The guys at Peak Design should have send a set to David from The Center Column. That way, we would have the data to know how exactly it perform in comparison to others.
Personally, an asking price of USD $600, outside of kickstarter, for a lightweight travel tripod that just folds up better is not good value for money.
Charlie N wrote:
my BS meter is alarming, claiming that the peak plate loosens every few hours? I've used the V3 for months, never had it loosen ever, is that really a thing? D ring better than hex due to convenience......... iffy at best. I think manfrotto D ring is junk that's prone to loosening, unlike PD plates, and it's due to the hex.
This. Never had Peak Plate come off (have used all versions since the beginning), I actually think not having a D-ring is a good safety feature, I've had D-ring plates (Joby, for example) come loose because I cannot get nowhere near torgue with those when compared to hex tool.
Tony has a couple of good points in weaknesses of the tripod design, but I'm moderately interested on the aluminium model as to me in travel tripod the speed of deployment and compactness (more so than last couple of hundred grams of weight) when folded are very very important.
I'm no Peak fanboy, I do not like any of the backpacks or bags, but to me the Capture clip V3 is superb product, nothing else makes all day carry as convenient/comfortable, keep my hands free yet having very quick access to camera. It is nice to see them trying to improve over traditional tripod designs.
So glad someone else said this. I've been using the peak design plate for YEARS, since the very first Kickstarter and it never came loose as long as I tightened it properly when I put it on. And tightening it properly REQUIRES an allen wrench, I'm not strong enough to do it with a d ring.
And as for Tony hurting his finger, well sh*t. It's an entirely new design, he's not used to it yet. I have hurt my fingers a few times using tripods over the years; you learn.
Frogfish wrote:
Even the discounted price is $489 and you think that is a good price for a compromised tripod not better than what's out there already (unless style is important - and to PDs market that is at least partly true)? To each their own JH!
I think it's the blatant false marketing that upsets some people. They claim half the size yet even their own head to head comparison in the ad. shows the MeFoto is shorter (only just, but still) in fact two of the three tripods that they compare against are virtually the same length (though note in the picture PD have reduced the size of their image to make it look shorter. It's this sort of psychological false advertising/marketing (along with their claims - which stick in people's thoughts) - that grates.
I've used the Siriu T1204X (940g + whatever ballhead you want) and now the Ingjue CK-228 (959g + whatever ballhead you want) and with a ballhead these are around the same weight as the PD, however I've have never lost a single shot to stability (note I'm not including my clumsiness in knocking the tripod!), even when shooting up to 3-4 minute exposures.
I always feel that people are conned big time into buying expensive tripods that have minimal benefit, as in the gain is far far from exponential, over those 1/3 price except maybe in terms of longevity but that is then a personal choice, I prefer to put out less now and see what comes along later, and of course in the event of theft or loss it's much easier/cheaper to replace. I still have the comfort in knowing my shooting is not compromised in any way by doing this.
For me those advocating expensive tripods (which is often on this board) is like going to the shops to buy groceries, the small Ford will do it just fine but some must use a luxury 4x4, both however achieve the same. You only need the 4x4 when you have off-road needs (and in tripod terms - a difficult scenario such as time-lapse or shooting from in a stream etc.).
Just a word on some comments re. using Kickstarter. I can fully understand why PD use it, it's great economics. Here's their take on it which appears in the ad. and I agree with every word.
*We launch our products on Kickstarter because it gives us the freedom to run our business exactly how we want. The funds we generate on Kickstarter make it possible for us to continue developing products without seeking venture capital. That means we're not beholden to growth goals, revenue targets, or product timelines imposed by other people. Instead, we focus on doing what we love: building the best things we can possibly make, fueled by support from the best customers we could possibly ask for.*...Show more →
Of course, everyone could drive a used Pontiac Fiero if he wanted to. And I am sure he would enjoy the experience. Nevertheless, the cost of my Acratech ballhead is about the same as the cost of this tripod on Kickstarter - and the PD tripod includes a usable head plus allowance to use a third party head. Not a bad deal in the scheme of things. And it is an especially good price relative to my current setup. I did not say it was better than what I am currently using, or the best price on earth, but it is a decent price.
