Black Friday Sales are everywhere, but one I highly recommend is Ulanzi. This link will take you through to some amazing deals: geni.us/BpnzFp Which do you prefer and why?
I own the Peak Design for almost 2 years but only used it a few times because of the reasons you described. My main problem ist the ball head. you are very limited with the upright position. As well with the pano function. You have to loose the whole ball to just turn the camera. Which makes it not so easy to set the camera for the right composition. Last week I bought the Ulanzi to compare both. When I unpacked it my first impression was just WOW. They fixed the problems I had with PD and made this tripod have price but twice as good. I am amazed from the quality. I can highly recommend this little thing. Gonne sell the PD even if I a big fan of PD's other products.
Wow, this is the type of review we amateur's need. I have spent the weekend searching data and reviews on these two travel tripods. I got to the point where I was leaning toward the Ulanzi but i was concerned about the 3kg capacity. Then I find this review where he uses the same camera/lens combination that I use (almost, same lens but I have a Z6ii rather than Z9). Now I can confidently buy the Ulanzi tripod. Thank you
@@RalphMayhewPhotography I actually use a 200-600 with a RRS foot on it. It's a little wobbly but the peak does it with the studs in still. It works in a pinch
I've been using the Zero Y for about three months now and love it. The only flaw I've found is when panning. The panning head has a lot of play in it, even when you keep the knob fairly tight. Not a big deal unless you're shooting pano's with a nodal rail. To work with it I had to loosen the panning knob and fully tighten it again for each frame. The files were easy enough to align in Photoshop, but still a little annoying. I guess I could throw on a dedicated panning head, but that defeats the purpose when hiking long distance by adding weight and height. Other than this I am very happy with it.
@@RalphMayhewPhotography it tightens fine. The problem is when the pano head is unlocked it has a lot of play in it. I don’t believe I should have to unlock and lock the head between every shot, but maybe I’m just used to an indexed rotor.
I have a headache from looking at tripods and reviews, I see the merit in both and know the peak design has a universal head adapter so that would resolve fitting a third party head. I am so confused, I watched another video on you tube (sorry) and he said a definite no no on zoom lenses on either of these tripods. Its really difficult, as you said the peak design would take more weight than the Ulanzi but the Ulanzi legs looked sturdier but take less weight. I have the same Tamron lens as you featured and a d5600...do you think these tripods are sturdy and able enough for the zoom lenses? I have also looked at the manfrotto MT055pro03 carbon fibre, i wanted light weight but the size of the manfrotto is off putting......help my head hurts! Great review BTW and one f the few that I have seen someone fit a camera to the tripod so thank you.
My heavy duty tripod is a carbon fibre leofoto and I enjoy it. I more frequently use the Ulzanzi y and I do put my big Tamron 150-600 on it. It is worth mentioning though that I use this tripod and lens combo when it’s not my main shooting objective. It’s a good backup. For stability and security if shooting solely with a huge lens like that you should opt for a heavier duty tripod. I hope that helps.
Was looking forward to this. They definitely added a bit more functionality into the Ulanzi at a far cheaper price and I really hope it stands up well to normal use so time will tell. If I was starting out and had to choose between the two I will admit it would be hard to go with the PD but I've had the PD since it came out and considering what its been through(packrafts, kayaks and backpacks) I would easily buy it again if I needed so thank god for lifetime warranty. Oh you can remove those two stop screws on the PD so you can use other arca plates. Thanks for this.
Did you say the ball head on the PD CF tripod isn’t Swiss-Arca dovetail compatible? If you remove the two small Allen head screws from the PD head, it accommodates dovetails from Really Right Stuff. In addition, the PD dovetail fits snugly in Really Right Stuff ball heads (e.g., BH-55 & BH-30) and the Really Right Stuff Panorama Head.
I’ve had no issues using non-PD plates with the PD ‘pod. But other than that, I’ve had a lot of the same issues. Since I lost my PD somewhere in the Olympic rainforest (long story) it’s great to see that there’s a good alternative. And about that lifetime warranty. I dropped my PD ‘pod from a low height and managed to bend one of the leg angle adjusters. If you have one, you’ll need it.
