This tripod was so different from all others in the market when it was released four years ago. Now that it’s obvious that many other brands have copied its unique form factor one way or another, it definitely deserves a closer look.
It has been over four years since Peak Design first launched their travel tripod as a crowdfunding project, and ever since, the tripod’s design has polarized opinions of photographers around the world. The unusual and (then) uniquely minimalistic design of the Peak Design travel tripod excited a lot of photographers enough to raise well over the targeted funding, but at the same time raised some eyebrows on those who were not instantly convinced.
The Minimalist Design
Peak Design’s travel tripod seems to have been designed with the aim of taking the concept of portability to a whole new level. While most travel tripods were designed to have the legs fold upwards to reduce the folded length, this one took an entirely different approach. Instead, the legs are divided into five shorter sections. This made it possible to make the folded length even shorter than most tripods, which would make it very easy to pack inside a regular camera bag. At the same time, the legs were made in a more flattened shape instead of the usual rods, which made it more possible to keep the width of the entire tripod thinner. This is in combination to the extremely thinner center column that fit perfectly in between the three legs to form what seems like the most dense and most compact folded form of any tripod.
The aluminum version of the PD travel tripod comes as a solid 1.56 kg compact cylinder while the carbon fiber version weighs 1.29 kg. These two variants can both carry up to 9.1 kg of camera gear. The entire tripod folds down to 39.1 cm with a beverage bottle-like diameter of just 7.9 cm. When all five sections are fully extended, the maximum height is 130.2 cm with the center column down and 152.4 cm with the center column fully extended. The lowest configuration with the center column partially removed and legs spread to the widest angle gives a minimum height of just 14 cm.
The legs take the shape of a seemingly flattened hexagon with aluminum clip/lever locks that taper in size going down to the lowest and smallest leg section. These locks also follow the contour of the legs and while the bottom 1/5th of the folded form thickens a bit, it still relatively maintains a solid cylindrical shape. A single 2 cm diameter knob can be found on the central joint of the tripod that controls the lock of the center column, and this is connected to a 5 cm long frame that stabilizes the 2cm thin center column. On the joints of each leg are aluminum button tabs that unlock the legs to switch from the standard 45-degree angle to a wider 75 degrees. Unlike most tripods that have three angle configurations, though, this only has two stops.
The Unusual Ball Head
At first glance it seems that this tripod only has a quick-release clamp for a head because the ball joint was very well concealed within the groove of the central joint of the tripod and this was done for a very obvious reason. On the base of the head are three protrusions that perfectly fit within the grooves of the central joint and makes the folded form of the tripod almost without any gaps. However, these protrusions also act as the connection of the ball to the head itself, and it does prevent the ball head from having a full range of motion especially when turning the camera vertical.
The head itself does not have any knobs, but instead has rings around the circumference of the head that control the necessary movements. A ring with a textured surface can be found closest to the base of the head, and this controls the friction on the ball joint. Above that is another ring with a very small notch that locks and unlocks the quick release clamp, and above that is a button that releases the plate holding the camera. This quick release clamp follows the Arca-Swiss format which means that while the supplied plate is the same as the ones found on other Peak Design accessories, it is compatible with most Arca-Swiss mount tripod plates, L-brackets, and rotating brackets. Rings were used instead of knobs to rid the assembly of anything protruding and bulky. The ball head was designed to keep it as non-intrusive as possible, however if any tilt has to be done, the user would have to raise the center column a bit.
The Minimalist Center Column
One of the most unusual features of this tripod was the remarkably thin center column. It was obvious that it was made that way and followed the shape of the hexagonal legs and so that the entire width of the tripod would be thinner and easier to store. However, the concern lies in the fact that it might not be as stable given the width.
What was not as obvious was that the frame that encases the center column was much longer than what is seen on other tripods. This meant that there was more surface area on the center column that was being stabilized by this frame when locked in. Regardless of whether it was fully extended or not, about 20% of the entire length is being stabilized by the frame, which virtually makes it even more stable.
On the lower end of the center column is a hook that can be rotated to pull out a magnetically attached smartphone clamp that has prongs that mount directly on the quick release clamp without the need for a base plate. The center column also has a hidden release screw on the side of the ball head that allows the user to remove about 70% of the length of the center column in order to achieve a much lower camera height. 
Application and User Experience
Like any other piece of photography gear, this tripod is better used for certain kinds of photography than others. With the main goal of making the tripod as portable as possible while still being generally usable, Peak Design basically created an entirely unique experience for whoever uses this tripod.
