Peak Design Journey Tripod Overview

As an expert journey photographer, I’ve used numerous journey tripods over time, together with fashions from Manfrotto and Vanguard.

As we speak, I’m going to be reviewing Peak Design’s journey tripod, which I’ve been utilizing within the discipline for the previous a number of months to see the way it compares to different journey tripods.

I’ve truly been a fan of Peak Design’s merchandise for a very long time. They make a variety of images equipment, and I notably like their carry strap system which I’ve been utilizing for years on my cameras. In addition they have a variety of fashionable luggage.

My expertise thus far with their merchandise has been very constructive, they’re effectively made and backed by a wonderful guarantee and assist program. Let’s see if that high quality has prolonged to their journey tripod. I’ll share my ideas on utilizing one in every of their journey tripods for the primary time.

Peak Design Journey Tripod Overview

Peak Design launched their journey tripod (through Kickstarter) in 2019, with basic availability coming in 2020. This was their first and is at the moment solely tripod.

It’s now been in the marketplace for a while, and I believed it was about time I gave it a very good check and evaluation. Let’s begin with the specs.

Peak Design Journey Tripod Specs

There are two variants of the Peak Design journey tripod in the marketplace in the mean time, an aluminum mannequin and a carbon fiber mannequin.

The one distinction between the 2 is the fabric in use, which impacts the load (and worth!). All the opposite specs are the identical. Right here’s a fast overview of the principle specs.

• Load capability – 20lbs (9.1kg)
• Max peak heart column raised – 60″ (152.2cm)
• Max peak heart column down – 51.25″ (130.2cm)
• Weight aluminum mannequin 3.44lbs (1.56kg)
• Weight carbon fiber mannequin 2.81lbs (1.29kg)
• Packed peak: 15.4″ (39.1cm)
• Packed diameter 3.125″ (39.1cm)

The retail worth of the aluminum mannequin is $379.95, and the carbon fiber mannequin is $599.95. You evaluate the newest costs and purchase it direct from Peak Design right here, on Amazon right here, and from B&H Photograph right here.

This tripod actually matches what we search for in a journey tripod, which is a mix of portability and a very good load capability.

In addition to the uncooked numbers, there are just a few extra options of the Peak Design journey tripod I needed to focus on.

First, the tripod is designed from the bottom as much as be tremendous moveable. The principle approach that is achieved is with the top design, which could be very compact. The ball head mainly matches flush into the tripod when packed away and takes up barely any house.

The flip locks, triangular leg design, and small heart column additionally all contribute to permitting this tripod to fold down actually small.

I’ve used numerous journey tripods over time, and this one is certainly among the finest designs I’ve used when it comes to the way it packs away to take up a minimal quantity of house.

The ball head can also be fairly good. There’s an built-in bubble stage to make sure your digicam is flat, and the flip lock design makes attaching and eradicating your digicam very straightforward. You can too lock your digicam into place with the flip of a toggle, which provides nice peace of thoughts.

One other neat function is the mixing of a telephone head mount. This lives inside the middle column, and has a quick-release mechanism for straightforward set up.

It then attaches on to the tripod mounting plate and means that you can use your tripod along with your smartphone. This could work with just about any smartphone in the marketplace immediately.

It’s a pleasant worth add and can also be effectively designed and durable.

One very last thing I needed to focus on is the carrying case. That is usually an afterthought with tripods, for those who even get one in any respect.

Nicely, Peak Design is thought for his or her luggage and their tripod case is gorgeous. It appears to be like nice, the tripod matches inside securely, and it’s each padded and weatherproof. It’s lacking a strap, however there are add-ons to make it suitable with the Peak Design carry system.

Okay, so these are the principle options. What is that this tripod like to really use in the actual world? Let’s discover out.

Peak Design Journey Tripod – Ideas on Actual World Use

I choose to do a evaluation based mostly on actual world expertise, so I traveled with the Peak Design journey tripod as my major tripod for a number of months to see the way it carried out within the discipline.

As this can be a journey tripod, I anticipate it to be one thing I can carry with me when mountain climbing, so I took it with me on quite a lot of hikes up numerous Welsh mountains in addition to different barely much less strenuous strolls. It has additionally been on extra leisurely journeys within the UK, France, and the USA.

