AHHH, CHOICES!

We wholeheartedly expect this to be the most-asked question of this campaign, so we’re putting this one right at the top. If it’s just SPECS you’re looking for, scroll down the Kickstarter page and check out the handy table, or see the FAQ below.

MASSIVE VIDEO! We’ve got a very in-depth ‘Pick Your Tripod’ video on this subject…before you read on, watch it: https://youtu.be/U8GfxSpwVUE

OVERVIEW: WHAT’S THE SAME All pro tripods have the same design and build, same materials, same feature set, same # of leg sections and adjustment points, same list of ‘what’s in the box,’ same ball head (the Pro Ball Head), and same center column width. The Pro and Pro Tall tripods have the same leg section widths, giving them the same packed diameter. The Pro Lite tripod leg sections are skinnier, giving it a smaller packed diameter.

OVERVIEW: WHAT’S DIFFERENT The differences are pretty simple: each pro tripod has different leg section lengths, and different center column lengths, giving them different packed lengths and max deploy heights. They have different weights, and because the Pro and Pro Tall have thicker legs than the Pro Lite, those models have a bit more stability and hence a higher weight capacity.

PRO TRIPOD: THE STANDARD We designed Pro Tripod to work for the meat of the bell curve of the professional tripod market. It’s stable enough for the beefiest pro gear (40lb weight capacity). It deploys to 66.3”, which puts your camera at eye-level for a 6-foot-tall person standing up straight. And yet, it is considerably more compact and portable than any other tripod in its class, both in terms of packed volume, packed length (19.7”), and weight (4.2lb).

PRO TALL TRIPOD: IT’S TALLER Some photographers want a tripod that deploys higher. Pro Tall deploys up to 77.7”, almost a foot higher than the Pro, so even taller folks will never have to hunch over to look through your camera. Or, maybe you want more flexibility in your composition. Pro Tall is better for high-angle work, shooting over obstacles, or shooting on really uneven terrain. Pro Tall is also for folks who prefer to shoot with their center column down (or with no center column at all). The hub is your tripod’s most stable point, and your camera has the greatest stability when its directly atop the hub. Pro Tall with the center column down is almost as tall as Pro with the center column up, giving you more height to work with. If you shoot with really heavy gear, do a lot of long exposures in windy conditions, or wish to do a lot of filming from your tripod—either with our Tilt Mod, or with a 3rd party video head atop our Pro Leveling Base—the Pro Tall tripod might come in handy. Of course it’s a bit heavier (4.5lbs) and has a longer packed length (22.9”) than the Pro Tripod…so there’s a small tradeoff…but it has the same diameter and will fit in most of the same spaces as it’s smaller sibling.

PRO LITE TRIPOD: IT’S COMPACT-ER Pro Lite is 1 leg size down from Pro and Pro Tall, meaning the thickest leg on Pro Lite = the 2nd thickest leg on Pro / Pro Tall. This ultimately makes it more portable than Pro, at the cost of a small amount of stability (35lb capacity vs. 40lb capacity). Compared to the Pro, the Pro Lite is a half-pound lighter (3.7lbs) and a tad shorter (19.2”) and skinner (3.35” vs. 3.66”) when packed down. Yet it deploys almost as tall as the Pro (64”). Through our beta testing—both with pro photographers and PD employees—we found that the Pro Lite is a great fit for the ‘every ounce counts’ end of the pro tripod user spectrum. It’s also a great way to get the functional and usability upgrades of our Pro Tripod line for photographers who don’t typically shoot with enormous rigs. If you’re willing to trade a little stabilty for a little compactness…OR you’re a PD travel tripod user hankering for the next generation…the Pro Lite could be right up your alley.

Last updated: June 17, 2025 07:27

Looking for good ol’ SPECS? Scroll down our KS page for a handy chart, or check out the FAQ below.

In 2019 we launched the Travel Tripod on Kickstarter. It was a game-changing tripod design—more portable and compact than anything else out there—and ushered in a new era of tripod design.

