There is an outer locking ring which loosens the jaws around the ball and gives you the traditional tilt and roll movements of a ball head. And there could very well be a case one day when I want to do such a thing myself. The problem is that most gimbal heads are quite tall and heavy. RED V-RAPTOR 8K VV Lab Test: Rolling Shutter, Dynamic Range and Latitude - plus Video! If not mistaken, I paid just over $200 for the tripod and "Demon" ball head, including an excellent case. The included ball head weighs 214g and the Universal Head Adapter weighs 88g. On top of the head is a bubble level to help you get a nice level horizon. I'm sure this post doesn't break much new ground but most of the negativity I've seen has been towards the legs and price and not a lot of talk about the ball head. Boasting impressive specs, the tripod height adjusts from 5.5 to 60", folds down to only 15.5", holds up to 20 lb, and is constructed from carbon fiber. I lost the hex wrench after a few weeks. To jump into a new segment of the market with such a unique design, and do it so successfully, is very impressive. They cost $380 and $650 respectively. Your own goals need to line up with the tripod designers goals for this to be the right purchase for you. Plus it offers one more leg angle than either the Gitzo or Peak Design offerings, allowing rather more versatility as to leg placement. By admin | 26/07/2022. The foldable phone holder is cleverly hidden inside the centre column, accessible by rotating and removing the centre columns bottom hook. Features Compatible with most digital cameras With a maximum weight capacity of 20 lbs., this tripod is ideal for mirrorless and compact DSLR cameras. This website is using a security service to protect itself from online attacks. My Oben has a clip on the legs, but I always worry itll come off and I wont notice the keys should go in the center column like the phone adapter. Some lightweight models can do more harm than good, but the Peak Design travel tripod definitely is worth carrying in my bag. I don't have a blog or a Youtube channel to make a review so I figured I'd just do it here. I hate having to bend over to compose and focus. Thats when he introduced his first product, Capture V1, on Kickstarter. Tubular legs take more space but allow for a screwing system that seems more durable. Both tripod and head are very good quality and cost less than the Peak Design. This is an excellent article for those traveling with large, heavy bodies and lenses. I can almost wrap my fingers around the entire tripod, and such a small packed volume makes it a breeze to pack on the side of a camera bag or often inside a camera bag because its simply that small. It is rated for 2 pounds more, but is 5 inches shorter when extended. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. At $349.95 I think the aluminum version of the Travel Tripod is excellent value. Im much happier with this setup than I was when using the included ball head. Add at least two items to compare The spike feet are lighter than the rubber bushes by a few grams, but are incredibly tough and bite without slippage into ice and on rock: the points are quite clever, exposed when the legs are extended at an angle but not so sharp as to snag on fabric. For sure this is on me for not tightening up the ball head more, but it's really not the easiest thing. Add at least two items to compare. A key feature on the Peak Design Tripod is the speed at which you can extend the legs. However, its nice to have the option if you want to do a lot of low-level landscape photography or macro work. No items to compare. When everything is locked down tight the tripod is very stable. Im sure its a good marketing strategy and works well to drive sales but Im inclined to agree. They have free shipping to many places and their customer service team are always on hand to help if you have any problems. I found it to be free from any stability issues. With the stopper screws in place (shown in the photo below) only the supplies Peak Design tripod plate will work. //]]>. PGYTech MantisPod vs Nebula (Best Vlogging Tripod Confirmed) Best iPhone Accessories for Video for Every Budget. Please To be clear, Im not a PD hater. Peak Design also is noteworthy for their limited lifetime guarantee on the tripod, so they definitely trust it to last for many years. For a long time I simply ruled out using a gimbal with a small tripod, but then I came across a new gimbal while I was researching updates for my in-depth guide to the best gimbals on the market. If "fold" length is your primary factor neither Leofoto tripod suggested by sjms is going to beat the Peak or Gitzo. Aluminum construction All other specifications are the same. I purchased just the legs on ebay for $269 and the ballhead on Amazon on a great sale for $99. If you like our content, you can subscribe to our newsletter to receive weekly email updates using the link below. The carbon version costs $599.95 and weighs 1307g in the standard configuration. Additional Ways to Use a 3rd Party Ball Head, The Perfect Gimbal Head for the Peak Design Tripod, in-depth guide to the best gimbals on the market, Peak Design Aluminum Travel Tripod Tripod. Unfortunately not. This clever outside-the-box thinking has truly produced the most compact full-sized travel tripod I have ever seen. Peak Design was laser focused on making the most compact possible, fully featured tripod. Sort: Clear All. 