Peak Design Pro Tripod Review
Summary Verdict
Peak Design’s Pro Tripod range takes everything that made the Travel Tripod clever and compact and turns it into something much more serious. It’s sturdier, taller and better equipped to handle heavier camera gear, but still folds down small enough to fit in a side pocket or backpack. Just about everything has been redesigned, from the centre column and head to the leg locks and angle buttons, with the aim of giving photographers and filmmakers a more refined and capable tool.
There are three models to choose from – the Peak Design Pro Tripod Lite, Pro and Pro Tall. They all offer the same upgraded head and centre column, with the differences being in their size, weight and leg length. They’re aimed at professional and experienced enthusiast photographers, but there’s nothing intimidating about them, and if you’re looking to invest in a tripod that will support your gear for years, this range deserves a place on your shortlist.
Score: 5/5
For
Noticeably more stable than the Travel Tripod
Smooth built-in panning
Spring-loaded quick-release clamp is faster and more secure
Against
Premium pricing
Centre column still needed for full ball head movement
Video Tilt Mod and spike feet sold separately
What is the Peak Design Pro Tripod?
This is Peak Design’s second-generation tripod, but it’s not just an update. It’s a complete redesign that expands on the original Travel Tripod’s smart form factor, while upping the strength, stability and f versatility for photographers who need more than a lightweight setup.
There are three versions:
Peak Design Pro Tripod Lite – The lightest and slimmest of the Pro Tripods, it's slightly smaller than the other when packed down great performance.
Peak Design Pro Tripod Tall – For taller users or those who want to avoid raising the centre column when shooting with heavier gear
Whichever you go for, you get the same carbon fibre centre column, redesigned ball head, and premium build quality.
The Peak Design Pro Tripods, from left to right, the Pro Lite, Pro and Pro Tall.
Peak Design Pro Tripod Price and Availability
The Pro Tripod launches on Kickstarter on 17 June 2025, with general release expected later in the year. The retail prices are set to be:
Peak Design Pro Tripod Lite: $799 (likely around £640)
Peak Design Pro Tripod: $890 (approx. £715)
Peak Design Pro Tall Tripod: $999 (about £800)
That puts the Pro Tripod range above the original Travel Tripod in price, but makes it still very competitive against high-end tripods from Gitzo or Really Right Stuff. Early bird backers will get 9% discount with the tripods being delivered in October 2025, while more patient backers will get 23% (Pro Lite) or 27% discount (Pro and Pro Tall) with their tripods being delivered in February 2026.
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See the Peak Design Pro Tripod Kickstarter Campaign
Peak Design Tripod Specifications
Peak Design Travel Tripod Specifications (Aluminium/Carbon Fibre)
Maximum height centre column raised: 152.4cm / 60inches
Maximum height centre column down: 130.2cm / 51.25inches
Minimum height: 14cm / 5.5inches (centre column main section removed)
Collapsed length and diameter: 39.4cm / 15.5inches, 8.3cm / 3.25inches
Weight: Aluminium: 1.56Kg / 3.44lbs, Carbon fibre: 1.27Kg / 2.81lbs
Maximum payload: 9.1Kg / 20lbs
Number of leg sections: 5
Leg material: Aluminium or carbon fibre
Leg lock material: Aluminium
Peak Design Pro Tripod Lite
Maximum height centre column raised: 154.2cm / 60.7inches
Maximum height centre column down: 132.1cm / 52inches
Minimum height: 13.5cm / 5.3inches (centre column main section removed)
Collapsed length and diameter: 44.2cm / 17.4inches, approx. 8.2cm / 3.2inches
Weight: Carbon fibre: 1.59Kg / 3.51lbs
Maximum payload: 18Kg / 40lbs
Number of leg sections: 4
Leg material: Carbon fibre
Leg lock material: CNC-machined aluminium
Peak Design Pro Tripod
Maximum height centre column raised: 162.6cm / 64inches
Maximum height centre column down: 140.2cm / 55.2inches
Minimum height: 14cm / 5.5inches (centre column main section removed)
Collapsed length and diameter: 48.1cm / 18.9inches, approx. 8.5cm / 3.3inches
Weight: Carbon fibre: 1.74Kg / 3.84lbs
Maximum payload: 18Kg / 40lbs
Number of leg sections: 4
Leg material: Carbon fibre
Leg lock material: CNC-machined aluminium
Peak Design Pro Tripod Tall Specifications
Maximum height centre column raised: 178.3cm / 70.2inches
Maximum height centre column down: 155.7cm / 61.3inches
Minimum height: 14.5cm / 5.7inches (centre column main section removed)
Collapsed length and diameter: 54.2cm / 21.3inches, approx. 8.5cm / 3.3inches
Weight: Carbon fibre: 1.89Kg / 4.17lbs
Maximum payload: 18Kg / 40lbs
Number of leg sections: 4
Leg material: Carbon fibre
Leg lock material: CNC-machined aluminium
The Peak Design Pro Tripod Head has a panning mechanism above the hall which means you can level the camera with the ball movement and then pan knowing that the horizon won’t slope.
