Peak Design Travel Tripod, Aluminum, Compact Design, Quick Setup and Takedown, Pro-Level Stability, Ergonomic Ball Head, Compact and Portable Travel Tripod for Camera and Phone, 20 lb Capacity

I have a tripod problem. Too many tripods in the stable over the years! Still in search of the perfect tripod. With low cost, low weight, compact for hiking, easy deployment, tall enough for near eye level work, and sturdy enough for a heavier setup. And more importantly, plate compatibility allowing easy transferability to alternate carry systems (strap clip, PD Capture). The Peak Designs team really did listen to photographers looking for a multi-purpose travel tripod. As a photographer who spends time hiking for picture taking opportunities, I have looked for the perfect travel tripod over the last decade. Surveying my current collection, including a Manfrotto MKC3-H01 travel tripod (now, MKCOMPACTACN-BK, with different proprietary hybrid head “joystick” grip ball head, and a different plate arrangement), a Velbon carbon fiber 630 with a Manfrotto 498 RC2 head, a Velbon DF-10ML (closely related to the EX Macro 3-section), and a small Neewer CK-30 compact tripod purchased for the Arca plate and ability for ground level macros. The PD aluminum tripod is not the lightest among them, and it is expensive --but it is one of the most thoughtful, compact, well-constructed, stable, and confidence inspiring tripods, with an advantage “in the field”. Features I like. Compact. In its carry state, a little taller than the size of a standard Nalgene water bottle. The legs, connection pieces, and clasps. I prefer the flip-out clasps for leg deployment over the screw types. For me, there is less fumbling around trying to find release and locking positions. The height is great, along with being able to position close to the ground. The ball head works well for me. The tightening mech on the ball works as expected, even with a Sony a7r-IV with a heavy Sony 200-600mm zoom. Positioning is easy and can be straight up or down. The Peak Design Capture clip uses the same Arca mount plate so you can easily go from carrying to tripod mount with no fumbling to change the mount plate. There is a locking mechanism that prevents accidental release of the plate. Tools attached to the tripod are a thoughtful addition. The carry bag is durable and apparently water proof. Things I don’t like. Price. Oh, the price is high for sure, even higher if you pick the lower weight carbon fiber version. Weight. It is not as light as my Manfrotto compact tripod, but not overly so. With anything like this, lower weight is always something I want. Is this tripod worth it? For those inclined to save money and look for a similar feature set, albeit not as complete? The Manfrotto travel tripod-- if you can find a head version that works for you (read through the comments on the different versions). IF Manfrotto had an Arca plate version, it would be a no brainer – significantly lower cost, lower weight, with just enough features, it would be a great choice. That said, I am keeping the Peak Designs tripod! For me, it is nearly perfect. If you can afford spending over $350 for a tripod, I do not think you would be disappointed.

I hated spending as much as I did on this tripod until I used it a few times. Its compact size is amazing, and it is surprisingly sturdy in windy conditions despite being lightweight aluminum. I have a couple of heavier tripods that don't do as well. The included iPhone holder folds up nicely into the center shaft, so is always there when I go looking for it. The standard feet do well on most surfaces although you can buy feet that will dig in nicely when extra stability is needed. I've used this with iPhone, decently large camera, and compact ham radio antenna, all flawless. It's easy and quick to set up and take down. If there is any criticism it might be that the pressboard case it comes in doesn't last long, but I keep it in with other gear, so not a problem. Highly recommended.

I was a little skeptical when this was first released, with the high price and mixed reviews. I have another super popular brand travel tripod made of carbon fiber, which I did not like using, because it check all the boxes but the user experience is not smooth. The feet fell off and I had to dig them out of the mod and screw them back in! Putting the camera back on required two hands twisting and turning two levers, very stupid when you are holding a camera among rocks and trying to get it on. My friend is a big peak design fan, this is on his wish list. I thought I would try it. I did not go for the carbon fiber because of the price, I hope the vibration does not come back and bite me. I figure most of my landscape shots will be away from people and traffic, so I should be fine. A little extra weight is bad for my back but good for image stabilization. 1. The build. This is a rock solid, heavy duty tripod. A little heavier than most travel tripod I owned. The positive is the stability. The joints are very stable. The camera latch on to the top securely. No worries. Of course all of you know by now it folds into size of a large water bottle. 2. The user experience. This is where peak design shines. It is all about convenient design. Popping the leges out are quick. Twist to unlock, the camera pop in, twist to lock, a very easy and secure operation, the best I have used. Twist to raise the center column. Another twist to adjust the ball head. A spring loaded push lever right on the leg to change angle of the legs. There is a build in storage for a two headed tool, which is mostly used to screw in the plate. 3. Of course the base plate works with the capture clip, if you bought into the peak design eco system. 4. The packaging is surprisingly premium. A beautiful cardboard box with elastic latch. Then a travel bag made of the good peak design material stuff. I will probably never use them but it’s good they don’t cut corners on quality.