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. Of course, if you already use one of these on your camera, you can quickly disconnect that and use it on the tripod, too. I tend to concur with your review. Peak Design's latest offering is one of the more expensive travel tripods I've seen, but it's well-built, compact, and as cleverly designed as you'd expect. Perhaps an extremely long multi-day hike. I recommend using an L-bracket instead of a conventional plate, because otherwise, there are some restrictions on the range of movements once you flip the head vertically. Comparing Peak Design Carbon Fiber Travel Tripod vs Benro . Determine which plate you have. In this effort they have been spectacularly successful, but they cannot operate outside the laws of physics. The standard head works with arca swiss plates out of the box. A good tripod can be an essential tool for the traveling photographer, but when you're on the go size matters. I wouldnt go for a tripod thats much lighter than this one from Peak Design, at the given height. As someone who is 74 tall (188cm), it's not quite tall enough for me to put my eye to the viewfinder. Theres also a small lever that locks the jaws of the head to prevent accidental release of your camera. Nikon Z 9 N-RAW Lab Test (FW 3.00) - Rolling Shutter, Dynamic Range and Latitude. Its not just Gitzo thats worth considering. As such, the actual weight of the tripod isnt going to be that clear from the single specified weight on the PD website. I have some of their stuff and theres lots of other products of theirs I would want to buy if I had the money, but this tripod has never been one of them and I dont understand everyone wetting their pants over it. Quick, easy, and frustration-free claims. Due to this media attention, more photographers than ever are aware of this tripod and I have received vastly more questions about it than any other tripod or piece of support equipment. Its definitely worth a look if you have a store near you, or a friend that has one. When you consider purchasing a travel tripod of any type, this lower maximum height is another thing that needs consideration. Im glad you are getting on well with the built-in head. Disclaimer: The tripod was provided at no cost for this review. 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. The key is to know the tripodslimitations. Cheung compares the carbon fiber versions of. It might not be that bad if the knob was bigger or had a flat part that you could put pressure on it to tighten it down, but you adjust it as if you were setting the time on an analog watch. Again, an absolutely astounding value. In practical conditions I rarely have more than 1kg on the tripod so why was I worrying about it? From a speed perspective, the Peak Design Travel Tripod blows the competition out of the water. But before you rush out to buy one, I must once again underline my earlier point about the general nature of travel tripods. Create an account to follow your favorite communities and start taking part in conversations. The Travel Tripod is perhaps more fairly compared to the higher-end Gitzo Traveler series, which retails for up to $1,000. If you need a tripod that takes up as little space as possible then Peak Design has an extremely compelling product. The Peak Design will fit and leave plenty of room for whatever crap I need to pack. However, a standard ball head will give you the benefits of a proper 90-degree drop notch for portrait shooting, as well as a panning base foe panoramic photography. Shop By Brand. Peak Design again comes close with its travel tripod and while it is smaller and has a unique. So this just comes down to what I was saying earlier: Travel Tripods always have compromises. The Peak Design Travel Tripod features five-section aluminum or carbon fiber legs with quick-release latches. With the ballhead, the Sirui is a bit heavier (1,6kg) but this comes at a fraction of the price of the Peak Design tripod. Optional accessories also include stainless steel spikes or the aforementioned ultralight conversion kit (both $30). And