PEAK DESIGN Travel Tripod- Carbon Fiber vs. Aluminum (This could save you $250) 

Thanks, Rolando! Yeah, when I was doing these tests I really just wanted to show some practical results as to why the carbon fiber and aluminum were different because all I was seeing was comparisons of the spec sheet. And aside from weight and price, the specs don’t mean anything unless they translate into an actual difference in use!

@@SamLucas26 even though I'm convinced of the CF model, I'm just not $649 convinced lol.

@@RolandoNispiros Yeah, I hear you. It's an expensive pill to swallow for sure. Like I said in the video, unless you're shooting long exposures off of it, I'd just go with the Aluminum model. The CF really only sets itself apart if you're shooting slow enough shutter speeds that the vibration is going to ruin the sharpness of your shot. I still use both of these tripods all of the time, and even after 2+ years since I made this video, I find that I still use them exactly how I described in the video. CF for long exposure photography and when I need my pack to be as light as possible. Aluminum gets used mostly for a static video angles.

@@SamLucas26 agreed, I had both the aluminum and CF in my cart, but without haven't even seeing them in person, I just couldn't swallow that CF pill.

@@RolandoNispiros Yeah, completely understandable. The aluminum definitely feels just as premium, not gonna lie. I would actually make the argument, that in the hand, the aluminum feels a little more premium just given that little extra weight and perfectly smooth anodized feel. It's a really good feeling piece of hardware and just feels really high quality and durable

Yeah bro, not gonna lie, I was like, “there’s no way the difference is gonna be that drastic, most people will be better off saving the money and going with the aluminum”... it was that drastic haha 😂

Thanks a ton Jack! I really appreciate that. Glad I could bring some fresh value!!!

Thanks a ton friend! Yeah, I definitely wasn’t expecting the difference to be that dramatic but it really showed me why carbon fiber is so widely used for tripods. The difference is crazy!

You said they weren’t incredibly scientific but I have read a lot of scientific publications that have experiments that are way less effective! 😂🙌🏼 fantastic video!

@@sydneykerr7020 Haha, thanks Sydney! A picture is worth 1000 words, I suppose. Or in this case... a video is worth 1000 words!

Thanks for watching, man! Yeah, I had zero expectation for the difference to be that dramatic! Both are great tripods but if you need to most stable of the two, the CF is it, all the way 🤘🏼

Man, thanks so much! I can’t tell you how much I appreciate that. There’s a lot of work that goes into these videos, it’s constant tweaking, so I really appreciate you taking notice 🙏🏼

Hahaha, yeah, I figure if I’m going to test something I should at least test it similarly to how it’s going to be used haha. Thanks for watching! Glad it was helpful :)

Thanks so much, Darnell! That means a ton to me 🙏🏼 I’m glad it helped you out 👊🏼👊🏼👊🏼

Haha, thank man, definitely can’t fight fire with fire on the internet. When people are being unreasonable, the only way to respond (if you respond at all), is to be reasonable. I’m glad the video helped you out, though, man! That’s always the goal with making these gear videos like this is to hopefully just help people make more informed buying decisions. You won’t regret it when you get the Carbon version in your hands! It’s a great product! Maybe there’ll even be an updated version 2 by the time you pick one up!

Same! I was really surprised with the results when I did the testing. I was expecting a difference but wasn’t expecting it to be THAT different haha. Glad it helped you out making your decision, friend! The carbon fiber is my go to for landscape shooting as well!

Yeah, I’m not going to lie, I was definitely surprised by the difference haha. I knew carbon fiber was a better material but didn’t realize the difference was THAT much better haha. I really appreciate it man! Working on a few right now that I’m excited to get out there!!!!

Thanks so much, James! I really appreciate that, man. Yeah, I really just wanted to throw out some tests that might simulate real world environments and highlight on a very basic level that the carbon fiber will actually absorb vibrations better. Thanks for watching and subscribing, man. Much appreciated 🙏🏼

Man, I really appreciate hearing that! It’s always refreshing to hear that these videos are helpful to people. You thinking about picking one up???

Seriously. It is way more difficult than I expected to find anything about the aluminum version

I know, right! Before I picked these up to make this video, I was looking at reviews myself and saw that nobody was talking about the aluminum model. Granted they’re so similar. But there’s obviously a difference and it’s not just price haha. So I decided to highlight a little of that difference myself.

Thanks for the feedback DOM! I really appreciate the encouragement. Glad that I could help you out 🤙🏼🤙🏼🤙🏼

Thanks a ton Izzat! That means a lot. I always appreciate the feedback 🤙🏼🤙🏼🤙🏼

Thanks so much Martin! Making these RU-vid videos concise and valuable is one of the things I struggle with so I really appreciate your words! Thanks for watching 🙏🏼

My thoughts, as well!

Yeah man, it’s perfect for that! It’s exactly how I use it and I absolutely love it. Thanks for checking out the vid! I really appreciate it!

