Like a lot of you, I own a big honkin’ digital SLR. But as any photo pro will tell you, the best camera is the one you actually have with you. That’s why I take most of the photos you see in my posts with my point-and-shoot, a Canon S95. It’s a great little camera with a big ‘ol F2.0 aperture and a larger-than-most sensor that can turn twilight (or the inside of a dark shop) into usable light. But every camera has its limits, and to take great night shots I often find myself turning whateverthehell I can find into a tripod to extend the exposure, drop the ISO, and collect that light.
That’s why this upcoming Gerber multitool grabbed my attention. As you can see above, two arms fold out below it to turn the knife into an instant point-and-shoot-sized tripod, perfect for setting your camera on a railing to take night shots or (in my case) propping it on a truck hood to grab a timer shot of myself using a tool.
Toolmonger reader Gil turned us on to this, as covered in GearJunkie.com (and a zillion other gadget blogs). Gerber hasn’t released much information about it yet, except to say that it’ll be called the “Steady” and will release sometime in 2012 for around $65. As you can see, it does indeed feature a blade, and I’m pretty sure I see a Phillips screwdriver in there.
Gerber Steady [GearJunkie]
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7 Responses to A Tripod Multi-Tool
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It looks as if it may fold open from the middle also, possibly exposing more tools?
$65? Gee-freakin’-whiz. You can get a point-and-shoot digital camera for that.
As a photographer myself I would find such a tool quite enticing, but not for that crazy price. Besides, the thing looks like the handle and two supports are made from nylon or plastic. That should cut costs and make it a $19.95-$24.99 tool. Sure, make a carbon fiber version for $99 or something, but don’t make a cheap tool and sell it high. Even if street pricing goes to $40-50, still kinda up there.
Keep in mind you can get cheapo alloy mini-tripods at the dollar store. For a dollar.
Blair, It’s a typical multi-tool, knife, pliers screwdrivers etc.
I would hope the legs are anodized aluminum or something better than nylon.
Ahh, tres cool, but will it balance a Kodak Brownie?
The bright Green trim reminds me of the Cullmann kits to mount a camera to almost anything. I’ll stick to an original Leatherman and a Gorillapod for now though.
@Morgan , Thanks, I kind of figured that it was , but the form is different I guess from others I have been around. I do agree with the price point being too high though.
If the legs are in fact nylon, it could be an advantage. If using it on a slightly uneven surface, the legs may bend enough to allow the camera be level, since it doesn’t look like it have any king of ball-head.