PEDCO Ultra 2 Camera Tripod - Black

I take pictures when hiking so I was looking for something small and light for when I want to shoot at low speed (waterfalls etc.). It was either this or the ubiquitous GorillaPod, which I had already tried in the past with a GoPro mount. Since I dislike the alien-esque look of the GorillaPod I got this one and I must say it works almost as well and it is more pocketable. Not as versatile as the Gorilla since you can't wrap it around stuff, but they supply a Velcro strap (although the thought of velcro-ing my expensive camera to a tree branch seems a bit silly and won't do that, plus it's a very short strap). The major point here is that the tripod is really light and for that I recommend it (four starts instead of five because at £23 it is overpriced).

Great lightweight table tripod that will also attach to railings, posts, small trees etc. Takes my Compact System Micro 4/3 body and lenses well. My full frame pro dSLR and lens is too heavy (2kg) for the ball head and sags, but that is not what I purchased it for. It is compact, versatile and with a bit of ingenuity and an additional length of double sided Velcro it will attach to larger diameter objects as well.25 Feb 17 UpdateAfter using The UltraPod II at length for long exposure night photography in areas of London where I have been hassled in the past for using full sized tripods it has been brilliant. The versatility of its design allowed me to discretely mount it to railings, stand it on small raised areas, on the ground, and attach it to all sorts of shaped fittings. I was using a Micro 4/3 body and lenses from wide-angle to 200mm (35mm equivalent focal length) with the self timer or remote trigger. All came out sharp. Very pleased with it.Now what I want from the manufacturer Pedco is a beefed up version, the same design but made from a mag alloy with a larger diameter ball head to take the weight of my pro dSLR and fast glass, please.UPDATE: January 2019I'm still using the Ultra-Pod II on occasions with my Micro Four Thirds system. I still love its ability to act as a micro tripod and an attachment to railings, poles, and even trees, with an additional length of double sided Velcro. I still really wish Pedco would make a beefed up version out of a stiffer material such as mag-alloy with a more solid head. Whilst I still get sharp images using a remote/live view release such as in the Olympus Image Share app or a long'ish self timer delayed release it does wobble around in a breeze. Something like the tiny Manfrotto 708B is much more rigid and will take my Pro dSLR's. If Pedco could combine the stiffness of the 709B with the versatility of the Ultra-Pod II I'd leap at it.

Excellent item, easily copes with my Canon EOS 77D SLR and a 300mm lens. Quite stable when used as a conventional tripod. The ability to use the Velcro strap to attach it to other items is useful. The only comment that I would make that the "knurled nut" that is on the screw thread that attaches to the camera is fixed (or at least appears to be, I have not tried to undo it with a pair of pliers, as I do not want to break it) which means that you have to screw to screw the thread right in and cannot set the camera and lens direction so that the lens is in line with the longer leg and then stabilize the camera by winding the nut up. Hence the 4 stars, otherwise excellent

Fits both my compact camera and Panasonic FZ1000 superzoom camera. The detachable mounting bracket has a spirit level on; this is great for my compact camera, as I can take it about and hand-hold the camera and get shots that are nicely levelled, just by keeping an eye on the bubble of the spirit level. Don't know if that was an intended feature by Joby, but it's certainly useful.I also have an Ultra Pod II and find there are situations when a GorillaPod is more useful (putting camera on uneven ground) and times when I prefer to use the Ultra Pod II (flat ground; it's quicker to set up than the GorillaPod, where you have to spend a few moments re-adjusting the legs just to get the level position you require. With the Ultra Pod II, it can be plonked straight down on to a level surface and you're ready to shoot). There are times when shots require a more traditional tripod (if you want to have the camera resting at a certain height and you can't find a suitable post or tree branch to attach either the Ultra Pod II or the GorillaPod). But, if I can get away with not bringing my larger tripod (3LT "Brian", which is really lightweight for its size and versatile in terms of choosing specific heights to mount your camera, but it's still a large bulky tripod, relative to the size of these other two tripods), especially when out hiking, I find taking both the Ultra Pod II and the GorillaPod Zoom preferable, as they much more compact and lightweight and conveniently fit in my backpack along with my small amount of camera gear.The GorillaPod is slightly better for wrapping around branches/posts/etc., as its legs have a longer reach than the Ultra Pod II's velcro strap, which really needs to be double the length to compete with the GorillaPod.