After I’m testing a journey tripod, there are some things I’m taken with. First, it must be light-weight, as a result of nobody desires to hold greater than they should.

This tripod positively meets that requirement, even the aluminum model is mild sufficient that I don’t should suppose twice about including it to my gear for a visit.

The subsequent factor I search for is how straightforward the tripod is to arrange and put away. After I’m mountain climbing, I don’t need to have to spend so much of time placing a tripod up and down each time I see a chance for a shot.

The Peak Design journey tripod positively works in that regard as effectively. I’m usually not a giant fan of flip-lock legs as they’ll catch on my digicam bag when establishing and placing away.

Nevertheless, on this case they’re effectively designed in order that doesn’t occur, they usually make arrange and put down a breeze.

The way in which the digicam attaches to the top additionally works effectively. That is one thing that different tripods don’t at all times do as effectively at, particularly when utilizing the Peak Design carry system which has the carry strap hooked up to the tripod plate.

The Peak Design carry strap hooks on the digicam base plate can typically get in the way in which of straightforward attachment to the tripod head. Clearly, this being a Peak Design tripod, that situation has been thought by way of, and the digicam simply attaches to the tripod head even with the strap nonetheless hooked up.

There’s additionally a helpful locking mechanism on the tripod head that makes it straightforward to make sure the digicam is correctly hooked up to the tripod head.

After all, any tripod is simply value its salt if it truly offers a secure platform for taking pictures from.

I’ve used it with a full-frame mirrorless digicam paired with a heavy 100-400mm lens, and it carried out very effectively. I additionally used it with my extra regular panorama wide-angle lens, and even with the smartphone adaptor.

Throughout, this tripod carried out very effectively and let me get the photographs I needed, even the lengthy publicity photographs the place the tiniest motion can damage all the things.

The ultimate factor I want in a journey tripod, or any tripod for that matter, is ease of operation.

Now this one was a little bit of a studying curve for me. The design of the Peak Design tripod head is that it slots down into the legs. Nevertheless, you need to partially lengthen the central column (round an inch), to get full motion.

Earlier than I obtained used to the tripod, I’d attempt to transfer the top to the place I needed, however not be capable of as a result of the top solely has full freedom of motion as soon as the central column has been partially prolonged.

Extending the central column isn’t onerous, however it’s an extra step to recollect to do.

As soon as the top is prolonged, adjusting the top is simple. It’s a ball-style design, and to regulate the angle of the top you loosen the management ring, transfer the tripod head to the angle you need, after which tighten the management ring.

That is all very straightforward and intuitive when you get used to it. That is actually necessary, particularly for those who plan on doing any astrophotography or Northern Lights images, as you may must function the tripod in very darkish circumstances the place you’re working by really feel.

So that’s numerous constructive issues. Are there are points I encountered? Nicely, sure.

The principle draw back I found, which is the principle unfavorable of this tripod, is an absence of separate pan and tilt controls.

Once you loosen the management ring to regulate the top, you’ll be able to transfer the digicam up, down, left, and proper. Nevertheless, you’ll be able to’t pan or tilt individually.

So, for instance, when you’ve got your shot framed virtually completely, however need to shift the view just a few levels to the left, you need to watch out to not tilt the digicam up or down on the identical time.

This additionally makes duties like taking pictures panoramas much more difficult. Many tripod heads, together with many ball heads, provide separate pan and tilt controls, so you’ll be able to pan independently of the lean management.

Now, actually, whether or not or not this can be a massive deal will rely rather a lot on the images you prefer to take. In case you take numerous panoramas, then this may seemingly be an even bigger situation.

The excellent news is that the management ring additionally controls the friction, which means you’ll be able to loosen it solely just a little after which simply watch out as you progress the digicam, with friction in your aspect to stop undesirable actions on the flawed axis.

Nevertheless, with a heavy digicam setup it may be difficult to solely transfer in a single course.

The opposite factor to remember is that over time the flip locks on the tripod leg sections can turn into free, which means that the legs don’t keep prolonged. That is simply an total situation with all flip lock legs on tripods I’ve used.

This will occur with any tripod, however Peak Design have thought forward and included each a device to regulate the leg flip lock tightness, in addition to a helpful clip which lets you connect the adjustment device to a tripod leg.

You simply need to bear in mind to carry this with you once you journey, in case a leg wants tightening up once you’re within the discipline.

