Turn a Gorillapod into a Peak Design Compatible Tripod

Here is a quick and cheap hack on how to make your Gorillapod into an Arca-compatible tripod, which in turn makes the handy tripod compatible with Peak Design’s Capture plate.

Convenience is Key

I have been using the Peak Design Capture Clip on my bike rides lately. Although I don’t leave the camera clipped on to the outside of the backpack the entire ride, the Capture Clip provides easy access to the camera when I know I’ll be stopping frequently to take pictures.

While out on my bike rides, I also like carrying the very small yet very utilitarian Joby Gorillapod. I have the 3K version of the Gorillapod that comes equipped with a proprietary quick-release plate. The proprietary plate means I can’t easily move the camera from the Capture Clip (attached to my Camelbak) to the Gorillapod. Unscrewing the Peak Design plate and screwing the Gorillapod plate while holding a camera and a bike, as anyone that ride bikes and takes pictures can attest, is very cumbersome. I found myself only using the Gorillapod when I knew I was going to be stationary for a while, like at a beer snack stop.

Here you can see the Gorillapod’s very proprietary plate. This is one of the biggest gripes I have with this tripod.

This left me wondering if I could hack something together that would allow me to only have one plate attached to my camera during the whole bike ride.

Arca-style Clamp to the Rescue

Since Peak Design’s plate is compatible with Arca-style clamps, I figured I could adapt a clamp to my Gorillapod. This would finally allow me to get rid of all my change because I would no longer need a coin to screw/unscrew base plates while on the field. I’m not even joking, I used to keep a coin in my cycling bag just for this purpose.

There are many Arca compatible clamps available on the market. I decided to go for an affordable option that seemed like a good compromise between form (small size) and function (got the job done). After browsing Amazon for a few minutes, I settled on the Andoer Arca Swiss clamp.

This plate comes with a 3/8″ to 1/4″ adapter, meaning you can attach it directly to the Gorillapod’s plate. This solution might look a little sketchy but I can assure you it is rock solid. Well, as rock-solid as a Gorillapod can be 🙂

Here you can see the Gorillapod plate screwed into the Arca-compatible plate.

Here is what the full setup looks like. I fully trust this setup with my Canon RP.

And this, my friends, is the compact full frame setup I take on my mountain bike outings. If you are interested in finding out more about my cycling pictures, you can take a look at my @bikeundbier Instagram account, or check out my bikepacking blog.

The Canon EOS RP goes inside the Camelbak and the Gorillapod goes on the outside, strapped to the bottom loops of the Camelbak.

Let me know in the comments below what you think about this simple hack or what other Gorillapod/Peak Design hacks you would like to see on this website.

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