Tamrac TR406 ZipShot Compact Ultra-Light Instant Tripod

by Tamrac

• The ZipShot tripod is the perfect ultra-compact, ultra-lightweight tripod, weighing only 11 oz. and measuring only 15" when folded.
• Just release the red shock cords and the legs of the ZipShot tripod spring open in seconds to a height of 44" tall.
• Designed for DSL cameras with lens attached up to 3 lbs., point & shoot cameras, and compact camcorders.
• Camera can be positioned at any angle so vertical and horizontal shots are easy.
• Easily attaches to the handle of a camera bag, backpack, travel bag, or can be slipped into a purse or luggage.

Product Details

• Product Dimensions: 15 x 2.2 x 2.2 inches ; 11 ounces
• Shipping Weight: 7 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Shipping: This item is also available for shipping to select countries outside the U.S.
• ASIN: B002WC8862
• Item model number: TR40601
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (87 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank:
  • #45 in Electronics > Camera & Photo > Tripods & Monopods > Complete Tripod Units
• Date first available at Amazon.com: October 2, 2001

Product Description

With the ZipShot tripod, you can travel light, set up fast and take pictures that require a tripod. Most tripods are heavy, difficult to carry, and slow to set up. This causes many missed photo opportunities. The ZipShot tripod is the answer. At only 11 oz (312g) and 15" (38cm) when folded, it is ultra-lightweight and ultra-compact. Easily carried, it attaches to the handle of a camera bag, backpack, or travel bag, and is also compact enough to be slipped into a purse or luggage. Release the shock cords and the ZipShot's™ legs spring open in seconds to a height of 44" (112cm). The camera can be positioned at any angle so vertical and horizontal shots are easy. Designed for a DSLR camera and lens up to 3 lbs. (1361g), all point-and-shoot cameras, and compact camcorders. The ZipShot is constructed of sturdy, high-quality aluminum.

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

81 of 82 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars VERY handy tripod, and very, very cute December 22, 2009

By R. Kaufmann VINE™ VOICE

I own one of these tripods. It's quite hard to resist buying it, once you've seen it unfold. All you do is undo a few bungee cords, hold the thing by the ballhead, and watch it assemble itself! You then have to screw your camera onto the tripod, and you're ready to go. 5 seconds to deploy the tripod, and 10-15 seconds to mount your camera. Pretty great!

Why not five stars? You really have to use a self-timer or a remote trigger to use the tripod. Although the tripod is sturdy enough to hold a decent weight (unlike one of the reviewers, I don't have any qualms that the thing is going to fall apart), there's a slight wobble when you touch the camera once it's mounted. Mind you, my other tripods are Gitzos (only 11 times more expensive, and heavier), but you do need to take this into account when using the zipshot. Why does it wobble? Because the leg elements attach to the ballhead with a bungee cord; the platform is only as stable as the cord.

This tripod makes a great light stand (presuming your strobes are slaved or remoted, and you have "strobe feet" that can mount to a 1/4" tripod screw). It's also great for taking small-to-medium sized cameras (point-and-shoots through Olympus E-P1 or Lumix GF1, and maybe Canon Rebels -- NOT Canon 7Ds, Nikon 700s, or heaven forbid, D3s or 1Ds!) into places where weight and size are at a premium. Put it in your bag with your Gorillapods, etc.

Pros: extreme light weight, amazingly cool self-assembly, cheap, seems to be safe
Con: Wobbles. You need to use a remote trigger or a cable release.
Bottom line: Go ahead and get it if you're willing to live with the limitations, and want a very lightweight easy to carry tripod. It's better than not having a tripod, and is much, much more likely to be with you on a long trek.

45 of 45 people found the following review helpful

3.0 out of 5 stars OK for what it is June 26, 2010

By Gras Duibh

This tripod has a lot of potential. It is extremely light weight (which is why I bought it), so it can be carried around on hikes without being noticed too much. It is fast to set up, just unclip the elastic holders, hold it by the ballhead, and watch it snap into place. Viola! Easy as pie. I do like that. So cool!

However, sturdiness is an issue. In fact, it is a bit flimsy. I read a lot of reviews on this, and this was the main complaint, so I kind of knew what I was getting, but still you have hope that the reviewers were being a bit picky. Not so. They told it as it is. For instance, I put my Olympus E-520 with a 40-150 mm zoom on it (I'd say about 2.6 lbs), tilted it 90 degrees to portrait, tightened the head as tight as it would go, but gravity soon pulled the lense and camera downward just a little. The specs say it can hold up to 3 lbs., but I think that is pushing the limits. Anyway, while trying to readjust the camera to where I wanted it, the legs slid out on me. Awkward. There is some playing around with it. And then I stepped back a bit to take the shot of me and the background, the wind blew a little and I got nervous. It looks shakey. You definitely need a flat surface and the ability to fly fast in order to catch it from toppling over in a sudden gust. I am thinking of devising something to go around the legs to give them a bit more sturdiness. You'd definitely want to get a remote control with this as it does shake a bit when you touch the camera to take the shot.

But again, it is better than nothing and at the end of the day, after lugging around 20 lbs of camera equipment and other things all day, the lightness of it will be appreciated. You can use it as a monopod (although since it only is 4.5 ft. tall, its use as a monopod is somewhat limited!).

42 of 44 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars for on the go photo folks- December 17, 2009

By Dan Yell

Amazon Verified Purchase

I purchased this the moment I saw it. I wanted to be hesitant because of the price, but figured if it does what it claims, it's perfect for what I want it for. I have a manfrotto compact tripod that folds to just a bit longer than my camera bag. It's got a pistol grip and doesn't weigh too much. I rarely used it because it ended up being a pain to set up and take down and boy does gear get heavy when you drag it all around. I will use the manfrotto for certain outings when I need to have a more steady support for my camera. The day I got my Zipshot I opened the package and let the Zipshot out! It was spectacular.
Cons: you have to manually screw in the camera each time, no adjustable height.
Pros: Everything else. Yes, I've put my Nikon D5000 on it and it was steady as could be. If you use it properly it really will hold that small dslr. This week I used it at a school event to video the performance. It's so light that you really don't notice that you're carrying it. I've got mine attached to the handle on my camera bag. out of the way but ready to use at a moments notice.
The only thing I'd change on this would be to have a quick release. Don't listen to the first reviewer- I've inspected my cords and let several people check out the Zipshot. Everyone was impressed at how sturdy it was when it was set up correctly.