Key Features
The Pro Tripods are built to be stronger and more versatile than the Peak Design Travel Tripod, while still being compact enough to be easy to carry. Their new flanged carbon fibre centre column is six times stiffer than the one in the Travel Tripod, and the legs have thicker tubing with fewer sections so there’s less flex.
The hub (aka spider or shoulders), leg locks and most of the moving parts are now CNC-machined from aluminium rather than die-cast, which means everything feels more solid and precise. The leg clamps have been redesigned too, and the leg angle buttons now sit flush when the tripod is folded – a nice touch when you’re squeezing it into a pocket or tight space.
The updated ball head includes smooth fluid panning, which is handy for video or stitched panoramas. What's clever about the panning section is that it's above the ball of the head. This means you can use the ball movement to get the camera level and then use the panning movement as you like without the horizon sloping or the level changing.
Unlike the Travel Tripod, you can tilt the head by up to 15 degrees when the centre column is fully down – a win for anyone who avoids raising the column for maximum stability. However, you still need to extend the centre column a little to get the full head movement and to drop it into upright-shooting orientation (there's a dedicated slot).
There’s also a new spring-loaded clamp that snaps securely around the quick release plate with a satisfying click. This has a safety switch that can be locked to stop it opening by accident, and the whole system is more compatible with third-party plates and L-brackets than the Travel Tripod's head.
Peak Design has also introduced some accessories for the new Pro Tripod range. The most interesting (and exciting) of these is the Tilt Mod ($149.95), which adds fluid tilt movement and a control handle for video shooting. While it's aimed at videographers, it's useful for photographers who prefer a 3-way pan-and-tilt head instead of a ball head. There's also Pro Spike Feet ($49.95) for slippery or uneven terrain, and the Pro Leveling Base ($129.95) that's helpful if you want to mount a separate video or geared head.
Peak Design ships the Pro Tripods with a redesigned carry case that's padded, weatherproof and has a cross-body strap. It's also a little less snug than the Travel Tripod's case, which makes it much easier to fit over the tripod.
The Peak Design Pro Tripod Lite (top) and Peak Design Travel Tripod (bottom). The Peak Design Pro Tripod Lite is longer and wider than the Travel Tripod when collapsed.
Handling and Design
Having used the Peak Design Pro Tripods, I can say they feel significantly more robust and solid than the Peak Design Travel Tripod. They make serious step up without being as bulky as much of their competition. Even the Pro Lite model is noticeably more stable than the Travel Tripod.
The overall design still feels familiar if you’ve used the Travel Tripod, but everything has been refined. The panning movement is a bonus because it's smooth and controlled, while the quick release plate clamp system is intuitive and fast to use. Basically, you just put the plate on the camera and then press it into the clamp, which snaps shut to hold the camera tight. You can then slide the lock closed to prevent accidental release.
Once the lock has been unlocked, you can release the plate by pushing the bubble level on the head round to the left (clockwise). It feels a little like a film winder on a camera although it moves in the opposite direction.