Using the tripod does require a bit of time to get used to the controls since rings are being used instead of knobs, but this is just a consequence of a new design approach. All in all, it does provide a viable solution to the challenges that travel photographers and traveling photographers encounter, all while carrying Peak Design’s minimalist aesthetics and functional design approach. As far as for other uses, I personally think that this tripod is usable in most landscape photography scenarios, especially since the center column can be shortened to achieve a much lower camera angle without having to swap out heads. This can also be quite useful for outdoor content creators as well as anyone who just needs camera support on-the-go. Given the height and the trade-offs on the ball head, this might not be the best to use inside a studio and not the best to use for when significant height is required. However as a tripod in general, it does the job while offering unique portability.
What I Liked
- Slim but sturdy build
- Unique head controls
- Detachable center column
What Can Be Improved
- Limited ball head range of motion
- More size options
- Perhaps colored accent elements on future versions
Nice review. It's a shame that the design has been copied so much albeit with cheaper materials and construction.
The review is not really very reviling. Several similar reviews exist for a very long time. I never heard of someone complaining about flip locks, which I prefer every day of a week because I see if the locks are closed, as opposed to the twist locks. Interesting would be to see a compare to the Benro Cyanbird, which shares with the Peak Design the revolutionary elliptical leg. This reviewer failed to mention this detail. Of course such light tripod has a limited application, and is not a replacement for e.g. my Manfrotto. However when I travel and fly, my Cyan-bird is in my luggage.
They mentioned it in the Minimalist Design section. "The legs take the shape of a seemingly flattened hexagon..." They referenced it again in the next section. "One of the most unusual features of this tripod was the remarkably thin center column. It was obvious that it was made that way and followed the shape of the hexagonal legs..."
"...did not sacrifice stability and usability in more demanding situations" [snort!]
I absolutely *loathe* mine, and wish that I had never bought it. I have no problem with the head, center column, or any of the other things that most people complain about. Rather, I do not like how insecure the leg locks are. I very carefully adjusted the tension on them, and it worked reasonably well for a while. But then I took it on a trip to arctic Norway, and discovered that when it gets very cold it is pretty much impossible to tighten the screws enough to keep the damned thing from drifting down. I had to abandon a day of shooting during the trip and go buy a new (expensive...) tripod the trip to get my work done. Idiotic design, Peak. FWIW, I have the aluminum version, not carbon fiber. I suppose that could make a difference in the thermal properties, but it would have been useful to know that before purchasing.
This. I demo'd one out and was really disappointed in the rigidity of it. Ended up getting a used Series 0 Gitzo travel tripod and a RRS head off ebay for it. might not pack -quite- as small, but it's 10x the tripod the Peak Design one is, and cost less.
I have the aluminum version and I love it. I've traveled all over Europe and Japan with it.
I watched a CF version get blown off of a cliff in Australia from a sudden gust of wind, thankfully the Sony camera it was attached to protected the tripod from a 15 foot fall to the rocks below.
Haha. It's good to know a Sony camera is good for something. ;-) Kidding.
I really wanted to like it but that ballhead wasn't worth it
This PD tripod is insanely overpriced as well as functionally flawed. The Ulanzi x Coman (aka Zero Y) copycat is not only half the price but addresses many of the design limitations of the PD original. I honestly don't know why anyone would buy the PD version at this point, and I don't know why PD hasn't released a V2 that addresses the complaints. The manager of San Francisco's PD retail store has said on YouTube that this is the company's single most profitable product. Why be complacent?
The major problem with this tripod I’m not sure you touched on. And for landscape photography this is a big issue. Basically you can’t pan with it. In order to do that you have to loosen up the whole ball and it doesn’t stay fixed horizontally. Forget merging panorama shots.
There are many tripod/heads that dont pan. We all know this going in and purchase accordingly. Regardless, this can be easily rectified with a $25 panning base.
The PD tripod is overrated and overpriced. The original list price of $600+ was insane. Out of curiosity, I bought a used one for $300. I used it a few times and found insufficient for my needs. I own vastly superior tripods that are lighter, taller, stiffer and cost far less. The PD head design is novel but counterproductive. You have to extend the center column to use it. That drastically reduces stiffness of the entire system. Truly, some of the "copy cat" tripods like Heipi are actually better designed because of their more conventional heads.
The Heipi is slightly shorter both with the center column down and extended. You can also add a different head to the Peak Design. The PD is stupidly expensive, but a lot of cimments on here seem to just want to bash them in general.
Another way to compare the Heipi and PD is that they are very similar height wise, both requiring the central column to be raised to go from 50/51 inches to 59/60 inches. They both take whatever head you want (PD has that ability). But the PD has its own standard/built-in head if you want to go minimalistic. This description sounds totally different, as it is toned in the opposite direction.