We based our Pro Tripod line on the groundbreaking architecture of the Travel Tripod. But it was far from a click-and-drag-to-enlarge operation. Pro Tripod was redesigned from the ground up to not only offer greater stability and add important functionality, but also to improve upon nearly every single feature and touchpoint. The result is a completely new product…a whole new generation. Here’s an overview of the key differences between the Pro Tripod line and our Travel Tripods.

PS - we also cover this in our ‘Pick Your Tripod’ video: https://youtu.be/U8GfxSpwVUE

HUGE STABILITY UPGRADE Scaled-up and precision-tuned to handle heavy pro rigs in the most demanding environments, Pro Tripod features stronger legs, an all-CNC-machined hub, and a flanged center column for maximum stability and weight capacity (40lb vs. 20lb for Travel Tripod). Yet it still fits in your backpack.

TALLER DEPLOYMENT Pro Lite, Pro, and Pro Tall Tripods all deploy taller than the Travel Tripod (see SPECS FAQ), and are easier to use with the center column down thanks to the upgraded Pro Ball Head, giving you more flexibility and stability when shooting.

PRO BALL HEAD W/ FLUID PANNING Integrated fluid panning. An upgraded cinch ring for more stability than ever. Added safety toggle for total security. 15-degrees of adjustment even when the center column is fully stowed. Use our new Tilt Mod accessory to instantly convert to a full fluid pan/tilt video head. Note that Tilt Mod is not compatible with Travel Tripod.

FASTER, STRONGER CAMERA CONNECTION The redesigned Arca-compatible camera quick-lock grips your camera faster, tighter, and more effortlessly. A delightfully reassuring experience unlike any other.

REDESIGNED TOUCHPOINTS All hardware and touchpoints on Pro Tripod have been redesigned for a smoother, more delightful experience than ever. The aluminum leg locking cams have been reengineered for smoother, faster, and stronger operation. Plus they’re significantly easier to disassemble for cleaning and maintenance. New CNC-machined leg angle adjusters have smooth and satisfying push-button operation and lie flush when packed down. The center column knob has also been updated to be more ergonomic.

INTEGRATED HEX TOOL Includes a new folding hex multitool designed to stow inside the center column (versus clipped to the outer leg).

UPGRADED CARRY SLEEVE The redesigned carry sleeve features a weatherproof shell, padded construction, and an integrated adjustable carry strap. It’s also easier to get your Pro Tripod in and out of.

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In some ways PD Pro and Travel Tripods are cross-compatible, and in some ways they aren’t.

COMPATIBLE: - Tripod plate - both Pro & Travel Tripods come with the same plate, called Standard Plate, which is Arca-compabile and also works with our Capture Camera Clip. - Phone mount / hex tool - these tools can stow in the center column of both Pro and Travel Tripods. Pro Tripods come with the stowable hex tool, whereas Travel Tripods come with the stowable phone mount. - Strap carry - both Pro & Travel Tripods can be carried with Peak Design camera straps

NOT COMPATIBLE: - Accessories - Tilt Mod and Pro Leveling Base only work with Pro Tripods. Ultralight Conversion Kit and Universal Head Adapter only work with Travel Tripods. Spike Feet are sold in model-specific sizes.

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Compared to other tripods in their class, Peak Design Pro Tripods are: - Far more portable and compact - Lighter - Comparably stable - Comparably tall - Comparably priced (often less expensive) - Faster to setup and pack down - More delightful to use - Better at supporting both photo and video workflows - Made more responsibly and sustainably - Comparably (if not better) supported via warranty policy

These are broad general claims, and not meant to be interpreted as universal truths. For each of these bullets, there’s probably a 3rd party tripod out there that can beat the PD Pro Tripod in a head-to-head comparison (with exception maybe that last bullet—from our observations, most tripod brands are pretty far behind the responsibility curve and we’d love to see them do better). But like anything, finding the right tripod is about balance. We designed our Pro Tripod line to strike a better balance for most photographers.

