Lagging the ability to bring my "real" tripod to a short holiday trip I often found myself in the situation where I wanted to use a gorillapod (that is a short tripod with flexible legs), instead of placing my camera on benches, trying to get the right angle by putting stuff underneath it like little stones, etc.
I had a look at what sizes are offered, considering the weight of my cameras.
The biggest one is said to be made of metal. The second biggest on seems to be made of plastic.
Is the metal one ok to be put into hand luggage when flying? I assume it's ok to carry the plastic one, please correct me if I'm wrong in either way.
Is the metal one more easy to use? I once tried a plastic gorillapod from a friend and the legs were very hard to bend, making creaking/squeaking noises as the plastic parts rubed on each other. Is this different with the metal version? Or will I be looking like the guy who's fighting with an octopus when trying to attach that thing to something? I understand that there's a conflict of interest here: ease of use vs. tight clamping
I will try them before buying, of course, just wanted to hear some thoughts.
Answer
I own both the metal ("Focus") and plastic ("SLR Zoom") variants of the gorilla pod. I found that on the plastic one, one of the cups (for want of a better word) broke, and then again after replacement/repair. After this experience I decided that the sturdier metal would be the way to go. In terms of easy of use, the metal one is smoother, but also provide more resistance to being bent, while the plastic one was, as you said, rather jumpy and jerky.
I am not sure if the metal tripod will be allowed in hand luggage (may depend on where you are), but it would definitely survive a trip in the hold, provided it is in a bag with other stuff.
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