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Peak Design Travel Tripod
Peak Design has revolutionized the form and function of camera accessories over the years and now they turned their attention to the common tripod. Their new Travel Tripod is a triumph of material use, optimal space efficiency and of course function. No other tripod even comes close, which is why we're awarded the Peak Design Travel Tripod our prestigious Gear of the Year Award.
The Backcountry Skiing Canada Team.
Peak Design is a company that produces revolutionary camera accessories and we at Backcountry Skiing Canada have reviewed a number of their products in the past and have always been quite impressed. If you haven’t seen any of the other reviews for the Capture Clip, Messenger bag, or Design Shell, be sure to check them out. This time around we are reviewing the Peak Design Travel Tripod carbon version.
After 4 years of engineering, Peak Design has managed to minimize the volume of the Travel Tripod to about half that of traditional tripod architecture. They’ve accomplished this without sacrificing height or stability, and have reduced the diameter of the packed tripod to that of about a water bottle
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The deployable centre columns height is adjustable via a small locking mechanism on the side.
At the bottom of the column, a hook offers a spot to hang a counterweight.
Upon removing this hook (pulling and twisting action), a phone mount that is stowed in the centre column can be accessed.
Once the hook is removed, the column can also be completely removed and reinstalled to allow for inverted shooting. Don’t worry about dropping the phone mount every time you remove the hook, it’s designed in such a way that you have to physically pull the phone mount out if you want to remove it.
For shooting in low mode, the column can be disassembled and reinstalled as a truncated column.
In order to adjust the leg angle for low mode, small locks are found at the top of each leg that allow the angle to be increased.
All the technology used in the ball head allows for a full range of motion with easy lock and release mechanisms in a compact unit.
A sliding lock ring locks in your camera or phone which can then be connected or released easily with the quick release tab.
An adjustment ring below the locking ring locks/releases movement of the ball head facilitating adjustment in all directions.
The head features small removable pegs as well as a level. The head is compatible with L bracket with peg removable.
Four cam lock levers control telescoping leg extension.
Rubber feet ensure a quality grip on the ground.
The max height of the fully extended tripod is 152.4cm (60in) while the minimum height is 14cm (5.5in). The tripod is built for use with full-frame DSLRs and telephoto lenses and has a 9.1kg (20lbs) capacity.
The whole Travel Tripod fits into a padded foam laminate bag with a taped zipper. The bag features a variety of loops for carrying the tripod. Smaller loops are compatible with Peak Design Straps, and larger loops could be used to easily strap the bag to pretty much anything.
A small pocket inside the bag holds all the tools you would need to make any adjustments to the tripod.
The Travel Tripod comes in both aluminum and carbon fibre with the carbon model weighing 290 grams (0.63 lbs) less than the aluminum version and offering a 20% increase in stability (the increased stability is due to carbon being a stiffer metal than aluminum).
Travel TripodFeatures:
- Spatially efficient design eliminates wasted volume when packed down
- Packs down to the diameter of a water bottle
- No protruding knobs.
- Unique design allows quicker, easier setup/takedown
- Secure, fast, and ergonomic camera quick release
- Fast-locking, low profile leg cams
- Legs deploy in seconds, without having to flip over like traditional travel tripod legs.
- Pro-Level Stability and features
- Ultra-smooth, omnidirectional Compact Ball Head
- 20lb weight capacity (optimized for a full-frame DSLR + telephoto lens)
- Stability and vibration damping performance comparable, if not better, than most tripods in its class
- Low and inverted modes position your camera inches off the ground
- Integrated load hanging hook
- Nonslip, shock-absorbing feet
- Anchor attachment points for carrying with Peak Design straps (sold separately).
- Weather and impact-resistant materials
- All parts are serviceable, cleanable, and replaceable
- Includes a padded, weatherproof case
- Securely grips any phone/case
- Guaranteed for life
- Padded foam laminate
- 2.5 mm and 4 mm hex tools included
- Internal pocket for hex tools
- Lash/carry loops
Verdict:
The world of tripods may just have gotten more exciting. The Travel Tripod from Peak Design is a really cool piece of equipment.
The unit is lightweight and packs down to an impressively small size. The amount of adjustment that is possible is amazing, and what is more impressive is the intuitive nature of use and the ease of each adjustment.
The compact ball head offers really quick mounting and removal of a camera thanks to Peak Design's Capture Clip system, and the ball and socket nature of the joint means unlimited angle adjustments without having to lock and unlock adjustments for different axis.
I really like how much versatility is provided by the innovative design of the centre column. Stowing a phone mount, easy disassembly for low mode, and inverting are all quick adjustments that you can complete in under a minute.
I also appreciate how Peak Design has included the tools to fix, tighten, or adjust anything on the tripod, and have provided a small pocket in the carry case so you can keep them handy at all times.
The one downside, of course, is the price. That said, this is certainly a “get what you pay for” scenario and this tripod is really top shelf in materials, design and usability.
Get a great deal on either the Carbon or aluminum Travel Tripod here.
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PROS:
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CONS:
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SPECS:
Price: Aluminum - $512CAN / $349.95US; Carbon Fibre - $878CAN / $599.95
Weight: Aluminum - 1.56kg / 3.44lbs; Carbon - 1.27 kg / 2.81lbs
Weight capacity: 9.1kg / 20lbs
Dimensions: Length - 39.1 cm / 15.4”; Height: 130.2cm / 51.25”; Diameter - 7.9 cm / 3.125”
RATING: 9/10
Features: 2/2
Function: 2/2
Durability: 2/2
Quality / Price: 1/2
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