Great review - you clearly put a lot of effort into testing them. I have a couple caveats with the UxC tripod after about a month of light use. Let me know if you agree/disagree or haven't thought of them: - The leg flip locks on UxC seem to be much stiffer, while PD's can be flipped out easily & smoothly with one hand. I found myself needing more time to deploy the UxC, while the PD can be deployed within 9-10 seconds. - The panoramic plate cannot be fully locked - I can still move it even when I have tighten the screw all the way in. Really hope that this won't turn into a future issue. - Universal head adapter - the first wave of UxC tripods do not have any means to adapt other heads. They just started to offer a separate center column as a "free gift" for new orders but there don't seem to be a way for current owners like us to get one. Do you have any insider info on this?
Thanks so much! I really appreciate it. - Having used the Zero a fair bit, the leg clamps do loosen slightly. - I can make my pano really tight, but not immovable. - Here you go: ruclips.net/video/Wuo1p3G34r0/видео.html and the direct link is: geni.us/l8yU
I bought my camera and smartphone accessories mostly from Ulanzi. I browse online and looking their video and picture, and you can see the quality of the goods. there are cheap and metal ally or carbon fiber are expensive. I did not know about Ulanzi after googling the net and look others accessories. some others also make them, but you have to find them and try them.
The way you compared the plate access on the two different heads was not fair. Unscrew the safety screws on the PD head (which are not even supplied on the Ulanzi!) and it will easily allow the Arca Swiss to go on. Other than that silly matter, it's a good review.
@@ScottyInVancouver yep. This should do it www.ulanzi.com/products/ulanzi-f38-quick-release-travel-tripod?aff=361 and enter MAYHEW10 for a 10% off the $70 you’ll already save 👍
Have you had any problem with the release button at the top of each leg? 2 of mine do not press properly making it very difficult to change the leg angle. Pretty frustrating. I guess I will have to test their support response.
You can improve either with a better head. I prefer a 3-way head so I put a Benro HD2A on my PD tripod, it makes all the difference. Looking at a Ulanzi zero next though, my current PD is alumnium due to cost, so the Ulanzi will be a nice upgrade and weight savings
@@RalphMayhewPhotography Yup, I have the equivalent for the PD. You can get this as a combo if you order direct from Ulanzi. I think Ulanzi might do really well on Black Friday .. we’ll see if I can wait that long
Hey Ralph love the video it really made me want to buy this tri pod. It made me especially want to buy it for my trip to Norway in a few days, unfortunately I won’t be able to get it by then through shipping. I know this might be a big favor to ask..but can I buy yours? I’ll pay the full amount! Would love to take it with me to Norway and shoot some great content
@@RalphMayhewPhotography no I dont think so and wouldn't want you to go through that trouble anyways of sending it. thought maybe you lived within an hour or two radius of me haha it was worth a try. appreciated you a lot for trying tho much love!
@@RalphMayhewPhotography Thanks Ralph! I went back to their site and saw that. Not sure I want to risk it with the Nikon D500 and 200-500 lens. I also noticed the new version can handle 6Kg which would work but it's not Arca Swiss compatible. I wish the damn camera industry would just standardize some things because I'm tired of buying new QR plates for all my gear.
Not sure you can call this a true comparison between these two tripods. You didn't lick the Peak, but did the Ulanzi. 😁 Great job with the review. I'm wanting the Ulanzi, but hoping for some super sale to bring down the price a bit more.
Very interesting. This Ulanzi looks more interesting. But what is the real capacity load ? On a swiss website they said 3 kg too but on the ulanzi website they said 18 kg. So, what's true ? Edit : I have my answer. The ball head support 3kg, the center tripod column support 18 kg.
@@RalphMayhewPhotography Thanks for this video. I just ordered the Ulanzi Tripod, i will receive it in the end of April... Now I'm much below 3 kg but if i need more i will replace the ball head.
