At only $99.00, the TrekPod II gives you affordable stabilization to get the toughest shots. The new TrekPod II is our lowest priced TrekPod and we’ve made it an even sweeter deal by throwing in a free MagMount STAR quick release ball head and a rugged carry-case that fits airline carry-on.

It all comes together in our new environmentally friendly packaging.

The new TrekPod II 3-in-1 monopod, tripod & hiking staff

Lightweight, Sturdy, Adjustable and Packable
The new TrekPod II with brushed nickel finish weighs only 28 ounces but can support 200 pounds as a hiking staff. As a hiking staff and monopod, the TrekPod II adjusts from 43 inches to 62.5 inches as a monopod and hiking staff modes. In tripod mode the TrekPod II telescopes from 39 inches to 57.5 inches. The TrekPod II breaks down into two pieces and fits in the rugged travel case, that is now included.

TrekPod II in use as a monopod

Built for Speed - Includes the MagMount Quick Release Ball Head
The TrekPod II now includes the new, the MagMount STAR Ball Head, a $30.00 value. The MagMount STAR ball head is Trek-Tech’s patented quick release system that mounts point & shoot, video camera and DSLRs in a fraction of a second and easily adapts to ¼-20 and 3/8-16 mounting studs.

Quickly mount cameras, DSLRs and video cameras with the MagMount STAR ball head

The MagMount STAR is a full featured ball head with an innovative quick release system that uses powerful earth magnets and a rotating locking arm to securely attach cameras as large as the Canon 5D, Nikon D300, or Pentax K20. SD and CompactFlash memory cards can be used safely because these storage devices are immune to magnetic fields.

More than Camera Stabilization
A TrekPod II can makes a great light stand to support flashes, strobes, speed lights and other lights.

I met Daniel last month in Portland at an exhibit of his Wild Image Project photography. Daniel is a photographer and adventurer who is traveling the world and photographing the earth’s last truly wild places, mostly from his kayak. This interview will give you a deeper understanding of his passion for the project and his vision of blending art, environmental activism and adventure.

In preparation for the next leg of his journey, Daniel is giving the carbon fiber TrekPod XL monopod/tripod/hiking staff a shakeout for use with his DSLR. He’s planning on using an Optera flexible tripod to mount his point shoot camera that he uses to shoot video of his experiences.

Let’s face it we needed it. So here it is. It does a much better job of showing of the Trek-Tech line and our emerging web community.

We’d like you to join us on Twitter (@trektech) and join the TrekPodders group on Flickr.

And we’re always putting up new videos on our Trek-Tech YouTube channel including great new videos from the Digital Photo Academy event.

Let us know what you think.

John has photographed such public figures as Harrison Ford, Philip Glass, Valerie Plame Wilson, author Frank McCourt, SEAL, Todd Oldham, David Bowie, Uma Thurman, Mark Morris, Julianne Moore, Kofi Annan, Jessica Simpson, Jazz vocalist Dianne Reeves, Maroon 5, The Black Eyed Peas, the late Kurt Vonnegut and the immortal Evel Knievel.

John is an instructor at the Digital Photo Academy who participated in the Trek-Tech Trek New York photo walk. Here’s his take away after giving his new Trek-Tech gear a workout.

“Everything in photography is a compromise, but in some cases, you need a specific tripod. The best case tripod is a light, rugged, versatile, relatively inexpensive tripod with a decent height range. This is where the Trek-Tech products fit nicely. Using high strength materials and quality manufacturing techniques, Trek-Tech has managed to minimize weight, yet still offer height and versatility in a well built, rugged system. The tripods also disassemble, which makes them compact, and fit nicely in the location bags provided.

The Trek-Tech GO! Pro has collapsible legs, which are a nice feature on a Monopod. Ordinarily, when using a Monopod, you need to lay the camera down in the dirt, or rest it on something, to retrieve a filter out of your bag. With the Trek Tech system, you simply set your foot on the GO! Pro leg, thereby keeping the camera and lens aloft, and freeing up both hands to mount a filter (or eat lunch).

Sometimes, when working in tight spaces, there is no room to situate a tripod. No matter how you try, you can’t find room for the legs and still get the camera in the right position. With the Trek-Tech GO! Tripod, the legs are quite a bit smaller, as is the footprint, and it fits great where a conventional tripod would not.

My favorite piece of Trek-Tech gear is the T-Pod - their small, rugged, table-top tripod. It’s great for those times when you didn’t bring a tripod, and discover you needed one. Or when you’re packing really light. The T-Pod is now a permanent addition to my camera bag.

I also like the fact that the Trek-Tech system is compatible. You can take parts from the T-Pod and attach them to the GO! Pro, if you need to add an extra foot of height. You can set up a camera anywhere, between a few inches off the ground up to 6 ft, a range usually not possible in one tripod. This makes the system flexible, which is what location shooting is all about.

