PEAK DESIGN
Creative design, highly functional products, a complete ecosystem, and social awareness. These are the qualities that made me want to use Peak Design’s offerings.
I began purchasing Peak products years ago. Mostly because I thought their anchors for camera straps were really clever in their design and function. I bought them for every camera I used, initially with just one of their straps that I could easily “click” onto whatever camera I was using at the time. Actually, I loved the strap enough to buy more of them.
I bought a few other items and then I heard about their multi-year development of a tripod. I already owned a couple of tripods (well-known and expensive, which will remain nameless). One was so heavy, that I transported it in my car’s trunk, and the other a lighter travel tripod for walking and my suitcase. But I was taken by the design of Peak’s offering and researched it. Like other Peak products (anchors, bags, straps, etc.), I was in awe of the thoughtful design. I watched the videos on their website that described what went into the developer’s thought process and the step-by-step use of every function. I should say that I’m not easily impressed, but I couldn’t wait to try one out and bought the carbon fiber version.
Impressions (a short summary):
I might as well start with the bottom line. I love, really love this tripod. It’s lightweight, small in form factor, strong, and it’s easy to open and close the legs. And it is made to fit into the complete Peak Design ecosystem.
Lightweight – it really is. I slip it into the included bag and use anchors to attach it to my camera bag (also Peak). Or, I carry it over my shoulder with the strap.
Small – It packs up very compactly, because it incorporates a really great arca-compatible ball head that “fits into” the legs when folded. And Peak provides a small tool to attach the included plate to the base of your camera. The tool even stows away on the side of a tripod leg. Clever!
Strong – Very. It can take a large DSLR and long lens. It’s also great for my small cameras and my iPhone (included attachment) too. Would you really want a heavy tripod if you are taking a mirrorless?
Opening and Closing – Wrap the fingers of one hand around all leg locks and flip them open to expand the tripod legs in a few seconds. Easy!
All of the above are important to me, and the fact that I enjoy using the tripod is a bonus.
The Ecosystem:
The aforementioned anchors are the “glue” to the Peak ecosystem. You can pretty much attach anything to anything in it.
Examples:
- Attach the camera strap to the camera.
- Attach their wrist strap to the camera.
- Attach the tripod bag to their camera bag.
- Connections to their products, which have built-in areas that are easy to attach the anchors to.
- Use them with non-peak products too!
- And much more. I’m betting that Peak’s ecosystem will continue to grow, so it’s nice to know that the investments in individual products will work together in a seamless way.
Social Awareness:
The company is very open and aggressive about their commitment to sustainability and social advocacy. Everything else being equal, these are also important reasons to look at Peak Design products. Of course, everything else is not equal. Their products are among the best I’ve used, given their functionality, thoughtful design and price.
I can’t wait to see what they come up with next! Take a look here for more details and some great videos!