Owners of the Nikon D2X are advised to steer clear unless they have exceptional wrist strength.

in his other hand to take the photo of themselves using it?

So, instead of asking a passer-by to take your picture and risk having a little rapscallion away with your camera or purposely take a useless photograph (sorry to whoever I've done that to) you get to look like a twat. Fantastic.

"wonk"

This is the most ridiculous thing I have seen since I last had a bath. It's the kind of thing Wile E Coyote might order from ACME. I envisage tourists putting their camera on the end of the pole, holding out the pole, and then, POOF!, a fleet-footed thief runs past, and the camera is gone. Leaving behind a small cloud of dust and some whizz lines.

Anyway, the photographer's hand wobbles will be magnified so much that the camera will shake like mad. Perhaps it might be useful for flash photography. Or the porn business.

Pole photoragphy has been around for ages. There are even flickr groups dedicated to it. But none of these tiny pole, more like 20ft ones...

Chindogu (the art of Japanese "un-useless" inventions) claims prior art on this one. I could have sworn I saw this exact same invention in a certain book I read years ago :)

http://www.amazon.com/Bento-Unuseless-Japanese-Inventions-More/dp/customer-reviews/0393326764

"* Self-portrait camera stick - a 57-cm telescoping pole which allows young and apparently shy couples to take pictures of themselves without having to bother passing strangers. The only sacrifice is the constant appearance of the pole in every shot. "

OK, this one's longer, but same idea.

As a former professional photog and instructor, my immediate thought at seeing this device was "why didn't I think of this?". It may be "silly", but getting yourself into a frame (along with your mates) is a key to adding the veracity of "being there" to an image. The only cameras I have that allow me to add myself at arm's length to an image are my old Minox "B" and my phone camera - not much of a choice really.

In a more serious use note, this can also be used to get our camera above the crowd for tough shots (like capturing Junior's opening a big present at a birthday party, or getting a good shot at a "perp walk"). Add one of the new cameras that has an integral remote control shutter, and you've got an excellent pocket tool for getting those tough shots at press conferences, live events, etc.

At US$25 this should be in every serious photographer's gadget bag.

Where's me coat: I'm on my way to the camera store...

Can anyone tell me where to get one in the UK?

Looks like it would be great to use with a video camera for boardsports to get an on-board looking at the rider shot, carrying a stick around would be a pain but a collapsible one would be ideal!

Bet they are like £25 over here though :(

Since all walls, cars and any other objects which would allow placing a camera of approximately shoulder height were outlawed under the Blair regime, I've been looking for somewhere to put my camera when self-shooting.

I used to ask other people to take a picture for me, but since the war on terror began, I've been afraid to talk to anyone in case they explode.

Why hasn't the baby got eye sun protection. Shame on you parents.

Well, you still have the big problem of framing the shot correctly. Even bigger now that every attempt involves collapsing the stick each time. Plus the camera angle errors will be exagerated over the longer distance (pole compared to arm).

I guess you could put the display on the lens side, but it'd have to be a big and bright one to be usefully visible at the distance.

Another option, I guess, would be to buy a second pole and put a mirror on it, to help you frame the shot using the display on the back of the camera.

Finally a point to those Nordic Walking sticks!

Isn't that what walls are for?

So it's a monopod? Hardly the newest invention I've ever heard of.

What's next - the wheel?

"I pity the fool!"

Who on earth would buy this? You can't even see the photo you're taking!

Get your cameras here!

Cameras on a stick, get 'em while they're fresh.

Good to see CMOT Dibbler back so soon.

erm, doesn't hand-holding at the end of a pole increase camera shake?

what was the most ridiculous thing that u saw when u had a bath ??

I suppose if you kept the angle of the pole to 45 degrees or steeper it wouldn't be too bad to use. Shame you'd pretty much have to take a series of photos in order to ensure that you had the damn thing pointed in the right direction for the shot in the one of them.

Ah, paid for advertorials. Now where's the link to the bribe levels of the vulture?

"what was the most ridiculous thing that u saw when u had a bath ??"

The humour comes from what is not said - I could be talking about a silly shampoo bottle, or I could be talking about something rude. It's an ambiguous multiple entendre.

You will find this at I want one of those dot com branded as Quik Pod. go to http://www.iwantoneofthose.com/searchSite.do?Query=camera+pole

No I do not have one as I too noticed the problem potential of misdirection and camera shake.

Lionel, Nottingham

Why not just carry a mirror around on a stick! That way you can get continuous satisfaction.

I'm off to the patent office ...

Anti terrorist bods already use this to look for bombs under cars etc. & dentists use it to look for...... lots of money.

ohh thank goodness its that ambiguous multiple entendre(sic) thing... for a moment i was wondering if u seen a mirror.. :)

Brett, so I hold this above my at a press conference with a Canon 1D and say a 35-350?

Hope the person underneath is wearing a crash helmet