Peak Design’s new portable pro tripods can support up to 40 pounds of camera gear

Peak Design has announced three new tripods with features and functionality that cater to professional photographers and videographers. The company’s first tripod was a travel model that folded to be as slim as a soda can to prioritize portability. Its new pro tripods, available in three versions, are slightly thicker when collapsed, but they can also support twice as much weight and stand a bit taller.

The company is once again launching the new tripods through a Kickstarter crowdfunding campaign today. The new pro versions range in price from $799.95 to $999.95 — a big jump from the starting price of its original Travel Tripod at $349.95. However, the earliest backers can preorder them with discounts up to 27 percent off.

The three new models include the standard Pro Tripod and two variants. The Pro Lite Tripod is lighter and packs down smaller, thanks to its legs and center column being scaled down. The Pro Tall Tripod features elongated legs so it stands taller, but it also maximizes stability since the center column may not need to be extended as high.

Ranging in weight from 3.7 to 4.5 pounds, the new pro models are only slightly heavier than Peak Design’s aluminum Travel Tripod, which weighs 3.44 pounds. But they all stand much taller, up to 77.7 inches for the Pro Tall Tripod, and can support up to 40 pounds of camera equipment, although the smaller Pro Lite Tripod maxes out at 35 pounds.

Despite their thicker and sturdier legs made of carbon fiber, you can still squeeze the new pro tripods into a backpack’s side pocket because the largest model measures just 3.66 inches in diameter when folded down. (Peak Design’s Travel Tripod was 3.25 inches, for comparison.) But they may stick out a bit more since they’re 4 to 7 inches taller.

Peak Design is carrying forward some of the more unique features of its Travel Tripod, including a smartphone mount and a hex multitool that both fold down so they can be stowed inside the tripod’s center column. They’ll also have better Arca-compatible quick-lock grips that hold a camera more securely while making it easier to attach and remove. And you can get an optional $149.95 Tilt Mod accessory that converts the pro tripods’ easily adjustable ball head into a fluid pan and tilt head for smoother camera movements.