Lastly, while the addition of the bubble stage is appreciated, the sunshine shade and approach it’s positioned signifies that my digicam covers most of it up, making it tough to see and never very helpful as soon as my digicam is ready up.

Truthfully, most cameras and smartphones nowadays have a built-in stage function anyway, so I hardly ever use the bubble stage on a tripod, however I needed to say it in case it was necessary to you.

General, I positively loved utilizing this tripod within the discipline, and it has earned a spot in my images bag for positive.

Peak Design Journey Tripod Professionals and Cons

Having coated my expertise utilizing the Peak Design journey tripod within the discipline I needed to share a fast rundown of what I felt to be the principle execs and cons of this tripod from a journey images perspective.

Professionals

• Light-weight, even the aluminum model
• Folds down very small
• Works effectively with the Peak Design clip system
• Very nice tripod bag
• Can convert to tabletop tripod
• Constructed-in smartphone holder
• Lifetime guarantee

Cons

• Costly, particularly for carbon fiber mannequin
• No straightforward panning management
• Some constraint on portrait orientation shot

General,l I positively suppose it’s a very good journey tripod. The principle draw back is the price is fairly excessive, particularly in case you are contemplating the carbon fiber mannequin, which prices much more however solely provides a modest lower in weight.

I believe most individuals can be proud of the aluminum mannequin because the options are the identical.

Peak Design Journey Tripod Alternate options

Once you begin researching tripods, you’ll rapidly study that there are a terrific many tripods in the marketplace, and actually, it may be onerous to inform them aside.

The principle selections will come all the way down to how a lot you need to spend and the way necessary specs like most load capability, most peak, minimal peak, folded peak and so on. are to you.

Most tripods mess around with these specs, so you must be capable of discover the proper tripod for you. I needed to focus on just a few choices to contemplate, and you’ll see extra choices in our information to the finest journey tripods.

Gitzo Traveler Collection

Any comparability of tripods, particularly high-end tripods, goes to incorporate point out of Gitzo. These are usually thought to be a few of the finest tripods in the marketplace, though they have a tendency to return with a reasonably eye-watering price ticket.

Nonetheless, the Peak Design carbon fiber tripod isn’t precisely a finances mannequin, so I really feel it’s truthful to check it in opposition to a tripod of this caliber.

There are fairly just a few tripods within the Gitzo Traveler sequence. I’d say probably the most comparable mannequin can be the Gitzo Traveler, sequence 1, 5 part tripod.

This carbon fiber tripod has a most peak of 58.46″, a folded dimension of 13.98″, a weight of three.13lbs and a max load capability of 22lbs. It has a retail worth of $719.99.

So in comparison with the Peak Design carbon fiber mannequin, the Gitzo has a barely smaller folded peak, weighs barely extra, and has a barely decrease most peak.

Vanguard VEO 3 GO 235CB or 265HCB

A fast notice, I’m a Vanguard Ambassador and have been since 2014, and I’ve used numerous their gear over time, a lot of which I’ve additionally reviewed.

I believe their merchandise provide rather a lot, and I’ve been very proud of their gear in use world wide.

The 2 major tripods I believe they at the moment produce which you may take into account as a substitute of the Peak Design Journey Tripod can be from the Vanguard VEO 3 Go vary, and particularly the 235CB or 265HCB fashions.

These are each carbon fiber tripods, however with a retail worth round half that of the carbon fiber Peak Design Journey Tripod mannequin.

The 235CB is the smaller tripod, with a most dimension of 53.5″, a folded dimension of 13″, a weight of two.3lbs, and a max load capability of 8.8lbs. It has a retail worth of $269.99.

The carbon fiber variant of the Peak Design tripod has a a lot greater load score and the next most peak, but in addition weighs extra and doesn’t fold up as small. It’s additionally greater than twice as costly. One to contemplate when you’ve got a smaller setup that gained’t problem the utmost load score.

The 265HCB is the taller tripod, with a most dimension of 65.5″, a folded dimension of 16.1″, a weight of three.1lbs and a max load capability of 22lbs. It has a retail worth of $339.99.

The carbon fiber variant of the Peak Design tripod has an identical load score and a decrease most peak, however weighs much less and folds up a bit smaller. It’s almost twice as costly.

