Joby GorillaPod’s have been a welcome new species over the last several years in the digital camera arena.? The SLR version is a giant GorillaPod capable of handling the weight of these larger cameras while still allowing for the expressive stylings Joby is known for.

What I’ll mention right away is that without the “sold separately” ballhead attachment, the SLR Gorillapod just ain’t that cool.

Not a great way to start a review, but the fact is that the ballhead attachment is where all the action’s at. Without it, the Gorillapod is extremely limited in what it can do and it seems worthless to me that these products aren’t coupled together.

That’s not so say that the absence of the ballhead makes the SLR Gorillapod totally undesirable.  It can still do stuff, but the upper most joints in the legs prevent you from achieving more angular and creative shots.

The thing is, is that Joby’s website lists the standard version for $40 as well as the ballhead sold separately for $40.  That’s $80 for what professional photographers would call a secondary tri-pod.  Can I get an emoticon?

It held up fine using a standard SLR (Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ30) in terms of being able to handle the weight while grasping objects9seen above), it was really precarious when attached to my buddy’s Canon EOS-1D Mark II with a Canon EF 24-70mm f/2.8L USM Autofocus Lens (seen in 1st pic) and couldn’t really hold it safely.

This leads me to another point.  Joby actually has a more expensive SLR Gorillapod designed for the heaviest of SLR’s.  Why not just have one and spare us the trouble if we have multiple camera’s or plan to buy a heavier one down the line?

Other than that, it takes a while to screw on and off and it looks like a gymnast performing a routine on that stationary horse thing.  It’s a bit tedious and unlike the regular (small digital camera) Gorillapod, it doesn’t have a quick release tab allowing for faster attaching and removal.

The movable balls that give the tri-pod it’s unique shape changing abilities are stiff and rugged and I don’t question the quality of construction one bit.  It is bigger than you’d expect so making room for it needs to be taken into account.

Keeping this review short and simple, we know what it does, but the regular SLR Gorillapod by Joby just isn’t strong enough to stand on its own.  The missing ballhead needs to be included and the price needs to drop in order for this product to be taken seriously.  Seriously.

Pros:

• Solid build

Cons:

• No ballhead
• Tedious attachment/removal
• Overpriced

Buy the Joby GorillaPod SLR  for $45

You might also like: Joby GorillaPod Flexible Tripod Review;

GorillaMobile: Joby’s Tripod For Mobile Devices;

Madden NFL 2010 Game Review (Xbox 360);

Tags: Digital Camera, GorillaPod, Joby, Review, SLR

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Digital cameras are one of the top selling items in the electronics market today. They offer an ease of use and convenience that more conventional film driven cameras don?t have. Probably the most appealing part of using a digital camera is the instant gratification it gives with instantaneous feedback in the images they take.

The ability to download and save you digital images directly to your computer and then picking which pictures to print, email, or post to your Facebook page makes this type of camera a great choice for even the most novice of picture takers. And the ability to delete bad shots and save the good shots makes the learning curve much cheaper and easier.

The problem for the first time camera buyer is deciding which camera is the right choice for them? Just go to the local electronics store and you?ll see them lined up on the display; all different makes and models each with features that are hard to choose from. If you know someone who is knowledgeable about digital cameras take them with you to help make sense of all the choices. If not consider the following tips to get the most out of your camera shopping experience.

The first thing to look at is how many mega-pixels the camera is rated for. The higher the number the better the resolution (a sharper image) will be. This is important if you want to enlarge your pictures for printing or posting on the internet. The trade for more meg-pixels is price and those cameras with the highest meg-pixel per image will cost more then lesser cameras.

Another thing to look at is if the camera has an LCD screen and how big it is. A camera with a 2.5 inch or larger viewing screen makes it easier to set up and frame your picture. Be sure to check the cameras digital zoom strength as well. A 10x zoom capability is a good choice for getting those far away shots. Of course for really long shots a more powerful zoom is necessary but for beginning photographers 10x should suffice.

Red-eye is a problem for all photographers and choosing a camera with anti-red eye technology. This is a nice feature and most cameras have them but you do want to find one that allows you to turn it off and use a normal flash for certain picture taking situations.

Capturing life?s moments is what taking pictures is all about and a digital camera is a great way to do this. Just be sure to keep these tips in mind and before you know it you?ll be taking pictures that will bring a lifetime of memories.

There is no better choice then a Nikon Coolpix Digital Cameras when it comes to taking great point-and-shoot digital pictures. To learn more about Nikon Coolpix Digital Cameras please Click Here.

