The Selfie Stick on Steroids – iKlip Grip
First published in Examiner.com on September 17, 2015 12:39 PM MST
By David Cox
iKlip Grip
IK Multimedia
Sometimes a product comes along that tries to do lots of things at once and finds a way for all of these functions to complement each other nicely. Such is the case with IK Multimedia’s iKlip Grip. Someone has put a lot of time into this device and the time and energy has paid off. Many of us working with smartphones as professional audiovisual recording devices are often in need of a kind of universal hyper-portable mount for tabletop interviews, field recordings, and shots of oneself doing things. The iKlip Grip could be the answer for many such everyday situations out there in the field.The IK Multimedia iKlip Grip offers a range of functions in one. Its essentially a device that holds your smartphone and lets you operate it at a distance. Yes it is at its core a so-called ‘selfie stick’. But a very well made one. In addition to being a selfie stick however it is also a tripod mount, and ingeniously, a handle that enables the user to carry their phone upright and facing outward like a ping pong paddle.
Back in film school the hip kids had grips like these custom made for their Bolex 16mm cameras but today an iPhone 6 has double the resolution of 16mm so this type of device is a neat inheritor of the tradition. The iKlip Grip can be broken down and taken apart and put into a bag second of all it the grip that holds the phone can accommodate the latest fabulous an iPhone sixes and so on and these devices are a professional right now so the quality level of this device matches that found in many contemporary phones and tablets.
The Italian made device has an ingenious expandable and secure spring-loaded bracket that allows you to adjust the position of your phone at any angle for recording video, audio or images. There is a neat bracket also with the must-have standard 1/4″-20 tripod screw thread so it can be mounted to any standard tripod also which from a film making point of view is a must. You can flip out small ovoid shaped ‘legs’ at the base of the iKlip Grip that lets you turn it into a modest tripod as well, although extending it this way makes it a little unstable, and it is best to leave it in the lowest of the ‘telescoped’ positions. This kind of petal folding open element is really good but any criticism I might have is that these petals stay open too easily. It would be nice to have some kind of means to keep them closed when not in use. I use a rubber band but some of the kind of clip or latch would be useful here or even velcro on the insides of the ‘petals’ to keep them closed in your bag would be good.
The iKlip Grip truly has a “telescoping detachable tube” that extends your reach by a full 17.5″ so positioning your camera, phone or recorder in the right spot is even easier. Plus, iKlip Grip has a pivoting ball-joint attachment point that provides a full 90° angle adjustment plus 360° rotation capabilities of the device. This allows the user to get just the right angle and position for a shot. iKlip Grip also comes with a Bluetooth smartphone shutter* remote control that lets users remotely activate the shutter button in video and photo apps. The remote is universally compatible with iOS and Android and can be operated up to 10 meters away from the device, this is very helpful for capturing live performances, family vacation photos, movies and of course the ubiquitous ‘selfie’.
So what is the iKlip Grip? A well made extendable selfie-stick and iphone tripod that also works as a grip for your phone as well. It’s a selfie stick on steroids.
Features
• 4-in-1 video stand: handle, tripod, monopod, tripod adapter
• Includes remote Bluetooth shutter*
• Adjustable angle
• Extends up to 50cm / 19.7″
• Standard 1/4” UNC threaded ball mount
• Works with smartphones with screens from 3.5″ to 6″ with case on
• Works with digital cameras and small video cameras like GoPro
• Works with handheld audio field recorders
RRP: $59.99
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