Peak Design Travel Tripod

[Mike G]

Well folks the dreaded GAS has struck again, and I splashed the cash on a PD Travel Tripod the Carbon Fibre version . Bloody expensive I know but I would only fritter the money away on Wine, Women and Song! 🤗

 

Initial impressions are very good, and the tripod comes complete with everything one would need!

 

[vivionm]

Congrats, Mike.

 

A good tripod should have the three qualities of being light, rigid and cheap.

 

Every tripod made has only two of those qualities.

 

I use the Peak Design wrist strap and it is very good. This it:

https://www.peakdesign.com/collections/straps/products/cuff

[Mike G]

I too have a PD Wrist Strap!

 

[Dallas]

Nice buy, Mike. PD stuff isn't cheap. I don't like their bags, but this is an interesting new branch for them. 

[Mike G]

I’ve been using their straps for years with no problems. I wouldn’t think of using their bags because I’m a Billingham fan!
 

They also make a nifty device called the Peak Design Capture Camera Clip V3 with Standard Plate (Black) with an Arca Swiss plate attachment?

[vivionm]

I have two Billingham bags.

They are excellent.

[Dallas]

11 hours ago, Mike G said:

I’ve been using their straps for years with no problems. I wouldn’t think of using their bags because I’m a Billingham fan!
 

They also make a nifty device called the Peak Design Capture Camera Clip V3 with Standard Plate (Black) with an Arca Swiss plate attachment?

 

I have the original camera clip, 2x Leash straps, 1x Clutch and the thinner strap they make (can’t recall the name offhand). They also sent me an abundance of the newer anchor clips that don’t fray like the original ones do. 

[Clactonian]

You guys are in a different league to me! I'm still using my old Manfrotto 055PRO aluminium tripod with cheap Kenko large ball head and a smaller Manfrotto Befree aluminium travel tripod. Oh and then there are the small table top travel tripods of which I have several.

My backpack came from Jessops 30+ years ago and is still going strong, and my tiny 'street' bag cost me £7 from the 7-Day Shop. I did treat myself to a Thinktank sling bag last year which is great.

Hmmn, but then there are the cameras. I'd best keep quiet!

 

[Mike G]

Mike, how do have the nerve to appear in public, probably a good job we are locked down! 😮

 

I too have a Manfrotto 055 something also CF but it is just too unwieldy and my choice of tripod head could have been better!

Hey Ho

[Dallas]

I remember lusting after the 055PRO when I first got into photography. I couldn't believe that an aluminium stand could cost as much as it did. Good thing I didn't ever hear about Gitzo until much later. 

 

When I eventually did get my 055PRO I hated it with gusto because the clamps had a nasty habit of snapping open and trapping the webbing between my thumb and forefinger. Nasty thing. I have two carbon fibre travel tripods now, both of which were given to me. 

[Clactonian]

4 hours ago, Dallas said:

I remember lusting after the 055PRO when I first got into photography. I couldn't believe that an aluminium stand could cost as much as it did. Good thing I didn't ever hear about Gitzo until much later. 

 

When I eventually did get my 055PRO I hated it with gusto because the clamps had a nasty habit of snapping open and trapping the webbing between my thumb and forefinger. Nasty thing. I have two carbon fibre travel tripods now, both of which were given to me. 

I have those scars too.

[Alan7140]

My 055 nearly destroyed a Hasselblad EL/M, a brand new Mamiya RB67, and a Nikon D3. All were subject to the laws of gravity when that bloody hexagonal plate failed to engage properly and decided to let go of the tripod head at a time somewhat after it had been attached - i.e. when my hands were nowhere close to it and so have any hope of catching the downwards accelerating camera. The 'blad landed on hard dirt, magazine detached but nothing broken; the RB landed on carpet tiles on concrete floor and exploded with lens, magazine and prism all going different ways, but only a broken tab in the magazine and a forever stiff spot in the focusing rack actually resulted; and the D3 landed on soft shag pile carpet but warped both the lens mount and the camera mount rings and required many $$$ to fix.

 

Call me a slow learner, but the end for that Manfrotto system came for me when the fourth unintended release saw my newly repaired D3 disappear into the swirling waters of a flooded Florentine River deep in the Tasmanian rain forest, never to be seen again.

 

So equally, never again Manfrotto.

 

I now have a brilliant and secure Gitzo GT2531EX 6xCF tripod with flawless twist-collar leg locks topped with an indestructible RRS BH-55 ball head and secure Arca clamp (the Gitzo came to me just before Vitec/Manfrotto took over the company and started shifting its dodgy engineering into Gitzo tripods, so I got lucky). 

 

Getting on for 10 years later now and I've had no accidents, let alone unintended camera detachments, and the Gitzo still looks and works like new even after some pretty rough use. Well worth the money then (but I can't vouch for the Vitec-Manfrotto/Gitzo products now - they have changed things).

[Clactonian]

No accidents to report with my Manfrotto over many years thank goodness but I did ditch the trigger head which was useless.

[Dallas]

1 hour ago, Clactonian said:

I did ditch the trigger head which was useless

 

Haha! I had the same experience. I bought one of those 222 heads on a camera store whim early in my journey and I think it only took one session trying to use one that I became convinced that whoever designed it had never owned a camera before. It sat unused in my box of castoffs for years and years Then miraculously just a few years ago I saw an ad somewhere online for somebody who was looking for one. I think I actually got more back for it than I had paid.  

[CarreraS]

I have the PD strap kit on my Z7 from the fundraiser (with upgrades) .. even bought the binocular clip ! And my old 055 makes a good mic stand, after I replaced it with the chunky Feisol Tournament carbon jobby !

 

And the big Gitzo monopod that's done several African trips as in my cameo ! Prefer Wine, Women and Music tho' ..  😉