Customer Reviews

QuikPod Handheld Convertible Tripod

5 star:		(22)
4 star:		(13)
3 star:		(5)
2 star:		(8)
1 star:		(6)

 

 

I've had the Quik Pod for about 6 months and it really does work as advertised. Here are a few tips to help you use it more effectively:

* Leave the tripod legs attached all the time: This lets you extend your reach even more by folding the tripod legs inward and holding them instead of the handle when taking a shot. You can also quickly fold them out and set the Quik Pod on a table or the ground to take even longer shots of yourself (or simply to steady the camera so you can use a slower shutter speed, no flash, and/or lower ISO setting for more natural low-light shots).

* Make sure your camera is in the right focusing mode: Many cameras will immediately set the focus when you press the shutter button, even when the self-timer is on. This can lead to out-of-focus shots with the Quik Pod, since you must press the shutter button before extending the camera away from you. If your camera does this, try changing to "continuous focus" mode (which will often be set if you choose the camera's "Sports" scene mode) -- this will cause your camera to focus continually right up to the moment the shutter fires.

* More on focusing: You can also help keep your photos in focus without using continuous focus mode by setting a smaller aperture (higher "f-stop" number) using the camera's manual or "aperture priority" mode. Smaller apertures give you greater depth of field, which means that more of the picture will be in focus. I've taken quite a few shots with large apertures where the camera mistakenly focused on something in the background, so that my face was out of focus. Using smaller apertures helps prevent this problem and they also keep more of what's behind you in focus (which is desirable if there is something scenic in the background). Of course, if your camera has the new face detection feature that tries to recognize and focus on the faces it "sees", then this will be less of a problem for you.

* Use it as a tripod more often: If you retract the Quik Pod to its shortest length and use it as a tabletop tripod, it is very sturdy and will allow you to shoot great photos in low light by turning off your flash and letting the camera use a slower shutter speed. This eliminates any "shake" that might be caused by your hands when trying to shoot handheld without a flash, which can cause blurry photos. Of course, this is less of a problem if your camera has an image stabilizer feature, but a tripod makes low light shots even better regardless of your camera's features.

* Hold it low to capture a toddler's point of view: The world can look very different to someone 30 inches tall. Take some shots holding your Quik Pod down and away from you to capture the "land of giants" view that a small child sees without having to squat or kneel down. You can even let the camera be upside down when you take such photos -- just flip them on the computer after you download them from your camera.

Enjoy your Quik Pod!

I had high hopes for the Quik Pod but was rather let down once it arrived. It works okay. Does what it says it will do. But that's about it.

I was hoping for a quality piece that one would be excited to receive as a gift and this just doesn't seem like the quality item I was hoping for. I'm referring not only to the looks of the Quik Pod but to its feel, as well.

It just looks and feels like a lightweight piece of cheap plastic that probably won't last too long. The levering action is not smooth. It's somewhat difficult to retract. It rattles around when you hold it. And when I set it up as a free-standing tripod the side weight of my average sized point-and-shoot digital camera nearly toppled the thing. Of course, the ball mount can easily adjust to any number number of positions so I can still align the camera for a proper shot but this bendy piece of plastic looks a bit like the Leaning Tower of Pisa trying to hold up just a bit more than it can handle.

Actually, the attachable legs are really the only thing in the whole package that even seem to me to be of decent quality. The various pieces of metal and aluminum seem well-crafted, well-fit, and solid. Why can't the main product, itself, have been manufactured in a similar way?

I wanted to be impressed but I'm not. Purchased one as a sample to decide whether to buy a handful more as gifts and I almost feel embarrassed just giving this one away. Also? It was my understanding that the Quik Pod Pro came not only with the attachable legs but with a bottle-top mount for mounting a camera to a water bottle. A novel idea that I was interested to try out. Perhaps I'm mistaken on this point but no such item was included in the pack I received.

The Quik Pod feels more like something I would pay $10 for than $30. Two stars, max.

The second time I used the quik pod, when I tightened the swivel, the plastic broke. I feel like I just threw $25 bucks out of the window.

Never again will you have to ask a stranger to snap your photo at some exotic destination. QuickPod at arm's length and the self-timer on hour control literally let you put yourself in the picture. There's even a cool little mirror so you can make sure you're in the picture.

This very clever design weighs a few ounces and with the accessory kit clips to your belt. The accessory clip includes a little set of tripod legs.

You simply need to get one of these. With a lightweight (under 500 grams / 15 ounce) still or digital camera, it lets you put yourself in the picture anywhere. You can also use it to get shots over the crowd or behind you. It's great for bloggers who want to post more interesting stills and videos.

QuikPod is one of those "why didn't I think of that?" inventions and is incredibly useful. You'll wind up buying one or two for yourself and as gifts. In short, a great product.

Jerry

The Quick Pod sounded like a great idea, but it really isn't constructed that well. Everything is constructed of plastic except the threaded camera mount. That in itself isn't bad, except the unit when extended is very wobbly. I purchased the Pro model so that it could be used as a free-standing tripod. The folding legs are well made and can be used without the Quick Pod, but I'd be afraid to use the Quick Pod on these legs in much more then a gentle breeze.

The QuickPod is a terrific concept, but the costruction of the actual product is exceedingly poor. It's made of some very brittle plastic that cracked the moment I attached it to my camera. I threw the QuickPod away and bought a steel Xshot($10 cheaper) to replace it.

Love this to death. Well worth the money - it's small, compact and easy to use. High "wow" factor when pulling out this gadget in front of your friends. Fun to take pics of yourself with friends. I am glad I bought this!

I ordered the Quikpod with the idea of using it as an extending arm for mounting a GoPro HD camera. The GoPro is much smaller and lighter than the typical pocket point and shoot, so I knew that the Quikpod would be able to handle its weight.

And it does. But not with confidence. The telescoping elements of the Quikpod are a cheap plastic and are loosely fitted. When the pod is fully extended, the camera at the end will tilt to one side or the other during any kind of movement. You can hear the plastic rattling against itself.

I really wish I had done some more research and found a self-portrait arm with some quality to it. The Quikpod is just too shoddy to really be trusted with a camera unless you're using it for one shot and then putting it away.

The tripod legs that come with it are metal and actually provide some friction when extended - which is what I wish the rest of the Quikpod was like. The unfortunate thing is that this small metal tripod screws into a weak plastic base. There's no reason to think that the Quikpod won't crack at some point and lose its ability to act as an impromptu tripod.

The function is sound, but the form is troubling. I recommend avoiding this one.

like most 20something year olds... i'm obsessed with taking photos. especially straight-on self portraits or ones of myself and friends all trying to desperately squeeze our faces close enough together that we'll all be in the picture.
thank goodness for being able to digitally delete and redo!
i really can't count how many photos i've taken that aren't capturing anything more than less than flattering angles of only parts of people's faces.
we're all familiar with extending our arms as far out as we can and snapping the pic, then quickly clicking to view what ends up being only everyone's forehead.
how i didn't think of this invention first.. pains me, financially. but, i am happy to give my 30 bucks to the real mastermind.
it's awesome, truly.
you can extend it out far enough to completely capture everyone's entire face.
and once you REALLY get the hang of it... you can include some background in there. great for scenic vacations! or slyly getting that hot guy behind you in the picture, too.
it also seems totally plausible that you could just extend it straight up and over everyone's head in crowds to get decent pics at concerts and such!
everyone that's seen me use it comments on how ingenious it is, and i couldn't agree more!

I saw this product recommended in a magazine and thought I'd give it a try. While it's a good idea in theory, this product is flimsy and broke the second time I used it. I would not recommend it.