I've been following the PD (Peak Design) toward the end of it's fund raising campaign. My interest is marketing of the product which appears they've been successful, lots of reviews on Amazon. Appealing style/sex-appeal appears to have overcome it's high price for many a buyer. But I never thought it was a good design in terms of function. Owned/used a tripod for decades. The product, IMO, is targeted to iPhone and other high-end phone users.
I always felt the sold the pd so well because they got some high end influencers to talk about it 3-6 months before launch. They were very convincingly but didn’t really review it. Just showed it’s highlights.
Both of them were made in China sure. These products will be excellent if they made the component in Japan or Germany and the carbon fiber sheet is used by the Japanese, who supply the sheets to make Fuselage, high-end fishing rods, fishing line, wader materials, etc. Quality also depends on design. Toray Toray is the largest carbon fiber manufacturer in the world with a global capacity of 29,100 metric tons per year of TORAYCA™ carbon fiber produced in the United States, Japan, France, and South Korea.
Ulanzi is not true arca swiss. These ulanzi plates can go to other heads, but other plates cannot go on this head, even when the little screws are removed. My experiences have told me only go to real arca swiss. They meant professional design and makes life much easier. I have a couple of none arca swiss tripods laying around and plates are missing. I'm willing to pay a few hundred more for true arca swiss.
You are half correct. This tripod, the Zero Y, is a true Arca Swiss tripod. There was a version that came out before this (that’s still available) that uses Ulanzi’s proprietary plates you’re referencing. I believe it’s called the F38.
Black Friday Sales are everywhere, but one I highly recommend is Ulanzi. This link will take you through to some amazing deals: geni.us/BpnzFp Which do you prefer and why?
I own the Peak Design for almost 2 years but only used it a few times because of the reasons you described. My main problem ist the ball head. you are very limited with the upright position. As well with the pano function. You have to loose the whole ball to just turn the camera. Which makes it not so easy to set the camera for the right composition. Last week I bought the Ulanzi to compare both. When I unpacked it my first impression was just WOW. They fixed the problems I had with PD and made this tripod have price but twice as good. I am amazed from the quality. I can highly recommend this little thing.
Gonne sell the PD even if I a big fan of PD's other products.
Stoked to hear that mate. Great stuff!
Wow, this is the type of review we amateur's need. I have spent the weekend searching data and reviews on these two travel tripods. I got to the point where I was leaning toward the Ulanzi but i was concerned about the 3kg capacity. Then I find this review where he uses the same camera/lens combination that I use (almost, same lens but I have a Z6ii rather than Z9). Now I can confidently buy the Ulanzi tripod. Thank you
Stoked to hear this mate. Thank you!
The peak design can accommodate other arca swiss plates, just need to take out the 2 screws which are there to keep their square base place centered
Thanks so much for this insight 🙌
@@RalphMayhewPhotography I actually use a 200-600 with a RRS foot on it. It's a little wobbly but the peak does it with the studs in still. It works in a pinch
@@jamesstarr7912 good to know. 👍
I've been using the Zero Y for about three months now and love it. The only flaw I've found is when panning. The panning head has a lot of play in it, even when you keep the knob fairly tight. Not a big deal unless you're shooting pano's with a nodal rail. To work with it I had to loosen the panning knob and fully tighten it again for each frame. The files were easy enough to align in Photoshop, but still a little annoying. I guess I could throw on a dedicated panning head, but that defeats the purpose when hiking long distance by adding weight and height. Other than this I am very happy with it.
Interesting. My pano head knob tightens up real good still.
@@RalphMayhewPhotography it tightens fine. The problem is when the pano head is unlocked it has a lot of play in it. I don’t believe I should have to unlock and lock the head between every shot, but maybe I’m just used to an indexed rotor.
@@williamcarter6374 ahhh I see. Sorry I misunderstood. Yeah it’s a bit annoying. I tighten it up a bit so it acts like a break 🤷🏼♂️
I have a headache from looking at tripods and reviews, I see the merit in both and know the peak design has a universal head adapter so that would resolve fitting a third party head. I am so confused, I watched another video on you tube (sorry) and he said a definite no no on zoom lenses on either of these tripods. Its really difficult, as you said the peak design would take more weight than the Ulanzi but the Ulanzi legs looked sturdier but take less weight. I have the same Tamron lens as you featured and a d5600...do you think these tripods are sturdy and able enough for the zoom lenses? I have also looked at the manfrotto MT055pro03 carbon fibre, i wanted light weight but the size of the manfrotto is off putting......help my head hurts! Great review BTW and one f the few that I have seen someone fit a camera to the tripod so thank you.