Excellent tripod - I use it for plein air oil painting. My pochade is a bit heavy at 13 lbs, but this easily supports it and if it isn’t windy, I often use the center column instead of raising all the legs. Mounting the pochade is always a bit tricky, but i take all the drawers out of the pochade to lighten it and the quick release is great. I also made a watercolor setup with a mounting plate and art board so it does double duty. The videos for setup on You tube and Peak website are really helpful. Best part- customer support from Peak Design website was excellent: One of my leg clamps popped off 2 years after purchase (perhaps my fault), and I lost the hardware in the grass. I emailed Peak and someone named MJ responded right away. They sent me a new leg with instructions for changing it out at no cost. Highly recommend!!! Thank you MJ and Peak Design.

This tripod is wonderfully designed. It's compact, yet "full" height, and very stable. Incredibly comfortable to use, both in terms of the manual setup and trusting it to hold your equipment. The lifetime warranty is outstanding. Submitting a warranty claim is easy through their website, and I received shipping notification for my replacement parts within a day or two, no questions asked. My additional request for extra stickers was also promptly accepted. Through a handful of emails, the company seems like a great one that genuinely cares about their customers and does what they can to produce a high quality product with sustainability in mind. The ball head has a little bit of a learning curve. The vertical angles are limited when tilted for portrait orientation (However, by remounting your camera 90° one way or the other, every angle can be achieved. Just not covneniently.). This of course can be worked around by an L-Bracket mounting attachment or full cage system. My main issue with this tripod is the weight. While about the size of a 1L Smart Water bottle, the nearly 3.5lb weight is quite cumbersome, and the 0.6lb reduction for the CF model doesn't seem like enough to justify the price (for me), as it still comes in at nearly 3lbs. My old $30 Sunpak, while not very compact, weighs less than 2lbs, has a smaller mounting surface more suitable for compact heads, and actually deploys and closes faster with only 3 leg sections. To be clear, I really like this tripod. I think Peak Design has produced a very well-designed, and very high quality product that is worth the premium price if you can afford it. But I think it's far more robust than most of us need it to be, and the subsequent weight renders it completely 'untravelable' for my uses. I would love to see them put out a "light duty" model similar to the Oben CTT-1000L or SmallRig's AP-02. Something in the $100-200 range that is only meant to support 8-12lbs instead of the 20lb capacity that is well overkill for most of us. Something that finds a balance between weight and compactness, possibly sacrificing some maximum height in the interest of maintaining a reasonable weight.

My Manfrotto head broke on a shoot, so I got a Benro Geared head to go with the tripod, but decided to get a PD tripod for back up, and for travel, as it is much smaller. GREAT design, except for one thing: The little wrench that attaches to the tripod leg. That is NOT a good idea as I knocked it off of there, and almost lost it a few times, within the first week of very light use!!! So now, I put that wrench in my camera bag pouch, and it's safe and sound. Usability is pretty good, although I do prefer my Benro Geared Head to the ball-type action of the Head that comes integrated with this tripod. However, it's not that bad, once you get used to it. I do recommend it highly, though! I have the steel one, because the carbon one is just too expensive, and I actually want some weight to the tripod for those windy days out in nature. It is still light enough to be a travel tripod, though!

Not the lightest (aluminum version) at 3.3 lbs, it’s only negative. The head on this thing - wow. Don’t get headfaked by the complainers, I have a basket of tripods and this one’s by far the easiest, most intuitive head I’ve used to date. To wit: have used it with a Sony A7rIV with dual battery, and Sony 200-600 G lens. Heavy! My Arca-Swiss plate snaps in perfectly (just have to remove the two plate screws using the included tool or any 2.5mm tool), and in a second this heavy camera config is locked by rotating the locking ring (“locked” means the Arca-Swiss button can’t be depressed). From there, the camera can be freely rotated in any direction you want. Just aim the camera where you want it, then tighten the main ring around the head. Love it! Literally takes a couple of seconds to adjust the head to any position. Leg latches are nice too, curved so you can open or close all 3 inches of each length together. Pricey but what a great tripod.

I never thought I'd spend this much on a tripod and couldn't even understand how a tripod could be worth hundreds of dollars. Right away the tripod feels extremely premium to me. All the parts slide and move smoothly and with ease but lock into place with confidence. There're so many thoughtful design elements too and everything has a nice storage solution. If you've already bought into the Peak Design ecosystem with their straps and quick release, this tripod makes life so much easier. I'm very happy to say the least.

Weight too, but the aluminum version is not that light. Other than that, excellent quality, operation, extras, everything is well thought and implemented.

Ho avuto e provato diversi treppiedi in circa di 10 anni di fotografia, ma da quando ho il Peak Design (alluminio) uso solo questo! Leggero, veloce da aprire e chiudere, ultra compatto, super stabile e con la capacità di smontare la colonna centrale per avere angoli raso terra. Il prezzo può sembrare esorbitante, ma la costruzione, il design e i materiali giustificano fino all'ultimo centesimo.

Excelente producto, perfección e ingeniería. También el proveedor ProImports entrega en tiempo y forma. Estuve cazando la oferta hasta que estuvo en 20 % de descuento y más descuento de banco, justo al terminar el Hotsale.

Tengo la versión de aluminio y pesa algo más de lo que pensaba. Lo que redunda en más estabilidad. No obstante, al hacer foto de viaje, mi espalda lo termina notando... Por lo demás, todo perfecto. El trípode más completo, novedoso y compacto que jamás he visto.

It is great for when I am walking long distances in the mountains. A few less pounds in my camera bag makes a big difference!