If not mistaken, I paid just over $200 for the tripod and "Demon" ball head, including an excellent case. Once removed, new rubber feet are placed onto the tripod. I dont expect anyone to be feeling buyers remorse with these tripods, and I do expect Peak Design to make some fans of their products for life. The Gitzo is 35% stiffer and benefits from a standard ball head. The opening of the legs is similar as you can in one motion, open the cam locks, extend out the single leg, and lock. The carbon version costs $599.95 and weighs 1307g in the standard configuration. The Peak Design will fit and leave plenty of room for whatever crap I need to pack. By installing a reducer bushing into the 3/8 16 thread on the base of your ball head, you can then attach the included Peak Design tripod plate onto the head and directly mount it to the built-in ball head of the tripod. I tend to concur with your review. I honestly dont really know why people suddenly forgot how to choose the right tripod, but I had enough conversations like this to know it is a thing. The Peak Design Travel Tripod raised an incredible $12million on Kickstarter when it was launched. Most unique feature is 3 legged center column that can act as its own tripod. In this review, we will discuss all the features and performance of the Travel Tripod, as well as comparing the carbon version with the aluminium version, and examining all the available accessories. I recommend it over the Peak Design. The tripod Im reviewing today appeared on Kickstarter in 2019, and of all the companys products so far, it has generated the most interest among the public. Thats a weight saving of 307g for the price increase of $250. A key feature on the Peak Design Tripod is the speed at which you can extend the legs. For sure this is on me for not tightening up the ball head more, but it's really not the easiest thing. Thats one dollar per gram you save! The origins of Peak Design can be traced back to 2011 when Peter Dering founded it after a 4-month trip around the world. And there could very well be a case one day when I want to do such a thing myself. It rises to 60 (150 cm) which is very impressive for a tripod that packs down to just 15.4 (39 cm). Fitter, younger photographers might not bat an eyelid at an extra 300g, but you certainly will feel that difference on a long day of hiking as you get older. Theyre fine, I guess, but I wish they were sharper. Any recommendation on the ball head? These are the questions you will have to ask yourself, and the answers will be personal. Also, the 50mm f/1.2 has a manual focus design, capable of focusing as close as 1.6' away, and a 10-blade diaphragm that contributes to a smooth bokeh quality. And while it lacks some features, it still extends to become almost as tall as the Peak Design tripod and, with that optional short column add-on, retracts to be almost as short as well. And even your own tripod head. If you think you can get by with the height reduction, this is another cool upgrade for your tripod. Please To be clear, Im not a PD hater. By admin | 26/07/2022. There are many other tripods on the market that are more stable than the Peak Design Travel Tripod, but they are heavier and larger 2-series or 3-series designs. The Aluminum version of the tripod costs $349.85 and weighs 1613g in the standard configuration. Duffel Bags. What I started to notice, though, is that a lot of people were considering this tripod when it was clearly not the right choice for them. You can use these weights to give a much more accurate comparison to any other tripods you might be considering. document.getElementById("ak_js_1").setAttribute("value",(new Date()).getTime()); document.getElementById("ak_js_2").setAttribute("value",(new Date()).getTime()); I have looked a couple of times to the Peak Design tripod. Looking forward to seeing it live. This means you save 126g by removing the ball head, but of course, you then need to find a ball head of your own to install. When everything is locked down tight the tripod is very stable. After going through a similar exercise recently I settled on the Leofoto LS-284C with a Sirui K-10x ballhead and couldn't be happier. It is as pricey as a Gitzo Mountaineer/Traveler, (and not as stiff,) however, its unique design allows it to be far more compact than . Joby Gorillapod or Ulanzi Camera Stand? Comparing Peak Design Carbon Fiber Travel Tripod vs Benro . If needed, the stiffness of each lever can be fine-tuned with the included hex wrench. This is not to deny its usefulness. I like their heads, not sure about those legs though. This gimbal really is a jack of all trades. (FYI) Have only seen it online and didn't like the design. In other words, for every gram of weight you save, you spend an extra 83cents! For what it's designed for it's excellent. Your own goals need to line up with the tripod designers goals for this to be the right purchase for you. Several table-top tripods. The legs are nice. Youre getting a lot of clever design for your money here, and there are fewer competitive products. The package includes the tripod, a handy neoprene soft case, a hex wrench, and a bushing removal tool for maintenance. The stock head doesn't allow for. The gitzo gt1555t is about on par with the peak design- wider but shorter- I'd call it a draw overall although the gitzo head is superior in usability but overall dimensions are wider. But keep in mind that the Peak Design tripod is intended primarily as a travel model. Even some typos are fine for me. Controls for the head are simple. The quick-release plate also works with Peak Design's Capture Clip carrying system. To jump into a new segment of the market with such a unique design, and do it so successfully, is very