Peak Design launched a modular camera bracket on Kickstarter on July 21 that tries to solve a boring but real camera problem: adding grip, tripod orientation, accessory mounting and tracking without hanging extra junk off the strap.
The product is called the Field Bracket. According to Peak Design’s Kickstarter campaign, the base unit is an L-bracket shaped for specific camera bodies. That matters because an L-bracket lets photographers switch a camera between horizontal and vertical tripod mounting without rotating the tripod head into a worse position. Peak Design says the bracket works with most Arca-compatible tripods.
The less standard bit is the tracker bay. Peak Design is selling a Beacon Finder Tag that fits flush inside the Field Bracket’s base plate. The company says the tag works with both Apple Find My and Google Find Hub, so a camera owner is not locked to one phone ecosystem for basic lost-device tracking. The tag uses a replaceable CR2025 battery, which Peak Design rates for up to six months, and carries an IP67 dust and water resistance rating.
That is a cleaner answer than dangling a tracker from a camera strap, assuming the bracket fits the camera you actually use. Peak Design says buyers will need to pick the bracket made for their camera body, because the hardware is molded around specific models. At launch, the supported list is focused on newer and near-newer cameras in each line. The company is also taking camera requests through a feedback form.
More than a tracker holder
The Field Bracket is also a small modular rig. Peak Design says the base bracket can accept add-ons including a hand grip, finger grip and cheese plate. The cheese plate gives shooters somewhere to attach accessories such as a light or microphone when the camera body itself does not have a convenient mounting point.
The vertical portion of the L-bracket is called the Field Latch. Peak Design says it uses a new locking system that lets users attach or remove it without tools. The same area can take the optional cheese plate, which can slide out in adjustable stops so camera ports remain reachable and cables can be routed without immediately turning the setup into a knot.
Peak Design also says the bracket has dedicated slots for its camera straps and will not interfere with the company’s Capture Clip or straps. That is the kind of compatibility claim that sounds mundane until a plate blocks a battery door, strap lug or tripod clamp, at which point the clever accessory becomes a tax on every shoot.
Pricing
Peak Design lists the Field Bracket at a $149.95 retail price. On Kickstarter, the company is offering discounted campaign pricing, including $125 for the bracket and $199 for a bundle with the currently offered accessories, while supplies last. Peak Design says the full accessory bundle would retail for $269.80.
The company is pitching the Field Bracket as one system for tripod switching, handheld grip, accessory mounting and lost-camera tracking. The confirmed details are the campaign specs and compatibility claims from Peak Design. Whether the body-specific fit, latch mechanism and tracker placement hold up in daily camera abuse will depend on the final hardware, not the campaign page.
This story draws on original reporting from The Verge.
