You might want to try the flexible gripping tripod from Maxsaver. It has the same specs as the Gorillapod SLR-Zoom, yet is less than $10. I bought one and use it as an additional lightstand for my flashes. Personally, I wouldn't trust it to hold my 50D, battery grip, and 70-200 f/2.8 IS alone--but it might be fine for a little bit of added stability.