Haha, I would love a sponsorship with peak design! Much appreciated, friend! Thanks for watching 🙏🏼

Hahaha, my apologies, friend 😂 But I’m glad you enjoyed it! I’ve had a couple people say that. Honestly they’re both great tripods, it’s just a matter of whether or not you’re going to use it for those special use cases I mentioned in the video i.e. long exposure and/or you absolutely need the weight savings.

Thanks so much Varit!!! I really appreciate that 🤙🏼🤙🏼🤙🏼

Haha, never been told that I have a nice voice, but I will definitely take it! Thanks for checking out the videos!!!

Thanks so much 🙏🏼 Glad I could help you make the right choice!!! You’re going to love it. It really is a great product

Thanks so much, man! I really appreciate that and thanks for the sub! Hoping to get back on it and start rolling some fresh videos out over the winter months while business is slow!

You won’t regret it! They’re both awesome, but I still use the carbon fiber all the time! Glad you liked it! Thanks for watching!!!

Sure thing! Thanks for watching 🤘🏼

Yeeessss!!!! Thank you Christian. “Helpful” Is the feedback that I’m shooting for with all of my videos! Made my day 🙏🏼

Just checked out your channel. Are you still in Glacier??? Hands down, my favorite Park I’ve been to 👌🏼

Thanks so much! I really appreciate the love! Let me know if you have any questions! Two year on and I’m still using both of these all the time!

Man, that makes my day that I was able to help you out, Mackey! Thanks for the kind words!!!!good luck with the astrophotography! What’s you Instagram? I would love to check it out

Thanks so much man. I really appreciate it! Yeah the carbon fiber is great! It gets a lot of use for landscape photography from me!

How is it better than the aluminum one? Other than lighter?

@@wcsdiaries I live in Chicago and when you handle a metal tripod in the winter it definitely is much colder on the hands than the carbon fiber one, matter of fact I have shot without gloves in the winter and with a metal tripod it gets extremely cold in a matter of minutes, so much that it gets impossible to hold. Also the carbon fiber absorbs a lot better the shock of a hit to the legs which will always happen if you shoot enough, I shoot Real Estate with a carbon the fiber for years, It always takes a hit better than an aluminum one. Is it a necessity? Probably not but it makes shooting a lot more easier in my opinion

@@johnnyburbano9690 these were great insights. nver thought about the cold. thank you

Absolutely, man! Thanks for watching! Yeah the carbon is well worth the extra money if you can swing it. In my opinion.

Thanks so much!!! I really appreciate you checking out my channel. See you in the next one!

Yeah man, absolutely! Thanks for watching. Yeah, if you can get away the aluminum, it’s a great tripod. Same great built and design. Especially if you know you’re not gonna be doing much long exposure stuff, it’s definitely worth saving the money

Thanks Mike! Glad I could help you out 🤘🏼

I’m so glad it helped you out! You won’t regret it, I still use my carbon fiber one all the time!

Thanks for watching, friend!

@@SamLucas26 Hehe can't wait then, mine will get to the shop next wednesday... just a few more days before epiphany/true love 😂

@@Personne414 niiiiice! You’re gonna love it. Jump back and leave me a comment and let me know how you like it!

Man, thanks so much for watching! I’m glad it was helpful! And hola from central Pennsylvania 😂

Thanks Julia! Glad I could help! Yeah, that was exactly the problem I was having when I was trying to figure out which one to get. So I decided to get both and make the video myself 😂 You’ll love it too! I still use mine all of the time! Thanks a ton for watching!

Thanks friend! Much appreciated! Yeah, I’m not going to lie I was actually surprised at the difference of the Carbon fiber compared to the aluminum. It’s a huge difference! You thinking about getting one?!

@@SamLucas26 I am actually! I was looking for a good comparison between the two so I can go ahead and buy the aluminum version and save some money. But after watching your vibration tests, I gotta say, I might bite the bullet and spend the extra on the carbon fiber because I shoot long exposure a lot. Again, thanks for the great videos!

Man, that’s so awesome! Always makes me happy hearing that my videos are helping people out! Glad I could help you narrow it down! If you’re interested in buying on amazon, I have some affiliate links for both models up in the description!

That sounded sales pitchy haha, affiliate links obviously help support the channel but you absolutely don’t have to use my links to buy anything haha. Much love, friend! Happy shooting 🤙🏼🤙🏼🤙🏼

@@SamLucas26 If I ever buy this carbon fiber tripod, I'd use your affiliate link! 👍👍👍

Thanks for watching, mate! Honestly, I haven’t noticed any issues with tolerances with the aluminum tripod at all. There’s not really any slop in either of these tripods. But I did make sure those clamps weren’t loose on both tripods prior to the tests because I do know that they can come loose over time. That being said, the clamps being a little loose really wouldn’t contribute to vibrations all that much. It might cause the leg to flex a bit more when extended, or if the clamp was really loose, it would start to droop over time. But I can attest that, at least in the copies of these tripods that I have, the tolerances and overall fit is basically identical. They’re both very tightly manufactured.