you can attach Peak Design anchors to use the mount with Peak Design straps . Just by way of example, my beloved Sony 20mm f/1.8 G lens weighs 370g, and there are lots of other small lenses out there that have weights in that range. These are the questions you will have to ask yourself, and the answers will be personal. Something similar can be said of most of the other higher-end carbon fiber companies out there today, like FLM, RRS, and many others. That being said, there are a lot of great tripods that are cheap(er than the PD) and really stiff, like the Leofoto LS-224C, the CTC Centennial 2 Aluminum, and the new FLM tripods. The gimbal in question is the Fotopro E-6H. It rises to 60 (150 cm) which is very impressive for a tripod that packs down to just 15.4 (39 cm). Thanks for adding your comments, Tim. Several times I've noticed my camera (a Fuji XT-2 with the 18-55 lens) slowly slipping down. The latching mechanism for the quick release is fine. This means you can shoot straight up into the night sky, straight down for macro work, or simply fold it downwards to make your tripod more compact for travel. I have bought a more conventional head and a L bracket. I thought the small ball head would be more likely to slip but you know you have to put a ridiculous amount of weight on it for that to happen and even then, only if it's at a wonky angle. Looking forward to seeing it live. No wildlife photography with long and heavy lenses. Required fields are marked*. You need universal head adapter to use other tripod heads (Libor shows that he used his gimbal with it). Gitzo GT1545/2545T leg height position question: 5: Shout Out To PayBoo' Most bookmarked in this forum. One of the main selling points of this tripod is the minimization of dead space. I measured that it takes about 15 seconds to unfold the tripod completely. Perhaps in the next $12M pre-order V2 by PD! If you did this it would be a very expensive tabletop tripod. The quick-release plate also works with Peak Design's Capture Clip carrying system. The backpack strap mount is amazing. When designing the quick release mechanism on our Travel Tripod, a top criteria was to make sure it functioned well with all the plates that Peak Design has made over the years. Several reviewers agree with you that it is a much better value and is more stable. When averaged out, it earned a rating of 9.0 out of 10, which is much better than the 7.6 review average of Tripods in general. I am amazed there was $12M of total business out there for new travel tripods thats what 4000 pre-orders from increasingly rare animals (photographers who actually pack tripods, etc). For me that's the selling point. I had people asking me whether they could sell their 2-series or 3-series tripods and just use the PD Travel Tripod? I'm way more likely to take this with me when I go out shooting. 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?. Once removed, new rubber feet are placed onto the tripod. Ive noticed no wibble during long exposures, even when its been noticeably windy, although those shots are usually at quite short focal lengths. After returning from the Arctic and sending the pre-production version back to Peak Design, I actually went on to purchase my own copy of the tripod. Still, the comfort zone of this tripod are wider-angle to medium telephoto lenses. Two-leg angles allow for a standard tripod height or low ground level shot that provides more stability. Gura Gear Kiboko City Commuter 18L The Perfect Camera Bag Found? Both tripods are 39.1 cm (15.4 inches) when collapsed. Its a very good tripod, but the light weight means it does lack some stability with heavy camera setups. It is designed to screw onto a camera. Sachtler Peak Design WANDRD Shop All. Putting a heavy head on a compact ultralight travel tripod would typically result in a setup that is far too top-heavy and unstable. Compare Peak Design Carbon Fiber Travel Tripod vs Benro TMA38CL Long Series 3 Mach3 Carbon Fiber Tripod vs Gitzo GIGT1545T Traveler Series 1 Carbon Fiber Tripod vs FEISOL CT-3442 Tournament Rapid . How does the Peak Design Travel Tripod perform in this regard? Offering a sleek and retro design, the 35mm f/0.95 Lens from TTArtisan is an ultra-fast normal-length prime for APS-C-format cameras. It looks like Peak handed out review tripods to Youtubers like crazy so right from the jump I'm inclined to not trust the reviews. lighter than the 3-section Gitzo setup at 6.4 lbs. You can email the site owner to let them know you were blocked. I have no info on that, but youd have to assume that they will at some point. I was under the impression that the Peak Design is the most compact on the market (with the head attached). The downside to the low-profile head design is that it doesnt have