SPECIFIC MODEL COMPARISONS

Another thing that makes head-to-head comparisons tough is that tripods come is a spectrum of sizes, stifnesses, and deploy heights, especially toward the professional end of the spectrum. So to keep things digestible, yet still specific, we’ve added a couple of premium, popular tripod models to our specs comparsion chart: https://airtable.com/appUhTkmEfRQCxhJa/shr4VPKaMzDUKVRIF

We chose these models because: - They’re at the pro end of the spectrum in terms of capability, quality, and price - They’re popular models from well-respected brands - They’re ‘fair’ picks, in that PD tripods don’t outright beat them on all metrics

Check the spreadsheet for a spec-by-spec comparison. Read on for our color commentary. Note that the stats we compare are for legs + ball heads together.

TRIPOD 1: RRS Versa TVC-24 (w/ BH40 Ball Head)

The TVC-24 is a lightweight, mid-range tripod for field and studio use. It’s a great example of a really well-built tripod that is designed to strike a balance between pro-level stability and convenient portability. Like Pro Tripod, it’s marketed as being quick to setup/packdown, and being suitable for hiking. The TVC’s weight is 4.3lb—just a tad heavier than Pro Tripod, and 1/2lb heavier than Pro Lite. It has an advertized capacity of 40lb, same as Pro and Pro tall. Where PD Pro Tripods begin to pull away is an area we affectionatly call ‘spatial efficiency.’ Compared to the TVC, Pro Tripod packs down over 2” shorter and over 1/2” skinnier, yet it deploys nearly 14” higher. And then there’s the price…the TVC’s legs alone cost $1140. Add in a pro-quality ballhead and you’re easily beyond $1500.

TRIPOD 2: Gitzo Mountaineer Series 2 (w/ GH3382QD Ball Head)

Gitzo’s iconic Mountaineer Series is also designed to offer superior stability while maintaining light weight portability. We’ve used several variants of this model over the years in Peak Design’s photography and filmmaking. This specific variant is a good example of a tripod that edges out Pro and Pro Tall in the stability: it has a 44.1lb weight rating compared to our 40lb weight rating. Granted ‘weight ratings’ from tripod brands are quite arbitrary and there’s no agreed-upon definition of what this metric actually measures…but in our testing we confirmed that the Mountaineer Series 2 is a hair more stable than Pro and Pro Tall. But that stability comes at a cost. The Series 2 weighs nearly 1lb more than our Pro Tall Tripod, yet our Pro Tall deploys 7” higher. When packed down the Series 2 is 4” longer than our Pro Tall (7” longer than Pro) and 3/4” fatter. Price-wise, this tripod/head combo is currently on sale at B&H for $1279.95.

Last updated: June 17, 2025 07:27

One of the leading design drivers for our Pro Tripod family was to support the workflow of creatives who shoot photo and video. More and more, creatives set out to capture stills and video together in a single shoot, but gear design has not caught up to (or even acknowledged) this extremely common workflow.

With the unique design of Pro Tripods ball head, plus the available filmmaking accessories, no other system provides such a seamless and convenient way to switch between photo and video in a single shoot. The Tilt Mod accessory eliminates the need to carry multiple tripods (or tripod heads), installs instantly, and packs down tiny. If you’re shooting with a more serious video rig, our Pro Leveling Base lets you use our ultra-portable sticks with your own dedicated 3rd party video head.

So which accessory is right for you? What are they capable of? What are their limits?

First off, watch our ‘Pick Your Tripod’ video if you haven’t yet. We go deep into which accessories are right for you. https://youtu.be/U8GfxSpwVUE

TILT MOD: IDEAL FOR MIRRORLESS/DSLR SETUPS

Over the past decade mirrorless and DSLR cameras have gained incredible video capabilities, to the point where they have become the go-to tools for a wide variety of professional photographer/filmmaker applications. If you’re using a compact mirrorless or DSLR rig to shoot video, one of our Pro Tripods + Tilt Mod could be an absolute game-changer for you. It eliminates the need to carry a dedicated video tripod or pan/tilt video head into the field, both of which can be heavy and bulky. It allows you to shoot stills on our brilliantly portable tripod and enjoy full use of the ultra-smooth and feature-rich Pro Ball Head. When it comes time to shoot video, pull the Tilt Mod out of your camera bag (it fits in a lens compartment) and just pop it right into the ball head. That’s it. Now you have buttery-smooth pan and tilt action for capturing pro-quality motion.

