After running a handful of the most successful Kickstarter campaigns to date, beginning with its Capture camera clip, Peak Design needs no introduction. Now the company produces everything from large and small straps to the incredibly popular and diverse Everyday line of bags including backpacks, messengers, slings, and more. This morning, Peak Design is updating some of its most popular products including its flagship Slide and Slide Lite straps, the Capture camera clip, and the Pro Pad in a quick, five-day Kickstarter campaign just in time for the holidays — and we have quick reviews of them all.
On the heels of the company's highly requested and ultra-sexy black Everyday Backpack and smaller Everyday Sling 5L released just a few weeks ago, Peak Design is on a tear with updates to many of its already-superb accessories. I myself wondered what even needed updating in the current lineup; but when you see how the incremental improvements add up to make a great experience even better — well, it's hard not to appreciate the effort that goes into these products from start to finish. Even I bought into a system I wasn't as willing to try before thanks to the new updates.
Capture
Capture is where it all started. This is how Peak Design got its start, and this update marks the third version of the famous camera clip. For those unfamiliar, Capture is a camera mounting clip that acts as an attach-anywhere base plate for your camera. Attach Capture to a belt, a backpack's shoulder strap, the Peak Design Pro Pad, or almost anywhere along strategically located points on any Peak Design bag (or many other bags, for that matter). Once in place, Capture accepts any Arca-Swiss tripod plate to hold your camera steady so it's ready at all times and not swinging around at the edge of a strap.
Capture's lack of specifically new functionality is deceiving. Personally, I've had a current-generation Capture system for quite some time and haven't used it much. It always just seemed a bit too bulky for me, and I honestly just never gave it a fair shot. The new clip, however, not only looks better (go ahead, judge me for judging based on looks), but it also comes in at 30-percent lighter and both narrower and lower profile by 20 percent. This smaller size and new all-aluminum construction adds significantly to both the overall aesthetic, strength, and utility of Capture. Of course, you can still slide in the included square tripod plate from any side, so you can position Capture at any angle on your bag or belt and will still be able to attach your camera with the grip out in the most handy position.
The differences are pretty obvious, here. The new-generation Capture is much lighter, stronger, and better looking in comparison to the previous version.
Those who have used Capture before know that once it's in place, it rarely moves. Buying one usually ends up in future purchases so you can put one everywhere across your gear that it might be handy. And thankfully, Peak Design takes advantage of this by including lower-profile hex screws in the package. The standard screws that come installed still feature a lower-profile design than their predecessors with a knurled edge to allow for easy hand tightening. But to save even more space and arguably secure Capture even more (not that it needs it), those knurled knobs can be swapped for screws that are hex-adjustable and take up even less space. Tighten the screws with the included Allen wrench and never worry about moving Capture again. The new Capture comes in more uniform black and silver colors and replaces both the Capture and Capture Pro models that came before it.
The hex screws are included along with the Allen wrench for an even lower profile and more permanent attachment option with the new Capture camera clip.
Slide and Slide Lite
Slide is the company's flagship strap built for both quick, cross-body action with a slick-moving standard side as well as single-arm hang with a gripped surface on the reverse side. A unique one-hand-action clasp allows you to quickly pull the camera around to shoot at a comfortable distance and then extend the strap again to put the camera to rest around your back once you have your shot. If you prefer or temporarily want a grip for keeping your camera in place on one shoulder, simply flip the strap over for a gripped side. This core functionality doesn't change.
The new grip material is applied in a tread-like pattern that will give with the curves of your body so it won't wear as much or crease over time. It also looks pretty sweet.
Instead, today's Slide introduces some design changes that, as with Capture, make it slimmer and stronger than ever before. A new tighter webbing makes for an even stronger strap. The new clasp is both lighter and slimmer thanks to the lack of wrapping the strap material around the clasp in order to end the connection. Instead, the strap material ends directly into the molded, reinforced plastic clasp for a design and finish you haven't seen before. The result is a strap with compact hardware that is easier to carry around and just that much less obtrusive than the previous generation. Additionally, a new notched or dotted grip pattern will bend with your shoulder and won't wrinkle or crease over time. This change is purely cosmetic, but it does look great.
The new clasp design is more compact and lightweight while losing none of its function over the previous version.