an independent panning base. Back to Product List . In the case of a tripod, I would be rather cautious with that statement. While theres certainly still a group who can benefit from these, its small and getting smaller. The whole thing is either locked or unlocked. As an ornithologist, Libor has studied the avian diversity of the South American Andes. It is more of a triangle with rounded edges. People want a piece of the hype, and they want what is frankly one of the coolest looking piece of photo gear on the market. Its one of the best travel tripods ever. This Peak Design travel tripod is made of weather-resistant and impact-resistant materials for durability. It's an inch shorter folded but you get roughly 5" less in height when the column is fully extended. Another reason to just use the included head is the cost of entry for the system. Unfortunately? With long exposures, telephoto lenses, and windy conditions, youll want to collapse some parts of the tripod. I replaced my RRS TVC-34L with the Feisol CT-3472 which tripled my options for usage. This setup is light and easy to carry while hiking and is very stable with my D750 and either 24-70 f/2.8 or 70-200 f/4. To this day, Peak Design continues to use Kickstarter to raise funds for its product development. Using a hex wrench, the original head is first removed and then replaced with the adapter. Have read some reviews that are very positive and have one on order. But how does the tripod perform in the field? It has a max height that is similar to the Peak Design but without having to use a center column, it is carbon fiber and very stable. The platform diameter is 5.4cm (2.13), but you could use a head that is bigger than this if you needed to. Sine the tripod head is compatible with Arca-Swiss style plates, its pretty easy to find a good L-bracket. They do look like VFM compared to the more expensive brands. Yes, there are some that collapse a little shorter in length, but they also have a shorter maximum height. Mine is a cheap carbon travel tripod from K&F. But before we dive into some initial impressions, here's the nitty gritty: the tripod will be available in aluminum for $350 and carbon fiber for $600 - both prices include a ball head - however you can score the tripod for much less by backing it on Kickstarter now. Cleaning out the sand requires carefully disassembling the heads inner mechanism which includes tiny parts such as springs. I guess it just goes to show how many people were unexcited by the standard array of options out there. The stock head doesn't allow for. For tripods, it's hard to beat Gitzo for the quality and repairability at this price. The Gitzo is 35% stiffer and benefits from a standard ball head. The total weight was just under 6.5kg, which is approaching the 9.1 kilo load rating. The LH40 will easily hold your gear. The Peak Design Travel Tripod raised an incredible $12million on Kickstarter when it was launched. The ball with a diameter of 3cm is firmly connected to the column. This system is a feature of all their camera straps and means that can of them can be paired easily with this tripod. Shop By Category. Fotopro is a Chinese tripod company that makes some very high-end equipment. It can hold its own against the much more expensive Gitzo Traveller and the RRS TFC-14/TVC-14. Gitzo's Traveler series has even smaller models, the lightest of which has a weight of just 0.9kg, including the head. Expert news, reviews and videos of the latest digital cameras, lenses, accessories, and phones. Fwiw, among the ones you've listed, I'd be inclined to eliminate the Gitzo 1555 -- it has similar stiffness to the PD CF, but it's more expensive and doesn't get as compact -- and the Benro, given it's folded length. At $449 its not a cheap piece of equipment, but it is easily one of the best tripod heads of any kind that I have ever tested for this site. Lastly, we averaged out all of the reviews scores that we could find on these two products and compared them to other Tripods on the market. Caveat: I mostly use it for landscape, nightscapes and cityscapes with relatively light mirrorless cameras and bodies. Thats what Im testing today. No items to compare. A hidden internal pocket can be used to store the multitool shown above, and in that pocket, you will also find a small tool to help you remove the tripod legs for cleaning or addition of optional tripod feet. Its still possible to do a better job than your competitors at minimizing those sacrifices, but they will be there. [CDATA[ I recommend it over the Peak Design. I'm very happy with my Leofoto LS-324C and carry it everywhere. , Thanks. The springs can easily pop out during disassembly and it becomes a challenge to first find the springs and then how to put it back together. When fully collapsed, there are barely any gaps between the legs, leg locks and column. Not only is it strong, smooth and stable, but it also has the unique ability to rotate the vertical gimbal arm forwards or backwards up to 180 degrees in 45-degree increments. Dont know yet but so far holds up very well. 173.212.197.150 Best for use with multiple cameras: Vanguard VEO 3T+ 234AB. 