From the top of the ballhead to bottom of the feet, the GorillaPod Kit tripod measures 25cm tall with the legs retracted. The legs are about 17cm tall without the ballhead attachment. The legs can be extended all the way out, letting you lower the height of the tripod (with the ballhead attached) down to 14cm high - perfect for macro photography. When using the GorillaFeet Duck, they provide an extra 5.5cm increase in height.


The GorillaFeet Duck are a quirky way to change up the look of the GorillaPod tripod without compromising performance. Both the stock rubber dome feet and the GorillaFeet Duck flat feet provide solid upright ground support for the tripod. The GorillaFeet Duck look really cute and are very realistic, thanks to the textured like skin. Despite the fun look though, the GorillaFeet Duck pointy nails can be a potential hazard - specially when handled by children. The pointy nails of the GorillaFeet Duck are very sharp and can potentially poke an eye, scratch the skin and can also cause a snag in a knitted sweater.


The JOBY GorillaPod Kit tripod ballhead attachment is detachable. To detach the ballhead, simply locate the central 1/4-20 inch inner flat head screw (below the ballhead) and unscrew it to detach the ballhead from the tripod legs. You can then use a different 1/4 20 inch ballhead or a phone holder, which is needed if you want to hold a smartphone. You can use any 1/4 20 inch phone holder such as the JOBY GripTight ONE adapter (JB01490-0WW). As well as being able to hold a camera and phone, the GorillaPod Kit tripod can be used to hold a microphone, projector and led flashlight.


The JOBY GorillaPod Kit tripod weighs 206 grams (with the rubber dome feet) and 247 grams with the GorillaFeet Duck. The rubber dome feet weigh 18 grams, while the GorillaFeet Duck weigh 59 grams. Both the dome feet and GorillaFeet Duckattach via standard 1/4-20 thread connection. The GorillaFeet Duck are made of aluminum, stainless steel and PVC shell. The stock dome feet are made of plastic, stainless steel and rubber.


GorillaPod can be gripped, wrapped around something like a tree brand or wrist and can stand upright like a regular tripod. Can be used as a stabilizer for taking still photos and smooth cinematographic shots, as well as for vlogging. The GorillaPod Kit tripod is made of ABS plastic, aluminum alloy, stainless steel and TPE rubber. 

 

The tripod legs ball joints, ballhead locking knob and non-detachable mounting plate are all made of plastic. The rubber covering the plastic ballhead locking knob is very grippy and dual purpose for locking the tilt and swivel mechanism of the ballhead. The ballhead ball joint plate can be tilted up and down up to 180 degrees, while the ballhead can be swivelled 360 degrees around its axis.

The ballhead ball joint (holding the plate) and enclosure are made of anodized aluminum, while the retaining frame holding the tripod legs is made of hard plastic. The GorillaPod Kit tripod has the characteristic ball joint socket design found on previous GorillaPods, which allows the legs to be flexible and bend at various angles. The joints swivel freely inside the sockets with enough tension to maintain the legs positioned at a specific angle. The legs and joints are not designed to be detached, although they can be pulled off out of the socket when applying force. Detaching the leg joints is not advisable as this is likely to weaken the integrity of the joints.


The tripod legs ball joints are surrounded with a thick piece of rubber strip that helps protect the legs from impacts and accidental falls. There are nine individually moveable ball joint sockets per leg. The GorillaPod Kit seen pictured is the 1k model, which is designed to hold a payload of up to 1kg in weight; hence the name "1K". There are also other GorillaPod versions, namely 3k (3kg), 3k PRO (3kg) and 5k (5kg) available.


The 3k and 3k PRO versions are virtually the same with the exception of the higher quality aluminum grade used for the 3k PRO version that makes it more robust and durable. When buying a GorillaPod, it is best going up a size if the weight of the camera is closer to the upper limit. 

 

For example, while the GorillaPod 1k version can hold a camera that weighs 800 grams, the joints will wear off much faster due to the weight; hence it is better getting the GorillaPod 3k version to minimize straining the joints. You can buy the GorillaFeet Duck and GorillaPod Kit from amazon. Check out the review of the GripTight Pro TelePod, RangePod full size tripod, Bum Bag sling backpack.