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Posted August 25, 2014 by Amy in Accessories
 
 

POP Scope Review

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When life pops out at you, you’ll need the perfect accessory to get it all immortalized on film.

Not real film, of course. Most photos and video nowadays is done by smart phone, and why not? Your phone is small, portable, and always with you – it’s so simple to snap pics and upload them to your social media outlet of choice, all in one quick process. The one con of taking pictures with your phone is that it can be really difficult to get just the right shot, especially if you’re shooting alone.

The POP Scope is a device created with just such a dilemma in mind. It’s basically a small, brightly colored tripod that is designed to snugly hold your smartphone in place so you can get just the right shot. It comes in your choice of colors – red, gray, blue, green, and gold – and has a nice jewel tone to it that immediately catches your eye. To use it, you simply insert your mobile device into the clamp at the top of the device. Don’t worry, it’s coated with rubber grips so as not too damage your precious phone. The grip is designed to hold a variety of devices, case on or off, and so it uses a screw-in clamp to hold them firmly in place. On the one hand, it does give you a lot of leeway as to which devices you can use, but users need to be careful in positioning the phone so as to get it snug enough to hold tight even when being swung around to tape, but not so tight that you crack your screen by mistake. Once in the clamp, the phone can be positioned at any angle with a quick twist of the neck, making filming yourself a near painless process.

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When not in use the POP Scope is fairly compact, measuring in at just over six inches long. Because of its small size, you can easily stow it in a purse or backpack when you’re on the go. Fully extended, though, it gives you a reach of up to 21 inches. The bottom can be used as a handle, with the top scoping out to give you added reach to get a perfect selfie in any situation. It really is that simple to use, and it works great. With such a long reach, you can film yourself coming and going with ease, reach above your head to film a large group (or just find yourself in a crowd), and easily get a wide shot of everything around you. It’s even better for video shots, as you can pan your phone camera easily without fumbling fingers in the way.

Or, if you want a full length shot, a nice background, or even a nicely staged pic of your whole family, you can quickly turn the POP Scope into a tripod, making a great photo as easy as saying cheese for the camera. It’s designed to be used with a photo timer app (and you can find plenty of those for free in the app store). Again, the scope can be extended for more height, or kept short for a quick in close shot (or angle your phone down for a “hands on” video of art, building, or whatever else you want to film up close). To engage the tripod, simple pull down on the rubber grips on the bottom of the handle. The tripod legs will pop out and into position easily. Line up your shot, engage the timer, and it’s an instant photo booth – and a lot of fun.

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Overall, I found the POP Scope to be a well made product at a reasonable price – and it certainly fills a niche in today’s film obsessed world. Whether you want to line up the perfect shot for your family Christmas cards, pull off the best selfie shot in your social group, or set up how-to films with ease, you won’t be disappointed in this handy and portable little monopod/tripod hybrid. The POP Scope is currently being funded via Kickstarter. You can check it out (and put in your order) here.


Amy

 
U.S. Senior Editor & Deputy EIC, @averyzoe on Twitter, mother of 5, gamer, reader, wife to @macanthony, and all-around bad-ass (no, not really)