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FlexPod Pro Flexible Lightweight SLR Tripod | List Price: $39.95
Discount Price: $34.95
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Brand: Sunpak
Binding: Electronics
Features: - Bend, twist and shape to mount to just about anything
- Perfect for digital cameras and works as a tabletop tripod
Too flimsy.... [Posted on 2007-05-07]
I was looking for a small and portable tripod for taking outdoor digital shots. I purchased the Flexpod Pro at Best Buy. Within five minutes of removing the device from the package, the plastic locking ring at the top of the unit had snapped off. No worries, I decided to test the Pod's stability when wrapped around an object. While bending the arms around a nearby kitchen chair, one of them snapped off about mid-way down. Now, I was not man-handling the equipment...just trying to get the arms to grip the host object. I was able to reattach the arm...it uses ball-and-socket joints that simply pop together (or apart).
After reattaching the arm, I noticed that one of the rubber-band-like grippers had detached from its seat.
Bottom line: The simple acts of unpacking and testing the Flexpod Pro in my kitchen were enough to pretty-much destroy it. I would never trust such a flimsy device with expensive camera gear.
Maybe the unit I got was an anomoly.... I returned it and got my money back. Perhaps this review will save you the time and effort.
Works as advertised and mine has held up to some abuse. [Posted on 2007-07-21]
I found this item for $17 locally and it was money well spent. I usually shoot with an SLR, but I was going on a 25 mile bike ride and wanted to take a small point and shoot with me, so I picked up this little tripod to wrap around my handlebars. When I got home, I dusted off my P&S camera and found that it is at or a tad over the max weight for this tripod, but I used it anyway. The tripod held the camera just fine even through bumps, turns, etc!
I can't say much about my "in motion" shots, but when I stopped the bike and took pics with this tripod on the bike or on a railing, it worked just great (and I was taking long-exposures because the bike ride was at night). Anyway, it survived a harsh bike ride and a lot of "playing with" by both my husband and I when I first got it out of the package. It's quite flexible and a lot of fun to use! Based on how this little thing performed, I'm probably going to spend the $55 or whatever on a Joby gorillapod that's strong enough to hold my SLR!
The only complaint I have about this tripod is that the quick-release mechanism is a bit cheesy as the previous poster said. It's just a ring with a flat part that you turn towards or away from the button to lock and unlock it. I could see how it could come off (but not THAT easily). Still, for the money I think this gadget is both useful and fun. I love mine!
Loved the idea [Posted on 2007-08-09]
Even as I was taking the tripod out of the package I was having problems. The legs were already starting to come out of the sockets just bending it around trying to straiten them, (It comes wrapped around some plastic pieces in the package to show the concept). My camera is a Canon Powershot S3 I1 that ways in at around 14.5 oz. the tripod could not hold it. While I had it sitting on my table, at least one of the legs would start sliding out causing it to fall. Also I could not get the tripod to successfully hold in place on the top rail of a chain link fence, even while using one of the legs as a support against a post. I even tried to wrap it around just the post itself with no luck. I really loved the idea of not needing a flat surface to use this portable tripod, but my experience is that they need to make some major improvements.
Loose joints [Posted on 2008-03-14]
If it worked as demonstrated on the the package it would be a good product. The first one I got, one of the joints was loose. It wound not support weight and if you curled it it would snap off. So I returned it for another one and that one had even more loose joints. Totally worthless unless you get lucky and get one with tight joints.
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