Thanks for watching, friend! Glad it was helpful!

Thanks so much for the words Gareth! Yeah, I think it’s just taken at face value that carbon fiber is a more rigid material than aluminum but it’s never really put into something that’s really observable. Thanks for watching friend! 🙏🏼

Right on!!! I love it when I can help somebody save some money!!! You're gonna love it! Thanks a ton for watching 🤙🏼🤙🏼🤙🏼

Thanks Tim, I really appreciate that! I’m not too sure about IBIS, but I know with optical stabilization on a lens, generally speaking, you don’t want to use it while on a tripod because it usually causes more problems than it solves. They tend to do weird things when they’re looking for movement to correct and there is none lol. Which I didn’t test in this case. But I this lens that I was using for the test was the canon 85mm f/1.4L IS and I have observed problems with this IS turned on while on a tripod in past

Optical IS tends to be tuned a little more for handheld jitters but doesn’t seem to be tuned super well for these smaller jitters from a tripod

Hahaha, it’s a very scientific method that I personally developed 😂

Hey Mariano! Thanks so much, that means a lot 🙏🏼 Yeah, shooting video is the perfect use case for the aluminum tripod. It’s build great, it’s lightweight, it will hold a fairly sizable mirrorless/DSLR setup to shoot interviews with and with video the vibration difference really isn’t an issue. The only scenario I suggest the carbon fiber model over the aluminum is if your shooting long exposure photography. Otherwise, aluminum all the way 🤘🏼🤘🏼🤘🏼

Man, I love to hear it! So glad I could help you save some money!!! The aluminum one is great! And honestly, I prefer the feel of the aluminum one in general. There’s just something about a well built metal product that feels premium! Haha

Thanks for watching, man! Yeah you really can’t go wrong with the aluminum. It’s a great tripod. And like I said in the video, unless you absolutely need the lightest gear possible or are shooting a lot of longer exposures, you’ll never even know the difference between the two! I had both of them out on a video shoot this weekend and they did great. I still use them all the time 👍🏼

@@SamLucas26 nice!!! So jealous you got both!!! PD makes some absolutely awesome and beautiful gear!!!

@@nigelmatthew8534 They do man! I just love the ingenuity that they put into their product design. I never would have imagined that there would be so much room to innovate the travel tripod space and then they went and did it lol

@@SamLucas26 well said! I really can’t get enough of their products! Looking forward to future releases from them :)

@@nigelmatthew8534 Likewise, my man! Glad we connected on these comments, friend! I always love connecting with awesome people in the comments of my videos! It's probably my favorite things about doing RU-vid

Thanks man!! Much appreciated!

Haha, thanks so much, man! 🙏🏼 I really appreciate that! There’s a lot of work that goes into making even small videos like this, so it means a lot for you to mention that 🤙🏼🤙🏼🤙🏼

Hey Eva, thanks a ton for watching! Yeah, these are both awesome tripods. I definitely use the carbon fiber one significantly more but what I said in the video is definitely still true. I use the carbon fiber for a lot of longer exposure landscape photography. And I use them both for video. You really can’t go wrong! Let me know which one you end up going with or if you have any other questions!

Yeah Benjamin, I appreciate the questions! For both tests, I had the center column raised the same height of 4 inches. When using the blower, I actually did a test blowing on both the column and the legs and didn’t see any discernible difference between the vibrations. The lens I used for the test was the Canon EF 85mm f/1.4L IS (with the IS turned off obviously), which is a moderately heavy lens for a prime but it’s about a pound less than the canon 70-200 f/2.8 iii. And the 85mm was attached to the EOSR shooting in 4K. So with the 4K crop factor of that camera, that gives approx a 150mm fov equivalent. And then obviously, I list in the video where I scale in an additional 300% Keep in mind that these tests weren’t meant to be necessarily incredibly scientific but more so just to highlight that carbon fiber as a material definitely handles vibrations differently than aluminum. Hope this helps! Thanks a ton friend!

@@SamLucas26 Thanks for the reply and yep, it definitely helps. What is interesting is that your video shows that the 20% stability difference claimed by the manufacturer is very conservative. Even the numbers crunched in "the center column" website show that the difference is less than 20%. Anyway, my aluminum tripod arrived today, and out of the box feels more solid and more substantial than I expected. Now I'm debating (as many others in the comments) what I will do. Just keep the aluminum and live with its weaknesses or bite the bullet and exchange it for the CF. Whatever is the case, thanks for your great review. What you have done is very helpful and highly appreciated. Good luck and I look forward to future videos.

