When the folks at Geekoto approached me about testing a tripod, at first I was flattered. However, later I was actually a little scared because I wondered what I would do if it just wasnāt very good? Then what? I decided that if it wasn’t very good I’d send it back with a polite, “thanks but no thanks.” Fortunately, that wasnāt the case as this tripod was quickly a pleasant surprise! Out of the box, the Geekoto X25 Defender tripod appeared to be a very sturdy aluminum alloy construction and surprisingly well-built considering it cost much less than my current
tripod. I had everything needed to get started including a tripod plate, an allen wrench to tighten down parts, and even a decent carrying bag. Immediately, everything on the X25 Defender was easy to understand; if youāve used any name brand tripod youāll understand every feature instantly from the leveling bubble to securing the legs; everything makes sense. My attention was draw to features and quality that scream this thing should cost more than $150! All the moving parts are smooth and everything locks down well with no drift in the ball head when you clamp it down for a shot. Even the plastic on X25 doesnāt seem cheaply built! While Iāve only had it for a few weeks, it does look like it will stand the test of time. These are just my initial observations, everything about this tripod looks very promising.
When I took it out shooting I noticed that my height of 5 foot 9 inches tall, this thing extends beyond my height out to 75 inches. That said, like any tripod, the higher you extend it the less stable it becomes. This tripod does as well as any other here, possibly better. However, itās more stable if 
you extend the thinner legs last and go as high you can without raising the center. On this day I wanted to see if the X25 Defender could handle a heavier load so I put a Tamron 150-600 G2 lens on my Canon 6D for a weight of about 6 pounds and extended everything out and it was surprisingly sturdy (photo at left)! I wouldn’t recommend using this setup in extreme wind, but the point is that for every day use this tripod does a great job, but it can handle more. If it can handle this bulky setup, I think it proves one aspect of its versatility. One other feature worth discussing, the X25 Defender converts to a monopod as well! When shooting I sometimes consider whether to bring a tripod or not, at times a monopod is just more practical so I then have decide tripod or monopod? With this Geekoto tripod both options are readily available, very cool indeed!
In my opinion, this Geekoto tripod is much better than most travel tripods Iāve owned. When Iām at home I carry my carbon fiber tripod as itās much more stable, however, it takes up way too much space when flying. This tripod is somewhere between that tripod you have at home but canāt carry and the travel tripod you pack on trips because it fits in your luggage.
The important item here, thereās not much compromising with this tripod, oh and it’s rated to hold 22 pounds! This is a great entry-level tripod or an excellent travel tripod and frankly, Iāve paid more money for travel tripods that werenāt as nice as this one! All in all, the Geekoto X25 Defender packs a lot of punch with a 360 degree panoramic ball joint combined with a center tube that also swivels 360 degrees allowing you to set this tripod up in just about any conceivable angle. At the bottom of the center tube is a clip to hang a weight such as a camera bag, something my big name tripod doesn’t even have! Oh did I mention it has a monopod build in? That’s bang for the bucks!
Like camera bags, no tripod is perfect, there were a couple of minor things that I personally wish were different but nothing that would be a deal break. For instance, I prefer lever locks on the legs, it’s easier to visualize if they’re locked or not. Also, the lockdown nut for the center tube at the base of the tripod, I’d prefer a screw type mechanism. Neither of these are the end of the world, just a personal thing… All in all I beleive this tripod should last a long time if properly cared for and not abused. You can purchase your Geekoto Defender at Geekoto.com or Amazon.com for just $149.98, that’s about one quarter of what I spent my current tripod. The Geekoto X25 Defender is a great bargain and solid tripod, I would gladly recommend this to anyone not wanting to spend a fortune yet wanting quality. My plan is to keep using if for a while and maybe write more in the future. Everything about using this tripod was a positive experience and I look forward to seeing Geekoto’s future offerings. Thank you Geekoto for this great opportunity!
* Photos of me were taken by my daughters Amanda and Melinda Chizek.