impressive. Thankfully, the Peak Design Tripod, despite being one of the tiniest tripods I've ever used, it's also surprisingly tall. Tel. The biggest plus to the tripod is that it folds down small. For years, traditional tripods have suffered from needless bulk and wasted space. Larger 2 or 3-series tripods are more stable than any travel tripod. Much like the multitool, Peak Design has also gone to great lengths to make a good tripod bag. Every time I write about or even mention the word tripod in conversation to someone, the same question always follows: How does it compare to the Peak Design Travel Tripod?. The Anchor System allows a strap to be quickly disconnected, so you can swap it from the tripod to the tripod bag in a few seconds if need be. The four levers are positioned one over the other, so you use four fingers simultaneously to loosen them. Its one of the best travel tripods ever. If you need a tripod that takes up as little space as possible then Peak Design has an extremely compelling product. Compare Benro MeFoto GlobeTrotter Carbon Fiber Travel Tripod Kit Black vs Peak Design Carbon Fiber Travel Tripod vs Gitzo GT2545T Series 2 Traveler Carbon Fiber . Most of them tend to use one of the smaller versions of Benro carbon fiber tripods when they're having to hike longer distances or they bite the bullet and take their big tripods with them. With the stopper screws in place (shown in the photo below) only the supplies Peak Design tripod plate will work. The PD is one of the stiffest tripods for its size. Again, it isn't the easiest to lock down. Theres also a small lever that locks the jaws of the head to prevent accidental release of your camera. When you've adjusted the angle of the ball head you have to spin a wheel along its horizontal surface to lock it in place. Unlike the Universal Head Adapter, its unlikely to be a configuration that you use all the time. These will snap into the ground like the spikes of an ice pick, potentially increasing the tripods stability. Caveat: I mostly use it for landscape, nightscapes and cityscapes with relatively light mirrorless cameras and bodies. Several reviewers agree with you that it is a much better value and is more stable. The tripod is fitted with rubber feet as standard. This helps to keep the collapsed length of the tripod down, but it means that you have to extend the centre column about an inch before you can adjust the angle of the tripod head. window.__mirage2 = {petok:"UUtxcX0A28JS6Grxm6.PIDJQ7dJ4JezLjiPedqPBFRs-86400-0"}; From a speed perspective, the Peak Design Travel Tripod blows the competition out of the water. Instead of using traditional cylindrical legs, Peak Design sought to shape the leg in such a way that the centre column would be nested closely within the folded legs. Shop By Brand. It's an inch shorter folded but you get roughly 5" less in height when the column is fully extended. I measured that it takes about 15 seconds to unfold the tripod completely. The light weight is a blessing. His editorial work has been featured in publications all over the world, and his commercial clients include brands such as Nike, Apple, Adobe and Red Bull. This makes them on in soft mud or loose gravel, but not a lot of use on ice or smooth rock. MSRP $599.99 $649.95 at Amazon. Hopefully answered those questions you had. So, do you save 300+ grams of weight on your total carrying load, or, does carrying the carbon version of the tripod allow you the capacity to carry an extra lens in your bag that you might otherwise have left at home? His passion is birds. My guess is that Peak Design would strongly recommend not disassembling the head and it provides no drawings of the heads inner mechanism. Excellently, Id say. It has none of those twisting locks that can be troublesome and difficult to lock. If so, it would be interesting to hear what your other choices are and what you use most? They share a maximum height of 152 cm (60 inches) when the center column is raised, and 130 cm (51 inches) when its not. Yeah its a crazy number isnt it! The Peak Design Travel Tripod is available in two versions, and then there are further options to adapt the tripod by adding accessories or removing unnecessary parts. An alarming number of people have asked me whether this tripod can replace all their tripods, or replace things like a 3-series Gitzo tripod, and of course there the answer is no. I have larger tripods in my closet but I do keep coming back to this one when Im packing my bag and feeling it getting heavier and heavier. In this effort they have been spectacularly successful, but they cannot operate outside the laws of physics. It can hold its own against the much more expensive Gitzo Traveller and the RRS TFC-14/TVC-14. If you like our content, you can subscribe to our newsletter to receive weekly email updates using the link below. I have both tripods. I was considering this until I came across Heipi. After some time, most of them have been collecting dust in a dark corner although I have been able to sell some of them. I have chosen a very lightweight head in the form of the Acratech GXP, and this gives me full-sized ball head controls and a 50lb load limit. For Peak Design gear I always recommend buying directly. For people with very lightweight mirrorless camera setups, its possible for this to be your only tripod. Again, an absolutely astounding value. The PD is super small when collapsed, but a bit flimsier as a trade off and the Gitzo is a lot longer collapsed, but of course will be stronger. If your budget can stretch to it, I think the carbon version is worth the extra money for the weight savings. I would also prefer a more positive locking mechanism for the legs than the twisting rings. Again, there is no magic here. //