Snap Yourself with a Quik Pod
Quik Pod will no doubt be dubbed the most unusual photographic accessory of 2006. The extendable handheld tripod monopod, which retails for about US$20, was designed by Wayne Fromm, a Toronto-based inventor whose previous creations included popular toys such as Disney’s Beauty and the Beast Talking Mirror. According to the press release, Wayne said: “I was traveling with my family and I just got tired of those bad pictures I took by sticking out my arm and pointing the camera at all of us. I tried asking strangers to take pictures of us, so I could be in the family photos and videos, but those pictures don’t always turn out either. So I figured there must be an easier, better way, and I came up with the idea for Quik Pod”.
The press release goes on to say, “Unlike most conventional tripods monopods, Quik Pod is light (less than 100 grams), pocket sized and comes with a built-in self-image mirror. Made of space aged polycarbonate and aluminum, it extends nearly a meter and comes with a travel bag, pocket clip, hiking clip and wrist strap. Quik Pod attaches in seconds to virtually all conventionally designed cameras and camcorders on the market today.”
A number of humorous comments appeared in a PBase forum concerning this unique device. Someone suggested that it is perfect for taking MySpace self-portraits. Another person commented that it would be a perfect gift for a Canon EOS 1Ds Mark II owner. Yikes!
There is always the risk that these clever devices end up collecting dusk in a drawer or on a shelf. However, given it’s collapsibility and unique design – it’s bound to find dozens of uses that have yet to be thought of. The only gotcha that I can think of is the focusing as the Quik-Pod requires that you use the camera’s self-timer. Most digicams use a wide-angle lens with plenty of DOF, so you should be OK.
Robert’s Rating: 
Reference links:
Quik Pod website
Quik Pod at Amazon.com
Also, you can buy it on eBay. See below.
 |
US $34.71 End Date: Thursday Feb-09-2012 13:17:25 PST Buy It Now for only: US $34.71 Buy it now | Add to watch list |
Notes: The press releases calls it an extendable tripod. Given that it resembles a monopod, I have made changes to the text above. It does come with a collapsible stand – perhaps that’s why they use term ‘tripod’.
Taking Portrait Photos with Blurry Background and Understanding Depth of Field
We have all seen beautiful photos where the object is perfectly focused while the background is blurred. Such a photo can be very dramatic and might seem to be hard to shoot. In this article we will give you a few tips on how to shoot blurry background…