Tilt Mod has a working load limit of about 10lbs (4.5kg). That means that as long as you’re shooting with a relatively compact rig within this weight limit, you should have no problem capturing smooth, high-quality footage. Tilt Mod’s fluid damping, spring-loaded counterbalance, and extendable handle give you all the functionality you need for professional-quality video.

If you’re shooting with a more serious rig from a size/weight standpoint—perhaps a Red or Blackmagic rigged up with a bunch of accessories, or maybe you’ve got a heavy/long cinema lens on there—there comes a point where your better option would be using a dedicated video head with our Pro Leveling Base.

PRO LEVELING BASE: OUR STICKS, YOUR VIDEO HEAD

For filmmakers using serious video rigs and doing dedicated video shoots, we made the Pro Leveling Base. It replaces the ball head on our Pro Tripods and has a 3/8” mount to attach your own tripod head—ideal if you already own a dedicated fluid video head, gimbal head, or any other specialized tripod head. You’ll get the specialized functionality and UX that you need, along with the benefit of our exceptionally sturdy, yet highly portable tripod legs.

Pro Leveling Base can be used with or without the center column.

Finally, note that both Tilt Mod and Pro Leveling Base exclusively work with Peak Design Pro, Pro Tall, and Pro Lite Tripods. They are not compatible with Travel Tripod or 3rd party tripods.

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Regardless of your level of creative experience or expertise, and regardless of what you plan to use your tripod for, having the ability to quickly pop your phone atop your tripod is a convenience that you WILL take advantage of at some point, and it’ll likely happen way more frequently than you think.

Trail selfies, hands-free facetiming, cloudy sky timelapses…you name it. And while there are plenty of dedicated Mobile Tripods out there (including a very rad one made by us) there will be plenty of times where it’s just easier to use the tripod that’s in your hands, or in your pack.

MOBILE CREATOR KIT

For a more robust phone mounting solution, get Mobile Creator Kit. It uses our SlimLink™ connection system to grab your phone and mechanically/magnetically lock it into place. It holds your phone in landscape or portrait mode. And it works with Tilt Mod, meaning you can capture smooth pan & tilt video with your phone.

In order to connect your phone to Mobile Creator Kit you’ll need a Peak Design Phone Case or Universal Adapter, both of which are available from our website or dealers near you. We didn’t include phone cases as Add-Ons in this campaign, simply due to the number of models and varieties of cases we make.

STOWABLE PHONE MOUNT

Our most portable phone mounting solution, this accessory stowes inside the center column of any Peak Design tripod model. Travel Tripod comes with the Stowable Phone Mount, whereas Pro Tripod comes with a stowable hex tool. But you can purchase the Stowable Phone Mount separately and use it with Pro Tripod (or use the mount from your Travel Tripod, if you own one).

The Stowable Phone Mount securely grips any phone up to 9cm (3.54”) wide and holds it in landscape mode. It’s base is ARCA compatible and it clips right into our ball head. Note that the Stowable Phone Mount does not work with Tilt Mod. It can connect to Tilt Mod’s ARCA clamp, but because of the phone mount’s design it holds your phone at an angle that is 90 degrees offset from how it should be oriented.

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SHOW ME THE SPECS!

We’ve been designing high-end camera gear for a long time—long enough to know that nobody craves ALL THE SPECS more than professional photographers and videographers. As SPECS connoiseurs ourselves, we believe specs are best ingested in spreadsheet form.

SEE THE SPREADSHEET: https://airtable.com/appUhTkmEfRQCxhJa/shr4VPKaMzDUKVRIF And here’s an alt view of that spreadsheet that might be a little better for comparison: https://airtable.com/appUhTkmEfRQCxhJa/shr4VPKaMzDUKVRIF/tblwZiWT4aYQvWX4a/viw5DxGuIZRizuUw1?blocks=hide

For those who wish to torture themselves by reading a plain-text FAQ article about specs…here goes nothing:

— PRO TALL TRIPOD —

Weight: 2.0kg (4.5lb)

Weight Capacity: 18.1kg (40lb)

Collapsed Length: 58.1cm (22.9”)

Collapsed with Ball Head: Pro / Pro Tall: 56.6mm / 2.23in

Collapsed Diameter: 9.3cm (3.66”)

Deployed Height: Max height (center column raised): 197.4cm (77.7”)

Max height (center column down): 162.0cm (63.8”)

Min height (low mode): 17.3cm (6.8”)

Leg sections: 4 Leg locks: aluminum cams, updated design for improved stiffness and easier cleanability vs. Travel Tripod.