Not sure it is "blatantly false" advertising. How many inexperienced photographers are going to spend $500 for a Kickstarter tripod? Approximately none. Their market is people like us. I don't have a PD tripod to test, but I would not be surprised if the "half size" claim is accurate once you try packing it in an enclosed space like a suitcase. If you just car travel or walk around no big deal. But if you have to fit everything you are going to use for months of travel in a carry on bag, you will appreciate the compact design. Now I am shoving socks and underwear between the legs of my tripod, removing the head, etc. I have just one position in which I can pack my tripod. I would at least like to try out the PD. It should go without saying that those who cannot afford $500 on an unproven, new product should pass. But those who can afford it and who need the features should be intrigued.
Years ago, Cullman made a tripod that collapsed flat. The spider was three rotating arms that when splayed open formed a tripod and when collapsed formed a rectangle so that each of the three legs lied adjacent to the others and folded flat. Each leg was of a different length to accommodate the design of the spider. It came with its own ballhead. I bought one of those and it was junk. But it was a clever design and worth a try. Without a market of consumers who are willing to take a risk on innovation, innovation will not occur. Of course, one might complain that those consumers are idiots who waste money as one rides his horse home from work.
jharter wrote:
Of course, everyone could drive a used Pontiac Fiero if he wanted to. And I am sure he would enjoy the experience. Nevertheless, the cost of my Acratech ballhead is about the same as the cost of this tripod on Kickstarter - and the PD tripod includes a usable head plus allowance to use a third party head. Not a bad deal in the scheme of things. And it is an especially good price relative to my current setup. I did not say it was better than what I am currently using, or the best price on earth, but it is a decent price.
Not sure it is "blatantly false" advertising. How many inexperienced photographers are going to spend $500 for a Kickstarter tripod? Approximately none. Their market is people like us. I don't have a PD tripod to test, but I would not be surprised if the "half size" claim is accurate once you try packing it in an enclosed space like a suitcase. If you just car travel or walk around no big deal. But if you have to fit everything you are going to use for months of travel in a carry on bag, you will appreciate the compact design. Now I am shoving socks and underwear between the legs of my tripod, removing the head, etc. I have just one position in which I can pack my tripod. I would at least like to try out the PD. It should go without saying that those who cannot afford $500 on an unproven, new product should pass. But those who can afford it and who need the features should be intrigued.
Years ago, Cullman made a tripod that collapsed flat. The spider was three rotating arms that when splayed open formed a tripod and when collapsed formed a rectangle so that each of the three legs lied adjacent to the others and folded flat. Each leg was of a different length to accommodate the design of the spider. It came with its own ballhead. I bought one of those and it was junk. But it was a clever design and worth a try. Without a market of consumers who are willing to take a risk on innovation, innovation will not occur. Of course, one might complain that those consumers are idiots who waste money as one rides his horse home from work....Show more →
AMEN
May 22, 2019 at 08:56 AM
Steve Spencer Offline • • • • • • • Upload & Sell: On
I like some of Peak Design's stuff a lot. I get their camera straps for all my cameras and I really like them. I have one of their bags and like it quite a lot too. So I am inclined to like their products. That said, I have mixed feelings about this tripod. The tripod itself has a couple of thins I like. First, I like that the legs fold to a smaller diameter. That would be nice for traveling. Second, I like that as a travel tripod you can fold it all the way to the ground. That said, the centre column looks pretty bad and I wouldn't want the tripod if I had to use it. I might be interested in the tripod if and only if the centre column was removable. I am agnostic on the leg locks (clips vs. screw locks), but I would prefer a 4 section to a five section tripod.
The ball head I really don't like. My preference is that any ballhead I use has a panning base, tension control on the ball, and a level. That order is how important each is to me. Having no panning base is a non-starter with me for the ballhead. Not to mention the serious apparent problem that the centre column has to be raised to use the ballhead.
So, I could be interested in this tripod if you could buy a version without the ballhead and that allowed the centre column to be removed, allowing you to mount the universal ballhead plate directly to the top of the legs. That to me would be a much more compelling tripod. I still don't know if I would actually buy it, however. I have the Gitzo 0 Series traveller and that tripod is an inch shorter, has 4 sections instead of 5, allows you to remove the centre column (which I have done), and is cheaper than the MSRP of this tripod. I really like my little Gitzo for travel and even with the changes they could make pretty easily make to this one, I don't think I would pick it over my Gitzo even if I was looking for a new tripod. That said this design is close to something pretty compelling and with a few tweaks they might be able to get my business.
It would be great if someone could do an up-to-date video review of the current array of travel tripods including RRS, Gitzo, Sirui, MePhoto, Leophoto, PD, 3LT, Feisol, etc. Show them packed in typical travel luggage, used in the field, shown at which point they fail (e.g. camera/lens too heavy) etc. And of course ball heads! Beyond my ability but I would certainly watch it.
