HEIPI W28 3-in-1 Carbon Fiber Travel Tripod Review | Beyond Peak Design?

[@DustinAbbottTWI]

Two additions: the tabletop tripod/center column is aluminum, not carbon fiber. The leg locks are aluminum alloy, not plastic as some have suggested in the comments.

[@scherge]

The much greater stability/ load capacity in general and the panning option are what made me get the Heipi over the PD. Great comparison, thank you.

[@DustinAbbottTWI]

Glad to help out.

[@SamTaylors]

I own the Heipi and I’m very pleased with it. It’s light, versatile, and has some clever design features. There are some weaknesses to the design - the plastic clips to lock the legs feel flimsy and the hook for hanging your bag sometimes catches on the legs when you fold it away. But those a minor retractions and overall I’m very happy with it. The ball head and mini tripod elements are both particularly good.

[@DustinAbbottTWI]

They have updated the design for the hook underneath based on feedback from users. And yes, I don't disagree on the leg locks. So far they have held up fine, but they don't feel as good as the Peak Design equivalents.

[@SamTaylors]

@@DustinAbbottTWIthat’s great to hear about the hook. I meant to add in my first comment that your review is fantastic as always. Thank you for the thoughtful content you always share - your balanced and unbiased reviews are one of my most trusted sources of photography information.

[@davidlarosa5374]

@DustinAbbottTWI I went back to bogen. Got 2 on ebay for a fraction of carbon fiber one!

[@catalin-ap]

Don't worry, be Heipi! :)

[@heipi.global]

Thank you very much for the time and effort you put into making this video! I believe that viewers can benefit greatly from this video and find the perfect tripod for themselves.😉

[@DustinAbbottTWI]

Glad it was helpful!

[@smithcon]

I have both but the Heipi leg locks and especially the angle ratchet mechnism on the legs feels a little plastic toy-like to me. I have used the Peak Design tripod so much that I have gotten a lot more confident with it over time, and I appreciate how quickly I can confidently deploy and mount my camera to it, then quickly re-stow it and move on. I don't feel that confident with the Heipi, at least not yet. Would love to see an actual stability test comparing the two. I think the max load claims for both are a little optimistic -- I would not go anywhere near the claimed load limits with either of these, but luckily I don't use camera and lens combos with these tripods that way over 7 or 8 pounds tops.

[@DustinAbbottTWI]

I don't disagree on the leg lock observation. I have no reason to believe that the HEIPI locks won't be sturdy in the long run, but I definitely don't like the feel/action of them as much as I do the Peak Design. That one annoyance aside, I do find myself reaching for the W28 more than the Peak Design right now because of other things that I like so much.

[@smithcon]

@@DustinAbbottTWI Thanks for the reply. Looking forward to a Definitive Review if you ever create one on the Heipi.

[@SYH8888]

Hi Dustin, thanks for the informative vid! Would like to inquire about the ARCA-compatible mounting. I see in your vid at 5:40 or so that you show the PD clip works but I also noticed that your tripod doesn't have the two "stoppers" screwed in. Without those stoppers, have you noticed any slippage when the camera is mounted and locked in? Reason I ask is that I'm thinking of using the PD-compatible Ellie L-bracket and am not sure of compatibility in portrait orientation. Thanks!

[@DustinAbbottTWI]

I haven't noticed any slippage. I often have to remove those stoppers to increase compatibility across the different tripods I use.

[@justin-kelsey]

If the price were exactly the same between PD CF and the Heipi (which currently they are), would you pick one over the other? Also, would you go for the Ulanzi Zero y (with F38 head + center column upgrade) if it were only $300?

[@DustinAbbottTWI]

I can say that I'm currently reaching for the Heipi more often, myself.

[@antlaguna928]

I’m on the fence about getting the Heipi. Some people are saying they still haven’t gotten theirs or it’s taking months for delivery but I’m not sure if those were the Kickstarter orders? Does anyone have any feedback?

[@DustinAbbottTWI]

Hmmm, I'm definitely seeing regular clicks and sales through my link, so people are buying them and getting them.

[@marknathan7744]

Nice can you use other heads on it ?

[@SamTaylors]

Yep - I have the Heidi and can confirm it just uses a standard thread to attach the head. You can also remove the head from the mini tripod and attach it to the main tripod if you want. It’s quite flexible in that respect

[@marknathan7744]

@@SamTaylors Thank you

[@DustinAbbottTWI]

Sam's answer is correct.

[@bluwasabi7635]

How long did it take for Heipi to ship it to you after you ordered? Also, have you had any luck contacting Heipi?

[@DustinAbbottTWI]

Honestly I have so much gear coming in and out that I don't pay much attention to how long it takes for most things to ship. I had no problem communicating with Heipi, but, to be fair, they were motivated to make sure I had everything I needed for this review.

[@bluwasabi7635]

@@DustinAbbottTWI thank you. Ill try contacting their influencer dept I guess then

[@JayJay-he9bk]

It took like 3 days for me to the USA

[@eprohoda]

Dustin. splendid footage-📽

[@DustinAbbottTWI]

Glad you enjoyed it

[@willchaneyphoto]

This is definitely a cool tripod. Any idea if the spikes can be completely removed? TSA doesn't allow the sharp/pointed feet for tripods in a carry on bag. Granted, who knows if they'd see them hidden away.. I assume you could just unscrew them, but does it leave a hole?