The Optimount is a very useful gadget. It has a universal mount that can be attached just about anywhere. Sure, you can attach it to the GO! Tripod to achieve a lower camera position, but you can also easily and quickly attach it to a chair, a table, scaffolding, tree branch, car door or roof rack (the possibilities are endless). It’s so small, you can toss it in your bag and not worry about hauling extra weight, but it’s there when you need it.”

A few weeks ago the Trek-Tech team attended our third PRO Show in Palm Springs. Every year we look forward to the excitement of showing off the Trek-Tech line and the candid, collaborative discussions with PRO dealers that give us new insights into our products, our business and the industry.

Professional Research Organization (PRO) is a 131 member organization of specialty photo retailers with more than 400 retail locations across the US. For more than 50 years, the knowledgeable members of the PRO organization have been at the forefront of photography gear.

Trek-Tech was approved as an official vendor-partner in 2007 and we’re proud to be associated with the PRO team. They are among the best equipped retailers and their staff can give you a hands on demonstration of the Trek-Tech line of camera stabilization gear.

A great way to experience Trek-Tech gear is to visit a PRO dealer. You can find the PRO shop closest to you here.

A sweet video from the instructors who led the Digital Photo Academy’s New York Trek-Tech Trek.

Jeff Revell the PhotoWalkPro - Photograph by Robert Klimkiewicz, Jr

Jeff Revell, the PhotoWalkPro, gave the TrekPod GO! Pro a workout on his Washington, DC stint of the Worldwide Photo Walk. He just published a review and it’s making us blush.

You can read Jeff’s whole review but here’s his bottom line: “The Trek-Tech TrekPod Go! Pro is an incredibly versatile piece of photo equipment that will really come in handy for anyone that enjoys hiking and photography.”

“There are three kick-butt features that really make the TrekPod unique.  First off, there’s the quick-release system. The system is fast, secure, and incredibly solid.

The quick-release system is perched on another great feature of the TrekPod, a ballhead.  The big problem with most monopods is that you have to tilt the staff to aim your camera.  With the ballhead, you simply turn the lever on the side to loosen the ball and then point your camera at your subject and re-tighten the lever.  I use a ballhead on most of my tripods and having it on the TrekPod just adds a new level of functionality to the system.

Okay, so the quick-release and the ball head are pretty cool but this last feature is what really caught my eye and made this a piece of equipment that I would definitely take on a photowalk.  On the bottom segment of the staff is a piece of Velcro that, when released, let me spread out a small set of tripod legs that supported the rest of the pod and let me use it for my group shot.  See, I hate carrying a tripod on photowalks because the only time I use it is for the group shot.  Having these small legs on the bottom of the pod kept it functional as a stand-alone support for my camera and still useful as a walking stick/monopod.

The Trek-Tech TrekPod Go! Pro is an incredibly versatile piece of photo equipment that will really come in handy for anyone that enjoys hiking and photography.  The quick-release system allows for quick and easy transformation from walking staff to monopod and back again.  When deployed, the tripod legs add a huge measure of stability to the staff and, while not as flexible as a full-blown tripod, it is usable for situations where you need more stability or even a group shot of your photowalk group.  The TrekPod Go! Pro is available directly from Trek-Tech for $229.99.  If you have been considering purchasing a monopod, or even a hiking staff, you should give some serious consideration to the TrekPod Go!”

Thanks for the kind words Jeff.

Wimberley Clamp Mount and Trek-Tech T-Pod

Here’s a belated follow-up to Thomas who has a question about using the Optera 460 flexible tripod with his Wimberley Clamp Systems.

Thomas, you can use your Wimberley with an Optera. You just need to create some clearance.

The Trek-Tech MagMount Pro quick relase ball head works with any 1/4-in. 20 or 3/8-in. stud. The trick is to match the spacing with your camera. The typical Wimberly user is using a big camera with a big telephoto lens.

The Wimberley Head is a specialized tripod head for telephoto lenses. Its gimbal-type design allows you to rotate your lens around its center of gravity and thus easily manipulate very large lenses. Since its introduction in 1991, the Wimberley Head has become the industry standard for serious nature photographers.

Wimberly Clamp System

Ken Baehr, a wildlife photographer in Alaska, has come up with a clever solution to matching a Wimberly to the Trek-Tech gear using the Trek-Tech T-Pod.

“I really like my Wimberley Tripod Head for use with collared lenses.  However, if I want to shoot a shorter lens, it is difficult to use the Wimberley Head.  I have to bring another tripod with a standard ball head or at least another ball head.  Switching back and forth is a pain.   When I am out hiking in Denali National Park, or someplace similar, that is a problem.  The TPod offered me a solution.

I attached the Tpod to a standard camera plate from Really Right Stuff.  It is light.  The change over is quick and easy, and the TPod raises the camera above the tilt swivel point and gives me the ability to pan in a 360 degree arc.  The TPod is sturdy enough for short lenses and I get to eliminate 8 pounds of gear from my backpack”

You can see the picture of his set-up at the top of the post.