— PRO TRIPOD —

Weight: 1.9kg (4.2lb)

Weight Capacity: 18.1kg (40lb)

Collapsed Length: 50.1cm (19.7”)

Collapsed with Ball Head: Pro / Pro Tall: 56.6mm / 2.23in

Collapsed Diameter: 9.3cm (3.66”)

Deployed Height: Max height (center column raised): 168.4cm (66.3”)

Max height (center column down): 138.0cm (54.3in)

Min height (low mode): 15.9cm (6.3”)

Leg sections: 4 Leg locks: aluminum cams, updated design for improved stiffness and easier cleanability vs. Travel Tripod.

— PRO LITE TRIPOD —

Weight: 1.7kg (3.7lb)

Weight Capacity: 15.9kg (35lb)

Collapsed Length: 48.8cm (19.2”)

Collapsed with Ball Head: Pro Lite: 60.6mm / 2.39in

Collapsed Diameter: 8.5cm (3.35”)

Deployed Height: Max height (center column raised): 162.5cm (64.0”)

Max height (center column down): 133.2cm (52.5”)

Min height (low mode): 15.8cm (6.2”)

Leg sections: 4 Leg locks: aluminum cams, updated design for improved stiffness and easier cleanability vs. Travel Tripod.

— TRAVEL TRIPOD —

Weight: Alloy: 1.56 kg (3.44 lbs) Carbon: 1.27 kg (2.81 lbs)

Weight Capacity: 9.1 kg (20 lbs)* *Optimized for pro setups, up to full-frame DSLR + telephoto lens

Collapsed Dimensions: Length: 39.4 cm (15.5”) Max Diameter: 8.3 cm (3.25”)

Deployed Dimensions: Max height (center column raised): 152.4 cm (60”) Max height (center column down): 130.2 cm (51.25”) Min height (low mode): 14cm (5.5”)

Leg sections: 5 Leg locks: aluminum cams

Last updated: July 01, 2025 10:08

— TILT MOD —

Dimensions (packed): 13.5cm x 8.2cm x 5.5cm

Stack Height (when attached): [distance from top of hub to top of tilt mod in slammed position] 5.6cm

Handle Min/Max Length (when attached): 13.0cm - 36.5cm

Weight (including handle): 430g (0.95 lbs)

Weight Capacity: 4.5kg (10lbs), optimized for mirrorless/DSLR video setups

Materials: Machined/anodized recycled aluminum Stainless steel hardware High-temp neodymium mounting magnets TPU Handle Grip

— PRO LEVELING BASE —

Dimensions (when not installed): 11.4cm x 7.8cm x 7.8cm

Stack Height (when attached): 5.6cm

Weight: 350g (0.77 lbs)

Weight Capacity: 18.1kg (40lb), same as Pro and Pro Tall Tripods

Materials: Machined/anodized recycled aluminum Stainless steel hardware

— SPIKE FEET —

Foot length: Travel: 2.3cm Pro Lite: 3.1cm Pro/Tall: 3.6cm

Weight: Travel: 112g per foot, 33.6g total Pro Lite: 32g per foot, 96g total Pro/Tall: 43.5g per foot, 130.5g total

Tripod + Spike Feet Total Weight: Pro Lite Tripod: 1.7kg + 96g = 1.80kg (3.96 lbs) Pro Tripod: 1.9kg + 130.5g = 2.03kg (4.48 lbs) Pro Tall Tripod: 2.0kg + 130.5g = 2.13kg (4.7 lbs)

Material: Stainless Steel 420

— STOWABLE MOBILE MOUNT —

Weight: 0.2kg (.44lbs) Capacity: Holds any phone up to 9cm (3.54”) wide in landscape orientation Material: Glass-reinforced nylon clips with aluminum body

— MOBILE CREATOR KIT —

Dimensions: Assembly with ARCA Plate: 11.5cm x 2.4cm x 5.5cm (4.5” x 0.9” x 2.2”) Mount Head: 5.5cm x 5.5cm x 0.7cm (2.2” x 2.2” x 0.3”) Dimensions vary depending on exact configuration.