Article Source:http://www.articlesbase.com/digital-photography-articles/buying-a-digital-camera-tips-on-making-the-best-choice-1581327.html

Ape Case Pro for Digital Slr Cameras Large Size By Norazza

APE Safe and APE Tough! Heavily padded, the ACPRO 1400 is designed with multiple compartments that can reconfigure to hold different cameras, lenses and flashes.

PRODUCT FEATURES
The Ape Case PRO1400 is designed to hold SLR, Digital, 35MM, Digital Video Cameras and a wide variety of accessories; 15 pockets and compartments; Heavily padded & pockets secure closed with zippers; Hard bottom with rubber feet; Includes deluxe-comfort shoulder strap; Includes tripod straps; Yellow interior makes it easy to find your accessories.

User Ratings and Reviews

5 Stars Almost a perfect bag
I’m a professional wedding photographer and have had this bag for a year now and really love it. The Pros:

– Size: holds a Canon 50D with a large 24-70 attached, a Rebel XT body only, two prime lenses, a 580 flash and a large collection of accessories.

– Price: I have much more expensive bags than this that don’t do nearly the job it does.

– Yellow interior; this really does make a difference when searching for things in a dimly lit room.

– Has a nicely tailored appearance.

– A place for everything.

– Durable, but soft on the gear

The cons (really, only two):

– There’s an elastic strap to hold extra AA batteries in one of the pockets. A nice idea, but the straps aren’t tight enough so the batteries just fall through to the bottom of the pocket.

– Wish it were just a couple of inches longer. On other sites, this bag is shown with two camearas facing each other with lenses mounted. This is only possible with smaller lenses. The 24-70 isn’t THAT large, but it leaves no room for even the smallest lens on my second body.

For my needs, if this bag were just 2-3 inches longer, it would be the perfect bag. As it is, it’s a nearly perfect bag at an excellent price.

4 Stars I’m going Ape for this bag – not so much for the strap…
This bag replaced my nikon gear bag, which had started to fall apart after about a year. Here is what I think after about 3 months of use:

- construction: It’s obvious right away that the bag is tough -the nylon exterior is tough and firm, and the stitching is tight and clean. On the interior, the liner and adjustable dividers are made of soild material with good stitching as well. The Strap is padded well in just the right areas, and durable. However, the adjustable strap ends, if not pulled tight after adjustment, will sometimes work their way out…not a great thing for a bag meant to carry thousands of dollars worth of rig. A few teeth on the adjuster would have gone a long way. The zippers move smoothly and finish clean.

- ergonomics: If you’re a pro, or a prosumer, that likes to carry around more than one body and several lenses you have to know that a backpack is pretty much your only option. That being said, this carries my D80 w/18-200, 50mm, sb200 (2), 600 and 900 flashes, extra batteries, chargers, manuals, filters, remotes etc etc with room to spare. I know it’s been said, but the yellow interior is a HUGE help when you’re looking for your gear in there, and the configuration options for the interior dividers are many and varied, a bonus if you’re trying to squeeze a bunch of gear in there. The drawstring net pouch on the side is a nice touch.

- usage: if you’re moving from place to place and shooting, forego using the zipper on the top and just use the clips. The zipper is nice for keeping the elements out, but it’s a hassle if you’re in a hurry, so those clips are a very nice touch to keep things in place without zipping. If you fill this thing up, it’s going to get heavy, so you’ll probably have to switch shoulders as you go, but still pretty comfortable despite the weight.

- overall: A great bag with a lot of interior space that would probably be perfect were it not for the sometimes unstable strap adjusters. Highly recommended otherwise.

5 Stars Best Value for your Money…!!
I had purchased other bags in this price range and nothing has been close to the quality of this bag. With some creative organization I can fit my D200, my D40x, 2 – SB600 flash units and up tp four lenses, not to mention all the extra pockets for your various bits and pieces. My only complaint, you might look unprepared because this bag isn’t huge, but it still holds alot of equipment nicely. You won’t regret this purchase. Top notch product – excellent price…!

5 Stars Ape Case Pro
This bag is great. Very well made and really like the yellow interior. Lots of space to put all your stuff. For the price, I don’t think you can get a better bag.

3 Stars RETURNED ITEM
I RETURNED THIS BAG BECAUSE IT WAS MUCH BIGGER THAN I EXPECTED. IT LOOKS STURDY AND IT LOOKS LIKE A GOOD BAG, BUT IT WAS TOO MUCH FOR ME WITH MY ONE CAMERA AND ONE LENSE.

Buy/More Info