BEST Travel Tripod of 2023 - NOT Peak Design

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An in-depth comparison of the Peak Design Carbon Fiber Travel Tripod and the Ulanzi Carbon Fiber Travel Tripod to find the best travel tripod of 2023

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David Manning Vlog
PO Box 2622
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CHAPTERS:
00:00 - Intro
00:45 - SIZE
02:27 - WEIGHT
03:02 - LEG DESIGN
05:44 - FEET DESIGN
06:31 - Thank You SQUARESPACE
07:28 - BALLHEAD DESIGN
12:36 - CENTER COLUMN HOOK

*Most links in the description are affiliate links meaning I earn a small commission when you purchase.

#ulanzi #ulanzitripod #peakdesign #peakdesigntripod

[keith]

Years ago I bought PDTT because of those fancy cool designs and terrific reviews. Yet at it’s arrival I immediately felt the weight, which is much heavier than my previous tripod. But that’s fine, it’s cool, I’ll give it a shot. Years later the pain just grows more and more.
- The key was lost in my first year
- it is so much pain to flip it to portrait mode
- it’s flimsy AF and shake like a jelly in the wind
- u do feel the weight every single day
- it is not fast to setup / pack the legs compared to my previous rotation lock ones
- the rotation ring on ball head cannot guarantee a precise adjustment, especially with a heavy lens. Once locked it drift down a little bit. And it can be a huge pain to frame when shooting at 400mm or more
- had to pay extra for a spike feet. When I do astrophotography it can very oftentimes stay there for hours. And a slight movement can ruin my stacking. Yet even with careful attention I still accidentally scrubbed / kicked/ touched in the dark several times. Buying spike feet is a must, yet still changing footpad is a pain bc I lost that damn alien wrench on my first year in the field

Just like you said, a cool awesome fancy design may not be as efficient. I do agree. Im only raising my pain tho, absolutely no tripod can beat it in the cool factor. But as a landscape / astro / wildlife photographer going out almost every single week, the weight and awkward to use flimsy ball head is a real pain in the ass - again especially with longer lenses like 400mm. With that price tho, it kept me as a customer bc I don’t want to admit my wrong decision and pay a bunch to buy another

*THE PAIN COMES TO ME MAY NOT COME TO YOU. THIS IS SOLELY ** MY OWN ** EXPERIENCE BASED ON MY DAILY USAGE.
IF U LIKE IT, GOOD, IM HAPPY FOR U. IM NOT HERE TO FIGHT, JUST SHARING MY OWN EXPERIENCE

[chaseadventures]

Hey man I just wanted to say your videos are really really good. They're punchy, information dense, but entertaining at the same time. As someone who is just getting started making adventure films your content has been really helpful to optimize my gear, settings, etc to get the most out of what I've got. Thank you!

[frstesiste]

I've had the PD tripod for around 2.5 years now. The allen key on the leg has never fallen off for me. Totally agree about the head. It's clearly the weak point of the PD. I can kind of see why they did it. There are no knobs or levers that stick out from the head, making it slightly more packable, but with the disadvantages you mention. Also the PD head have trouble with quite a few third part plates because the thing that holds the plate in place is (too) low.

To me packed size is super important and really the main, maybe only reason for getting the PD. Seems like the PD is a bit smaller packed than the Ulanzi tipod, at least in length and you don't mention (or maybe I missed it) packed diameter. Btw, when looking at length a Gitzo Traveler (5 section legs, series 1) is even shorter by quite a bit and easier to get into something where max length is a restriction. The Gitzo has a larger diameter though so occupies more volume unless you pack some small items in the gaps between the legs and center column.


What surprised me most about your review is that you don't compare stability at all. To me (often using tele lenses) stability is important and it would have been super interesting with a test of stability. Particularly since the Ulanzi is significantly lighter which might (or might not) influence stability.

[Docdug]

This summer I upped my travel tripod. I have the PD CF and like others have commented, it is somewhat flimsy. I now mainly use my PD when I just have my iPhone with me.
Otherwise, I upgraded to the RRS Ascend tripod, which at 5x the cost of the Ulanzi is ridiculously expensive. And like everything else RRS makes, it is made in the US and it is extremely robust.
The RRS will get a terrific workout later this month as I head to Nepal for a trekking tour!
Cheers
Doc

[clifffawcett]

At the risk of seeming to miss the point of this video (which is obviously that the Ulanzi tripod is SWEET) I must say, I love the old school label maker. It reminds me of the one my parents had when I was a kid 👍🏻

[HikingwithGus]

I have been using the ULANZI Mini Flexible Tripod for my back-country videos and love it. I dumped my Jobi after years of frustration with it's legs falling off. The PD Tripod has been on my radar for sometime now but the cost was ridicules. This looks like the ticket for me. Thanks for the review!

