Joby Podzilla Review

Reviewed for J Wright

The PodZilla Flexible Tripod Medium Kit in Teal was sent to me for review and I was looking forward to trying it out. When it arrived I was delighted to see the colour, which is seemingly irrelevant but it pleased me. Most camera and vlog kit seems to be black, grey or chrome so it makes a fun change. My personal choice is photography, usually group shots so I can be in the frame and occasionally more artistic efforts in which the sky is the limit as to the image content.  The PodZilla is made of aluminium, rubber and plastic, which gives you a mix of weather resistance, durability, flexibility and fun. Its available in four colours; grey, red, yellow and teal.

The PodZilla has three flexible legs to create either a stable base on most surfaces, or they’ll bend and fasten in place around other things such as tree branches, fences and other slender protrusions. We tried this out at a stately home on uneven paving where I was able to capture a level image by adapting the tripod to account for the uneven surface. We also captured other images in Stratford by wrapping it around the back panel of a bench, taking a group picture from a good height. The images were stable, showing more movement during the shutter closure so I was satisfied that it really does hold still. Not even wavering in the wind that day.

It was also really easy to dismantle the tripod, squash the legs back into place together and whip it away into my bag. It’s convenient enough to fit in a small backpack without faffing about or taking up all the space and it took seconds, so we could get on with our day. It weighs in at just 0.25 kg so it was no problem to carry around.

There’s a locking mechanism which allows for easy positioning to help you get the landscape or portrait images you might be looking for. Or if recording video it will add greater flexibility for positioning to suit the platform and style you prefer.

Included in this kit is the phone clamp – the GripTight 360 Phone Mount, which I made good use of. It’s really sturdy and really good have a good grip of your device. This seems really important with some devices exceeding the £1,000 price tag, the last thing anyone wants is a poor grip on your main gadgets. Despite the trusty reliability of the clamp it was still really easy to put in and later remove my phone. The website tells us that it will holds smartphones with widths of 6.7-8.8cm (2.6-3.5”).  With the three tripod legs together it’s a good grip selfie stick for recording on the move.

There’s also the double cold shoe attachment allowing for cameras with standard screw in bases to be connected to the PodZilla. This could also be used with a rig to attach phone, microphone and light and with a secure weight of 1kg you should be good to go with most moderate and modern kits currently available. For those who might need the data for static recording, it stands at 4.8 x 5.4 x 25 cm, a good height for desk top work in my opinion.

The best thing about the PodZilla is that it’s easy. I didn’t need the instruction leaflet inside, it’s really intuitive to use, ready in seconds and really adaptable. Hands down the most adjustable, flexible and ideal bit of kit I’ve ever used for photography. I love it.

Rating: 5/5

RRP: £36.95

This product can be purchased from Amazon here.