Slide Lite introduces the same hardware advancements in the same mirrorless-friendly package it's always been. And both straps include the new Anchor Mounts and the new Anchor Links first introduced with Leash and Cuff. The Anchor Links are now even slimmer than before and tapered on one end so they clip into place with one hand. The new Slide and Slide Lite come in both Black and Ash colors.
Pro Pad
An updated Pro Pad is also introduced in this Kickstarter and acts as a better base for larger cameras attached to your hip. Throw Pro Pad around your belt and be ready to accept any larger rig without worrying about your belt twisting.
Pricing
The Kickstarter campaign will last only this week so Peak Design can ship as much as possible in time for the holidays. Through the campaign, Capture, Slide, and Slide Lite will cost $55, $50, and $35, respectively, while standard pricing will cost $15 more after the campaign ends. Pro Pad is available in various packages for about $15 more. And a seemingly endless supply of other add-ons from more Anchor Links to the new black color of the Everyday Backpack 20L (which features a sleek, inconspicuous look compared to the lighter colors) are available at rare discounts in addition to all these updated products. If you want to grab a few extra Capture clips to leave attached to your gear in various places, clips without plates can be had for just $40. Peak Design estimates it will get most orders with correctly filled-out surveys shipped early next month with delivery in time for Christmas, making this campaign is a great way to stock up on gear or gifts for a fellow photographer at a discount before the holidays.
Adam works mostly across California on all things photography and art. He can be found at the best local coffee shops, at home scanning film in for hours, or out and about shooting his next assignment. Want to talk about gear? Want to work on a project together? Have an idea for Fstoppers? Get in touch! And, check out FilmObjektiv.org film rentals!
A lot of mature companies still use crowdfunding for a number of the benefits that come with the process (like being able to better plan production by knowing the exact demand for a chunk of orders). So it’s not the craziest thing.
Not crazy, but ultimately I question whether it's good for the consumer or the product. I want my companies to have something to lose if they let me down or simply decide it's harder than they thought it was going to be and quit. Kickstarters list of most funded projects isn't exactly a ringing endorsement of the model if you know a little bit about those products.
Pebble is gone and so is the Pono player (both on the list at the link below). Coolest Cooler was investigated for fraud because they used Kickstarter money to sell coolers on Amazon before backers got theirs.
Now if an established company were using it to go in a radical new direction I may feel different, but to release an incremental improvement of an existing product on Kickstarter just seems a little cynical.
I'd have to agree. Not to bash, but I will. It's pretty lame, and smacks of a handout to cover the cost of production... 'investors' should get a return for a capital infusion. This is utter horse dung, but who am I to say how someone should spend their money?
I honestly don't even know, but with deliveries starting in less than a month, production is probably already finished in this case. Production was just an example, but there's a lot of data you get, etc., with which Kickstarter campaigns can help plan for any small company. I mean, people are getting a discount commensurate with what's essentially a pre-order product for a pre-order price. Even I can be (and am) thankful for that, as there are a few things on my list I wanted to grab.
Trevor brings up another excellent point- the companies begging via kickstarter are spreading risk to the people dropping a buck in the hat on the ground.
I'm most definitely anti-kickstarter, more for an entrepreneur who's earned his/her way into the marketplace the old fashioned way. There's something to be said for taking the time and discipline to get a product to the market. I'm a little old-school, this just reeks of the millennial way out. I can see it now, "Man, it's really not fair. These people didn't buy the bellybutton lint I worked really hard at funding that afternoon when I started that kickstarter campaign. I'll be in mom's basement crying over my acai bowl if you need me."
Things change, maybe you shouldn't resist it. Just because some bad actors screwed up on Kickstarter, doesn't mean it's ruined for everyone. As an investor, you invest based on the risk you can handle and sometimes you lose everything. Going by Peak's track record, it's a very low risk at this point, hence why they reached their funding goal within hours.
Investment is the purchase of something that are expected to increase in value over time. I would not consider a camera strap to be an investment. Especially if planned obsolescence is inherent to the product you're paying for.
That's true, and I'm using "investment" in a loose term as it applies to funding kickstarter effort.
Kickstarter, probably a decent vehicle for some projects, seems cheeky for an established brand like Peak. I still want to term it "investing" since you're giving them money to help them bring a product to market. We can debate the terminology until the cows come home, so I'll leave my statement out there understanding where Trevor comes from.