Yeah man, I would say that if you have the aluminum model in hand, just test it out in your normal use cases and see if it does the job sufficiently. If not, return it for the CF. But if it does the job for you, definitely save the money haha. I think it’s just a matter of what you’re going to be using to tripod for. If outdoor, long exposure photography is something you do on a regular basis, I think the carbon fiber model makes sense on its ability to absorb vibrations. But if you’re not doing a lot of long exposure stuff, and your shutter speeds are high enough to freeze motion, definitely save the money and stick with the aluminum model. Keep in mind too that I wasn’t using any weight on the tripods in these tests. Like, I didn’t have a bag or anything hanging from the hook underneath. So adding some weight to the tripod could help as well. Might be worth trying out as your testing your tripod to see if it helps your results! Thanks for engaging, friend! I look forward to seeing you in the comments section of future vids!

Thanks James, I really appreciate that! Yeah man, for sure. I definitely still use my video tripods with the right application but for smaller setups and locked off stuff, as long as they can support the weight of the rig, you can’t beat these smaller tripods.

Thanks for watching and commenting, mate. I really appreciate it 🙏🏼

Sure thing Alexis! Glad you enjoyed it. Thanks for subbing! That means a ton to me 🙏🏼

Dude, absolutely! Thanks for checking out my vids. Been connecting with you on Twitter so it’s cool to see you in the comments of one of my videos 🤙🏼🤙🏼🤙🏼

Thanks so much 🙏🏼 I really appreciate those words. It always means a ton hearing that these videos are helpful. And for sure; the CF performs so much better on absorbing those vibrations quicker. I was really surprised with the results to be honest! Let me know how it works out for you!!!!

@@SamLucas26 I bought the Carbon Fiber model and yes, it is very much better and locks in right away when I set on a subject quickly. I use a heavy Sigma 60-600 with Nikon D750.

I’m so happy to hear that, friend! What’s your Instagram handle? Would love to check out some of the shots you get with it!

@@SamLucas26 arunakalu

Aruna Kalu right on!

Hey Anthony, thanks so much for watching! I really appreciate it. Yeah, I'm totally with you, I think the innovation and seeing somebody trying to "build a better mousetrap" and actually coming up with something this good on the first iteration to market is really exciting, even despite it's flaws. I'm certainly excited to see future improvements on this design from PD. The short answer to your question, is yes. Two years, later, I would definitely buy again. If I only owned one and something happened to it, I would probably go straight to buying another carbon fiber model and not even shop around for other options, just because I know it works so well for how I use it. I don't know if I'd buy the aluminum model again but that's probably just because I own both so when I'm using one I'm always grabbing the carbon fiber model because it does just perform that much better. I will say, I've been surprised at the scenarios that I've used the CF model in and it's been rock steady. Like shooting fly fishing content in the middle of creeks and streams, like you mentioned. I had it in the ocean shooting long exposures of light houses in Maine while it's getting hit with waves and whatnot and it performed great. It really has impressed me with how it's held up over time.

Thanks for watching, I really appreciate it! I'll link the fluid head I use on it but first of all, you'll need the adapter that peak design makes and then the fluid head I've used with these tripods is made by Manfrotto. Peak Design Universal Head Adapter: amzn.to/3q9MOta Manfrotto Fluid Head: amzn.to/3pdR21X ***DISCLAIMER: These are affiliate links, if you purchase anything through them, the channel does earn a small commission

I need to trademark this hairdryer test because it turned out to be way more effective than I ever imagined 😂 But in all honestly, I was really surprised by the results too. I mean, carbon fiber is a far more rigid and less resonant material, so it makes perfect sense. I just never imagined the difference being as dramatic as it was.

Honestly, I’d look at a larger/sturdier tripod for product stuff you can find similarly priced stuff from Benro or Magnus. Something with a fluid head that you can reposition easily. Especially if you work at home and don’t have to travel your tripod a lot. The value of these tripods is their compact size for traveling but if you don’t need that, other options are certainly going to be sturdier than these. But with that being said, I would definitely go with the carbon fiber for product photography if you wanted to get the peak design. Product photography is one of those categories that you use a timer on your shutter release a lot and you want to minimize any and all vibration and the carbon fiber does that much better.

Thanks so much Marisa 🙏🏼 That means a ton!

Yeah man, they’re really slick. I love seeing companies go back to the drawing board and revolutionize things. Thanks for the sub as well, that means a ton! I appreciate you!

Yeah, they’re definitely pricey, but if you have a legitimate use for a travel tripod, they’re 100% worth it. A couple years on and I still use both of them all of the time!

Thanks so much, Pedro 🙏🏼

Thanks a ton for watching, Surge! Much appreciated!!!

Hey Albert, thanks a ton for checking out my video! So for all of the tests, the tripod's legs were all fully extended and the center column was just raised a couple inches to allow full range of motion of the ball head. I tried to test it how I thought would be the use case most people would use it in. I don't recommend using this, or any other, tripod with the center column fully extended if you don't have to. Especially for any long exposure shooting. Faster exposure shooting where your shutter speed is high enough to freeze motion, it's obviously less important but for anything long exposure, having the center column as low as possible while still maintain the use of the ball head is definitely ideal.

