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Peak Design KickStarts Travel Tripod
21 May 2019
For the last four years Peak Design has been reinventing the compact travel tripod. And this week it launched a KickStarter campaign to fund the resulting Travel Tripod.
The company uses KickStarter rather than loans or venture capitalists to fund development of its unique solutions for photographers. And in just two days it has attracted nearly 3,000 backers for the Travel Tripod.
HIGHLIGHTS
Design is at the heart of all of Peak Design's products. Highlights of the Travel Tripod design include:
- Zero Dead Space Design. The legs are flat not rounded to fit the triangular center column with no dead space, resulting in a design that takes up half the volume of a traditional travel tripod with no protrusions to fit in a water bottle pouch of a backpack.
- Rapid Deployment. Setup and breakdown are "twice as fast" as a traditional travel tripod, the company claims. A unique ball head design and leg cam levers that can be opened and closed together.
- Adjustment Ring Ball Head. The ball head uses an adjustment ring to release and lock movement with a locking ring to provide "further stability and vibration reduction." it includes three portrait mode cutouts as well.
- 20 Pound Weight Capacity. The small tripod can handle up to 20 lbs. (a full frame dSLR with a 70-200mm lens, for example) at its 60-inch maximum height.
- Phone Friendly. Travel Tripod includes "a brilliant, stowable, universal mobile mount hidden in the center column."
- Versatility. In addition to extending the center column upwards, it can be inverted for macro shots. And the legs can be flattened in Low Mode using a hex wrench to lie flat on the ground.
ADD-ONS
The Travel Tripod system includes two add-ons as well (with retail/sponsor prices):
- Universal Head Adapater ($30/$25)
- Spike Feet Set ($30/$25)
PRICE, AVAILABILITY
As with other Peak Design products, the company plans to offer the Travel Tripod with a lifetime guarantee.
An aluminum version will sell for $349 but Kickstarter sponsors can get it for $289. A carbon fiber version will be $599 but $479 to sponsors. Additional tripods can be had for $289 aluminum or $479 carbon fiber.
For more information see the KickStarter campaign.