillapod makes you think a bit differently and gets you out of your element as a photographer.
You have to find something elevated from the ground if you need a higher vantage point for your shot (like a tree…or in my case, the railings of an observation deck). This may be too far of a stretch for some photographers. But for me, it’s a fun creative challenge and I’m looking forward to seeing how this tripod challenges me in the future.
Who would like the Gorillapod?
Well, it’s no secret that the Gorillapod is a hot item within the vlogging community. So, if you plan on vlogging – Go ahead and buy one now. I don’t vlog, but as I mentioned above – I like a creative challenge.
I think the Gorillapod is a fun piece of kit to add to your camera bag. It will clearly give you a rock solid base for your long exposures, based on my image above (and there are more than just the one). But, the Gorillapod will also keep you on your toes creatively, by challenging you to find different mounting options for your shots. This approach could result in some really cool shots that you wouldn’t have gotten otherwise.
Joby Gorillapod (10 out of a 10)
The newly revamped Joby Gorillapod 5K is such a neat piece of kit. I have only had a bit of time with it so far. So I guess that would classify it as more of a “first impressions” review. But I’m enjoying it and I’m very glad to have it in my photography toolkit.
The Joby Gorillapod has actually replaced my Manfrotto Pixi Mini tripod that I have always kept in my bag. The Pixi Mini is still a cool tripod and they’re 2 totally different products. But the Gorillapod is my new recreational/fun tripod. I’ll take it along with me when I want something lightweight, yet dependable. (next on my list is to shoot some astrophotography with it)
Buy Joby Gorillapod
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