@@SamLucas26 This is the first time I've run across your channel, but your intelligent, real-world review / comparison earned you another sub. Do you think hanging a few pounds from the center hook would even out some/most of the vibration/wind difference between the two?

@@kirkdeweese7334 Thanks for those super kind words Kirk! I really appreciate it 🙏🏼 I don’t know why I didn’t mention this in the video but with these tests there actually was about 10 pounds hanging from each tripod. I had my Shimoda explore 40 pack with a couple lenses and some other things in it hanging when I did the tests. What I found is that hanging weight from the tripods, although it makes them more stable, like you’re not going to accidentally knock it over or the wind won’t blow it over, it actually doesn’t do much in the way of absorbing vibrations. The results were very similar between having weight on the hook vs not.

Thanks so much for the kind words Jimmy!!!

Right on! I think you’re gonna be happy with it, it’s a great tripod. Well these tests were shot on a mirrorless camera (EOSr) and it was recorded video, and not a still image. So that is essentially the same thing as shooting live view, mirror lock up, electronic shutter if you’re shooting on a DSLR. Obviously I wasn’t using a remote trigger, but obviously, you can save the vibration of touching the shutter release with a remote tigger. Hope this helps!

@@SamLucas26 thanks for the response.

@@markschwenk3816 sure thing! Thanks for checking out my videos 🙏🏼

Yeah man, you’re spot on. These (and any other “premium” type product), really are a luxury. There’s plenty of options that exist that can get the job done but these are definitely a more enjoyable product to use than any other travel tripod I’ve ever owned and used. And as a hobbyist, I’d say absolutely go with the aluminum. Save a couple bucks, and believe it or not, the slightly extra heft of the aluminum model actually makes it feel a bit more premium despite it being the “lower” end option. Like I outlined in the video, the only real difference you’ll notice is with long exposure photography so if you’re doing any of that, just double check your shots for sharpness to make sure you’re good to go before moving on. Happy shooting, man 🤘🏼

Thanks for watching Simon! No, the center column was only raised a couple of inches and every time I’ve used these tripods, that’s how I use them. I just raise the center column high enough to be able to get that full functionality of the ball head and not any higher. Just the physics of having that kind of weight extended on a rod like that will definitely not help vibrations at all so I tend not to use it that way. And I mostly use these for shooting landscapes so there’s rarely a scenario where the extra 6 inches of height make a difference for me

One thing I didn’t mention in the video is that I actually did have my backpack hanging from each tripod during testing. So the results you’re seeing do take that into account. As for if the aluminum will work for landscape on film, that’s really just up to how you use it. If you do a lot of long exposure stuff, especially telephoto long exposures, I’d absolutely go for the carbon fiber. But the aluminum is really great too. If you’re shooting wider, shorter shutter speeds, the aluminum is 100% adequate. From personal experience, what I’ll say is that for the money, I’d just buy the carbon fiber. I’ve since sold my aluminum model but still use the carbon fiber all the time and can say that the difference in price is more than worth it over the course of the years that I’ve had both.

Thanks Paul! I really appreciate that. In my experience, IBIS is calibrated for a bit bigger movements that the micro vibrations that are caused on tripods. So there algorithm controlling the ibis is looking for more dramatic movements to correct. I haven’t tested with the xt-4 explicitly, but with other ibis systems, what I’ve found is that the ibis mechanism doesn’t respond at all to these smaller vibrations at all and can actually introduce some of its own movement because it’s actively looking for movement to correct and doesn’t quite know what to do when there isn’t any larger movements.

Let me know your findings if you test it and find something different! I’d love to hear what you find out

@@SamLucas26 will do!

Hey Sawta, sorry about that! Yeah, locked off just means a static tripod shot where you are not moving the camera. Opposed to a dynamic shot or moving tripod shot where you would need a fluid head to control the camera. The tripod head is “locked off” or tightened down so it can’t move. Sorry about that! I could’ve clarified better in the video!

@@SamLucas26 Ah, that makes sense. And not a problem! I'm still very new to the field. I appreciate the clarification though. Thanks! :D

Sure thing, friend! Thanks for watching and commenting! I really appreciate it 🙏🏼

Haha, definitely if you need that long exposure stability. Carbon fiber is the only way to go! It’s still my main tripod for landscape photography. Glad my video could help, Jeffrey!

@@SamLucas26 Plus I feel much better about spending the extra 250 bucks. 📷😁👌Thanks for thr help Sam!

Haha, for sure! Glad I could help man! Enjoy it 🤘🏼

I should have mentioned in the video but there actually was about 12 lbs hanging from the hooks of each tripod in these tests. So I don’t know about the difference of the aluminum with weight added vs the carbon without weight. But apples to apples comparison, between the two is that the carbon fiber is still quite a bit better as highlighted in the video. Thanks for checking it out, friend! 🤙🏼🤙🏼🤙🏼

Sam Lucas wow definitely, great video very comprehensive

thanks Joe!!!