I have used a lot of PD stuff in the past and they all seem to be well thought design, functional, minimal and look good for professional use. The tripod is a great idea and design is fantastic filling all that waste space. I am surprised these major companies like manfrotto have not been able to think of designs like this one over so many years. Having said that, there are still lot of improvements that needs to be done in this tripod. IMO, the design addresses the legs but not the head. maybe take cues from manfrotto for head design and have multiple options for users.
Potential for huge business opportunity here for PD.
Steve Spencer wrote:
I like some of Peak Design's stuff a lot. I get their camera straps for all my cameras and I really like them. I have one of their bags and like it quite a lot too. So I am inclined to like their products. That said, I have mixed feelings about this tripod. The tripod itself has a couple of thins I like. First, I like that the legs fold to a smaller diameter. That would be nice for traveling. Second, I like that as a travel tripod you can fold it all the way to the ground. That said, the centre column looks pretty bad and I wouldn't want the tripod if I had to use it. I might be interested in the tripod if and only if the centre column was removable. I am agnostic on the leg locks (clips vs. screw locks), but I would prefer a 4 section to a five section tripod.
The ball head I really don't like. My preference is that any ballhead I use has a panning base, tension control on the ball, and a level. That order is how important each is to me. Having no panning base is a non-starter with me for the ballhead. Not to mention the serious apparent problem that the centre column has to be raised to use the ballhead.
So, I could be interested in this tripod if you could buy a version without the ballhead and that allowed the centre column to be removed, allowing you to mount the universal ballhead plate directly to the top of the legs. That to me would be a much more compelling tripod. I still don't know if I would actually buy it, however. I have the Gitzo 0 Series traveller and that tripod is an inch shorter, has 4 sections instead of 5, allows you to remove the centre column (which I have done), and is cheaper than the MSRP of this tripod. I really like my little Gitzo for travel and even with the changes they could make pretty easily make to this one, I don't think I would pick it over my Gitzo even if I was looking for a new tripod. That said this design is close to something pretty compelling and with a few tweaks they might be able to get my business....Show more →
You have to remove the center column on this PD tripod as well to get to the lowest position, just like the Gitzo Traveller. The universal ballhead plate seems to have no center column either. Like you, I wouldn't put up with a ballhead without a panning base. I have the Series 0 myself and love that thing with the micro RRS ballhead. I can see myself wanting a bigger version of this PD tripod if the leg design proves to be solid.
onlythebrave wrote:
I have used a lot of PD stuff in the past and they all seem to be well thought design, functional, minimal and look good for professional use. The tripod is a great idea and design is fantastic filling all that waste space. I am surprised these major companies like manfrotto have not been able to think of designs like this one over so many years. Having said that, there are still lot of improvements that needs to be done in this tripod. IMO, the design addresses the legs but not the head. maybe take cues from manfrotto for head design and have multiple options for users.
Potential for huge business opportunity here for PD....Show more →
I wonder if "taking cues" is called patent infringement? I guess, in that case, just manufacture it in China where patent infringement is called bank account enhancement.
It is hard to make a new product without stepping on somebody's toes.
onlythebrave wrote:
I have used a lot of PD stuff in the past and they all seem to be well thought design, functional, minimal and look good for professional use. The tripod is a great idea and design is fantastic filling all that waste space. I am surprised these major companies like manfrotto have not been able to think of designs like this one over so many years. Having said that, there are still lot of improvements that needs to be done in this tripod. IMO, the design addresses the legs but not the head. maybe take cues from manfrotto for head design and have multiple options for users.
Potential for huge business opportunity here for PD....Show more →
This design is not quite new. It looks very much like the Sachtler Flowtech series without the Sachtler truly innovative leg lock.
The Leofoto ranger series without a centre column have a small closed diameter and can get really low to the ground in a much quicker fashion than the peak design tripod.
For example, LS-284 is 88mm slightly bigger than the PD - I own one of these after doing a lot of research, best balance for my needs
LS-254 is 79mm and the LS-225 or LS-224 are 74mm. Both of these have a smaller diameter. There is a slight difference in height as the PD has a centre column. When I had a 5 section travel tripod from 3LT I found I often had to extend it to put it on my bag. I rarely folded it over on itself, the smallest leg sections weren't that stable so I didn't use them and I don't recall ever using the centre column.
