Peak Design are a fairly unique company, who’ve been around since 2011. They are the world’s most crowdfunded active company and have launched over 50 products since they started.

I was recently sent three of their products to try out: Leash, Cuff and Capture Lens. So, let’s have a look at my findings.

Leash V3

Peak Design’s Leash comes in two colours: Ash and Black, and is a pretty versatile camera strap. It can be configured in a number of ways, including as a neck strap, sling strap, shoulder strap and safety tether and is adjustable from 33” (83cm) to 57” (145cm).

The strap is fairly thin, with a low-profile aluminium / Hypalon quick adjustment system with dual adjusters. You can attach the Leash to your camera with Anchor Cords, which fit through all cameras’ strap eyelets and hold 200lbs (90kg) each, and there’s also a new Anchor Mount, which allows you to attach Leash to the bottom of your camera via the tripod mount.

I really liked the multiple ways that you could attach Leash to the camera. The Anchor Cords are easy to use, although I couldn’t quite clip them in one-fingered, as Peak Design say is possible. In fairness, this may be because I don’t always have the most dextrous fingers! On first view, I found it hard to believe that the cords could support so much weight, as they are extremely thin. However, on testing them they are indeed incredibly strong and resistant and have clearly undergone rigorous testing. The cords are made of thermoplastic. On a personal level, I prefer thicker straps on my cameras (DSLRs) but if I were using a smaller camera I would definitely add Leash into my arsenal. It’s a well-designed and well thought out piece of kit.

I only have one reservation with Leash. Whilst the Anchor Mount is great, as it allows for multiple ways of attaching the strap, it does screw directly into the tripod mount. This means that if you’re using a tripod, you have to unscrew the mount and replace it with your tripod plate. However, Peak Design have told me that they are working on compatibility with their Capture Plate, which also works with Leash. Speaking of which, another good thing about Leash is that it’s compatible with other Peak Design products, meaning you can build a complete system.

Cuff V3

Cuff also comes in two colours: Ash and Black and is designed to use as a wrist-carrying strap. The wrist loop magnetically locks in the open position, or cinches down on your wrist for added security. The loop also locks down on your wrist if you accidentally drop your camera. As with the Leash, the Cuff uses an Anchor cord that can hold 200lbs (90kg). The Cuff is 3.8” (9.7cm) when open and cinches down to 1.75” (4.5cm) when closed at its smallest setting. Cuff is made from nylon webbing, aluminium adjuster hardware and leather accents. It also a magnetic clasp set into it so that you can fold it over and wear as a bracelet when it’s not in use.

Cuff is a really cool piece of kit. I know so many photographers who’ve had accidental drops of their cameras and this simple piece of equipment can save you from a very expensive error! It’s a well thought out piece of kit and comfortable to wear round the wrist. The design of the Anchor cord also means that you don’t feel the weight of your camera dragging on your wrist.

Do note though that the Cuff can be a little stiff to lock into place and cinch when you first use it. So it’s worth opening and closing it a few times before you attach it to your camera. Apart from that though, I really can’t say enough in praise of this product – such a simple idea, but such a useful piece of kit!

Capture Lens

One of the most frustrating problems when I’m shooting an event is having to go back to my camera bag if I want to change lenses. Capture Lens is designed to hold your unused lens and allows for speedy exchange of lenses as you work. Currently the system is designed to work with Canon EF, Nikon F or Sony E/FE mounts.

Capture Lens is made from glass-reinforced nylon with machined aluminium bayonet mounts and also comes with two bayonet caps to keep dust and water out of the unit. You can attach up to two lenses at a time, and the adapter swivels freely for quick lens changing. The system works exactly like the bayonet mount on your camera. Your lens will automatically lock into Capture Lens by you twisting until your hear the lock click. To release the lens you simply press the red quick release button and twist. The lens kit attachment fixes to a Capture plate, which you can attach to any strap up to 3” (7cm) wide. So you can attach the kit to a belt, backpack, bag etc.

Speaking of backpacks, they make a great one! Check out this Peak Design travel backpack review!

Again, this is a well thought out and clever piece of kit, which will undoubtedly be useful to event and wedding photographers who need to work with more than one lens in quick succession. It makes it easy to keep lenses at hand and certainly speeds up the workflow. Capture Lens is surprisingly lightweight, which takes a bit of getting used to. To begin with, I wasn’t convinced that the kit could hold and support larger lenses but actually, it is pretty tough! It’s not the quickest to put together, so I’d recommend having the plate attached to your belt etc. in advance and do make sure that you’ve attached it correctly and forcefully. If you’re the kind of photographer that works with a variety of lenses on the move, this will be a really great piece of kit to invest in.

I was quietly impressed by all three products from Peak Design – it’s clear that they’ve been well thought out and time and effort has been put into them. I’d be happy to have any of these items in my camera bag!

What about you? Do you own and use any of Peak Design’s products? Let us know on Facebook or Twitter :)