Just a quick reminder about our one day sale for Capture.  Go to peakdesignltd.com and check it out!

Thanks everyone,

Peter

The Skinny:

For 24 hours only (starting this Friday at 12:00 AM PST), Capture will be available at $49.99 (limit one at that price).  That's $30 cheaper than you can get Capture any other day of the year.  Get it at peakdesignltd.com and be done with your holiday shopping.

The Fat:

Hello everyone,

Happy Thanksgiving!  I want to wish everyone a happy and safe holiday here in the US.  There is so much for me and my family to be thankful for this year, and I hope the same is true for all of the backers who helped make this year so amazing.

As most US backers are aware, the day after Thanksgiving is Black Friday, which is traditionally the biggest shopping day of the year for people in the states.  In my past, that's usually meant getting as far away as possible from a retail center.  Now that Peak Design (along with a tiny new person named Josephine) has consumed my day to day life, Black Friday takes on a whole new meaning.  We really believe that Capture is the perfect gift to give for anyone who loves taking pictures, and we want as many people as possible to have it in their stockings.

There's no question that the word of mouth advertising you have put forth is what's driven our sales after the kickstarter, and we figure that the best way to generate more of it is to let you get Capture at the lowest price we can afford.  Please spread the word!

I can't even tell you how excited I am to be working on the next generation of Capture accessories right now.  2012 is going to be filled with innovative releases which will build on the backbone of the Capture system and further refine it.  We remain dedicated to making the hobby, profession, and passion of photography simpler, more convenient, and more enjoyable.  If you like what we've done with Capture, I know you're going to like the direction we're headed.

If you have questions, you can always message me here on Kickstarter, or join the conversation on our facebook page.  There are already almost 2,000 active participants, and the number grows every day.

Thank you, and be well.

Peter

Dear Kickstarters,

It's been a long time since you've had a good solid update.  With the exception of a few packages that can't seem to find their way, everyone who backed Capture should have received their unit and had some time to play with it now.  This is a long overdue message, but I hope everyone has been well and I hope to keep you engaged as part of a community who helped start something great.  I've provided a very brief update, and a lengthy one.  Pick your poison, and have a great day!

IN BRIEF....

• Capture is doing great!  We're selling all over the place and have you to thank!
  
• free shipping for the holidays when you order two at peakdesignltd.com.  Is there a better gift???
  
• we're going to be in NY for the Photoplus tradeshow this week.  Check the facebook updates and say hello if you're nearby
  
• Extenders are coming!  Will ship in early November.
  
• Extenders will NOT be offered to the general public...yet.  Waiting on your feedback
  
• Leash, other accessories, under development and will come out after the holidays (when we come up for air)
  
• -Join us on facebook to hear what's going on, enter contests, win units, and slough off at work
  
• Have a look at our updated video spot.  Our man Wilfred just made the final cut tonight.

Thank you everyone!

Peter and Co.

NOT IN BRIEF....

We are rockin' and rollin' folks, with more irons in the fire than we know what to do with!  We have sold over 3,000 Capture Camera Clips since the kickstarter ended.  We have active distribution in 13 countries, and more in the pipeline.  Future product development continues to help flush out the accessories of the Capture System, and we're doing all we can to keep up with the demand.

This week we are going to be in New York for the PDN Photoplus Expo.  It's our first tradeshow, and while we won't have a booth during the main event, we will be there making our presence felt.  If you're a kickstarter in the area, come on down and meet up!  We'll be communicating via our facebook page, so it shouldn't be too hard to find us.  And if you haven't joined the community on facebook yet, now's the time!  We're going to be giving away loads of product this holiday season to help spread the word about Capture, and facebook is the best way for you to get a chance at them.

EXTENDERS UPDATE:

I was hoping to be ready to ship Extenders by the end of October.  When I come back from New York next week, it will be my top priority.  The fulfillment will probably take at least a week, but folks stateside should have them by mid November, if not sooner.  For international backers, it will probably take 6-10 days longer due to the shipping times.