My heavy duty tripod is a carbon fibre leofoto and I enjoy it. I more frequently use the Ulzanzi y and I do put my big Tamron 150-600 on it. It is worth mentioning though that I use this tripod and lens combo when it’s not my main shooting objective. It’s a good backup. For stability and security if shooting solely with a huge lens like that you should opt for a heavier duty tripod. I hope that helps.
hard to take comparisons seriously when theres affiliate links for just 1 of them.
WOAH!! Thanks mate. I can’t believe I hadn’t put up PDs. Thanks 👍
Was looking forward to this. They definitely added a bit more functionality into the Ulanzi at a far cheaper price and I really hope it stands up well to normal use so time will tell. If I was starting out and had to choose between the two I will admit it would be hard to go with the PD but I've had the PD since it came out and considering what its been through(packrafts, kayaks and backpacks) I would easily buy it again if I needed so thank god for lifetime warranty. Oh you can remove those two stop screws on the PD so you can use other arca plates. Thanks for this.
Thanks mate. I appreciate your thoughts and insight :)
Great video and info Ralph!
Hi Andre!! Thanks heaps mate.
I like the ulanzi but the center column when fully extended has a slight wobble. Maybe the pd does as well...
Did you see that part in the video??
@@RalphMayhewPhotography ah I see it again and yeah good stuff still nothing to worry about nice vid
@@SneakyCaleb 👍👍 nah it’s all good 😊
Did you say the ball head on the PD CF tripod isn’t Swiss-Arca dovetail compatible? If you remove the two small Allen head screws from the PD head, it accommodates dovetails from Really Right Stuff. In addition, the PD dovetail fits snugly in Really Right Stuff ball heads (e.g., BH-55 & BH-30) and the Really Right Stuff Panorama Head.
Thanks champion. I appreciate you fleshing out some of the detail others have eluded too. It’s a shame it requires and extra purchase though 🤷🏼♂️
I’ve had no issues using non-PD plates with the PD ‘pod. But other than that, I’ve had a lot of the same issues. Since I lost my PD somewhere in the Olympic rainforest (long story) it’s great to see that there’s a good alternative.
And about that lifetime warranty. I dropped my PD ‘pod from a low height and managed to bend one of the leg angle adjusters. If you have one, you’ll need it.
Thanks for the different perspective Archer. So did PD honour the warranty as a result of you dropping it?
Btw, the long story sounds intriguing 😉
dropping and bending is a INSURANCE issue. not WARRANTY
Good detailed review. Good work!
Thanks so much Anthony.
Great review - you clearly put a lot of effort into testing them. I have a couple caveats with the UxC tripod after about a month of light use. Let me know if you agree/disagree or haven't thought of them:
- The leg flip locks on UxC seem to be much stiffer, while PD's can be flipped out easily & smoothly with one hand. I found myself needing more time to deploy the UxC, while the PD can be deployed within 9-10 seconds.
- The panoramic plate cannot be fully locked - I can still move it even when I have tighten the screw all the way in. Really hope that this won't turn into a future issue.
- Universal head adapter - the first wave of UxC tripods do not have any means to adapt other heads. They just started to offer a separate center column as a "free gift" for new orders but there don't seem to be a way for current owners like us to get one. Do you have any insider info on this?
Thanks so much! I really appreciate it.
- Having used the Zero a fair bit, the leg clamps do loosen slightly.
- I can make my pano really tight, but not immovable.
- Here you go: ruclips.net/video/Wuo1p3G34r0/видео.html and the direct link is: geni.us/l8yU
@@RalphMayhewPhotography Oh didn't realize it's finally sold separately. Thanks!