Thanks Patrick! Glad I could help out a little bit. Thanks for checking it out!

Nope! 2+ years in and I’ve had no issues with the legs. They hold strong and I’ve never had to mess with them.

@@SamLucas26 i havent either

@@brandondipietro6896 Good to hear!!!

Thanks man! Glad it was helpful

Yeah, it does the job that it was intended to do well. I’ve never really used it with the center column fully extended to be honest. I typically just raise the center column high enough to use the ball head and no higher

I would definitely love a pan head as well but there’s some workarounds for it. Have you put any weight on the under hook to see how much that helps when the center column is raised?

Sam Lucas When the Centre column is fully raised the hook is quite inaccessible. I have never found the hook to be useful on any tripod when it is extended. You can’t have your bag just dangling in the air as that compounds the problem.

Yeah, fair enough. Like I said, I use the column down low which all but solves the problem. But I could see it being an issue with the column up. Especially if you’re shooting large telephotos

Thanks so much for checking it out Neo! I really appreciate it. I have no idea when the would release a V2 of this tripod. Probably not this year. I think they did a really good job on the v1 and peak design does most of their launches crowdfunded. So they’ll take time and get a lot of good feedback and then make sure they have the funding and go from there. But I wouldn’t worry about it honestly because this version is so good. I’ll be using it for years. It’s not like a camera body that will become obsolete, even when the next version comes out.

Sam Lucas Thank you so much bro. I do want buy a peak design tripod for my new EOS R6. Both of its design and compact size have captured my heart. However the price of carbon fiber version is not too friendly. And I see a obvious difference between carbon fiber and aluminum regarding vibration stability. It is so hard to make decision between those two, especially, the r6 and rf 2470 lens have already cost me a lot.

Yeah, they’re definitely pricey. But unless you do long exposure stuff very often, the aluminum model is definitely sufficient. Especially for video. I use my the aluminum model with small mirrorless cameras all the time for video!

Sam Lucas Got it bro.👏👏🤝🤝

Thanks a ton for checking out the video, bro! Let me know if you end up picking one up and what you decide to do! Hope to see you in the comments of future videos 🤙🏼🤙🏼🤙🏼

Hahaha, thank you! I do my best. Glad it’s still helping people out after the years!!!

Haha, thanks bro! Gotta start working more fresh b-roll into my videos. And no, I already used my stimulus check for rent 😂 #adulthood

@@SamLucas26 dang adulthood hahaha

That x100v is in my future though lol

@@SamLucas26 Name it and claim it!

I’m claiming it right now! lol I was thinking though, it would be such a sweet BTS camera too. Which is something I’ve wanted to start doing is carrying a separate camera to shoot BTS stuff on professional shoots.

Thanks loyd! I appreciate it. Yeah, the lack of a pan is definitely the biggest downside, but to be honest, I haven’t missed it too much! I rarely need a pan on my travel tripods. And you can get the head adapter to be able to attach any tripod head that you want to with it, which I still have to test out but it’s definitely useful if you want to add a pan head of your choice.

Right on 🤙🏼🤙🏼🤙🏼 You’re gonna love it. It’s such a great piece of gear. Thanks for watching, friend!

Lol, I thought people might get a kick out of that 😂 But yeah man, the carbon fiber is awesome. I only bust the aluminum out to shoot video in studio or when I’m using the pair of them to hold my rhino slider haha.

Oh many, the 635 is a totally different category haha. I actually have both the 635 and 645 fast. I absolutely love them but they are big and bulky. Not the easiest thing if you need to be mobile, not just in terms of weight but in size and packability too. They definitely aren’t travel tripods like the PD haha. I would say the biggest difference in how I use the tripods is movement. If I’m using the fluid head and getting dynamic shots with movement, I’d probably go with the manfrotto. But for locked off, set the camera up, and leave it kind of stuff I still stand by what I said in the video about loving the PD. As for vibration, the manfrotto would be more stable for sure. But the vibration really isn’t an issue with video on any of these tripods. Any of them control vibration plenty well given the shutter speeds and motion blur that you want for video. It’s for long exposure photography that the vibration becomes an issue. I hope this helps! Let me know what you decide.

@@SamLucas26 Thanks for the reply! The PD makes a compelling case for pack-ability. I'm mostly shooting in fields & the woods, but not too far from the vehicle. Price points were close given the 635 comes with the fluid head. Will have to mull it over for the day.

@@ALE_Katahdins Yeah man, sure thing! Yeah the PD is awesome to be trekking around. I really do love it for that. The 635 is a great tripod also though. I use mine all the time. What kind of camera are you running on it? That can make a big difference too

@@SamLucas26 A7siii running a 24-70 at present. At some point ill get a 70-200, but that is off in the future. Extneral monitor and audio are tbds at some point too, but at present its just the camera in a smallrig with a top handle and a shotgun mic. i dont plan on any other cameras, so anything that carries the sony is strong enough.

