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Peak Design Capture Pro


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The good folks over at Peak Design were kind enough to provide me with a review copy of their Capture Pro Clip, so I thought I'd share my thoughts on it here. I already own their Slide, Slide Lite and Wrist Straps, so feel free to comment or ask questions on any of those too. I've been writing a bigger article on travel gear and this little engineering marvel arrived just in time to make the cut. I kept this review separate from my other post, which is also on the forum.

 

If you're not familiar with Peak Design, then I suggest you head over to their website or their latest Kickstarter campaign (something for which they are rightly famous). Currently their latest campaign features 4 different bags, of which I'm especially looking forward to the Sling or perhaps the Backpack. If I can get my hands on a review copy, I'll be sure to share my experiences. Prices are lowest during the campaign, so go and check them out here. They are one of those rare brands that actually listen to their customers, like Fuji and MagMod.

 

The product

 

It's a clip that fastens to just about anything that is not too thick, like a belt or a backpack strap. I've been using mine attached to my messenger bag, either on the side (where there is a loop) or on the strap itself. I have tried it on my backpack too and it fits just fine. I don't often use my backpack, so I prefer to keep it where I will get the most use out of it. It attaches and detaches within seconds if needed, so it's not a chore to quickly change it around if needed. I have to say that the fit and finish is even better than expected, even if "over-engineered" is always the case with Peak Design products.

 

The plate comes in two sizes. The red one is the Pro version and is slightly bigger and cushioned. The smaller black one is the Regular version, and is slightly smaller. Both fit either clips and are interchangeable. Both plates are Arca Swiss compatible, the Pro plate comes with extra side plates to make it compatible with RC2 mounts as well. Apparently there are also plates available for POV GoPro's, binocular mounts and lens plates available.

 

The Capture clip has a tripod mount as well, so you could screw it straight into the tripod and use it as a head if needed. I fasten my ball head to the tripod with superglue, so for me that won't be the case, but it's still nice to know that's an option. Where it might come in handy someday is on my Gorillapod for instance, if I can recall which box I put it in when we moved...

 

What's nice is that the Slide and Slide Lite I bought previously, already came with a regular plate included, so now I have three plates. I keep the Pro plate on my Xpan and use the regular plates on the X100T and my FM2. There's no noticeable difference in how solid they feel when attached, all are more than rigid enough for day long walks and they didn't need fastening at all over the course of three days citytripping. I guess that for a heavy DSLR, the Pro plate is probably the best option, but for smaller cameras either will do fine.

 

The use

 

I have to say that while it's fun to get offered review samples, this was one of those "what on earth would I use that for?" items. I don't tend to buy a lot of stuff anymore. I like to travel as light as possible, so I keep my gear to the bare minimum at all times. If something doesn't get used, I get rid of it (or don't buy it in the first place). I remember the Kickstarter for this one, and while everything Peak Design makes looks really nice, I was not going to buy this just on that basis.

 

So, after a week of rigid testing, how does it hold up? Well, I have to say I was pleasantly surprised. I found myself using it to the point where I had to ask myself why I didn't buy this all that time ago. Attached to my messenger bag is currently my favourite use. I like to use the wrist strap when I'm in a city, but every now and then you need your hands free for something else and it's so useful to just be able to clip the camera onto the side of my bag instead of opening up the bag itself. When I get tired of carrying it on the strap, I just clip the camera to the bag and presto, instant back and shoulder relief.

 

The plate is omni-directional, so you can use it vertical or horizontal as needed, depending how you attached the Clip, which is very handy. The release on the clip is lockable for those who are paranoid or on serious hikes, but I found that even unlocked, it's impossible to release it when you don't want it too.

 

The weight of the plate and clip is a non-issue. While I usually go through the trouble of reducing every bit of weight from my bag, these items are not a factor. The Clip and Plate didn't even wiggle or move, not even after walking 30km a day. The side lock to keep the camera secure is impossible to release unless you want it too, but when you need it, it's a quick one hand process.

 

I sometimes shoot portraits outdoor with flash, and my Cactus RF60 flashes have a tripod mount on the side where the Capture plate fits perfectly, so I can just clip my flash onto the bag and keep it handy for whenever we find a good spot. This way I can take only the messenger bag on the shoot instead of having to fall back to the big backpack. All more expensive flashes tend to have side tripod mounts. I know for sure at least LumoPro has those as well. I'll have to experiment more to see what else I can attach this Clip too.

 

The cons

 

My X100T's battery compartment gets blocked by either plate, so to open it up I have to unscrew the plate. This doesn't take long and I've never used more than 2 batteries in any given day, so it's a non-issue for me. My memory cards last me at least a couple of days usually, so that's also not an issue. On my X-T1, it only blocks my battery compartment. I can live with having to unscrew the plate once or twice a day to change batteries. It takes about 30 seconds at most.

 

There is an option to attach it to your belt. The con is probably that this makes you look like an idiot, so don't do that if you ask me. In general, I'm not a fan of the whole "gunslinger" look, so just use it on a strap or side of a bag.