I agree that there are better tripods for specific uses, but the Carbon version has replaced my other tripods almost all the time and can always go with me. The limitations of the ball head are easily overcome with inexpensive compact accessories which make the ball head like a leveling bowl on a video tripod: a very small rotating adaptor (Camera Panoramic Panning Base with Arca Swiss Style Plate, 3/8" Screw Aluminum Alloy Panorama Ball Tripod Head with Bubble Level for Tripod Monopod DSLR Cameras, Load Capacity 22 LBS at Amazon) can enable easy panning for panoramas, and recently relatively inexpensive geared heads make careful composition easier (my low-end Benro model is bulky but Leofoto makes more compact ones), and an L-bracket on the camera makes vertical and horizontal compositions stable and balanced. The vibration damping of the feet and legs is superior to any other I have used. If high winds are blowing, use the hook under the center column to connect a bungee cord to the camera bag under the tripod, or use some other weight or a tent stake to anchor the tripod! All the accessories can be left behind and the tripod can still be with me.
I recently took a fast trip through Spain with the CF Peak Design travel trip. I only used it a few times for early morning/evening work, with a Nikon Z8 and 24-120mm Z lens. For the purpose, it was a find combination. It won't replace my regular tripod, but if I need to go light, this tripod is what I'll use.
My peak design tripod travelled the world with me and braved wind, water and was great. I eventually replaced it with a monster rrs tvc34l and sold it. After less than a year, I find my self shopping for a new one because I miss it's portability. I specifically like the aluminum version for the added weight stability in moving water and wind.
I don’t think I I will ever understand the love for this tripod. It does one thing very well: it’s compact. Beyond that it is essentially useless as any sort of actual camera support. The legs when extended are extremely flimsy. Pushing down gently on the tripod causes the legs to bounce, and the whole thing is easily twisted as well. There is just extremely minimal rigidity in the legs and, well, that’s it. Something like the Leofoto LS-284 is massively more stable, less expensive and only a little bigger. Not to mention the PD’s head that requires partial extension of the center column to use.
I just don’t get it.
It really comes down to how light and compact the tripod is. I had no stability problems with it, while doing night photography along the Roman Bridge in Cordoba, Spain with a Nikon Z8 (which isn't a light camera). But, in that particular trip I had to compromise, so I went with the CF Peak Design. I do love my Leofoto LS-324C though and use it most of the time.
I demo'd one out and was really disappointed in the rigidity of it. Legs had alot of flex and vibrations took a long time to settle down.
Ended up getting a used Series 0 Gitzo travel tripod and a RRS head off ebay for it. might not pack -quite- as small, but it's 10x the tripod the Peak Design one is, and cost less.
Good informative article - thank you!
The writer could have been more helpful to his readers by giving the dimensions and weights in inches, pounds, and ounces as well as in metric equivalents. The lion's share of Fstoppers readers are in the United States, where metric is not used regularly by many. I don't want to do math in my head just to understand what an article is saying - it interrupts the flow of my reading.
I am really surprised that a Fstoppers editor and / or proofreader did not catch this omission and correct it before the article went up on the site.
Fewer and fewer things are in imperial units. Younger people are more accustomed to using metric. People involved in any kind of Maker activities use metric. I think it is less and less necessary for writers and video presenters to make these conversions for us. Its really time for us to join the rest of the world and the younger members of our own society and learn metric units.
The old axiom when it comes to tripods is:
"Light ... stable ... cheap ... pick two"
Well, after reading all of the comments here form people who have used this tripod, it seems that you only get to pick one of those attributes, as this model is both expensive and unstable.
I picked mine up with the early bird promo.
I hate the ballhead. It's difficult to adjust and the range of motion due to the design is quite limited and extremely frustrating.
The tripod is not sturdy. The legs flex a lot without any weight on the the tripod.
It is decent tripod if your number one priority is travel size amd that's all that matters. Beyond that it's been quite disappointing in my view.
I would have thought the would have come out with a much improved v2 by now as well.
I’ve had the alu version since day one. TBH it’s replaced my other tripods. It’s lighter, easier to pack/carry and to use. Yes, there are others that are better for specific tasks, but for general use this is great for me. It may not be for everyone, but it works great for me. If you have one and don’t like it, Peak have a ‘sell a used one’ service, so you can recoup some of your expenditure. A better option than whining and slagging it off!
Have you found yours to be extremely stable? Like good enough for VERY slow shutter speeds with big heavy lenses?
No, but that’s not what it’s designed for. It’s a travel tripod designed to be easy to travel with and provide general stability. For specific use, as I indicated, there are other options. If you need VERY slow shutter speeds and a VERY big heavy lens, then there are other tripods but they may not so convenient to travel with.
Thanks for the info. The one thing I can't compromise in a tripod is stability. I don't care if a tripod is big, heavy, or expensive ..... but it absolutely must be very stable.