Weight: All components: 106.9g (3.77oz) Assembly with ARCA Plate: 94.9g (3.34oz) Assembly with 1/4”-20 Plate: 87.6g (3.08oz)

Materials: Made from glass-reinforced nylon, with machined aluminum SlimLink™ head and UV-protected silicone mounting pad.

Last updated: June 17, 2025 07:27

First off, check our reward and add-on descriptions for expected ship dates.

Secondly, note that our ‘Wait & Save’ rewards will ship AFTER Pro Tripod’s public retail launch. In other words, Pro Tripod may be available at the camera store (at full MSRP) down the street before you get your ‘Wait & Save’ reward. This has surprised backers in the past, so we’re trying to be extra up-front about it for this campaign. For an explanation of our reward types and why we did it this way, see the next FAQ.

Thirdly, here’s a high-level timeline to help explain fulfillment (also found in the KS page): - June: Pro Tripod production begins ramping up, continuing steadily through Q1 2026 - June 17 to Aug 15: Pro Tripod Kickstarter campaign! - Oct: ‘Get It ASAP’ rewards ship to KS backers - Nov: Pro Tripod public retail launch (at full MSRP) - Nov-Feb: ‘Wait & Save’ rewards ship to KS backers

To recap reward ship dates:

‘Get it ASAP’ Rewards are expected to ship during the month of October.

‘Wait & Save’ Rewards are expected to ship between the months of November and February. You may get your Reward at any point in that timeframe—we won’t be able to tell you exactly when it will be. It’ll depend on where you’re located, what you ordered, and how quickly inventory arrives to our warehouse closest to you.

Some quick disclaimers: all of these dates are our high-confidence estimates made during the timeframe of our Kickstarter project—they could shift in either direction—and if they do we will communicate that transparently and proactively to backers. Also, transit dates for shipments will vary depending on your shipping address, so it could take anywhere from a few days to a couple weeks (rare, but it happens) for your reward to reach your door. More about shipping services in the ‘How will my products ship’ FAQ.

If this is your first time backing a Kickstarter, note that in order to receive your products you will need to fill out our fulfillment survey. We will send that survey out within a few weeks after the campaign has ended. In that survey we will collect your shipping address, calculate/collect sales tax or VAT (see separate FAQ on that), and give you an opportunity to add on additional products to your reward for an exclusive discount.

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The rewards for this campaign are broken up into 2 types:

‘Get it ASAP’ Rewards: we’re reserving the first production batch of Pro Tripods for these rewards, and we expect they’ll ship by October. Due to logistical and trade complexities, these units will only be available in the US.

‘Wait & Save’ Rewards: get a much steeper discount on Pro Tripod by waiting until after our retail launch to receive yours. We expect retail launch will happen in the fall (shooting for Nov) and we estimate ‘Wait & Save’ backers will get their rewards sometime between Nov and Feb 2026.

Those who have backed Peak Design KS campaigns in the past are used to getting their rewards for a discount, and getting them before they are publicly available. For our most recent campaigns (Pro Tripod and Roller Pro) we’ve taken a slightly different approach to give us and our retail partners a more predictable (and sooner) public launch date. We’re taking our first production run and setting it aside entirely for KS backers. Our next batch of units will be used to stock up dealers and warehouses. And units made after that will go to our ‘Wait & Save’ backers.

Instead of the standard ~20% discount we give to KS backers, ‘Wait & Save’ backers are getting an up-to-27% discount in exchange for waiting a bit longer.

If you’re unable to nab a ‘Get it ASAP’ Reward, and you don’t want to wait until after our public retail launch, then you can always sit this campaign out and order Pro Tripod and its accessories when it’s available at full price in November-ish.