I bought my camera and smartphone accessories mostly from Ulanzi. I browse online and looking their video and picture, and you can see the quality of the goods. there are cheap and metal ally or carbon fiber are expensive. I did not know about Ulanzi after googling the net and look others accessories. some others also make them, but you have to find them and try them.
There’s certainly a wide range of accessory options out there.
The way you compared the plate access on the two different heads was not fair. Unscrew the safety screws on the PD head (which are not even supplied on the Ulanzi!) and it will easily allow the Arca Swiss to go on. Other than that silly matter, it's a good review.
Thanks mate. Funny thing is I didn’t even know the PD could do that until people commented on this vid lol
Ralph, great comparison. I too bought the Peak Design Carbon Tripod (ouch) and now prefer the Ulanzi Coman.
Thanks Mark. It kinda sux hey but that’s what being ahead of the curve gets ya lol
Did you get the quick release version for ulanzi? Or that's Gen 1?
This is Gen 1. But apparently the new quick release is waiting for me at home. Will find out tmw 🙌🤞
@@RalphMayhewPhotography oh awesome ! Is there a link for purchase yet ?
@@ScottyInVancouver yep. This should do it www.ulanzi.com/products/ulanzi-f38-quick-release-travel-tripod?aff=361 and enter MAYHEW10 for a 10% off the $70 you’ll already save 👍
Here’s the F38 video.
You can actually tighten the legs on the peak design fairely easely if i'm not mistaken
Yeah I think so. Both are easily tightened.
just got the ulanzi, love it. peak design I'm sure is nice, but not 2x as nice.
Haha yep!
Can you use PD Standard Square Plate on Ulanzi ballhead clamp?
I don’t believe you can.
Yes, you can on the U-Conan model Y. The Ulanzi F38 ballhead won't fit the PD square plate.
Have you had any problem with the release button at the top of each leg? 2 of mine do not press properly making it very difficult to change the leg angle. Pretty frustrating. I guess I will have to test their support response.
I should have said it's the Ulanzi I'm having trouble with.
I figured it was the Ulanzi (hehe). Mine have been fine. No worries at all. Their support is good, so they should have you sorted :)
You can improve either with a better head. I prefer a 3-way head so I put a Benro HD2A on my PD tripod, it makes all the difference. Looking at a Ulanzi zero next though, my current PD is alumnium due to cost, so the Ulanzi will be a nice upgrade and weight savings
It’s a great update and I think you can buy the tripod and. At head to affix a different ball head if you want.
Have you seen this? Zero ¼ Centre Column (Review) for the Zero Y & F38 Travel Tripod from Ulanzi and Coman
ruclips.net/video/Wuo1p3G34r0/видео.html
@@RalphMayhewPhotography Yup, I have the equivalent for the PD. You can get this as a combo if you order direct from Ulanzi. I think Ulanzi might do really well on Black Friday .. we’ll see if I can wait that long
Is this tripod rigid/stable enough when there is some wind? Thx
My experience is that it is.
Hey Ralph love the video it really made me want to buy this tri pod. It made me especially want to buy it for my trip to Norway in a few days, unfortunately I won’t be able to get it by then through shipping. I know this might be a big favor to ask..but can I buy yours? I’ll pay the full amount! Would love to take it with me to Norway and shoot some great content
Haha well there’s a first time for everything. Wasn’t expecting this. I’m in Australia. Do you think postage from here will be quicker?
@@RalphMayhewPhotography no I dont think so and wouldn't want you to go through that trouble anyways of sending it. thought maybe you lived within an hour or two radius of me haha it was worth a try. appreciated you a lot for trying tho much love!
@@daryoushrahimi haha I wondered. If we had of pulled it off it’d be a really cool story lol. I hope you’re trip is epic!
I didn't read all the comments but the Ulanzi has a weight capacity of 39.6lbs or 18Kg. Way more than the Peak Design.
The tripod can, the ball head can’t 👍
@@RalphMayhewPhotography Thanks Ralph! I went back to their site and saw that. Not sure I want to risk it with the Nikon D500 and 200-500 lens. I also noticed the new version can handle 6Kg which would work but it's not Arca Swiss compatible. I wish the damn camera industry would just standardize some things because I'm tired of buying new QR plates for all my gear.