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. I may replace the ball head with something different, which obviously defeats the purpose of such a tiny tripod but hopefully it'll be easy to remove and reinstall. For fast deployment, the five-section aluminum leg cams can be released at the same time. Regular readers of this site will have heard me talk about the tripod before. Im glad it helped. Its doubtful you will find a head for less than 126g, so going this route does increase the overall weight of your setup. Itll be interested to see if they expand the range to larger tripods. Professional photographer based in Yukon, Canada, and founder of Shutter Muse. The Travel Tripod includes a phone adapter that can be used on the ball head to hold your phone. Yeah its a crazy number isnt it! By submitting a comment this form also collects your name, email and IP address so that we can prevent spam. Namely, if you want to take a panorama, for example, the tripod head cannot be moved only horizontally. If you think you can get by with the height reduction, this is another cool upgrade for your tripod. January 31 st, 2023 84. Also, with the provided tripod bag being such a tight squeeze, if you dont collapse the column down after using it, re-seating the head into the top of the legs, you wont actually be able to fit the tripod into the bag. In the past, I often wondered whether or not I should take my tripod into the field with me. This is a great tripod, but I really want to make sure that people buy the right tripod for their needs! Although designed for this tripod, you could use the phone holder in any other Arca-Swiss compatible clamp. Please include what you were doing when this page came up and the Cloudflare Ray ID found at the bottom of this page. GK1555T-82TQD is a Traveler tripod/head kit comprising the 5-section GT1555T Tripod and the GH1382TQD Center Ball Head. That said, anything larger than this might not be the ideal pairing because its likely a large and heavy head that would make the tripod top-heavy. The height with the conversion kit is as follows: Removal of the main leg sections results in a dramatic weight loss for the tripod. Thanks Chuck. This week Chris and Jordan review four great travel tripods from Manfrotto, Sirui,. The Ultralight Conversion Kit costs $40 and converts your Peak Design Travel Tripod into a tabletop tripod. 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 . 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. In other words, for every gram of weight you save, you spend an extra 83cents! The tripod is practically a cylinder when folded, so it fits easily into the side pocket of a backpack. 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. Thankfully, the Peak Design Tripod, despite being one of the tiniest tripods I've ever used, it's also surprisingly tall. A great waterproof tripod: Sirui W-1004K10 Tripod . This can come in handy if, for example, you were shooting with the tripod submerged in muddy water or the sea. It is relatively easy for sand to enter the inner mechanisms of the head. What moves is the rest of the head, to which you mount the camera. It really just comes down to weight, and whether you want to carry that extra 307g on your hikes and travels. With this kit and the centre column removed, the carbon tripod weighs just 601g. Compared to aluminum, the main advantages of carbon fiber are the high strength at a low weight, and the good vibration absorption. If you understand what you are buying, and when such a tripod makes sense to use, you are going to be very happy indeed with this purchase. But I'd rather deal with some inconveniences than miss shots because I tried to hand hold because I left my other tripod at home. In fact, I think it was less than 2 days before the starting time question hit my in-box. He reached a total of 5,258 backers who put in $364,698. You can also remove just one of these stopper screws to allow you to slide the tripod plate in from the side. Peak Design Travel Tripod The best tripod for its design and folded size, but not the cheapest! For this head, Peak Design concentrated on making something that would be extremely light and low-profile when the tripod is collapsed. I was lucky enough to have a pre-production model in my hands for some time during the Kickstarter launch, and I took it on an epic 5000km road trip to the Arctic Ocean. 