And to finally answer the question of WHY we’ve structured our rewards/fulfillment like this…

TLDR, we are always trying to get products to market as quickly as we reasonably can to recoup very real R&D costs. The complexity of Pro Tripod means it takes a long time to manufacture, and even as we pour more resources into ramping up production velocity, we know that initial demand for Pro Tripod will outpace supply. To make up for this inventory constraint, our solution is to break Kickstarter rewards into tiers based on manufacturing capacity, and fulfill those rewards on either side of a public-facing launch. This allows us to lock in a public-facing launch earlier, satisfy many of our customers who want their products ASAP, and offer an unheard-of discount to customers who are willing to wait longer to get their stuff.

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Expected ship dates for Add-Ons are listed in the Add-On descriptions, so check there first.

Otherwise, the rule of thumb for this campaign is that Add-Ons will ship together with your Reward, unless you backed one of the ‘Get it ASAP’ Rewards. For those backers, Add-Ons will ship later, separately, by the date listed in the Add-On description.

There could be other scenarios where your shipments are split—there may be a temporary stock outage in a certain warehouse, or it may be more cost-effective to ship your stuff in multiple shipments vs. one big one. Much of this order-splitting is automated in real-time based on rules that we setup in our fulfillment software, so if you have a split shipment, you likely won’t know until you receive your tracking notification.

In the event that you have a split shipment, Peak Design incurs whatever additional shipping cost there is and you will not be charged extra.

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DOMESTIC: If you’re in the US, we’ll be shipping your package using a ground service (Exact carrier & service will depend on destination and shipment size). These packages will have tracking information that will work within the US.

INTERNATIONAL: Non-US orders will ship from one of our 5 international warehouses located in the UK, Netherlands, HK, Toronto, and Australia. In order to provide a better fulfillment experience, Peak Design is going to be importing all of our products into these countries prior to shipping them to you. This means that your shipments:

1. Won’t require duties to be collected on delivery in Canada, UK, EU, and Australia (other countries may have applicable duties, please check with your customs office for specific details. Customers are responsible for paying local sales tax / VAT/GST, which will be calculated and charged AFTER THE CAMPAIGN when you fill out your fulfillment survey and enter in your shipping information.)
2. Will arrive quickly and not get held up in customs.
3. May have tracking, but may not guaranteed (depending on the particular post service, of which there are too many used to name).

Note that we cannot alter the value of your rewards on customs declarations - the value will be declared as the total value of the items contained in the shipment”

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In short, YES.

Shipping fees are collected when you back this project. They differ depending on your shipping address, and we set them up to mirror, and in many cases undershoot, the average actual cost of shipping. What’s nice is that you only pay one shipping fee for your reward—you can add on as many additional products as you’d like and your fee will not go up.

Peak Design has an an obligation to register, collect, and remit sales tax in certain USA states and countries worldwide in which certain backers are located.

Taxes are NOT included in the pledge price but will be calculated & charged based on purchaser’s shipping address that will be collected in the fulfillment survey AFTER the campaign has ended.

We would love to collect tax up-front just like every other online sale, but the Kickstarter platform does not have tax functionality. So instead we use a fulfillment software called BackerKit, which is capable of calculating/charging taxes based on your total order amount and shipping location. To see if taxes are collected in your region, please refer to the Peak Design webpage located at https://www.peakdesign.com/pages/faq?a=Taxes-(US-VAT-and-GST)—id–SJ1qVGLwQOWO9vxjYTUanA

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While all of our products are guaranteed for life (Kickstarter rewards included), we do not offer returns or exchanges on items received as Kickstarter rewards. We do honor refund requests, so long as it is requested prior to us shipping out any of your rewards. To request a refund after our campaign is over, email [email protected].

Why no returns/exchanges? For one, Kickstarter is not a typical ecommerce platform and lacks the functionality necessary to process returns and exchanges, both from a customer-facing standpoint, and from a back-end accounting and inventory management standpoint. To process just a single return or exchange for a Kickstarter reward takes a signifcant amount of manual back-end adjustments by a number of folks on our team, and thus far we have not found any tools or automations that allow us to provide this benefit at scale.

