Peak Design Pro Tripod review

The Peak Design Pro Tripod is essentially a premium carbon fibre tripod. It comes from the design house of Peak Design, which means it’s extremely well-thought-out. There’s lots of carbon fibre and CNC-machined metal on show, which makes it aesthetically highly desirable.

I’ve looked at all three models in this review but have primarily focused on the Pro—the middle model. My review sample arrived with black carbon fibre four-section legs and silver metal CNC work, giving it a real retro look. I know many people like this style—it does hark back to film cameras, which are very much in vogue at present. I teach a 35mm and 120mm darkroom course, so I see the appeal. However, I feel it’s a little overplayed. Working professionally, I find a pure black tripod creates fewer reflections and is less conspicuous. So, for my money, I’d go for the pure black version. If you’re more of an enthusiast, then why not opt for the retro look?

Peak Design is known for innovation, and the Pro Tripod has plenty onboard. First and foremost, it’s designed to work with the Capture system, and the quick-release clamp on top is designed with that in mind.

Two small grub screws are pre-installed on the head to make life easier for Capture Clip users. If you’re using a standard Arca Swiss plate, don’t worry—these grub screws can be removed, and your Arca cage or base plate will fit as well. While Peak Design makes aesthetically beautiful gear, they’ve also considered the fact that many of us want their products to integrate with other systems.

A testament to this is the new range of accessories. Along with the Pro I was reviewing, I also received the new video mod and the levelling base that enables you to mount your own head on top. I’ll do separate reviews of those later on.

The Pro is designed for both photo and video work, supporting medium-to-heavyweight cameras with plenty of stability. Being the middle tripod in the range, it’s suitable for Travel, though slightly larger than you might want, but perfectly suitable for landscape, portrait, studio, and, in fact, any type of photography where you need a solid tripod.

If you’re just starting out, this tripod may be slightly more than you need right now. However, for keen enthusiasts and professionals, it’s absolutely ideal and clearly aimed at that market.

Among its unique features is the folding geometry of the centre column. This enables the six-sided carbon fibre legs to fold with minimal gap between them, reducing the overall circumference and increasing portability compared to similarly sized and strong tripods.

So, what is the Peak Design Pro Tripod? It’s a high-end tripod for video and stills, aimed at the enthusiastic and professional level, with the flexibility to suit almost any type of photography.

The first thing that strikes you about the Peak Design Pro Tripod is how aesthetically refined it is. The carbon fibre is nicely finished, and the shape of the legs, deviating from the usual tubular design, is both tactile and robust in use. I was pleased to see that even though the legs have a much larger surface area compared to tube styles, they extend and retract smoothly.

In terms of base build features, the Pro measures 50.1 cm in length when packed, with a diameter of 9.3 cm. It reaches a maximum height of 138 cm with the centre column down and 168.4 cm with it extended. Minimum height in low mode is 15.9 cm. It weighs 1.9 kg and supports up to 18.1 kg of gear. It comes with rubber feet as standard, with additional feet and the other accessories (Tilt Mod and Levelling Base) available separately.

Starting at the top, the newly designed head includes two grub screws that act as placeholders for the Capture Clip base plate. These can be removed if you’re using a standard Arca plate; both fit securely. The locking system is intuitive: pull around the lock to prime the head for the Arca-compatible plate. Once inserted, it clips and holds firm. A small locking button at the base ensures the plate stays secure. Movement is controlled via a large locking ring around the head’s circumference—easy to grip even in cold conditions. This simplicity is far better than many ball heads I’ve used. The pan allows for 360° movement, which is fairly standard but still very welcome.

The head sits neatly in the crown of the tripod and allows for some degree of angle adjustment. If you raise the centre column slightly, you unlock the full tilt range, up to 90° down. The newly designed centre column is key to the tripod’s slim profile. Though a new design, it’s extremely rigid and performed well in testing, and once again highlights Peak Design’s engineering skill.

One neat detail is the mobile phone holder hidden inside the column. Remove the bag hook, pull the lever, and out pop the phone clamp, which slots directly into the quick release. It’s simple, well integrated, and worked well when tested, perhaps not as refined as some when it comes to aesthetics, but fully functional. It’s superb and cleverly stored.

Once the bag hook is removed, the centre column can be flipped for low-angle shooting. The only issue here is that you can’t remove the column while retaining the head, so laying the tripod flat requires flipping the column, not removing it altogether. A removable centre column might be a welcome future addition and not just the levelling head option.

The crown offers three leg-angle positions via spring-loaded adjusters, which were easy to operate one-handed during tests—another example of good design. The legs are locked by lever clamps, machined from metal, and are robust. Despite the complex six-sided tube design, the legs slide smoothly.