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 . As you can see above, the tripod legs are made up of five sections that are tightened using four quick-release levers. There is nothing magic about this tripod in that regard. In fact, I find it generally more impressive than the overall stability of the legs, and Im confident you could comfortably lock a heaver-than-specified load as almost any angle. This is still a travel tripod, and if you are planning on buying one then you must be prioritizing small size and light weight, otherwise, this isnt the right tripod for you. Its not insignificant weight. Thanks Andrew. Peak Design makes two versions of its Travel Tripod, one with aluminium alloy legs and one with carbon fibre legs. Your email address will not be published or shared. Even with todays image stabilization, a tripod is still a requirement in many cases, so its important to find one with the right balance of characteristics. The legs are nice. Classic 3 sections vs 4 section tripod, so if those are the two you narrowed it down to, you just have to determine what is more important. As you can see in the photos, the size of the Fotopro E-6H gimbal is a perfect match for the Peak Design Travel Tripod when you have the Universal Head Adapter in place. Portrait-length prime is designed for APS-C-format Canon RF-mount mirrorless cameras and offers a 75mm equivalent focal length. For Peak Design gear I always recommend buying directly. 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. So, to sum it up, theres a good reason why this is the very travel tripod I spent my own hard-earned money on. The Feisol CT-3441S is three ounces heavier but 25% stiffer and ~$200 cheaper. Its too short! Unlike the Universal Head Adapter, its unlikely to be a configuration that you use all the time. I have both tripods. Compare Peak Design Carbon Fiber Travel Tripod vs Gitzo GT1545T Series 1 Traveler Carbon Fiber Tripod with Center Ball Head vs Peak Design Essentials Trifecta Kit . Im not a robot, there will always be some typos . In terms of price and specifications, the Travel Tripod by Peak Design is most similar to the Gitzo Series 2 Traveler (for $649). 1K, 3K, & MT-11- Review . The Comparison the Peak Design win the compactness battle. When you do this, there will always be a sacrifice to the tripods stability. They have taken the PD design and have improved upon it in every way, plus its lighter. There are far better alternatives out there. As always, we appreciate it when you use the links on this page to make your purchases. Discover a wide range of DSLRs, Mirrorless Cameras, Camera Lenses and Photographic Equipment with Ireland's Oldest Camera Store. Just keep in mind that a fully extended column will harm the stability of a tripod. If needed, the stiffness of each lever can be fine-tuned with the included hex wrench. It's $600. I have a few tripods on the shelf, but when you need something lightweight just in case this ticks the boxes nicely. For many thats a very high driving factor. PL provides various digital photography news, reviews, articles, tips, tutorials and guides to photographers of all levels, By Libor Vaicenbacher 22 CommentsLast Updated On February 20, 2023. Get answers to your questions in our photography forums. Love the multi-tool if only all manufacturers would use the same size we could all carry just one, or maybe two hex keys and this is the way to do it. However, these features often conflict with each other! Here, too, would be a good place for them to put some sort of leverage point to let you tighten the ring more securely. (1) MeFoto - was used for when I needed a little "travel" tripod. So, just because Im very happy with the Peak Design travel tripod, doesnt mean its the only option out there. In terms of strap choice, the Leash or the Slide Lite makes the most sense. Gitzo Tripods; Vanguard Tripods; 3 Legged Thing Tripods; Joby Tripods; Calumet Tripods; Sachtler Tripods; Velbon Tripods; . DPReview TV: Travel Tripod Shootout (Manfrotto, Peak Design, Gitzo and Sirui) Ulanzi MT-34 at 1690| Unboxing Ulanzi 3 in 1 MT-34 Extendable Stick| Ulanzi Best Tripod. Radically faster to setup and takedown, our tripod features ergonomic adjustment points, built-in mobile compatibility, and . Almost every time you buy a tripod or a ball head youll find one or two hex wrenches in the box. Legs. Even this Peak Design tripod. since when having choices is an unfortunate thing? The action you just performed triggered the security solution. The biggest load I personally put on the tripod was a Nikon Z9 with a Nikon 400mm f/2.8 G plus an Atomos Ninja recorder with mount. I probably should have bought this, although I'm not a fan of that style of leg locks and it's not as tall as the PD.