@@ALE_Katahdins Oh dude, yeah honestly, I'd go with the PD for that setup. I've run my fully rigged out EOSr that I show in this video (ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-C77ouYDnXP4.html) on the Peak Design carbon tripod with the peak design universal ball head adapter and this fluid head (www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/944774-REG/manfrotto_mvh500ah_pro_fluid_head.html) and it's honestly a super solid little setup for smaller cameras. And you'll save a few hundred dollars over the 635 with a fluid head. I mean, the 635 is an awesome tripod, and if you just want to go that route and you're not super concerned about money or the other drawbacks like size, then go for it. But that peak design setup I just talked about is sweet for smaller cameras.

Right now they go for $380 at B&H

In my opinion, yes. I actually own an RRS travel tripod and although I would give the build quality to the RRS (it’s built like an absolute tank), it’s still the design that I hate packing and using, so more times than not, I’ll leave it behind. Whereas the peak design I actually just grab because it’s so easy to pack and use, so I find myself using it waaaay more. And in terms of steadiness and vibration, the peak design performs as well as the RRS. I’ve never found myself in a situation where the peak design didn’t do exactly what I needed it to.

Haha, my apologies to your bank account lol. Yeah, I mean, if you know you need that extra vibration reduction it’s really the only way to go!

Sam Lucas some people would think they don’t need to pay extra for the vibration, dude as a solo shooter when you’re on the city and doing vlogs it goes a long way haha. Really glad I came across your review

For sure, and for a one time purchase that will last a good long while, it’s worth it. Thanks so much, man! I really appreciate that! Glad to have connected with you 🤙🏼🤙🏼🤙🏼

@@SamLucas26 did you add weight in both your test?

@@New777World hey Isaac, no additional weight was on either tripod in either test. I wanted to show them as is, out of the box. Weight would definitely help but the relative difference in each will likely be very similar.

You could definitely shoot Astro with the aluminum model but long exposure photography is definitely where the carbon fiber model excels. So I would for sure spring the extra cash for the carbon fiber is I was shooting a lot of long exposure Astro stuff!

For sure. I think you’ll be good. Do you shoot a lot of long exposure? That’s really the use case that I think the carbon fiber really outperforms the aluminum. But if you’re not shooting much long exposure stuff than the aluminum should be totally fine, and definitely easier on the wallet haha

Thanks for your answer ! Sam Lucas actually I do some of them with photo stacking (an option form Olympus EM5-mark III.. I picked up today and will try to see if it’s ok in different situation. I have 15 days to have it back if not successful... so let’s cross fingers

Haha, yeah, I think you’ll be good. That camera has IBIS too, right? That should take care of a lot of movement the tripod doesn’t handle

@@emmanuellegac1789 did you regret going with the aluminum version?

Thanks Sebastian! I appreciate that. Yeah, peak design does say in their marketing materials and the carbon fiber is “20% more rigid.” But obviously, this video shows what that difference in rigidity translates to in practical use.

Thanks for watching, friend! I really appreciate it

Heck yeah man! They really are awesome for what they are. I’ve had a handful of peak design projects and these tripods are by far my favorite

@@SamLucas26 Thats so good! i feel like the non-carbon one is pretty affordable!

Yeah for sure! And depending on what you plan to use it for, the aluminum may do the job perfectly for you. They’re both great tripods as long as you know the limitations and are aware of how to work around them

hard to pick because of the price... is there so much difference in term of vibration between both? because in your test it's very noticeable...would have been great to see it with real wind...or maybe big steps on the floor

Yeah, there’s definitely a significant difference in the two models in real world use. Since filming this video I’ve had both tripods out shooting some landscapes side by side and the wind vibration is definitely something to consider with the aluminum model, assuming the wind is fairly strong. Light breezes aren’t going to affect either of these tripods especially if you hang a little weight from the hook underneath. The reality is you can work around some of the wind/vibration issues with the aluminum model, but it will definitely be a point of frustration if it’s not something that you’re constantly figuring into your shooting process. Both of these tripods are great for what they are but I can personally say that my real world usage has backed up these small, un-scientific tests that I did in the video; which weren’t necessarily meant to be entirely conclusive as much as they were to highlight that there is indeed a difference between how these two materials react to disruption. Thanks for commenting, friend! Hit me up with any more questions! I’ve been using these tripods a lot so if I can help in any way, I’d love to ✌🏼

@@SamLucas26 Thanks for your reply, and test. I guess it's better to plan ahead any potential issue and get the best tripod, but it really sucks that it costs so much more! I myself do videos. this would only be use for fix views, but you never know how strong the wind can be...or when I sometimes film concert, the floor vibrations. I've been using for the same purpose the Manfrotto MT190CXPRO4, wich is carbon fibre already. but Peak Design is less cumbersome to carry around

Yeah, the Peak Design is definitely the easiest to carry/transport out of any tripod I’ve ever used. No doubt. My advice to you would be to try the aluminum. Buy it first and see if is does the job that you need it to do, especially for video. And then once you’ve been able to test it out and see if it produces stable video footage in your situation, you can always exchange it for the carbon fiber model if you find it necessary. Personally, I think for shooting video, you’ll find the aluminum model does the trick for you

Teddy Yu 達也 yeah! The aluminum model is great. If you don’t absolutely need that extra vibration control and weight savings, you really can’t go wrong with the aluminum model!

