My latest Amazon order showed up today. In it were 2 accessories for my iPod Touch, on which I’m actually composing this post. 😀

I got a Joby Gorillapod Micro tripod and the Grip-Tight adapter that allows a smartphone to be mounted on a tripod.

 

Put together, this is how they look:

 

The whole thing collapses into something you can hang from a keychain:

 

 

Edit: Here’s a shot of it with the iPod mounted, taken with Mrs E’s Nikon camera:

 

 

Pretty nifty. I came across them when searching for something I could use as a stand for my iPod when making video relay calls, since I’d like to be able to sign to the video interpreter with both hands. Holding it with one hand and half-signing with the other is a bit awkward, and arm’s length isn’t enough to get all of my face and hands in the frame.

As a bonus, it’s great for watching videos without having to hold the device, and I can stand it up in the kitchen with a recipe onscreen. I can also use it for hands-free Skype or FaceTime calls if needed.

The Grip-Tight mount fits on any tripod, so you could put your smartphone on a full-size tripod for video or stills. The low profile of the Gorillapod Micro is an interesting side bonus for miniature photography and stop-motion animation, letting you get down close to figure level.

I tried it out on a couple of models and a 28mm figure:

 

 

 

The iPod camera isn’t particularly fabulous, but it takes fairly decent video and stills that are adequate for casual use–posting on blogs or social networks, for example.

When I have a chance, I’m gonna put the tripod/mount through another round of testing, this time with some stop-motion video.