So the benefit the Lefoto Ranger series have is that they have the smaller diameter and lighter weight of not having a centre column. This also means you can get really low to the ground without reversing a middle column or switching it to a smaller column. They also are available with larger diameter leg tubes which provides more stability. No tools are required either.
I'm really pleased with mine, I also prefer twist locks as they tend to be easier to dismantle and clean and don't require a tool to tighten up. I also like they are a bit more streamlined than lever locks and less likely to catch fingers in them. Not to mention you can pick one up for a lot less than this peak design one. I think the price for it is fair for what it is, I just feel it's not great value compared to the Leofoto ranger series.
It would be great to see it actually tested against what I and others on here feel are the better travel tripod options, rather than the Befree or Mefoto tripods.
bwcolor wrote:
I wonder if "taking cues" is called patent infringement? I guess, in that case, just manufacture it in China where patent infringement is called bank account enhancement.
It is hard to make a new product without stepping on somebody's toes.
Well yes and no, taking cues means studying the way manfrotto has created a product which makes life easier and functional and implementing the same through new more efficient design. There is always something that can be done better. Its hard, i agree and PD would be already doing that i guess.
The Leofoto ranger series without a centre column have a small closed diameter and can get really low to the ground in a much quicker fashion than the peak design tripod.
For example, LS-284 is 88mm slightly bigger than the PD - I own one of these after doing a lot of research, best balance for my needs
LS-254 is 79mm and the LS-225 or LS-224 are 74mm. Both of these have a smaller diameter. There is a slight difference in height as the PD has a centre column. When I had a 5 section travel tripod from 3LT I found I often had to extend it to put it on my bag. I rarely folded it over on itself, the smallest leg sections weren't that stable so I didn't use them and I don't recall ever using the centre column.
So the benefit the Lefoto Ranger series have is that they have the smaller diameter and lighter weight of not having a centre column. This also means you can get really low to the ground without reversing a middle column or switching it to a smaller column. They also are available with larger diameter leg tubes which provides more stability. No tools are required either.
I'm really pleased with mine, I also prefer twist locks as they tend to be easier to dismantle and clean and don't require a tool to tighten up. I also like they are a bit more streamlined than lever locks and less likely to catch fingers in them. Not to mention you can pick one up for a lot less than this peak design one. I think the price for it is fair for what it is, I just feel it's not great value compared to the Leofoto ranger series.
It would be great to see it actually tested against what I and others on here feel are the better travel tripod options, rather than the Befree or Mefoto tripods.
hiepphotog wrote:
This design is not quite new. It looks very much like the Sachtler Flowtech series without the Sachtler truly innovative leg lock.
I actually have a Chinese table top tripod that utilises exactly this triangular leg design which when it's closed looks like a cigar tube ! I can even add a small ball-head to it.
The Leofoto ranger series without a centre column have a small closed diameter and can get really low to the ground in a much quicker fashion than the peak design tripod.
For example, LS-284 is 88mm slightly bigger than the PD - I own one of these after doing a lot of research, best balance for my needs
LS-254 is 79mm and the LS-225 or LS-224 are 74mm. Both of these have a smaller diameter. There is a slight difference in height as the PD has a centre column. When I had a 5 section travel tripod from 3LT I found I often had to extend it to put it on my bag. I rarely folded it over on itself, the smallest leg sections weren't that stable so I didn't use them and I don't recall ever using the centre column.
So the benefit the Lefoto Ranger series have is that they have the smaller diameter and lighter weight of not having a centre column. This also means you can get really low to the ground without reversing a middle column or switching it to a smaller column. They also are available with larger diameter leg tubes which provides more stability. No tools are required either.
I'm really pleased with mine, I also prefer twist locks as they tend to be easier to dismantle and clean and don't require a tool to tighten up. I also like they are a bit more streamlined than lever locks and less likely to catch fingers in them. Not to mention you can pick one up for a lot less than this peak design one. I think the price for it is fair for what it is, I just feel it's not great value compared to the Leofoto ranger series.
It would be great to see it actually tested against what I and others on here feel are the better travel tripod options, rather than the Befree or Mefoto tripods.
hiepphotog wrote:
This design is not quite new. It looks very much like the Sachtler Flowtech series without the Sachtler truly innovative leg lock.
True. It is a lot less expensive, of course. S/F "used to be" used by newsroom people - who "used to be" able to afford a $3,000 tripod as long as it would set up QUICK! And I mean quick.
I say that in the past tense because now they tell some 22 year old kid "you're the reporter AND photographer and videographer; so just use your own phone. Good Luck! We will fire you when you hit 35..."
