Joby Gorillapod vs generic

Does someone have an experice with generic Gorillapods.

For example this one vs this.

I got a generic gorillapod off a deal website... it was a complete waste of money. It couldn't even hold my 40d body up, it would just slouch, and fall down :[If you really want one, just buy the real one.

I think that if it says it's a "Gorillapod" it would have to be authentic; like LensPens - there are a lot of vendors selling "personalized" ones, but they're all from the one company. Anyone trying to counterfeit them would be on the wrong side of a lawsuit or worse pretty fast.

kaokao1215 wrote in post #12056275
I got a generic gorillapod off a deal website... it was a complete waste of money. It couldn't even hold my 40d body up, it would just slouch, and fall down :[If you really want one, just buy the real one.

Well, which model did you get, though?

Jon wrote in post #12056309
Anyone trying to counterfeit them would be on the wrong side of a lawsuit or worse pretty fast.

Not in China/Thailand/other "emerging country".

Jon wrote in post #12056316
Well, which model did you get, though?

No idea, but it was 10 bucks, so I would assume many of the generic gorillapods around that price would be the same.

The head was pretty loose, but it would hold a P&S pretty easily. So its possible I got one that was made specifically for P&S

Jon wrote in post #12056309
.... Anyone trying to counterfeit them would be on the wrong side of a lawsuit or worse pretty fast.

Good luck with that. The link in the OP points to a Gorillapod on eaby. Go ahead and try to sue the guy.

I Bought a generic one of ebay for $11 and it holds my t2i,grip and 10-22 just fine, i do not have info on it but its was from a CA Seller, might be a hit or miss on quality

They'd have no trouble getting eBay to take it down, though. You'd better believe they've got lawyers watching for dilution of copyright. And I know that Joby, like LensPen, lets other companies market their products under other labels.

Joby holds a patent on the Gorillapod, as well as a trademark on the Gorillapod name (and several of their other product names). You can read a company press release on the patent here:

http://joby.com/press/​releases/20110222

So, the copies/counterfeit products are illegal and Joby is taking actions to enforce their intellectual property rights:

"Known for unique products, JOBY has attracted copycats and has successfully enforced its intellectual property rights both in and out of court in the US, Canada and Australia. JOBY intends to use its new utility patent to protect its intellectual property as it continues to build on its past design and commercial successes."

So the original is both better in quality/performance, and the copies are illegal. It's not like these are expensive products. It's better to get the quality, support and warranty of the genuine product, and support the creative company that developed this product so they can continue to develop new, innovative products.

Kerry Thalmann

I had the large version of the generic unit, it worked quite well initially but after a while of twisting and turning it did loose some of it's rigidity. The legs straight out were very stiff but it was the coupling of the legs to the center boss than became a bit looser and sometimes with really heavy kit allowed the legs to flatten out.

From a gripping point of view it works well.

What I did was change the angle of the legs when using the heavier kit to a more right angled approach.

I've got one of the Joby things that's supposed to hold an SLR. I wouldn't trust it with my gear. I did buy some ebay knock-offs for flash stands and for my Flip Video camera. They're great at those jobs.

What about just using a beanbag? Very stable and less prone to vibration problems.

i have a generic Gorillapod SLR that I paid less than $15 as I recall. Holds my 60D and any of my lens OK. I am sure that the generics are a little more of a hit or miss proposition, but worth the $15 or so in my book.

I also got a generic version. To me, it is the same exact product as the Joby. Think about it, this tripod is not something you will use for a 30min long exposure or supporting a 300f/2.8. Most likely, you use it to hold a flash, or camera with normal zoom for self group pictures, so unless you really need the Joby name, the generic one should do just fine.