Really looking forward to a quick-release version of this. That’s the main selling point of the PD version for me. As a hiker it’s really a pain to spend time putting the tripod up when I am with other people who aren’t photographers and don’t care for all my photo taking. So the faster the breakdown and setup of the tripod the better.
My observations after having my peak design for nearly 3 years. The tool holder with the Allen key tool never actually stays attached to the leg, so it’s useless storing it there or you will lose it which I have almost done multiple times. I keep it in my bag. They should make the leg clamp wrap around more. In the beginning the legs would deploy smooth and really easy but the leg locks eventually loosen as you stated. So after you tend to re-tighten with the tool it ends up affecting leg deployment over time. My middle neck deployment knob doesn’t stay in anymore. The bag is definitely too tight so I don’t use. But if I’m hiking and put my bag down, or the tripod down it gets really scratched up. Other than that I love the compact size of peak design. Although the Ulanzi looks good, the added height makes it less compact for me.
I agree, I put the PD tool on my car key chain. The Ulanzi is a great tripod, lighter and the ballhead is far better, more flexible. I wish the Ulanzi came out last year, as I bought the PD last year and enjoyed using it, but the ballhead does have some limitations.
I manage the PD without any problem! And it’s a beautifully made piece of kit, light, small and no issues at all with the bag. It’s really sturdy also!
What a lot of reviewers do not mention is the warranty and support.. I think the PD trumps the Ulanzi on that one. If your Ulanzi broke, good luck on the support and warranty. Also, you can change the head of the PD to any head that you'd like. You cannot do that with the Ulanzi.
Peak Design does have an amazing warranty -- I used it to replace my PD backpack and it was great. Ulanzi has great customer service, but admittedly I don't know much about long-term support. Replacing the PD ballhead costs an extra $30, but it is indeed doable.
Having worked in and managed two pro camera stores for over 27 years and sold, tested myself and heard feedback from countless customers. I can tell you that you want a tripod that you can repair yourself while in the field, like some of the Manfrotto/Bogen and Gitzo brand tripods. I bought a Manfrotto tripod (it was sold in the US under the Bogen label back then. a Bogen model 3221 bought back in the early '80s). I used to do a lot of photography in the Newport Back Bay marshes so that tripod sat in lots of muck and salt water over the years, it spent several stints in Mono Lake, which has a higher salt content than the ocean does. The two times the tripod needed repair happened in the middle of shoots. (of course) Once after a tumble down a cliff in Newport. In both cases I repaired the tripod myself and was shooting again within 10 minutes. Once home I clean out any sand, rinse the parts clean and relubricate those areas that need it. This is where WD-40 or similar water displacement chemicals and some way to blast the water out come in handy. I still have the 2nd tripod I ever bought, a large, polished aluminum. Star D, that I bought around 40 years ago and I've been able to do self repair and maintenance on that tripod as well. To this day I still see other photographers using them. They are great because, with center column extended, I can get the camera above my 6' head. The first tripod I ever bought fell apart after a couple of years, when extending the legs they would fall off no matter how many times I tried to repair them.
The key is to get rid of that stupid standard PD ball head. PD sells a universal adapter that fixes your panning issue. I’ve paired mine with an Acratech GPX and the combination is sublime. Also, you may want to watch a few videos on how to open the PD tripod quicker. The idea is to open and close all the clamps together and then extend the legs. You are doing it the same way as any other tripod and not getting the full benefits from the PD. I haven’t used the Ulanzi - it will be interesting to see how well it holds up over time.
💥💥 Great review, thank you. 5:40 To get down low with the Peak Design you don’t have invert the center column and shoot upside down. The center column is two pieces. Just separate them and put the shorter section back into the legs, spread the legs to their widest position and the camera will be only a few inches off of the ground and no one seems to know this feature. Can the Ulanzi do that.??
I lost that PD Allen ranch the first time I took it out so I like Ulanzi keeping it in a safer location. Saw all the reviews favorable to Ulanzi. I have a PD tripod already so I’m keeping it. Most people don’t move ball head all directions in real world, PD head is not great but fine. The shape of the legs allows very tight closing unlike round legs have gaps in between easy to tangle with stuff. I dropped cable, cleaning cloth or hard to take tripod off carrying bag during travel because things get stuck in between legs. PD is much easier to store and carry.
For you screws coming loose-go to your local car parts store and get some thread lock. It comes in red (strongest) blue (medium) strength. I would use the blue. This should solve them from getting loose. Nice video, good info, I went with the innorel GT324C. But I need it for weight capacity
I ordered mine from the Ulanzi website and they threw in an ST-27 metal phone holder. I also noticed that these this Ulanzi tripod came with different versions of the tool. I have similar one sized allen tool but other You Tube reviews have a flippable dual allen tool. Hmm 🤔
Nice to get the phone holder included. I know that version 2 of this Ulanzi tripod is already on the way -- maybe they changed the tool for that one, or are still refining things.
