Review: Peak Design Travel Tripod

Browncoat

Senior Member
Peak Design Travel Tripod

Specs

  • Weight: 3.4 lb (Aluminum version)
  • Load Capacity: 20 lb
  • Max Height: 60"
  • Min Height: 5.5"
  • Folded Length: 15.5"
  • Mounting Plate: Arca-type QR
  • Mounting Screw: 1/4-20
  • Head: Ball
  • Legs: 5 section, Flip Lock

Misc Features

  • Integrated cell phone mount
  • Load hanging hook
  • Inverted mode (center column flips)
  • Padded, weatherproof case
  • Lifetime warranty

Bought an Induro tripod and Manfrotto 322RC2 head about 15 years ago. It's great for studio shots, but not something I want to lug around. It's difficult to find an unbiased review on this tripod because Peak Design handed out freebies to just about every photography "influencer" on the planet. Luckily a friend of mine had one and let me play with it for a few days before I decided to purchase one myself.

This review is for the aluminum version (about $350). The carbon fiber is $600. For about 1/2 lb in weight savings, it wasn't worth the added premium for me. Your mileage may vary.

What I like:

1) It's tiny. With a 15.5" folded height and the diameter of a soda can (pop for my fellow Midwesterners), this tripod is hard to beat. Most tripods are basically the same, but Peak Design has really done something innovative here with the way the head tucks into the legs to keep the profile small. I think this tripod strikes a good balance between weight and stability. It's light, but not so light that it feels like it's going to blow over when the wind kicks up.

2) Lever locks. Oh, how I have missed thee. My Induro tripod has twist locks and I hate them because it's difficult to tell if they are tight. That tripod has fallen over twice - both times due to a leg collapsing because it wasn't locked. This is personal preference and some people prefer twist locks. The main thing is, don't let anyone tell you that one style deploys faster than the other. That's hokum. When was the last time you were in a tripod leg deployment race anyway?

3) Arca-style plates. Manfrotto needs to jump on the bandwagon because their proprietary plates suck.

4) Head design is very ergonomic. Twist one ring to lock down the camera, twist another ring to rotate the ball head. No fussing around with knobs or making tension adjustments.

What I don't like:

1) The bubble level is on top of the head. I think most people would want the plate locking mechanism facing them - just seems intuitive, right? But if you mount the camera that way, you cover the bubble level. You have to mount the camera the other direction to see the level. Not a fan. It feels wonky. Maybe it's just me (it's not, others have complained about it too).

2) The plate screw requires a hex wrench. No d-ring or coin slot screw head, you need a tool. This is also a bonehead design choice. The supplied hex tool clips to one of the tripod legs, which is nice. But it will probably go missing eventually. I did have enough foresight to buy a second plate ($20) for my 70-200mm lens so I don't have to fart around with removing the plate from my camera when using that lens.

3) It's a little short. I'm 6'0 ft and still have to bend over to get in the viewfinder with this tripod fully extended. And that's with a large, gripped camera. I'm used to it because my other tripod wasn't tall enough either - but anyone over 6'0 would probably want to pass on this. That said, it's a travel tripod after all and you're making that sacrifice in favor of other conveniences.

4) No panning feature. Given the head design, it would've been easy to add side-to-side panning.

Summary:
Is it worth the asking price? I think it is. The only major flaw is the need for a hex tool for the mounting plate. They do come loose and to have to rely on a tool to tighten it back down is just dumb.

The main thing to remember is - it's a travel tripod. It's not for bird watchers who use 600mm lenses and a gimbal. But if you shoot landscapes, outdoor portraits, sports, etc...the Peak Design Travel Tripod is definitely worth a look.

And let's not forget the lifetime warranty. Hard to find these days. Peak Design's registration system is a bit of a pain in the ass, but hey...it's a lifetime warranty.


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Browncoat

Senior Member
Sort of, yes. The leg profile is actually a weird 6-sided hexagon that reminds me of the Superman emblem. Pardon the crude sketch - I tried to get a couple photos, but it was hard to see all the angles. Looking straight down the tube, this is the leg profile:

The short side (bottom) nests against the center column when the legs are folded.

Notes_200816_074908_d90_1.jpg
 

Marturo

Senior Member
2) Lever locks. Oh, how I have missed thee. My Induro tripod has twist locks and I hate them because it's difficult to tell if they are tight. That tripod has fallen over twice - both times due to a leg collapsing because it wasn't locked. This is personal preference and some people prefer twist locks. The main thing is, don't let anyone tell you that one style deploys faster than the other. That's hokum. When was the last time you were in a tripod leg deployment race anyway?

I like the Manfrotto lever lock legs & am looking for a TP for taking wild flower & plant photos not Macro but close up.
I have a ton of old Aluminum TPs some with screw locks & I hate them. I read that today the leg rotating with the screw locks has been fixed.
I like this TP it looks sturdy.

Looking at all brands.
 

hark

Administrator
Staff member
Super Mod
Contributor
Here is a promo video showing the tripod in use. It looks like the ballhead is part of the tripod and can't be replaced with a different head. I'm definitely not crazy about the head but like the concept of the legs they show.

[video=youtube;P4h2YDgACqE]https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=1&v=P4h2YDgACqE&feature=emb_lo go[/video]
 

Hobbit

Senior Member
not sure on that snap shut mechanism - i now PD do good stuff and its an innovation but hell i dropped my camera off a standard ball head lol
 

Browncoat

Senior Member
Yes, the ball head is integrated. You can get a universal ball head for the tripod.

The head that comes with it accepts Peak Design plates (of course), but also accepts other Arca-style plates. You can remove the two screw studs on top to accept wider plates. The studs are there to keep the plate centered over the lock mechanism.
 

Browncoat

Senior Member
I was a bit leery as well to be honest. I really got to put it through the paces though. I spent several hours photographing some outlaw go cart races this afternoon and the tripod performed flawlessly.

Did a lot of panning and it was fine. The ergonomics are great, so I was able to keep one hand on the grip/trigger and the other to control my zoom. I was shooting AF-C, so I was able to control everything else. When the race heat was over, just twist the dial on the head to lock it. Took a little getting used to, but no complaints.
 

Marturo

Senior Member
not sure on that snap shut mechanism - i now PD do good stuff and its an innovation but hell i dropped my camera off a standard ball head lol
OUCH! I hope it was ok.

With 2 QR devices on the TP how stable is it now compared to the screw on ball head or Tlit type heads?
 
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