As smartphone photography has gotten better and better, it has become increasingly clear that the right accessories will help take things to an entirely new level. The Quadropod + Clamp is a tripod-like stand and mount. Easy to use and flexible enough to hold your smartphone or tablet in pretty much any position, it is just $39.95.
As you can see the Keizus Quadropod + Clamp is going up against the likes of the Joby Gorillapod line. It offers some significant differences, such as the quad legs rather than the tripod legs, and it makes deciding which small camera and smartphone holder to purchase just a little bit more challenging.
Open the box, and you are greeted by the Quadropod + Clamp. It is folded up to fit inside, so you’ll want to pull it out and straighten the legs before you start playing around with it using it.
Go on… admit it… the Keizus Quadropod + Clamp looks more like a skeletal model of Rover. I suspect that is, in part, the idea. The quad-approach to the legs gives it a flexibility and a stability that is substantially different than you will find when using, for example, a small tripod. It will be a bit easier to establish a stable base with a tripod, but the additional leg lets you place the stand on rough surfaces that would otherwise be a challenge.
The clamp is a simple affair that opens with a thumbscrew and holds a smartphone or tablet between two soft pads; there is no way the clamp will damage your screen!
As the product page explains,
The Clamp is a compact tripod mount for any smartphone or tablet within a range of 7mm to 13mm in thickness.
This makes the Clamp ideal for most modern smartphones like iPhone, Samsung Galaxy, HTC, Sony Ericsson with or without a case. Unlike other mounts on the market designed specifically for phones, our Clamp is truly versatile and can mount an iPad or a Samsung Galaxy Tab.
Here’s a look at it on its own, holding an iPod touch and holding my iPad mini.
Whats really neat is the way in which the four legs of the Keizus Quadropod + Clamp can be positioned to hold onto a surface and hang upside down.
I hung it off my light box and was able to use it to photograph my Gear Diary card holder. It took a little finesse to get it holding properly but, once I had it right, I felt quite confident that my device was safe.
The Keizus Quadropod + Clamp has a few more neat tricks up its sleeve. The clamp can be unscrewed and used with any tripod or monopod that has a standard screw mount. At the same time, the legs can be used to hold any camera with a tripod mount on the bottom without the need for the clamp. And finally, the middle portion of the legs can be popped off and the bottom portion of the leg reattached in order to make a smaller, and a more stable, quad-base. Check out this promotional video to see that in action.
MSRP: $49.95 but on sale for $39.95
What I Like: Flexible and useful in an assortment of situation; The mount holds a wide range of smartphones and tablets; The clamp can be mounted on a standard tripod; The Legs can hold a small camera directly; Legs can be reconfigured to make a mini-quadropod
What Needs Improvement: At times takes more fines to set up with a solid stands; Looks rather skeletal
Source: Manufacturer supplied review sample