I'm new to photography, the Ulanzi would be my first tripod. I've been looking at this tripod for a month now, watching every review I can find. Something that has not been covered in the many reviews I've watched is that from what I gather the head for the ulanzi is not interchangeable. Given this would be my first tripod, I don't know if this is a significant issue or not. My concern is that over repeated use over the years I can imagine replacing the head is probably necessary as wear begins to set in. And this makes me hesitant to pull the trigger and get this tripod despite it being amazing in every other aspect. I'd love some input here from more experienced photographers. Am I being overly concerned?
I'd say it depends on how much you use the tripod, but I have not had a tripod head fail on me recently. Personally, I don't see the non-interchangeable head as a downside, but it would be nice to have as an option.
I would say you are being overly-concerned. Most modern gear is really solid, and unless highly mistreated, will last for as long as you need it. I’ve been a videographer for 25 years, and only two tripod failures I can remember. One, head froze and cracked because we left it in too cold of an environment for way too long. Second was a rental tripod, where the leg wouldn’t latch. Point being, the head won’t break unless pushed too far.
The Zero Y has a smol problem with 1/4 inch hole - it is made for magic arms, but any magic arm must be unscrewed to put the tripod into a travel bag. Which is not perfect. There is, however, a way to attach Falcam F22 platform there, using a spacer and a longer 1/4 screw, from SmallRig for example. So You will get a tripod with quick release system attached. Also - Coman Zero Y nowadays is sold with 1/4 screw central pole instead of ballhead. Which is great for use with custom video heads and weightier setups. My setup is 4 kilos, so ballhead with max 3 kilo load can be easily killed. Everything else - phenomenal. Just like this review btw!
I have the carbon fiber PD and it is great. There are a few things that could be better and I'm sure they will be fixed in V2. For the little hex wrench, I attached it to the little adapter on the bottom for cellphone cameras and looped it thru the carrying strap adapter. I have never lost is since.
If you're a landscape photographer in the elements go for the carbon fiber tripod. It will hold up to fluctuating temperatures much better. I had several cheaper aluminum ones break over time before i realized that.
Seems like you missed a big point in Ulanzi's favor by not mentioning the difficulty adjusting the angle of elevation when the camera is moved into portrait orientation on the PD head. I guess if you primarily shoot horizontal video you wouldn't encounter this. I would argue it is the biggest deal killer of the whole PD tripod. You were very generous to PD in this video.
J’en sais quelque chose, ayant expérimenté avec AliExpress sur un produit photographique défectueux, impossible de traiter…, à fuir😊 PD est garanti à vie et d’excellente qualité, même innovant. On sent ici le mode « influenceur » pas objectif du tout pour nous vendre une copie hors de prix 😢
You know you level the ball head first before you put your camera on right? That’s the purpose of the level on the base of the ball head. Once you get that leveled your camera will be leveled when mounted. Idk why people complain about that
Historically, I have always been a big tripod fan. I currently own six different tripods. That said, I have never spent almost $400 for a tripod -- and won't. I currently shoot with an Olympus E-M1X and the image stabilization is so good, I now rarely even carry a tripod. Other than for very critical macro shooting, or extremely long exposures, tripods are becoming much less important to me. For hiking these days I have a very compact, lightweight carbon fiber. Recently, I took it on a hike and used it one time to do a 'selfie' of my wife, my dog, and me. 🙂
I've gone through two PD travel tripods at this point, and have some observations. The leg angle adjusters are pretty fragile. I dropped the legs once from a very low height, and one of adjusters got bent so that the leg could only work at the most upright angle. The tool holder isn't very tight, and the tool can go missing very easily. This last one probably only applies to me, or maybe anyone else with severe ADHD: the tripod is too small, and for me, at least, is too easy to misplace. If you're hiking near Lake Quinault, and find a PD tripod, let me know, because it's probably mine.
The pan head is very nice indeed, pd should implement this if they ever update their design. I use a separate pan head on an arcaswiss plate on top of my pd tripod if I want to do panning shots. The screws in the pd holder that you count as a minus point however are a non issue, I removed them first thing when I got the tripod, so it fits all arcaswiss plates. The Ulanzi doesn’t have these screws to begin with, granted, but is it a feature to leave away a feature? 😉 Main issue is the price of the pd. I got the carbon fibre version on kickstarter, when it was kind of affordable, but the in store price is very high…
7:58 If they’re coming out with another version, I wonder if we should wait before spending the money on the current one. Maybe they’ll have other improvements as well.
Thank you for this comparison. Great video, very clear and straightforward as always. I am planning to buy a travel tripod, do you think this Ulanzi will be a better choice compared to the Manfrotto element?
