We don’t feature a lot of tripods on PetaPixel because, frankly, once you’ve seen one you’ve just about seen them all. That’s not to say that tripods don’t vary hugely in both build quality and functionality, just that it doesn’t really make headlines when Manfrotto comes out with their newest model.

Giotto’s newest creation, however, has made headlines. Not because it’s made out of any new super-strength material. Not even because it sports some crazy design that makes it much sturdier or steadier. No, the Silk Road YTL tripod has gotten attention because of one small design alteration that makes it 30% smaller when it’s broken down. Read more…

The Giottos Rocket is a popular tool used by photographers to remove dust from cameras and glass, but if you’re in love with yours, you might want to think twice about flying with it. Reddit user gynoceros found out the hard way that some TSA airport screeners aren’t too enthusiastic about the Rocket’s shape. He writes,

FYI — If you attempt to fly with a Giottos Rocket Blower (you know, rubber bulb you squeeze to force air down a nozzle to blow dust off your sensor — no metal, no moving parts), the TSA may confiscate it because it “looks like a bomb”, no questions asked.

Just f**king happened to me in Newark. I knew I’d get robbed in Newark one day.

To be fair, it does have an uncanny resemblance to “Fat Man“…

Image credit: Rocket Power by Adam Mulligan