At the base of each leg are rubber feet held in place with Allen screws. If they wear out or you want to swap them for spiked feet, it’s an easy replacement.

Overall, the build and handling are excellent. It’s a highly robust tripod with strong visual appeal.

The standout feature of this tripod is its six-sided carbon fibre legs and the centre column’s special shape. This unique geometry enables a smaller packed circumference, which is a major benefit for portability.

The new inverted Pro Ball Head features a pan axis above the ball, giving better control over levelling. During testing, this proved to be genuinely useful, an uncommon feature in ball head design.

Peak Design has made the system modular. The Pro, Pro Lite, and Pro Tall all share the same design and accept the same accessories. If you do more video work, the Tilt Mod gives you fluid motion and simply clamps into the Arca clamp. If you want to use your own head, the levelling base enables easy mounting.

The head’s clamp is Capture Clip-ready out of the box, and if you remove the grub screws, any Arca plate will fit. The rubber feet are also replaceable via Allen screws, allowing for quick swaps to spiked feet if needed.

Although the tripod has four leg sections, more than my ideal three, it still packs down small and retains excellent rigidity.

In the field, I focused on the Pro version, though all three are similar. If I had to choose one as my main tripod, I’d likely go for the Tall, simply for the extra leg size. But the difference between the Pro and Pro Lite is minimal. As mentioned earlier, they feel practically the same in use.
Given the small weight difference, the Pro offers a slightly more robust option. I’d also note that the Travel Tripod is still available. Personally, I wish Peak had updated the Travel model and made the Pro Lite a direct replacement for it; four tripods in the range feel excessive.

Looking at the Pro specifically, the head is larger than the original Travel Tripod’s, allowing for better control and increased weight support. It locks and releases smoothly. Mounting the camera is quick and secure, and the safety lock is a simple feature that could save your gear.

Standard tilt and pan functions offer good levelling. I did find the limited tilt range slightly odd at first, but I got used to it quickly. Raising the centre column slightly gives access to the full range, and for shooting straight down, there’s a 90° cutout.

You can flip the column for low-level shots, although it can’t be fully removed. This works, but isn’t as neat as having a fully removable column.
I was initially concerned that the wider leg profile would cause friction, but they opened and closed smoothly. They were a little stiff at first but loosened with use. The leg locks were precise and solid, and the rubber feet held well on most surfaces.

One small issue: the two grub screws on the head interfere slightly with certain cages and mounts. Peak has thought this through, however, and you can remove the screws with an Allen key if needed. However, the tripod doesn’t include one, unlike the Travel version, which is disappointing. I’ve become used to the small tool included with my other Peak tripods, so its absence is noticeable.

I also found it frustrating that there’s no easy way to attach friction arms for accessories like monitors or lights. Without built-in ports, you’re reliant on a camera cage for mounting extras.

That aside, the Pro proved to be a solid support option. The inclusion of details like the mobile phone holder is handy, and the overall feel is of a straightforward, reliable tripod backed by great aesthetics, function and engineering.

The new range of Peak Design tripods feels like a real evolution of the original Travel Tripod. It’s puzzling why they released the Lite rather than updating the Travel, which now feels like it should be redundant but isn’t. The Pro and Pro Lite are so similar that I struggled to tell them apart, aside from cosmetic differences: the Pro has a black and silver finish, and the Lite is all black, but that’s just the options they sent me, and there is an all-black version of the Pro. For me, the all-black version is better for professional work, but I prefer the extra height and stability of the Pro.

In practice, the Pro tripod is excellent. Its simplicity hides a lot of skilled engineering. The six-sided legs make a tangible difference in pack size. Compared with other tripods at a similar level, the Pro is clearly more compact, yet it matches their performance in terms of payload and rigid, although it does generally cost more.

At the end of the review, I liked all three models, but the Peak Design Tall stood out for its all-around strength and extra rigidity, which was useful for both stills and video. The Pro is a great general-purpose tripod, slightly cheaper than the Tall and a better fit for everyday use. The Pro Lite confused me a little; there’s just not enough between it and the Pro to justify choosing it unless weight savings are critical.

So, would I buy one of these new Peak Design tripods? If I had the budget, yes, I’d go for the Peak Design Tall. It’s a great all-rounder for stills and video. I also liked the lightweight Tilt Mod, which worked well, and the levelling base, which lets you mount a larger video head and provides excellent support.

If you’re professional shooting landscapes or portraits, go for the Pro Tall. For general use by enthusiasts or working photographers who want a lightweight, rigid tripod, the Pro is ideal. If you’re considering the Pro Lite, I’d recommend spending a bit more and choosing the Pro; you’ll be glad you did.