I am going to Glacier this summer, but I can't take much photography equipment. I've got to get everything but food for a week of camping into a single backpack. I will only be able to take my little point & shoot and small tripod. There is a line of small tripods with flexible, wrappable, grippy legs that look interesting. They're called gorilla pods. Does anyone use one of these? If so, would you recommend it? Alternately, do you have a better idea?
Pete D.
Posted by Josh Anderson on February 20, 2007 at 2:49 PM
Only taking a point and shoot to Glacier? I would definitely reconsider that.
Josh - Yes, it's a photographer's nightmare. I'm going as a boy scout chaperone not as a phtoographer. Of course, that doesn't mean I won't cry myself to sleep every night missing my dSLR.
I have a compact one of this... It ain't great in the wind.
T
Posted by Jeff Wiebe on February 20, 2007 at 5:04 PM
I have a gorillapod SLR Zoom. It doesn't see much use simply due to the fact that there's not too many situations that i woud need to use it as opposed to my regular tripod. It's small and light, but I don't think i'd want to use it without a ball head attached to it. Getting the camera level without it can be a bit of a hassle. But if I had to make the choice between it and no tripod at all, the decision would be pretty easy. Hope that helps.
Posted by Paul Wegemann on February 20, 2007 at 6:28 PM
Pete,
I have a small Gorilla pod that I use with my Canon A620. For what it is, it's a pretty solid little tripod. Very small and light too. You can wrap the legs around things and get it into some weird places.
I always prefer my dslr and associated gear though. Good luck packing for this trip.
Paul
Hmmmm..... if you're going as a boy scout chaperone, doesn't that mean that you have a number of young men that can be put to work carrying your gear? Go easy on them. Split it up amongst several
Mmmm. You must have learned from my long-ago scout master. I can't say that I have since seen anyone carrying a folding chair on a long hike- his own or someone else's!
Posted by Richard Wong on February 21, 2007 at 2:03 AM
I want to pick up the zoom slr version, seems like it would come in handy for travel photos. Certainly better than handholding all the time & using trash can lids.
Posted by Ott Luuk on February 22, 2007 at 6:17 AM
I have a different idea. Unless you are very fond of your p&s, take your SLR with one small fast prime (35/2, 50/1.8), no tripod, no external flash. There are also very flat "pancake" lenses. If you shoot Canon, you can adapt an Olympus OM 40/2, and Nikon has a MF 45/2.8 pancake.
This is not a do-it-all setup, but it`s intuitive and fun to use. A fast lens, good handholding technique and the high ISO performance of a DSLR go a long way into twilight.
If your DSLR is a Canon 1-series style behemoth, you can pick up a small film SLR along the lines of a Rebel G probably for about $100 and the 50/1.8 for another $60-70. And sell them after the trip for same if you wish.
Just wanted to offer a different solution, I guess. I spent most of my trips last summer with nothing but a film camera, 28/2.8 and Ilford XP2. Fun, no backache, interesting results (IMHO).
Discussion
9 repliesPete D.
Pete D.
T
I have a small Gorilla pod that I use with my Canon A620. For what it is, it's a pretty solid little tripod. Very small and light too. You can wrap the legs around things and get it into some weird places.
I always prefer my dslr and associated gear though. Good luck packing for this trip.
Paul
This is not a do-it-all setup, but it`s intuitive and fun to use. A fast lens, good handholding technique and the high ISO performance of a DSLR go a long way into twilight.
If your DSLR is a Canon 1-series style behemoth, you can pick up a small film SLR along the lines of a Rebel G probably for about $100 and the 50/1.8 for another $60-70. And sell them after the trip for same if you wish.
Just wanted to offer a different solution, I guess. I spent most of my trips last summer with nothing but a film camera, 28/2.8 and Ilford XP2. Fun, no backache, interesting results (IMHO).