The Bottle Cap Tripod

Along with the Monster Pod, this is another very strange invention for mobile journalists. You take a bottle of water or pop, and place this tripod over the cap. There’s a cold foot on top, so be sure you have a way to screw your device into it. It’s a cheap way to keep your video steady. It actually works like the Zgrip in a way, and is sort of a cheap alternative to the expensive Zgrip. The Bottle Cap Tripod is a little unstable, but it’s better than nothing. It’s kind of cheap, so you might want to invest in something sturdier if you're serious about using a tripod. Using this tripod is better than nothing, but it's not great. Also, I don’t know how many people would take you seriously with your camera mounted to the top of a Coke bottle. Without the bottle, it’s the smallest tripod you'd carry around. That’s a perk, overall it’s kind of just a silly novelty tool. It's not expensive, so you can have it in your arsenal just in case you want a slight improvement over holding the phone.

Zgrip

I love this tool from Zacuto because it’s hand held. I tend to have an issue with setting up tripods; they’re ungainly and take time to stabilize and balance. This handy piece of equipment allows you to simply hook your iPhone into the device and hold your camera without worrying about your shaky hands. There’s a mount at the top for a mic adapter or external light and another on the bottom of the grip that can be screwed into a bigger tripod if you need to get stationary shots.

I feel like this is a fabulous way to easily gain some stability without sticking a tripod in one place or sticking something like the MonsterPod onto something. This way you can achieve pans and control zoom because the device is always by your hand. This would really be perfect for documentary filmmaking, in journalism we don't tend to pan very much. It is a little more expensive than the other tripods out there, but if you’re looking for something that will come in handy in most situations, this is it. It's durable and well made, so it is built to last. The Zgrip is especially good for events where there is a lot of movement and you might need to move quickly, like sporting events or breaking news.

Purchasing the Zgrip depends on how serious you are about using your mobile phone in the field, and how serious you are about your content. Because of its price it is a tool you really have to want.

Mobile Tripod

First of all, any tripod is leaps and bounds better than holding the phone steady. Your hands are not steady enough, no matter how calm or relaxed your muscles are. If you are using the mobile phone to live stream an event, you absolutely need a tripod so the characters (and not the background) are the only things that need to be refreshed. Clarity is much better and your audience doesn't feel seasick.

Brando's Mobile Tripod is a fairly good mobile tripod. You can separate the legs as you like and you can adjust the pivoting head, but it is pretty limited compared to the Gorilla Pod (which can be wrapped around fences, limbs, etc...). The portion that holds the phone has foam and adjusts to many different phones, which is very good - not everyone has an iPhone. I would recommend this device if you are looking for a small, cheap tripod (it is only $10.00, compared to $29.95 for the Gorrilapod). If only the legs were longer or moldable, because the price sure is right.

Gorillapod

The Gorillapod is a tripod made to work with iPhones. More specifically, it's made to work with the 3G, which caused a bit of an issue for the team. The tripod came with a case that acts as a mount. However, the case definitely does not fit the 4G. The solution to this problem comes in the form of an adhesive clip that can be attached to the back of the case. We were hesitant to use this because, well, we don't know how easily that clip will come off, an sense we only have a limited supply of these clips, it seems a waste to use it on a case before we know the best way to use the actual tripod. That being said, the packaged case for the 3G slipped on the phone without hassle, and clipped on quite securely to the actual tripod.

From there, this thing really started shining. The problem with any tripod is its limited versatility. They are more stable, but lack the ability to fit into tight spaces, balance on small surfaces, or be completely portable in any way. Jennifer used a different tripod for the same outing, and was unable to get it to work in the same places that I emplyed the Gorillapod.

It's probably safe to say I loved the thing. I hung it on hand rails, balanced it on top of trash cans, ran the legs through holes to secure it to walls. I pretty much tried to run it through the gambit of possible locations to which I could affix the thing. And to a degree, it worked every time. The only shortcoming is that, while the legs have to be necessarilly flexible, sometimes this can cause some slippage if you don't get the legs curled just right. This was minor, though, and easily avoidable when I figured the problem out. You just have to think in terms of applying the most amount of resistance to whatever surface you're putting it on.