Each Vanguard tripods additionally convert to monopods and include a smartphone adaptor and Bluetooth distant shutter set off. They’re additionally obtainable in aluminum, at a lower cost level and the next weight.

The aluminum VEO 3 Go 235AB retails for $219.99, and the aluminum VEO 3 Go 265HAB retails for $269.99. Typically the simplest approach to save cash on a journey tripod is to decide on an aluminum mannequin over a carbon fiber one.

In case you’re on this product, or any of the opposite Vanguard merchandise, it can save you cash utilizing our unique Vanguard low cost code. This provides you with 20% off all the things within the Vanguard retailer.

Simply use the code FindingTheUniverse to your low cost! This Vanguard low cost code works within the Vanguard USA, UK, Australia, Spain, and Germany shops.

Do you have to Purchase the Peak Design Journey Tripod?

Truthfully, solely you’ll be able to reply this query! Nevertheless, having used it for quite a lot of months I can positively say that it’s a well-made tripod. It really works very effectively and has sufficient intelligent design options to make it stand out in a really crowded market.

Once you add up all of the little further issues like the great bag, smartphone holder, and compatibility with different Peak Design merchandise, it finally ends up as a very well-rounded product.

After all, there are a lot of different tripods in the marketplace at different worth factors, however I don’t suppose you may be upset for those who determine to go for it.

You should purchase it direct from Peak Design right here, on Amazon right here, and from B&H Photograph right here.

Additional Studying

That’s it for my evaluation of the Peak Design journey tripod – I hope you discovered it useful. Earlier than you go, I needed to share a few of our different content material which we expect you can find helpful.

• Our evaluation of the Vanguard VEO 2 265CB tripod after three years of normal use.
• A evaluation of the Vanguard VEO 2Go 265HCBM, the VEO 3+ 263AB and the VEO 3T+ 264CB.
• Now we have a information to why you want a tripod, a information to selecting a journey tripod, and a round-up of our favorite journey tripods
• Now we have a information to the right way to use a compact digicam, the right way to use a DSLR digicam, and the right way to use a mirrorless digicam. We even have a information to how a DSLR works
• Understanding the right way to compose a terrific picture is a key images talent. See our information to composition in images for many recommendations on this topic
• Now we have a information to what depth of discipline is and once you would need to use it.
• We’re massive followers of getting probably the most out of your digital picture recordsdata, and do to that you’ll want to shoot in RAW. See our information to RAW in images to grasp what RAW is, and why you must swap to RAW as quickly as you’ll be able to in case your digicam helps it.
• You’re going to want one thing to run your picture modifying software program on. See our information to the very best laptops for picture modifying for some recommendations on what to search for.
• In case you’re on the lookout for extra recommendation on particular ideas for various situations, we additionally have you ever coated. See our information to Northern Lights images, lengthy publicity images, fireworks images, ideas for taking images of stars, and chilly climate images.
• In case you’re on the lookout for a terrific reward for a images loving good friend or member of the family (or your self!), check out our images reward information,
• In case you’re out there for a brand new digicam, we’ve an in depth information to the finest journey cameras, in addition to particular guides for the finest cameras for mountain climbing and backpacking, the finest compact digicam, finest mirrorless digicam and finest DSLR digicam. We even have a information to the finest digicam lenses.
• If you would like a digicam or lens, however the costs are a bit excessive, see our information to the place to purchase used cameras and digicam gear for some finances financial savings choices.

Seeking to Enhance Your Images?

In case you discovered this put up useful, and also you need to enhance your images total, you may need to try my on-line journey images course.

Since launching the course in 2016, I’ve already helped over 2,000 college students learn to take higher images. The course covers just about all the things it’s essential to know, from the fundamentals of how a digicam works, by way of to composition, mild, and picture modifying.

It additionally covers extra superior matters, together with astrophotography, lengthy publicity images, flash images, and HDR images.

You get suggestions from me as you progress, entry to webinars, interviews and movies, in addition to unique membership of a Fb group the place you will get suggestions in your work and participate in common challenges.

It’s obtainable for an incredible one-off worth for lifetime entry, and I believe you must test it out. Which you are able to do by clicking right here.

Be aware: We have been despatched this product free of charge to see how we favored it. I selected to write down this evaluation based mostly by myself private opinion of the tripod after utilizing it for some time. All opinions are our personal.