Product Review: The SlingShot
by Tommy Ly
May 17, 2012
Last month, we told you about a Kickstarter project called the SlingShot, which has since surpassed its $20,000 goal. Designed by photographer Charles Waugh, the SlingShot allows you to stabilize photos and videos taken with your phone. Charles was kind enough to send us a pre-production sample of the SlingShot to test and frankly, it rocks (more on that later).
The SlingShot is composed of two pieces: the handle/tripod and the removable cradle that holds your phone. The handle features legs (which will be constructed from spring steel in the final version) that can be pulled out to turn it into a miniature tripod. The cradle is constructed from a flexible, yet resilient type of injection molded resin that allows it to fit pretty much any smartphone. Yup, even those big ol' Android phones if you're into that kind of thing. A threaded brass insert molded into the cradle allows it to mount to the handle, or any other tripod. Now that we've gotten that out of the way, let's see how the SlingShot performs.
The Good
The SlingShot's cradle is genius. It's so simple, yet incredibly versatile. I've gone though more than a handful of tripod mounts for my iPhone, and this blows everything else out of the water. It'll accommodate your phone with or without a case, which already puts it ahead of accessories like the Glif (see our review here). With my phone in the cradle, I gave it a good shake test. I'm happy to say that my phone survived. The rubberized tips on the "wings" of the cradle provide a good amount of grip to your phone.
The handle itself is well executed. It definitely makes recording video a bit easier, but don't expect too much for added video stabilization. Converting it to a tripod is dead simple, as is turning it back into a handle.
The Bad
The final product may be different, but I wish the handle had just a tiny bit more weight to it. With your phone in the SlingShot, the whole thing feels very top heavy. A heavier handle would balance that out, as well as aid (somewhat) with video stabilization.
Verdict
The SlingShot is a must-have accessory if you like shooting a lot of photos and videos with your iPhone. Honestly, the cradle alone is worth the SlingShot's $14 price tag. Plus, it can accommodate any phone, so you'll be in good shape whenever the next generation iPhone is released.
For more information, or to make a pledge (remember: only three days left!), visit Kickstarter. Otherwise, the SlingShot will be available this July from Adorama for $14.95.