Make the Gorillapod Focus stiffer?? any ideas

[RoryOD]

I just got the gorillapod focus ( i think its called that. its the one with the metal legs) but i find that the second joints down from the top are weak. considering that i have one of the plastic ones that is stiffer on all joints, im not too pleased! but i bought it so im stuck with it.
i like everything about it only for the weak joints. its rated to hold 5kg, but i find one leg will buckle under a 40d with a 24-70 2.8 on a ball head pointing forward. so i have to forget about using the 1D MKIII on it!

in all these tests the legs are straight. i understand that it is mainly to be used to be wrapped around an item for support hence the flexable joints.

But i just wonder is there a stiff spray or something i could do to make the joints a little bit stronger?

maybe i could rub viagra on it :lol:

[wickerprints]

The gorillapods are junk. Worthless and useless. I'm sorry you wasted money buying one instead of putting it toward a real travel tripod, like the Benro Travel Angel series.

Note: I am not affiliated with Benro or any tripod manufacturer.

I bought a gorillapod because they looked like they would work well. Turns out, it is s***. It takes forever to adjust. It is useless in situations where there are no supporting structures to attach it to, and unstable even when there is such a structure. It is flimsy and does not support anywhere near the claimed weight. With the camera attached, it creates a top-heavy distribution of mass that is easily toppled over because the legs do not spread out wide enough without basically defeating the purpose of using it in the first place.

I tossed mine in my junk closet in disgust after trying it a few times. It's a total joke.

To answer your specific question, though, you cannot strengthen the joint. Once a particular joint becomes more prone to flexing, it then becomes progressively looser because it bends before the others do, causing it to wear prematurely. This is what has happened to your pod and it is irreversible because the joints are made of plastic.

I recently acquired a carbon-fiber Travel Angel. It weighs 1.8 pounds. It extends to a respectable 53" height and it is rock solid. It's everything I could expect in a super-light pod. The beauty of it is that I don't need to fiddle with the legs in order to adjust where the camera is pointing. And I don't worry that my setup is going to tip over.

[Wilt]

maybe i could rub viagra on it :lol:

show it some dirty pictures

[DavidTK]

I have found Gorillapods useful for P&S cameras. As long as you aren't using a heavy lens, the SLR Zoom version that I have works fine with my 50D. EXCEPT that I attach a ballhead to the top. Otherwise, as mentioned above, it's a royal PITA to adjust the camera.

[siriusdogstar]

... its rated to hold 5kg, but i find one leg will buckle under a 40d with a 24-70 2.8 on a ball head pointing forward. ...

Obviously out of spec. Return for replacement or refund.

[darosk]

They're useful for point&shoots. That's about it.