Secondly, backing a Kickstarter campaign is not quite the same as buying a product outright. Kickstarter is a community crowdfunding platform where backers support creators in exchange for rewards. Rewards are somewhere between a puchase and a gift…you pledge money in support of Peak Design, we send you our newest product in return at an exclusive discount offered nowhere else. The support we get from our Kickstarter backers is what enables us to run and grow our business, gather customer feedback, design new products and improve existing ones.

We appreciate your understanding of our policy and the support you have given us. If your reward truly offers no value to you, here are a few things that you could do in the spirit of crowdfunding…

1. Sell your reward on a 3rd party marketplace. Many Kickstarter rewards were purchased below the retail value – if you want to recuperate that value and possibly even more, throw your reward up on eBay, FB Marketplace, or Craigslist.

2. Give your reward to a friend. Our products might not work for you, but there are many folks out there who might find them very valuable. We’d love for you to share our gear with a friend of yours.

3. Give your reward another chance. Some of our products can take some getting used to. All of our gear is designed for use in a variety of scenarios. Maybe it doesn’t work for you right now, but perhaps you’ll find the right time and place in the future.

Please don’t hesitate to contact us at [email protected] if you have any questions.

Last updated: June 17, 2025 07:27

When you back this project, you choose a reward level, maybe some add-ons, then enter your credit card info, and that’s it. You don’t provide a shipping address. You don’t pick colors or styles of things that have multiple colors or styles. That is information you’ll enter in our fulfillment survey.

WHEN WILL I GET MY SURVEY? We plan to send our fulfillment surveys within 1-2 weeks of the campaign ending (Aug. 15th).

WHAT CAN I DO IN THE FULFILLMENT SURVEY? A whole bunch of stuff: - Provide your shipping address - Pick color/style for any add-ons that you selected during the campaign - Add additional items onto your reward at exclusive Kickstarter discount prices - Change which reward level you want - Pay taxes/VAT on your total order (because Kickstarter does not provide the ability to calculate/collect taxes)

Last updated: June 17, 2025 07:27

Not all Peak Design products are available in the Add-On list, just the products that we consider to be direct compliments to our Pro Tripods. We did this to make it easier for folks—especially new-to-PD folks—to select the right products for their needs. It reduces the risk of delayed fulfillment, by decreasing the overall breadth of SKUs being shipped out at once.

If there’s a Peak Design product that you think should be added to the Add-On list, you can always suggest it either in the comments section or to [email protected].

Also, we’ve been know to introduce special Add-Ons in the middle of our Kickstarter campaigns—exclusive bundles, or even brand new products—so keep your eyes out for that.

Last updated: June 17, 2025 07:27

The process is super easy:

1. Go to our Pro Tripod Kickstarter page (https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/peak-design/pro-tripod-by-peak-design)
2. Click ‘Manage My Pledge’
3. On the following page, click ‘Change Your Pledge’ if you want to switch Rewards or get additional Add-Ons. Click ‘Cancel Your Pledge’ to cancel.

If in step 2 you don’t see a ‘Manage My Pledge’ button then ensure you are logged into Kickstarter with the email that is associated with the account from which you backed the product.

I CAN’T CHANGE OR ADD ONTO MY PLEDGE—WHY NOT???

If you followed the steps above but weren’t able to change your pledge, the most likely cause is that you selected Kickstarter’s ‘Pledge Over Time’ feature when you first backed the product. This new service lets you pay for your pledge over time in 4 payments, similar to ecommerce services like Affirm or Afterpay.

When you use a pay-over-time service, you enter into a financing agreement with fixed terms. Therefore you are not able to change the total amount of your transaction. Instead, you’ll will have to cancel your pledge and pledge again.

If you are only trying to add things to your pledge, another option would be to wait until the project is complete, and add on the additional item(s) in your fulfillment survey. But this would only work if the item(s) you wish to add are not limited-quantity things that are liable to sell out during the campaign.

If you are having this issue but you didn’t use the ‘Pledge Over Time’ feature, contact Kickstarter support: https://help.kickstarter.com/hc/en-us/requests/new?ticket_form_id=11783989160091

Last updated: July 23, 2025 13:14