This itty bitty claw-like stand is my new favorite travel accessory for my GoPro. Taking their original Gorrilapod and shrinking it down into a pocketable size, Joby created the perfect mini tripod. The Joby GPod Mini Magnetic Stand is exactly what its name proclaims. A tiny tripod specially designed for the spontaneous action cameras and point-and-shoots user!
Quick Specs
| Dimensions | 3.8” x 1.3” x 1.3” |
|---|---|
| Product Weight | 43g / 1.52 oz |
| Maximum Load | 325g / 11.5ox |
| Connection Point | ¼”-20 standard tripod mount |
| Features |
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| MSRP | $14.95 ($10 on Amazon!) |
What I Love
Travel Sized
While traveling across the States I found that this tiny tripod fit comfortably in all my easily accessible pockets (jackets, pants, external backpack pockets) –even when I had my GoPro HERO4 attached to it! As result anytime something spontaneously interesting happened I was able to quickly pull out my camera and start recording as soon as possible.
There was no need to pull out a standard tripod, adjust the height of the legs, position the angle of the tripod head, etc…
Magnetic Feet
Since the Joby Gpod is tiny it’s not very tall and for the most part it captures everything at an upward angle. Thankfully Joby put three strong magnets at the bottom of each of the Gpod’s legs. This means that anything metal can add height to your camera.
Unless you’re completely in the middle of nowhere it’s easy to find something metal hanging around. While road tripping I often found myself pulling over on the side of the road and sticking the Gpod onto fences, sign posts, and even the roof of the rental car to film time-lapses of clouds moving across the sky.
What Could Be Improved
If I really had to nit pick at the mini Gpod for flaws they would be the lack of angle flexibility and the overall weight of the product.
Flexibility
Unlike its big brothers like the Gorillapod Zoom or Gorillapod Focus, the Gpod Mini doesn’t come with a ball head. Therefore you can only shoot in a landscape position, which can be limiting in terms of angles you’d like to shoot.
However since the connection point is a stand tripod mount you could remedy this flaw by adding a tripod ball-heads or using a series of GoPro joints.
Weight
The overall weight of the tripod is both an advantage and disadvantage. It’s an advantage because you can barely feel the weight of the product when your carrying around casually. It’s a disadvantage because whenever you’re shooting in extreme environments in which the wind is kicking up it is highly lightly that the Gpod will knock over and blow away.
This happened to me frequently while I was trekking through Glacier National Park in Montana. Luckily you can somewhat remedy this issue by increasing the tripod’s overall footprint by flattening out the Gpod’s legs then weighting down the legs with something. I found nearby rocks while grabbing a timelapse of clouds.
Final Thoughts
What I liked:
- Travel friendly size
- Magnetic Feet
Who Would Like This:
- Travelers
- Minimalist
- GoPro Users
Who Wouldn’t Like This:
- Those with heavy cameras or need more support
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