"Fixing" the Peak Design Tripod

[FowlersFreeTime]

So I'll be honest, I got suckered in by marketing to get the Peak Design Travel Tripod. I think it is a very well thought out tripod and compact in nature when folded. I was cheap and bought the aluminum version rather than the carbon fiber, but aside from a few extra 0.6 lbs in my carry-on luggage, I don't mind the weight.

Website listing for reference: https://www.peakdesign.com/pages/travel-tripod

No, my gripe is the ball head. It is a compact ball head with a twist-lock mechanism. For compact packaging purposes its good. However for landscape photography, (whenever my wife and child let me go out again) I would have preferred a panoramic ball head. Further for video work, (if I start back on my YouTubery) I think I might go with a compact fluid head instead.

So I purchased the PD Universal tripod Head Adapter on Black Friday special: https://www.peakdesign.com/products/universal-head-adapter

Here's where you fine folk come into play: what tripod head would you recommend I purchase? Looking for something compact and not too expensive.

For reference, I was thinking to get this for now: https://www.smallrig.com/smallrig-aluminum-panoramic-ball-head-3034.html

and maybe get a dedicated video head when I get back to making youtube vids.

 

[Deleted Member 5045]

I got a pan head for my big Vanguard tripod. A Vanguard Alta PH-32. I absolutely love this thing but I only take this setup if it will be a short or easy walk, or I'm just setting up near the car. I have a mid sized Three Legged Thing as well with a compact ball head, that thing is my little work horse that I don't have to try to take too much care of, it gets scratched up on hikes and goes in salt water etc. I have a little Explorer GX PRO K also which I use for when I want a shot right on the ground, and the build quality of it is ridiculous really, it looks absolutely amazing!

For landscape photography they're all just as easy to use and setup. They all do a more than adequate job too, but the pan head just gives you a really solid and confident feeling. It feels like a real man's tripod that one.

 

[luismanibarro]

I guess there are plenty of affordable and good ball heads out there to choose, just pick one arca swiss compatible. Both mentioned above, Vanguard and Smallrig seem very nice picks.
I personally own a Benro G2 for a big tripod, and a RRS40 por small tripods, and I use to carry the latter in my bag together with an adaptor just when I need it to place over the PD tripod.

 

[FowlersFreeTime]

Here are my top 3 choices so far:

https://www.adorama.com/3ltahneod20.html

https://www.adorama.com/sr3034.html

https://www.adorama.com/sib00k.html

I'm liking the first one, by brand "3 Legged Thing"

 

[Deleted Member 5045]

I agree with you Chris. I wouldn't hesitate to buy anything else from that brand. You're getting a fantastic product with them.

 

[Jeff A]

SmallRig is a pretty good brand itself.

 

[FowlersFreeTime]

SmallRig is a pretty good brand itself.

I may get my video head from SmallRig in the new year.

 

[Deleted Member 5045]

True words by Jeff! Any of those heads would be crackers.

 

[Brownie]

The ball head that came with the tripod does everything the others do. What is it you're trying to fix? Is it just the locking mechanism you don't like?

 

[Alain]

For traveling, I still like the standard ball head of the Peak Design Tripod. I think it works really well, easy to lock, and it fits in the bag that comes with the tripod, handy when traveling. That said, a friend got me into shooting videos of birds in flight, so I got the standard adapter from PD for Thanskgiving ($20 if I remember correctly) and a relatively cheap ($149 on Amazon) Manfrotto MVH500AH fluid video head which works well for panning. I've been using it with a9+200-600, sometimes with the 1.4TC, I'm pretty happy with the setup.

 

[FowlersFreeTime]

The ball head that came with the tripod does everything the others do. What is it you're trying to fix? Is it just the locking mechanism you don't like?

I don't like the locking mechanism, but it gets the job done.
No, what irks me is no panoramic function and the sometimes tricky portrait orientation. The latter is fixed with an L bracket, but I figured why not just get a panoramic head with the notch for portrait mode and have everything I want in one head.

 

[Brownie]

I don't think my travel tripod (slik) does panoramic either. I never use it so would have to check, but I think it's just a simple ball head with a notch for portrait.

 

[KS56]

The Sirui B-00k ball head works great for me

• DSC-RX100M6
• 14.1 mm
• ƒ/3.5
• 1/40 sec
• ISO 1000

 

[FowlersFreeTime]

Welcome Karl, glad I'm not the only one who did this.
Though in hindsight, I should have just sold the tripod and gone with the competitor (Ulanzi) as their copy of the peak design is still more compact than the combo I now have (PD tripod + Universal head adapter + 3legged thing ball head). I'll post a picture shortly.

And funny enough, I have not had a need for this panorama setup since getting the new ball head. Dad life is still keeping me pretty close to home unless I take the wife and baby with me.

 

[liggy]

I just use the PD with the included ballhead. For panos the software I typically use (Affinity Photo) does a fine job of aligning the images so not having a true panning head doesn’t bother me.

If I really want true panning - picked up a Leofoto panning mount and quick release/change plate setup for use with my non-travel tripod.