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 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.

Let's be real: this thing is not cheap, it's not a Manfrotto, it's not the most fully-featured. What it is is a portable, sturdy, thoughtfully-designed system using an incredibly convenient quick release system usable with other Peak Design products and any other 3rd party accessories that use the same rail based mount. It's quick to set up, has a delightfully easy to use ball mount allowing for free rotation in all three directions, supports flipping the center column upside-down to suspend a camera underneath, and includes a small hard tool pocket that snaps into one of the legs, perfect for quickly swapping out mounts (not necessary if you are using a mount that uses a thumb screw, just nice to have). I'd like a level and knobs for fine adjustments but honestly, it's good enough. And feels good to use! I'm confident I'll have this thing for quite a while. Great to travel with, easy to set up, great build quality. Maybe just a skosh pricey.

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.

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.

Although expensive, this tripod is really worth every penny. I managed to find it for 10% off and it has exceeded my expectations. I can't justify the cost of the carbon fiber model but the aluminum is light enough and is way smaller and more convienent than my other main tripod. I do wish it would go a bit higher but for what it is, its a great tripod. Well designed and good product. You get what you pay for.

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!