I have the Peak Design Tripod as well. I agree on everything you said including the loosening of the tightness of the legs over time. The possibility to pan with the ulanzi and the difficulty putting other quick-release systems with Peak Design. Very fine observations on the very tight bag for the Peak-Design. Spot on, I thought so much the same. Thanks for the valuable video.
Does your copy have some play in the mounting plate? I bought one of these and it's solid, except that the mounting plate rocks back and forth. I'm not sure if it's a design flaw or I just have a bad copy.
I wouldn't go as far as to saying the Peak Design is flimsy, but I wasn't as impressed with it given all of the hype. BTW, I love your work, Nick. Been following your channel for awhile!
@@Gemini_Connect my only experience with them has been clients bringing them on workshops… of the 4 that have brought them 3 of them swapped it out for one of my backup tripods because it couldn’t provide enough stability during the week
The peak design is nice in concept/design, but it’s the ballhead I think where it fails the most. Vertical shots, or shooting straight up or down are annoying to achieve…if possible.
Excellent video! Thank you. The head on the Ulanzi is not removable. The head on the Peak Design is. To me, that tips the balance in favor of the Peak Design.
@@Gemini_Connect I installed Peak Design's universal head and then added the Flexshooter Mini Arca Ballhead. Now I have a mini gimbal on the travel tripod. I've been using it for about nine months, and it works like a charm.
What? I pay $350 for a no-name Chinese tripod and the head is not even removable?! No, thank you. I will stay with my $70 MeFoto aluminum travel tripod which allows me to put a more solid Arca head on there.
Always feel free to pay cheaper for products from copycats who do slight modifications basis others' innovation and effort. There are always people and KS funders are happy to fund / pay a premium to show their respect and appreciation for someone who design something suit in their product-eco environment and build something. Enjoy shooting btw.
Absolutely fab video. Really liked your perspective and your comparison. Made sense, and the Ulanzi looks like the better buy. Have you been able to take a look at the Heipi tripod? It looks like it is giving the Ulanzi a run for its money. I would love to know what you think. Great video. Really would like to get your thoughts on the Heipi one, though. All the best!
THANK YOU. Does anyone know what sets these apart from a normal tripod? Because for me, the price for both is just absolutely insane. I recently lost my $80 Slik travel tripod: it’s lightweight and reliable (even lighter than Peak’s). But now looking for a new tripod 6 years later and I truly just don’t understand why I’d pay this much.
I don’t own either tripod, but after watching this video I would definitely get the Ulanzi over the PD design. One thing that wasn’t mentioned is that if your photographing anything outside in the bright sun, the aluminum tripod gets a lot warmer than the CF model does. The price of the CF version of the PD tripod is way too expensive for the average non-professional photographer.
Peak Design has two versions CARBON FIBER and ALUMINUM. If you believe paid promotional videos so easily, you run the risk of buying low-quality items.
What are the dampening characteristics? If it’s not we’ll damped and good at minimizing vibrations, none of this other stuff matters. A steady platform is ultimately what you are expecting from a premium tripod. Taking the maximum weight off the manufacture spec sheet is worthless. Did you do any tests to verify their claims? Looks like it might be a good alternative but I would need some “real” data.
if you buy this from china mainland they retail at just about $200. less if you hit it around deal season. convenient to carry, but it does wobble when you tick the leg...
i've been impressed w/ Ulanzi w/ their mini ballhead. i now use it often w/ my old gitzo traveler. one thing i didn't like about the PD tripods was how loose it felt when fully extended, and you twist the top. how does the Ulanzi compare?
So I have the aluminum Peak Design tripod, and I feel like it's pretty steady when fully extended. Can't say how the carbon fiber is. In comparison, I think the Ulanzi is also steady. If anything, adding weight to the center column hook helps add stability.
Great comparison. No surprise there, but I've never heard of this brand, I will their stuff out. But great there is another well thought out tripod. I i went for Peak Design Alloy, I knew it was not perfect but it was on sale, and I knew the flaws, but I needed something so I went for it. But not making a proper ball head was a mistake. No problems with it so far, but not used it much, but you can use Loctite 243 on the bolts to keep the secure for longer. But having the tool on hand is nice.
@@Gemini_Connect its blue medium strength, so easy to undo if needed. Not done it on mine yet, but most bolts stays quite tight. But you probably used it alot more. But the build quality seems to be good. The phone holder is neat works well. But I want a proper camera too.
i prefer Ulanzi & Coman Zero Y Travel Tripod: than PD I have a bad bad experience with the PD to the warranty sent refurbished sling bag as promise to send a new one. great video many detail and best communication in front of the camera. I just subscribed your channel.
