Peak Design Travel Tripod Review
User Report
When you come to the market with what you claim is a unique, innovative product, with a high selling price, the responsibility is on you to deliver on these claims and go beyond expectations.
In the case of Peak Design, those expectations are both a blessing and a curse. The company has a strong and loyal following, which consistently supports its Kickstarter campaigns and generally likes the products. And one can argue that Peak Design does deliver well-made, innovative products that truly sets them apart. This, however, means that every new Peak Design product is seen in that light, and anything less than perfect can be perceived as a failure.
While looking at the Travel Tripod, managing those expectations has proven particularly challenging. The company can be commended for listening closely to the backers of its Kickstarter campaign and taking into account comments and worries.
The result is certainly interesting. Note that the company does not aim at making the lightest or shortest tripod. That has never been a claim.
To our knowledge, no tripod on the market is as narrow. A few rare products are shorter or lighter, but not many. None of the lighter products offer a comparable level of stability and stiffness.
More importantly, perhaps, is how the tripod operates. The setup speed is one area where the company claims it beats the competition. That matter might have been blown out of proportions, but a tripod that's fast to set up certainly has an advantage over a more complex tripod.
Not having to reverse the legs, being able to quickly close the flip locks, installing the camera in seconds all contribute to speed up usage. When travelling, this can matter. In this area, the Travel Tripod quite simply gets things right. Not as obvious, but possibly more important, is how the head is easy and fast in use. The plate lock is faster and more secure than any screw clamp. The locking ring for the ball is leagues above the typical knob, requiring a quarter turn instead of several turns as on almost every other head. Position adjustments are thus fast, and operating the tripod becomes a fluid process.
In other words, the Peak Design tripod improves on things that no one really realized should be improved. We're not talking seconds instead of minutes; still the usage flow becomes notably easier. For some, these advantages will not really matter. For others, in particular people on the move and travellers, the gain can be significant.
Thanks to the limited amount of negative space, handling the tripod creates different perceptions depending on whether the tripod is collapsed or expanded. When collapsed, the tripod feels dense and heavy. That is because the weight is concentrated on a smaller volume when compared to other tripods, and our perception of weight is more influenced by density than actual weight. When expanding the tripod, on the other hand, it feels absurdly light. Again, perceptions are at play. The wide legs and tall height this time suggest a heavier weight than what we feel.
The lack of any protruding knobs or levers and the elegant way all parts nest together means that there is nothing which can catch on a backpack strap or on the edges of a sleeve or pocket. This might seem like a little thing. Keeping the intended audience in mind, this again shows how the company tackled the design drivers. Whether the tripod is being used or stored, it is easier to use and handle than the average tripod.
The tripod integrates nicely with other products from the company. There are provisions to attach Anchor Clips and carry the tripod with a camera strap (although this way of carrying is not very comfortable, especially with a camera attached). The plate is the same as the one provided with the Capture Clip.
Of course, the user is not trapped with Peak Design. The head can accept other brands' Arca-Swiss plates and the holes to attach straps, while small, do not in principle prevent any other system to be used.
The included case is a lot more than what is usually provided with tripods. In general, when a case is provided it is either flimsy and fragile, or bulky and generic. The Travel Tripod case has been well thought through. It is lightweight, compresses significantly when not used, is very light but still offers good protection. The thin profile of the handle and attachment points make it usable in a variety of situations. In fact, this particular case design is so effective that we could easily seeing Peak Design sell larger versions as a third-party tripod case to use with other tripods.
The included cell phone mount is a nice perk also, particularly since it hides inside the center column and is always available when needed. This tiny accessory is also sold stand-alone, and its Arca-Swiss compatibility makes it useful also with other tripods.
The company also includes a tool for the bushings, something probably unique on the market. The Travel Tripod is designed with easy maintenance in mind. The user can easily adjust friction, disassemble each and every part for cleaning or replacement, perform repairs without having to send the tripod to a repair shop. Coupled with a lifetime warranty, the ease of performing repairs is a differentiating element.
Given the travel market, it is to be expected that the Travel Tripod will spend much time attached to backpacks and bags in general. The following images show the tripod, with and without its case, attached to several slings and backpacks, to see how it attaches and how much space it takes up.
| Peak Design Everyday Backpack 30L |  |
| Mindshift Gear Photocross 13 |  |
| Peak Design Travel Backpack |  |
| Mindshift Gear Horizon |  |
| Peak Design Everyday Backpack Zip 20L |  |
The tripod fits nicely on larger bags like the Travel Backpack and the Everyday Backpack 30 liters. Smaller bags, like slings, will require that the tripod is trapped in place to prevent falling out.
Some bags, like those from Think Tank / Mindshift Gear, use a front mounting system for tripods. This system is often poorly designed for compact tripods (a surprising choice, especially for hiking backpacks) and the center column needs to be pulled out to properly secure the tripod.
There is a lot to like about the Travel Tripod, but it is of course not without flaws. The main criticism we have is that the user must use the HEX tool (or another HEX key) to separate the head from the center column. Using a screw makes the assembly robust but also makes it more complicated in the field. With a tripod offering so many ways to make operation more fluid, the need for a tool is a letdown.
The HEX tool is also needed to attach or remove the plate supplied with the tripod. This, however, is not a real problem. First, users can always use other plates. Second, photographers who use their tripods regularly are likely to leave the plate attached at all times. Third, the plate is amont the thinnest on the market and can easily remain in place even for occasional users.
Another critique is that, while the tripod is certainly narrow, it is not as short as some others. This lets the tripod get taller than many competitors, but a shorter length would have made it easier to carry with smaller bags.
The lack of panning options will not matter for the majority of users, but will be a deal-breaker for some. There are other competing tripod heads which do offer that feature.
Another drawback is, of course, the cost. There is no denying that this is an expensive tripod, especially for the carbon fiber version. Considering the specs of the tripod, its tight assembly and attention to detail, the included head, phone mount, case and tools, the package certainly has value. Whether or not it is worth the asking price is a personal decision. The company's reasoning is that they believe they designed a tripod which can go head-to-head with even more expensive tripods. After using the tripod extensively, we tend to agree with that assessment, but knowing this does not bring the price down, of course.
Verdict
If we set aside the price, the Travel Tripod from Peak Design is a product with very flew flaws. The extensive attention to detail that went into the design and assembly of this tripod is remarkable. Quite simply, the tripod is a joy to use and makes many things simpler and faster than usual.