The protrusion seen on the right of the tripod head here is the level bubble housing which also acts as the tripod plate release switch. The knob of the left/centre of the head is used to control the panning friction and lock/release the movement.
Although the Pro Tripod head has safety/locator pins, I found I could still use 3 Legged Thing's Arnie and Zelda L-brackets instead of the quick release plate.
As I mentioned earlier, you still need to raise the centre column slightly for full movement, but the head is more flexible even when retracted than the Travel Tripod's.
As with the Travel Tripod, Peak Design supplies a handy folding hex key tool with the Pro Tripods. However, this is now stored inside the centre column instead of the mobile phone mount that's inside the Travel Tripod. The phone mount will be sold separately. This is good news because while it's convenient to have the tool clamped onto a leg of the Travel Tripod, it's very easily lost.
The Peak Design Tilt Mod on the Peak Design Pro Tripod.
Performance
All three of the Peak Design Pro Tripod versions are more solid and robust than the Travel Tripod. As they have just four leg sections, they don't pack up as small, but even the Pro Tripod Tall fits in the side pocket of a Peak Design Outdoor Backpack 25L, and other tripod pockets and supports. And it doesn't just fit, it's short enough to make it feasible to carry it over distance because it doesn't flap about uncontrollably.
The Peak Design Pro Tripod Tall (left) and Pro Tripod (right) in the side pockets of the Peak Design Outdoor Backpack 25L.
Although I have found the Travel Tripod to be surprisingly stable when a camera is in landscape orientation, it's unsuitable for long exposure shots with heavier camera set-ups in upright or portrait orientation. There's some slippage which means the images can have movement blur. As Peak Design has used the same quick release plate for the Pro Tripods, I wondered if this might still be an issue. I'm happy to say that the situation is much improved with the Pro Tripods.
I tested the stability of the Pro Tripods using a Sony A1 II with the FE 70-200mm F/2.8 GM OSS lens mounted. Even when the plate was on the camera rather than the lens' tripod foot I got a 100% hit rate when shooting 30-second exposures in landscape orientation. Switching the head to shoot with the camera in upright orientations was a very different matter. For a start, I saw a slight drop after I'd looked the ball movement tight and released the camera. And ten out of ten of my 30 second exposures had some clue as a result of memo vent. However, this is a very unbalanced set up. When I moved the quick release plate to the lens tripod foot, where it should be, and repeated the exercise, all of my 30 second exposures were sharp. Furthermore, the composition didn't change once I had tightened the ball movement fully.
When the lens tripod foot is used, the Peak Design Pro Head gives solid support for the Sony A1 II with the FE 70-200mm F/2.8 GM OSS in landscape and portrait orientation (shown here).
The Peak Design Tilt Mod is a genius addition to the Pro Tripod accessary range. It mounts via the head clamp and transforms the ball head into a 3-way he'd with smooth-tilting for video. It's much smaller and lighter than a video head.
The Peak Design Pro Tripod Head has a slot to enable shooting in upright/portrait orientation.
Verdict
At launch, I thought the Peak Design Travel Tripod was all style over substance. However, once I got hold of it and used it, I was sold. Consequently, the carbon fibre version has been my go-to tripod for the last few years. The new Peak Design Pro Tripods are a clear step up in stability and usability.
I’d be confident using them with a full-frame camera and a long lens or something like the Fujifilm GFX100 II in landscape orientation. And with long lenses that have a tripod foot to ensure goof balance, I'd be happy to shoot in upright orientation. The new ball head handles weight better than the Travel Tripod's head and comes with an excellent panning facility. With the addition of the Tilt Mod it also becomes an excellent video head. That's perfect for people who want to shoot a mixture of stills and video, or who just prefer a 3-way head to a ball head.
As I am around 5 foot 2 inches in height, the Peak Design Pro Tall tripod is way bigger than I need. Although I have the Travel Tripod, I think the Pro Tripod Lite has plenty of upgrades to offer and could be a good choice for me. However, I may opt for the Pro version for that little extra versatility - the additional height could be useful when photographing on a slope.
Peak Design products tend to have premium prices, and while the Pro Tripods are not cheap,