Funding someone or a company in this manner lacks any transparency. That's a major ding for me, especially when it comes to Peak. I'd be fine, to some degree, if they were crowdfunding the first iteration of the product. But this is the 3rd version. Seriously, guys? You lack the working capital to launch it on your own? What does that tell me about the feasibility of any warranty you put on your products? So yes, when I'm buying a strap or mount such as this, in theory, it does become an investment.
I bought the version prior to this one. It is a good product, btw. No knock on their straps, I own of them too. I just scratch my head on the kickstarter route. What's next, Apple kickstarting iPhone XI?
Some are mismanaged, some are scams, and some try to give back what they can. But most, by far, are legitimate and do what they promise (though sometimes with delays). Peak Design is now a well-established company with products in every major camera store and has an excellent track record. I wouldn’t worry about it.
As much as I'm shredding Peak over kickstarting, I can attest that I use both the prior version of this mount (the Capture Pro), and the Slide strap. Both top-notch products. The strap is well-designed, and overall, the anchor system which is the foundation of how their products are connected to your camera are a home run.
1
0
alexandertardif
Ah, nice! I've beaten the snot out of the my capture v2 over the past few years and was about to get a new one anyway so this is timely! Waaaay more interesting than the murse sling thingie they announced last week, design for which, I thought, was inspired by none other than the young Rock:
I tried the capture clip, 3 of them actually, and wanted to love it, but the plates would CONSTANTLY get stuck going in and coming out of the clips (all 3 of them). I was photographing an event and couldn’t get my alternate camera unstuck for a while. I just had to use the other camera until I had a minute to force it loose. After that, I never used them again. Love the Slide, though.
I can't speak so much to previous versions, but this one is great. The locking pin is secure, and it's a quick twist and push to release the camera plate again when you need it.
Why, is Peak still using Kickstarter for every new production change? Company thier size should have and R&D budget and at this point should be mature enough to not have to count on consumers to back thier funding. Kind of chicken shit if you ask me.
Walking around with a backpack and a camera on a neck strap (Peak Design strap) is quite awkward and uncomfortable so I was quite excited to get a Capture V3 to take the weight to the shoulder when not fully packed on a hike.
I hadn't used or seen the V1 or V2 so when they said it was smaller I rather assumed it was due to a manufacturing improvement as it also states that it fits "any" backpack strap.
Well, not really. It comes nowhere near to fitting a ThinkTank bag or LowePro bag. I realize Peak Design make bags too, and sure, use those in your media, but really, did you overlook top end bag manufacturers or just decide not to include a decent matrix of those bags it won't fit.
Very disappoointing.
I feel like Peak Design still doing Kickstarter is like a 17 year old trick or treating. Aren't you little mature for this?
A lot of mature companies still use crowdfunding for a number of the benefits that come with the process (like being able to better plan production by knowing the exact demand for a chunk of orders). So it’s not the craziest thing.
Not crazy, but ultimately I question whether it's good for the consumer or the product. I want my companies to have something to lose if they let me down or simply decide it's harder than they thought it was going to be and quit. Kickstarters list of most funded projects isn't exactly a ringing endorsement of the model if you know a little bit about those products.
Pebble is gone and so is the Pono player (both on the list at the link below). Coolest Cooler was investigated for fraud because they used Kickstarter money to sell coolers on Amazon before backers got theirs.
Now if an established company were using it to go in a radical new direction I may feel different, but to release an incremental improvement of an existing product on Kickstarter just seems a little cynical.
https://www.kickstarter.com/discover/most-funded
I'd have to agree. Not to bash, but I will. It's pretty lame, and smacks of a handout to cover the cost of production... 'investors' should get a return for a capital infusion. This is utter horse dung, but who am I to say how someone should spend their money?
I honestly don't even know, but with deliveries starting in less than a month, production is probably already finished in this case. Production was just an example, but there's a lot of data you get, etc., with which Kickstarter campaigns can help plan for any small company. I mean, people are getting a discount commensurate with what's essentially a pre-order product for a pre-order price. Even I can be (and am) thankful for that, as there are a few things on my list I wanted to grab.
