ALL Cameras Should Come With One of These!!!

------------------------------------------------------Background------------------

I have always been "the Photographer" in my family--the only one to nearly always have a camera, and to get unofficially assigned as the "official photographer" at events. Consequently, I rarely ever have gotten to be in the pictures, and usually, when someone else offers to, my head is cut off, or the picture is otherwise technically-flawed. And when I have held a camera at arm's length, or tried to place it on a table and put it on timer--I ended up looking like a caricature, or the photo was too out-of-focus. Enter the Gorillapod--just the product I've been waiting for!

-----------------------------------------------So Just What is It?----------------------------
The Gorillapod is a really nifty, useful device--an effectively 5 inch tall, very sturdy plastic & rubber tripod that can fold into a ball, and can also secure your small camera to a tree branch, or similar object. It has fully-articulating universal joints, capped by large, grippy balls, and the rubber ball joints have rubberized rings, as well. It is small and light enough to throw into a small purse, backpack, and even your pocket--you'll scarcely notice it's there! It can stand upright, or be wrapped around anything small enough, and even hung upside down.

-----------------------------------------------------In Use----------------------

A small mount screws into the tripod mount hole on your camera, and very sturdily snaps into the Gorillapod's stage (this is so small that I normally keep it attached to my camera, even when it's in its compact carrying bag). You simply extend the legs, and place the assembly on a sturdy surface (I've even carefully placed it on uneven, but sturdy, rocks, using the flexible mount to counterbalance the weight of the camera against gravity), or wrap it around something thin enough. I've also successfully wrapped the rubber legs incompletely around parts of railings, always carefully checking to see how firmly attached it is. The stage is also attached to a fully-articulating universal joint, so the camera can be pointed in almost any direction, and maintain its position. Now, just set your timer and pose!

This product immediately made my camera, a Canon Powershot A630 (which is of medium heft) at least twice as useful, and I was able to capture shots with flashless settings that would only result in blurry images if hand-held. I was also able to take meaningful self-portraits, since few others have had the patience or willingness to do it. In addition, I've hung it from tree branches to get unique and otherwise unattainable perspectives. I'm extremely happy with this purchase!

-------------------------------------------------What Else-----------------------

They also make a more expensive version for larger, and SLR, cameras.