posting live on Instagram than posting photos at times. Ā I haveĀ even created anĀ 
singing was the reason for the photo, there was something else that made it special, it was my other daughter’s reaction! Ā Another time, Memorial Day 2018, we went to a national cemetery in Virginia, down the road from where our house so I could shoot some stock shots. Ā Since we were going just a few minute away, I grabbed my camera only, something I rarely do. Ā When we arrived at the cemetery, it was with a dead battery… Ā but a fully charged iPhone. Ā My wife suggested I take some photos with my iPhone, reluctantly, that’s what I did. Ā Some of those iPhone shots were accepted as stock and have actually sold! Ā The photo at right, called 
The photo at the top of this page, called 
Casey and she spotted the baseball. Ā She was holding it up in to the sun; subject, moment, lighting, check! Ā Camera? At home, except for the iPhone in my pocket, again the iPhone in my pocket did more good than the DSLR at home in the bag. Ā The photo of our daughters at right, 
artistic overlays, vignettes, and many other effects to add to an iPhone shot. Ā I’ve been using MacPhun software on my Mac for a couple of years now and they make a great product. Ā The interface, seen at left, is very straightforward and easy to use. Ā However, the BIG downside is that it’s a pricey app coming in at $7.99 and while it comes with a few of filters, most have to be purchased as add ons. Ā So even though it’s a great app, if you don’t shoot with an iPhone often there may not be enough here for you to shell out $8… Ā Next up, to make up for that really pricey last app is one that everyone should have on their phone,Ā 
you tell it whether or not to back up on cellular data or wifi, and it goes to work whenever you open the app. Ā This way it won’t be slowing your phone down while you’re doing important stuff like watching 
I never change a plate or anything on my camera bottom and haven’t for years. Ā Whoah!!! Squirrel!!! Ā Whoops, back to camera bags… Ā Everything changed while living in Virginia after visitingĀ 
While this was originally for anti-theft purposes, a savvy thief couldĀ understand that high-end camera bag labels likely protect high end camera gear. Ā However, this has also makes it a little more difficult selling a bag online. Ā People want to know it’s an original when they buy it, good luck selling them now, with no label right? Ā I’ve cut up a military style gear tag, in orange like the one at the right, and placed it over the main label with epoxy. Ā It’s not coming off anytime soon… Ā Not only does it cover the label, it makes the bag stick out slightly so it would be very easy to spot if someone grabbed it in a crowd (photo at the top). Ā Again, it’s worked for me.
I was living in Italy and shooting with film was crazy expensive, plus I was a really crappy shooter. To save money, I sent my film to a company in California, they would develop the film as slides and send them back; it was cheap. Then I could pick out the keepers, send back the slides, and they would return the slides with prints. Why all this? Well, it prevented paying for multiple blurry photos shot with different settings (the crappy shooter thing) but it also took weeks to get prints. At just twenty years old, living in Italy, I wisely chose sell the camera gear and spend the extra cash on Napolitan pizza, pasta, and European beer. In the last years of my Navy career, I took up photography again with a little 
and eventually moved to DSLR’s. This photo of Mount Vesuvius, at right called 
minutes from a half dozen Civil War battlefields, the Smithsonian Museums, near the colonial city of Alexandria, and everything that comes with Washington, DC! The last blog post in September 2017 was 
Since then it has taken off in a big way, it has become a small business. Stock photography is tricky and it’s difficult to know where photos are used unless I search or someone tells me. By the time the blog died in September, I discovered one of my photos had been used on the cover of 
Selling stock photos has been going well this year. Ā However, while most photos for my website make it to the stock sites with logos and trademarks removed, the reverse isn’t true as many stock photos don’t make it to 
Even shapes or designs are trademarked if the design uniquely belongs to a company. Ā Also, just because a company went out of business doesn’t mean someone or somebody doesn’t own the rights. Ā I once createdĀ a carĀ calendar with this photo of a Studebaker Transtar pickup truck grill (right). Ā Studebaker has been out of business for fifty years, my logic was that there was no way someone still held the rights to that. Ā I was wrong, I received a nasty-gram telling me that the Studebaker Museum still owned the rights to the defunct company and my photo had been deleted, end of discussion and lesson learned. Ā Well, there went a month from my car calendar… Ā So just removing logos and trademarks might not be the only thing needed to make your photo legal, if you have people in your photo you’ll need model releases for them as well. Ā I use an app called 
Naples is very unique as it’s not uncommon to see recent history from World War Two standing next to history that is thousands of years old. Ā Below is a photo of the 
While I am concentrating on using more photos for making puzzles, the puzzles themselves in no way drive my photo subjects. Puzzles have sold well so I’m concentrating there for the moment. I stopped selling many other items because merchandise options are now available directly from my website at 
When I received my Everyday Sling, I used it on days I wanted to travel light, usuallyĀ takingĀ my Canon 6D and another lens only to head out somewhere on my bike or walking. Ā For the most part, the rest of the bag really didn’t have much in the pockets. Ā Using the Sling now as my every day carry means that it’s obviously heavier because I nowĀ carry many of the items I used to carry in the Everyday Messenger. Ā Heavier? Yes, but still very manageble and in no way is it uncomfortable. Ā The bag is designed to expand out and away from your body as you add contents, making it still comfortable to carry. Ā I also find myself usuing the adjustable strap more than I did with the Everyday Messenger. Ā The Sling seems to feel better when I wear it high on my back, so when I need the camera I rotate the bag and lower itĀ to get in. Ā Because of the way this bag’s strap is designed it’s almost one smooth movement and takes no extra time. Ā So what are the drawbacks? Ā Well, if you tried this as your main bag and carried something bigger than a mirrorless, or carried 2 or 3 lenses, I don’t think it would fare well. Ā Strapping a tripod to the bottom seems like it could be a it of a pain as well. Ā Don’t get me wrong, this little bag will do it, I just don’t know how comfortable it would be weighing it down so much. Ā Frankly, if you were carrying a regular size DSLR and a couple of lenses, the Everyday Messenger is the better choice anyway.
After four months of carrying the Everyday Sling, I’m comfortable recomending it to mirroress camera owners who are looking for a protective bag for their camera that is full of features. Ā While I still love my 
F8 & š there 