Haha, yeah, it’s pretty awesome. Like I said in the video, the aluminum model is a great tripod. But the carbon fiber has a pretty obvious advantage and if you need that advantage, it will definitely make a big difference

Thanks Christian! Much appreciated 🙏🏼 I actually did have probably about 10 pounds hanging from each tripod. I had a shimoda explore 40 pack with a couple of lenses, a camera body, and a few odds and ends in there hanging on each for this test. Not sure why I didn’t mention it in the video but there was some weight on each! Thanks for watching, friend!

@@SamLucas26 Nice ok, very good to know! and thanks again for the reply. I just picked up the Alu version today not realizing I would also be sacrificing some stability but still I can't justify the extra expense for my casual needs

Yeah man, honestly, I think you’ll be totally fine! The aluminum version is fantastic. Like I said in the video, unless you’re using it for long exposure it doesn’t make much difference! If you do want to use it for long exposures then definitely just use the longest shutter delay you can and limit how exposed it is in the wind. You’ll be totally fine 🤙🏼

Heck yeah, Wulfy! Anytime you can use gear for a tax deduction is a solid deal 👌🏼

@@SamLucas26 I got some backpay for unemployment so i ordered the carbon fiber. Im getting it wednesday

love it man! Can’t complain about that either haha. Enjoy, my friend! Happy shooting 🤙🏼🤙🏼🤙🏼

Thanks a ton for watching and subbing Johannes! Yeah I just saw your comments and I definitely think you made the right choice. I actually take my aluminum one mountain biking instead of my carbon fiber one, just because I’m not too concerned with weight in that situation and I think the aluminum would hold up better to the impact of a crash. I have yet to land on my in a crash but just based off feeling of the materials, I think the aluminum would withstand a nasty crash better! Happy trails, friend!

@@SamLucas26 thx for reply. I will pick mine up soon. 😊

@@mtbboy1993 sure thing! Thanks for checking out the vids 🤙🏼🤙🏼🤙🏼

Haha, do iiittttt!!!! They’re honestly worth every penny. I love both of them and use them both quite a bit.

I think I am just waiting on my ship date on the Sony a7Siii

Haha, the ever scientific hairdryer test! I doesn’t necessarily negate the reasons for having a tripod entirely but it’s definitely one of the limitations. especially with small, lightweight travel tripods. As long as you’re aware of the limitations, you can work around them and still get good results! I promise 😊

I don’t agree. Last week I actually thought the same so I ordered a bunch of tripods from well known manufacturers. Some cheaper, some at the same or higher price point. My expectation was that the mid tier tripods of others would be better. That definitely wasn’t the case. The quality and thought that went into this one outperformed all of them. There was actually only one tripod that was definitely sturdier and of higher quality, but that one wasn’t a travel tripod and cost 3 times the amount. In the end i went with he peak design one and I couldn’t be happier. This thing is sturdy. Really. While the others seemed to be more sturdy at first, it seems like the peak design version has more wobble at its legs but this somehow removes the vibration from the head where it actually matters. The other tripods where actually the other way. Legs more stiff, but wobble at the top. There are some RU-vid videos that covered this. I got the aluminum version, which costs around the half of the carbon one. For around 399€ (and cheaper if you are lucky) I think the price is actually very fair for what you get. Also as an additional finding: many tripods only (arca swiss) hold the plate from two sides. That has the risk of your camera just slipping out sideways. Original plates sometimes offer pins that prevent that. But if you are using a third party plate or like me, a Peak design plate, those usually don’t have extra pins. The Peak Design tripod has such pins build into the head which means regardless of which Arca Swiss plate you will actually use, it can’t slip out of the mounting system. For fear costing quit a bit, that’s a big plus for me

@@Seitenwerk interesting 🤔

Love it, friend! I always love hearing when these videos help people in making their decisions. I was thoroughly surprised by the different in performance, that’s for sure! If you’re thinking about buying, it would be a huge help to myself and the channel if you used the affiliate link in the description! Obviously, no pressure, just wanted to throw it out there haha. Happy shooting, mate!

If I had the money to go on the carbon version 🙄

Haha, yeah, that is definitely the struggle! They’re not cheap. Thanks for watching and commenting, friend!