 

The verdict

 

The price is rather steep for the Capture Pro Clip, but given how much this actually gets used and how solid it's built, I'd say that's justified. If you go for either one, I'd pick the Capture Clip Pro version. People tend to spend a lot more money on far less useful stuff if you ask me. Build quality, fit and finish is second to none, and it's a no-brainer to use.

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Edited by Tom H.
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Wasn't there a company that made a 3D printer mount from Nikon's FX to Fuji's XF for the lens clip ?

I am not aware of this.

 

In reality, I'd probably use the lens clip for storing and transporting lenses in my bag.  It'd allow me to carry the 35 and 14 and take up the same room that the 55-200 would take up in my bag.  I keep hoping they will make an XF Mount for it and have talked to them a few times about it.  They just need the demand to be there so they can be sure they can cover the costs of the machining.  As you can imagine, it's very precise and expensive process to make these mounts.

Edited by CRAusmus
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I am not aware of this.

 

In reality, I'd probably use the lens clip for storing and transporting lenses in my bag.  It'd allow me to carry the 35 and 14 and take up the same room that the 55-200 would take up in my bag.  I keep hoping they will make an XF Mount for it and have talked to them a few times about it.  They just need the demand to be there so they can be sure they can cover the costs of the machining.  As you can imagine, it's very precise and expensive process to make these mounts.

 

Just spend some time searching for it and it seems that my memory was playing games with me, it was a 3D printed double lens holder:

 

http://www.shapeways.com/product/N29SZHW5F/fuji-x-mount-double-lens-cap

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Just spend some time searching for it and it seems that my memory was playing games with me, it was a 3D printed double lens holder:

 

http://www.shapeways.com/product/N29SZHW5F/fuji-x-mount-double-lens-cap

I do like that though.  It would certainly achieve my goal of packing my lenses in my bag too.  Think I may buy me one and see what I think of it...

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I do like that though.  It would certainly achieve my goal of packing my lenses in my bag too.  Think I may buy me one and see what I think of it...

 

If you do get one, can you please let me know afterward ? I have been wondering about it but mostly for storage purpose, I would prefer them to be separated when traveling, less chances for the lens cap to break in the bag.

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If you do get one, can you please let me know afterward ? I have been wondering about it but mostly for storage purpose, I would prefer them to be separated when traveling, less chances for the lens cap to break in the bag.

How do lens caps break? Mine occasionally fall off, especially the Fuji ones, but I've never seen one break before... And I'm famously careless with my gear :-)

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How do lens caps break? Mine occasionally fall off, especially the Fuji ones, but I've never seen one break before... And I'm famously careless with my gear :-)

 

It's on the case of the double lens cap that is 3D printed. I am wondering if the printed double cap would be study enough to support some torsion (correct word ?) while in a transport bag.

Specially worried for longer lenses, like a 18-135 on one end with the 90 on the other end.

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  • 4 weeks later...

Darknj, get two rear lens caps and glue them together and Bobs your uncle!

 

I thought of that, but the glue would be the weak point and it will certainly have some issues. I would prefer to have fully molded plastic to hold everything.

 

But hey, the rear lens caps are rather cheap, so I could have some fun with it.

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  • 2 weeks later...

I thought of that, but the glue would be the weak point and it will certainly have some issues. I would prefer to have fully molded plastic to hold everything.

 

But hey, the rear lens caps are rather cheap, so I could have some fun with it.

Don't use glue. Use two part epoxy, and be sure to roughen the surfaces of the caps with coarse sandpaper first, and then thoroughly clean them before using the epoxy. Properly mixed and cured epoxy is stronger than the plastic. I've got a pile of these in my camera bag.

 

That said. OP/TECH finally had their version out for XF mounts, with an added O-ring seal on each side. B&H has them in stock. $16 ea, so about double the price of two third-party caps, if you don't value the o-ring and not accounting for a few dollars for a big syringe of epoxy, your time, and the smell of fresh epoxy. The math of how much that's all worth to you I'll leave as an exercise for the reader.

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  • 1 year later...

I thought of that, but the glue would be the weak point and it will certainly have some issues. I would prefer to have fully molded plastic to hold everything.

 

But hey, the rear lens caps are rather cheap, so I could have some fun with it.

I used gorilla glue on two aftermarket lens caps after sanding them a little to roughen up the surface—works perfectly so far. I don't wave it around a bunch or put long lenses on it and hold them horizontally, but I trust it to hold two primes in my bag and be able to quickly/safely swap lenses. Since moving to the Peak Design Sling 5L for my run-and-gun I don't use it anymore, but it is a simple/cheap/effective go-now solution to your problem that I can vouch for!

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  • 3 weeks later...

I thought of that, but the glue would be the weak point and it will certainly have some issues. I would prefer to have fully molded plastic to hold everything.

 

But hey, the rear lens caps are rather cheap, so I could have some fun with it.

I used a uv light cured glue sold by the JML company which was bought at a Wilkinson’s shop near me, and believe you me it isn’t going to fail as the join is stronger than the original plastic rear cap!

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