[teamsaunz]

I have been subscribed for about 2 to 2.5 years and watched all your videos in that time and I don’t ever remember you being so pro on a comparison video. Usually you say the pros and cons and say what would work best for certain types of videography/photography and leave it up to the viewer. I have an old tripod from like the late 90s that is like metal and quite bulky and heavy…needless to say I rarely use because to travel with it is quite the pain. However, at approximately 25 years it still looks as good as new (I did use it a lot when I first got it). If I were to look into a new one, id probably go for the Ulanzi as well.

[serena-yu]

9:15 There's another big advantage with a screw-in head clip. For people who use telephoto lenses, it's pretty common to replace the lens foot with an arca-swiss compatible version, and some newer lenses have an arca-swiss foot built in, like the new Tamron 50-400mm f4.5-6.3. Then the problem comes: with the peak design tripod head, the lens foot would be way too long to fit in, whereas a screw-in head clip can well take a lens foot of virtually any length. For me, that was a deal breaker since I have 3 telephoto lenses.

[zZola_Photography]

The really big one in the ballhead comparison which u didn't mention was that the Ulanzi tripod can tilt about 15 degrees without extending the center column at all... where as if you want a slight tilt on the PD tripod you HAVE to start extending the center column. That was a big selling pt for me as I prefer to use the center column as little as possible. Also I'm not sure whether the PD does but also the fact that the Ulanzi center column can be removed and flipped to hang the camera below the tripod is really cool and something I was looking for that my other tripods can not do.

[KevinMullett]

Very thoughtful comparison, particularly because you've used the PD one for so long. I wish Ulanzi would have implemented a lever arca plate retention design like the Colorado Tripod Company has, which I absolutely prefer now over screw in type. And, it would have fit/made sense given they are already using levers for other parts. Still might look at this for travel.

[LisaOsta]

The Ulanzi & Coman is better mostly because the head. I prefer the mini leveling head of the Ulanzi to the very odd Peak Design one that you have to raise to tilt. I’ve had my Ulanzi about a month and used it often on a recent trip to Iceland. My only complaint on the Ulanzi is that I lost the hook to hang weight from but I never had a chance to use it. I’ve also had the the Peak Design since early 2020 and I hardly use it. So I agree with your comments.

[ken]

One thing I wish someone would test is load capacity and stability, which is the primary function of a tripod. I have the PD CF tripod, but would like another and I use these things everyday here at home and when I go out, so it does need to support heavier equipment.

You shouldn't tighten the lock lever so much on the PD head... There's no risk of the camera falling out... you just need to get it to the locked position to take out the little bit of slack and to prevent accidentally hitting the release lever. For the tool, I agree it falls out easily when traveling, but the fix (and PD should do this officially) is to attach a hair-tie (or a durable rubber band) around the tool's eyelet, insert the tool into the holder and loop the hair-tie around the other end of the tool. Problem 100% solved.

[Chuck]

Imagine the audacity you have to charge 700 bucks for a tripod, AND THEN AN ADDITIONAL 35 bucks for ground spikes? Geezus.

I bought an overpriced camera bag from them, but really…it was a waste of money. So many bags compete with it easily.

[kevinhoctor]

I bought this Ulanzi & COMAN as soon as it hit the market and I LOVE it. Years ago, I owned a cheap tripod with the flip latches, which made me hate them. But after owning a better tripod with spin locks and comparing it to the Ulanzi flip latches, the flip latches are so much faster and more secure. Brilliant head design, especially being able to tilt it without having to raise it. I'm so glad I spent the money on this one. I also added PGYTECH SnapLock Plate Adapter to all my tripods so I can switch quickly between my PGYTECH Mantispod Pro and the rest.

[MotoFeelz]

Haha I was wondering what label make you use - glad I stuck around.

You sold me on the Ulanzi. The speed and mobility of the ball head is a game changer for me personally. Awesome honest review 👊

[davecurtis]

Great review. One spec addition - the PD has a much greater payload according to their spec sheet. 9kg vs 5kg

[JosephHawkins]

I agree the ulanzi is better- Plus you missed two extra features 1. With the center column all the way down the ball head will still move a small amount - making it more stable without raising the center column, 2. There is a 1/4 screw on the side of the head assemble that you can screw in a clamp to hold what ever you like - phone for camera control, a light or microphone etc … - THANKS FOR THE REVIEW - ALREDY REPLACED thePeak Design

[vettepwr]

I don't prefer the lock on the Peak Design for securing your camera but it has a purpose especially for those who carry their camera on their tripod. You don't want your camera to fall off when during transport.

[Team]

It’s an Allan key plus the top is flat head so 3 tools, I personally love that peak has that plus the koi lens holder. I do video mostly though and always wanted a better smoother panning method that the Ulanzi has. The articulation wasn’t the issue for me, the fact that opening the wheel makes the peak move all directions but the ulanzi lets you pan only is a big win.

[michaelkoppenhoefer]

I have the pd carbon I love it and I use and abuse it. I have broken parts on it and peak design has sent out new parts free. They have a warranty that you can trust.