Octopad Hands-On Review
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I was somewhat skeptical when I first saw the Octopad as I was browsing for camera supports. Not a suction cup, not a bean bag, not a clamp, and no legs! Just a heavily weighted semi rigid pad with a ¼-20 screw attached.
Since that first time, I have come to appreciate what the Octopad uses are. The Octopad benefits photographers and videographers as another fantastic alternative method of holding cameras and other equipment.
Octopad Hands On Review
When you first open up the package from Adorama and take out the Octopad, you will notice how weighted it is. It’s only about 2 pounds, but it’s like attaching your camera to a free weight for dumbbells.
If, like most buyers, you attach a ball and socket head directly to the Octopad, it’s almost impossible to tip over with something attached. Even if that something is over two pounds itself. Because the center of gravity is so low.
The material in the bag is some form of semi solid fill, it doesn’t constantly shift around like a bean bag, which is part of what makes the Octopad so stable. By how it feels, it could be sand or man made material, but inside the Octopad, it doesn’t shift around a lot, probably because of the shape of it. For my next Octopad review, I’m tempted to cut into one, but I don’t want to waste my Octopad!
Non-Slip Bottom
The bottom of the Octopad is a stiff but rubbery material. It is semi rigid but does conform a little bit to uneven surfaces. If there was one thing I would change about the Octopad, I would make the material give a little more to allow for better outdoor placement.
But, then again, maybe they already tried that design and it wasn’t sturdy enough or something. It’s a small nitpick.
What the non-slip material does real well is stay put on a wide variety of surface materials. I’ve tried it out on wood, rock, concrete, metal, glass, fabric, and plastic, it sticks well to all of them. Due to the low center of gravity, the Octopad can stay on most of those surfaces at up to about a 45 degree angle.
In real world use, I found that the Octopad sticks better at these angles on surfaces like wood and concrete as opposed to glass or metal. The slightly angled man made material of the dashboard in my SUV made an excellent Octopad mounting surface when playing around with an equipment test I was doing.
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Great for Holding Accessories
What I find myself using the Octopad most for is holding videography accessories such as an LED light or a microphone. I actually picked up a couple of extra units for use with on location vlogging.
When interviewing someone in their own home, workshop, or office, I have standardized on bringing a couple of Octopads for my LED lights if I end up not having room for light stands.
My camera and a shotgun mic are tripod mounted or on a handgrip, and the lights can be put anywhere. On a desk, the water cooler, a filing cabinet, or even the arm of a couch. Using Octopad mounts really opens up being able to place my small lights anywhere.
It should also work well for holding webcams and maybe even a small video projector provided it’s not two wide or heavy.
Miscellaneous Thoughts
I liked that the material was heavy duty and mostly flexible, but that the shape of the Octopad didn’t change because of how tightly it’s made. The D-rings and grommets could be used with cords or cables as extra security for the inevitable slide off of the dashboard of a vehicle turning, such as off roading or other rough driving.
The Octopad seemed to stick better to smooth materials like glass or metal better if the ambient temperature is warm instead of cold. The cold stiffens up the rubbery bottom material so that it didn’t feel as secure at high angles than it did with warm weather. For most indoor uses that issue isn’t likely to come up too often.
The ¼-20 center screw was just a tad too long for the ball heads I have, so I added a couple of plastic washers to create a snugger fit. I would suggest Octopad supply a couple of these washers for customers as a heavier camera on a moving and vibrating platform will loosen up too much.
Overall, I think the Octopad benefits far outweigh my minor nitpicking. Especially for the low cost of one. It’s less than most of my memory cards. It’s a great alternative camera mount and the perfect mount for on location video lights.