Trevor brings up another excellent point- the companies begging via kickstarter are spreading risk to the people dropping a buck in the hat on the ground.
I'm most definitely anti-kickstarter, more for an entrepreneur who's earned his/her way into the marketplace the old fashioned way. There's something to be said for taking the time and discipline to get a product to the market. I'm a little old-school, this just reeks of the millennial way out. I can see it now, "Man, it's really not fair. These people didn't buy the bellybutton lint I worked really hard at funding that afternoon when I started that kickstarter campaign. I'll be in mom's basement crying over my acai bowl if you need me."
Things change, maybe you shouldn't resist it. Just because some bad actors screwed up on Kickstarter, doesn't mean it's ruined for everyone. As an investor, you invest based on the risk you can handle and sometimes you lose everything. Going by Peak's track record, it's a very low risk at this point, hence why they reached their funding goal within hours.
Investment is the purchase of something that are expected to increase in value over time. I would not consider a camera strap to be an investment. Especially if planned obsolescence is inherent to the product you're paying for.
That's true, and I'm using "investment" in a loose term as it applies to funding kickstarter effort.
Kickstarter, probably a decent vehicle for some projects, seems cheeky for an established brand like Peak. I still want to term it "investing" since you're giving them money to help them bring a product to market. We can debate the terminology until the cows come home, so I'll leave my statement out there understanding where Trevor comes from.
Funding someone or a company in this manner lacks any transparency. That's a major ding for me, especially when it comes to Peak. I'd be fine, to some degree, if they were crowdfunding the first iteration of the product. But this is the 3rd version. Seriously, guys? You lack the working capital to launch it on your own? What does that tell me about the feasibility of any warranty you put on your products? So yes, when I'm buying a strap or mount such as this, in theory, it does become an investment.
I bought the version prior to this one. It is a good product, btw. No knock on their straps, I own of them too. I just scratch my head on the kickstarter route. What's next, Apple kickstarting iPhone XI?
On a kickstarter project if the company decides not to produce the product or fails to meet the goal do the customers get their money back?
Some are mismanaged, some are scams, and some try to give back what they can. But most, by far, are legitimate and do what they promise (though sometimes with delays). Peak Design is now a well-established company with products in every major camera store and has an excellent track record. I wouldn’t worry about it.
As much as I'm shredding Peak over kickstarting, I can attest that I use both the prior version of this mount (the Capture Pro), and the Slide strap. Both top-notch products. The strap is well-designed, and overall, the anchor system which is the foundation of how their products are connected to your camera are a home run.
Ah, nice! I've beaten the snot out of the my capture v2 over the past few years and was about to get a new one anyway so this is timely! Waaaay more interesting than the murse sling thingie they announced last week, design for which, I thought, was inspired by none other than the young Rock:
You know what they should improve? Their origami bag-dividers, every time I need to rearrange my bag, it's as fun as going to the dentist.
+1
Can I just ask what the heck is going on in the main image...?
I tried the capture clip, 3 of them actually, and wanted to love it, but the plates would CONSTANTLY get stuck going in and coming out of the clips (all 3 of them). I was photographing an event and couldn’t get my alternate camera unstuck for a while. I just had to use the other camera until I had a minute to force it loose. After that, I never used them again. Love the Slide, though.
I can't speak so much to previous versions, but this one is great. The locking pin is secure, and it's a quick twist and push to release the camera plate again when you need it.
Too late for me. I switched to the Spider Holster and could not be happier. It's incredible!
Why, is Peak still using Kickstarter for every new production change? Company thier size should have and R&D budget and at this point should be mature enough to not have to count on consumers to back thier funding. Kind of chicken shit if you ask me.
Walking around with a backpack and a camera on a neck strap (Peak Design strap) is quite awkward and uncomfortable so I was quite excited to get a Capture V3 to take the weight to the shoulder when not fully packed on a hike.
I hadn't used or seen the V1 or V2 so when they said it was smaller I rather assumed it was due to a manufacturing improvement as it also states that it fits "any" backpack strap.
Well, not really. It comes nowhere near to fitting a ThinkTank bag or LowePro bag. I realize Peak Design make bags too, and sure, use those in your media, but really, did you overlook top end bag manufacturers or just decide not to include a decent matrix of those bags it won't fit.
Very disappoointing.