[@DustinAbbottTWI]

The feet can be full unscrewed, yes, and it does leave a hole.

[@RG-rm9jt]

@DustinAbbottTWI Nala had me thinking that my cat was in trouble at the start of this video 😂

[@DustinAbbottTWI]

LOL

[@wok-onbai538]

Innovative design except I'm a bit concerned about the plastic flip locks, especially the one that locks the ball head which appears to be rather fragile. Is the small slide out tripod constructed of plastic, aluminum or carbon fiber? Do the screw off feet use standard 3/8-16 or 1/4-20 inch threads?

[@DustinAbbottTWI]

The table tripod is also carbon fiber. I would say the feet look more like 3/8"s (though that is visual and not a measurement.) They are bigger then 1/4".

[@RoyLie9]

Price is USD399 as of today.

[@DustinAbbottTWI]

That's a really strong value, then.

[@robertwhitemoto]

Options get it up to that $500 ish mark.

[@RoyLie9]

@@robertwhitemoto Understood. However Dustin only mentions price for the tripod.

[@joakimolsson1024]

Maybe its just me but i feel like 1.35kg is not "travel friendly". It should be really lightweight, or i can just as well bring my super sturdy 1.8kg one. For you guys who feel the same, check out the Aoka CMP163CL. Super nice at around 500g, although does not go "full height" (i basically never use tripods at full height anyways, so ni problem for me). Also its not overpriced, like say the peak design (the Aoka really surprised me in quality feel vs cost actually)

[@DustinAbbottTWI]

I guess that depends on your priorities. This is a very portable tripod not just because of the weight, but the length while retracted.

[@joakimolsson1024]

@@DustinAbbottTWI sure, and everything is relative! 1.35 might be very lightweight for some, and heavy for others. As well as the bulk. Depends what your "baseline" is.

[@travissaunders4686]

The Peak Design had a worthless head that couldn't be replaced. I am actually excited to see the Heipi has solved that and it looks like a better design over all. Great video and find.

[@smithcon]

I've found the head takes a little getting used to. I didn't like it at first. But when I started using it, I have grown to really like how quickly it can be deployed and repositioned. Like I said in another comment, I wouldn't go anywhere near trying 20 pounds with it, but it works great with my gear.

[@DustinAbbottTWI]

Worthless is a strong word, but there is certainly areas (like panning) where the Heipi has an arguably superior design.

[@stephanieyared245]

Hi! Thank you for this great review. Quuck question: is it possible to replace the head of the Peak Design and the Heipi tripod? I do architecture photography, and I like to have more flexibility than the ball heads that come with those tripods. Thanks!

[@Joamonica]

Can't say anything about the PD tripod but the Heipi ballhead is fairly easily replaceable@@stephanieyared245 to another one with ⅜" thread. As long as it's base -ø doesn't exceed app. 65 mm (can't give you more accurate dimensions, I'm currently abroad in England). I'm wondering what you consider "more flexible" than a ballhead? Usually I use geared heads for architecture and that's because they are more precise and easier to adjust.

[@Twobarpsi]

A great product, but at almost $600, that's pricey!

[@DustinAbbottTWI]

The price has dropped considerably, from what I understand.

[@Twobarpsi]

@@DustinAbbottTWI good to hear, as I really like its design. At $600, it costs more than each of my camera bodies! Canon's SL3/250D ($500), and used 5D mkii ($330).

[@JayJay-he9bk]

I paid 350 for my Heipi

[@DustinAbbottTWI]

That's a solid price for it.

[@Joamonica]

I really would like to see the flimsy Heipi collapse under 55 pounds 😂 that claim is just ridiculous. I have the Heipi and I do like a couple of it‘s features: Light weight, small, versatile. But the center column‘s clamping mechanism just doesn‘t allow small adjustments. Bad for tabletop. Next are the wheeny rip nails hidden in the rubber feet. A Gitzo spike is 30 mm long and the biggest ø is 16 mm. Heipi: 20 mm long, max ø 7.8 mm but pointy as a needle. I cannot imagine any surface where this would give a better grip, except ice maybe. Put a D850 with grip and 500 PFE on it: Without loosing any screws I can turn horizontally the whole camera ± 4…5° because the legs are very elastic and easy to bend. It‘s a fantastic choice for mirrorless cameras in electronic shutter mode. In the manual with my copy of the Heipi, no technical specs are given. So I wonder where you‘d get the 55 pounds from? And btw. the clamp levers are made of aluminium, not plastic, and their edges are too sharp imo. Dustin, in general I like your clear and thorough reviews, but here you remained too silent about the downsides. However, the genius center column (aside from it‘s lousy clamping mechanism) which can easily be turnt upside down and be a table stand makes it very unique.

[@DustinAbbottTWI]

The 55 pound figure came directly from Heipi. Thanks for the feedback. I do agree that the center column adjustments could be smooth, though in general I'm really enjoying using the Heipi.

[@Joamonica]

Hmm, the longer I use it, the more sticky the center columns locking mechanism gets. Meanwhile it became really tough to alter the center column's height. Although lightweight, I will use my Rogeti for the next travel. I'm more confident with it.