@@95993harpo yeah it’s good for a backup with that sort of heavy gear but shouldn’t be a permanent or first option if ur gear is heavy.
With the Peak Design getting 30% off for Black Friday week, I'll be opting for that, at least it will be compatible with my capture clips 👍
That’s a great deal. Just make sure you watch some reviews of the PD as it has a couple of frustrating limitations 👍👍
@@RalphMayhewPhotography will do, thanks Ralph 👍
@@RalphMayhewPhotography Peak Design put their prices up the day before their Black Friday deals, so screw them, I've ordered the Ulanzi 👌
@@TheDeterminedRunner oh wow really. That’s so lame. Good on ya mate 👍👍👍
Not sure you can call this a true comparison between these two tripods. You didn't lick the Peak, but did the Ulanzi. 😁
Great job with the review. I'm wanting the Ulanzi, but hoping for some super sale to bring down the price a bit more.
Hahahaha you’re exactly right. I’ll go lock the PD now hehe.
Thanks man. You might get fortunate on their Facebook page: Ulanzi Products Community
Actual ballhead capacity: Ulanzi 5kg, Peak Design 9.1kg
I thought I said that? 🤷🏼♂️ apologies if I didn’t.
ulanzi coman tripod = peak design + rrs ascend
Interesting. And pricey lol ;)
Very interesting. This Ulanzi looks more interesting. But what is the real capacity load ? On a swiss website they said 3 kg too but on the ulanzi website they said 18 kg. So, what's true ?
Edit : I have my answer. The ball head support 3kg, the center tripod column support 18 kg.
That sounds about right 👌 thanks for sharing.
@@RalphMayhewPhotography Thanks for this video. I just ordered the Ulanzi Tripod, i will receive it in the end of April...
Now I'm much below 3 kg but if i need more i will replace the ball head.
@@HBZERaviation I use my z9 with zoom Tamron 150-600 and Fitz and it works 👍
I've been following the PD (Peak Design) toward the end of it's fund raising campaign. My interest is marketing of the product which appears they've been successful, lots of reviews on Amazon. Appealing style/sex-appeal appears to have overcome it's high price for many a buyer. But I never thought it was a good design in terms of function. Owned/used a tripod for decades. The product, IMO, is targeted to iPhone and other high-end phone users.
I always felt the sold the pd so well because they got some high end influencers to talk about it 3-6 months before launch. They were very convincingly but didn’t really review it. Just showed it’s highlights.
This thing costs less than 200 dollars in China. Would not buy it for 300.
That’s a bargain for the Chinese 👍
Both of them were made in China sure. These products will be excellent if they made the component in Japan or Germany and the carbon fiber sheet is used by the Japanese, who supply the sheets to make Fuselage, high-end fishing rods, fishing line, wader materials, etc. Quality also depends on design. Toray
Toray is the largest carbon fiber manufacturer in the world with a global capacity of 29,100 metric tons per year of TORAYCA™ carbon fiber produced in the United States, Japan, France, and South Korea.
Interesting. I feel like the quality of both these products is really good.
propper review
Thanks 🙏
in 5 years there'll be better tripod out there. if yours is broken, just buy new one.
I’m a year they’ll likely be a better one 👍
Ulanzi is not true arca swiss. These ulanzi plates can go to other heads, but other plates cannot go on this head, even when the little screws are removed. My experiences have told me only go to real arca swiss. They meant professional design and makes life much easier. I have a couple of none arca swiss tripods laying around and plates are missing. I'm willing to pay a few hundred more for true arca swiss.
You are half correct. This tripod, the Zero Y, is a true Arca Swiss tripod. There was a version that came out before this (that’s still available) that uses Ulanzi’s proprietary plates you’re referencing. I believe it’s called the F38.
do not compare these two products because it does not make sense, peak design is the best.
Haha having used on a regular basis over a while now the Ulanzi is the winner for me. 🤷🏼♂️