Interesting seeing what I can't afford...hence I've bought Neewer tripods, both for Stills and also for video shooting. Must say, I like the Neewer so far, and I'd be interested for a comparison of the featured tripods in this video, with the nearest Neewer equivalent.
This Ulanzi tripod (with ballhead) looks very attractive both on functions and price. As long as it doesn't have a spyware firmware installed, I'd like to get one. Thanks with thumbs up.
@@Gemini_Connect yes. I’ve contacted them and they keep telling me that I have the updated tool which is exactly the same as yours. However, the irony on mine fell out of the bag so it was never on the tool and the hook continuously spins so I can’t grip it to use the tool.
I have my carbon tri pod from Amazon since 2016. Since it was bare and it didn't come with head, so I got to buy a better 1. The legs have not loosen still hold strong. ... Even at 1 point I used as a walking stick for hike. 😂
If they made one these in aluminum for under 200$ I would buy one in a hot second. I don't have any reason to pay for carbon fiber. Other than that it looks awesome. Thanks!
It looks like you have the same version tripod I received and returned. I really wanted to like this tripod but the quality was not what I expected. The carbon fiber tubes on the tripod I returned appears to be made from a sheet rolled into a tube, that show a seam from the top to the bottom. Please check the carbon tubes on yours if they're made the same. Is it possible that the tripod I received was an exception and that the other ones shipped are better?
Another great comparison video on your channel. The PD Carbon Fibre is way over-priced in my opinion. The aluminum variant is just as good if not better. I would love to try this new Ulanzi, and I think I would 100% agree with all of your points.
The carbon fibre PD is not great value and I was tempted by the aluminium one too. However, I did see one test in which the carbon fibre was demonstrably better than the aluminium when it came to vibration suppression ~ it was consistently timed that the aluminium model took twice as long to stabilize. I have seen other tests which show that carbon fibre is generally superior at dampening vibration in other tripod comparisons, although I seem to remember that wooden tripods might also be very effective, but these are a good deal less common and probably heavier and a good deal less compact (great for large format view cameras apparently). I was resigned to having to get the carbon fibre PD at some point in the future, perhaps second hand, but I am thrilled to hear about this Ulanzi+Coman tripod instead. Just waiting now for the aforementioned quick release model.
The tripod is partially so expensive because of all the R&D that went into making a truly innovative product. That being said, it is high time for a version 2.
as peakdesign tripod owner, I wish ulanzi was launched sooner. just for the difference function in the ballhead and compatibility with general arca swiss plate (I used L plate), ulanzi is a clear winner (even at the same price)
I wished this review would have been out sooner... I spent my hard earned money on th Peak Design tripod and I agree with you, the panning is a big deal! And so was the price... But I have the PD now and I am happy with it, for the most part. Thank you for the great review!
I am looking to upgrade and found your video to be very informative and well done. I am also looking for a solid mini tripod to get as close to the ground as possible (would prefer not to go the upside down route) for landscape astro photography. Any recommendations?
Do a search for 'Koolehaoda' tripods -- they make several nice 'mini' tripods that get very close to the ground. They have a carbon fiber model that raises to 18 in. but folds to 6 in., and gets very low. Another good one is the 'Leofoto LS-223C'.
Excellent review, I should have known you were aware of the Ulanzi tripod, Lol! For a traveler, the Ulanzi tripod is better, it's lighter (although will be a bit less steady in windy conditions) and I like the ballhead over the PD, and you really can't beat the price!
Steve Arita wrote: " For a traveler, the Ulanzi tripod is better, it's lighter (although will be a bit less steady in windy conditions)" Note that at approximately 5:35" Suzi stores her MindShift bag on the hook at the bottom of the center column for added weight and stability. ;-) Oh, and one hint about the above: you can attach a bungee cord to the hook and then hook your bag on the other end of the bungee cord. Make sure the bungee cord is long enough so that your bag just touches the ground when attached. This prevents the bag from swinging around in the wind.
@@coleplacemb Yes, I saw that, and your right using the hook can help stabilize the Ulanzi. I bought it and really like the light weight and it is idea for hiking, I also have the PD carbon, which I bought last year, and enjoyed using it, but comparing both of the tripods side by side, the PD is a bit more sturdy, but is also heavier. I'll be using the Ulanzi over the PD just because it is lighter to carry and as noted, the ballhead is superior then the PD one. I wish the Ulanzi had come out last year.
Ulanzi is a nightmare of a company to work with and it does not care about its customers. I have major issues with my Ulanzi Zero Y tripod which I bought in November 2022. The ballhead is loose and drifts even when fully locked, using a light camera/lens combo. They will not respond to emails. I do not recommend any Ulanzi product after my own personal experience with the product and their absentee customer service. I guarantee you that if you have any issues at all with your tripod, you will not be helped.