For those of you wondering, "What are Extenders again?" I'll tell you.  As they stand today, Extenders consist of two bolt extentions, plus form fit elastomeric pads which snap onto the chassis and the backplate of your Capture unit.  This can be useful if you want to transport your SLR on something hard, such as the frame of your bicycle.  By attaching a ball head to a Capture quick release plate, you can turn your Capture unit + parking meter (or whatever stable object you happen to find) into a makeshift tripod.  The point of Extenders is not to dictate what people will do with them though.  The point of Extenders is to allow one more tool for photographers to be creative with, and hopefully enhance their experience.

At this point, Extenders will NOT be released as a product to the general public.  There are several reasons for this.  For one, while I am 100% certain about the need and the demand for Capture, I am less certain about Extenders.  I remain optimistic that they will be come a useful piece of photographers' gearbags, but I anxiously await the feedback of backers to better understand how much they are desired.  Another reason is that I have done a lot of second guessing about how the product should be implemented.  The package you will receive has two bolts which couple onto the clamping bolts that come with Capture, instead of simply providing a longer clamping bolt.  The rationale behind this was to limit the number of parts and pieces involved in setting up Extenders, and also to prevent people from misplacing the original clamping bolts.

The problem with both of those solutions is that when you attach to something that is relatively thin (i.e., a bike tube), there is a fair amount of threaded bolt which protrudes through the back side.  It's a less elegant solution than I would like to have.

Last week, I finally come to a decision about the future of Extenders (sort of).  I decided that if I do decide to sell Extenders as a product, I would do it differently.  I would create new bolts all together.  Each Extender set would have 3 sets of bolts...one which is an inch long (servicing really thick backpack straps), one which is 1.75" long (to service bicycle tubes, and similarly sized objects), and one that is 2.5" long (intended to service the big stuff).  Also, the top of the bolt would not have the "wings" that the current clamping bolt has.  Rather, it would be smaller in diameter and knurled on the edges to allow for easier thumb turning.  I'd also put a hex head on the top, superimposed with a groove to receive a flat blade.  I've found that for round objects, you have to crank on the bolts with significant force to ensure a rock solid connection, and the ability to have a mechanical drive would make that process easier.

Whether or not I go down that road depends on the feedback I get from Extender users.  No good deed should go unnoticed though.  If the feedback I get says that Extenders should indeed be made and distributed, I will make sure that kickstarter backers can obtain them at a very significant discount.

I am as grateful as ever to all of you.  Thank you for your time

Peter

Hello everyone!

Some of you may recall that last update was entitled "Mission Accomplished".  I had a little chuckle to myself writing it, thinking about our former president Bush standing on an aircraft carrier two months after the US declared war on Iraq with a giant banner declaring the same.  Fool me once....

While I felt a tremendous lift when I shipped the last of the international Capture backer's packages, I know full well that there are many, many miles to go in this mission I've named "Capture".  I'm happy to say that we are cruising along very well right now.  This past week, we stocked our warehouse with enough ship-ready products to satisfy all the pre-orders we've accumulated since the kickstarter ended.  We anticipate having a stocked warehouse from here on out.

If you're considering getting a second (or third, or fourth) Capture, may I suggest you order today?  Your unit will ship right away, and we'll cover the shipping cost.  That changes at midnight tonight, so act fast if you're considering it.  peakdesignltd.com

At the risk of getting long winded (again), I want to take a moment to recognize all of the people who continue to post comments about the receipt of their packages, their satisfaction with the product, and the pictures, videos, and stories of all the creative ways people are already using Capture.  Like so many parts of this process, it continues to be a total thrill.  There's also a very active dialog on the Peak Design facebook page, and we are committed to responding to those comments and questions as swiftly as possible.  It's tremendously advantageous to have such productive dialog with a community of users.  It's part and parcel with this new era of product development where end users heavily influence design.

EXTENDERS

On that note, I know many of you are still waiting for Extenders.  We are still on schedule for all parts of the Extenders, so October/November still looks promising.  We appreciate your patience in getting this product to you.

LEASH

We have also taken further steps in the development of the CaptureLeash, a product (whose name is also still under development) which will allow you to securely tether your Camera to your Capture base unit via the handstrap tabs on the camera connection plate.  Key features are adjustable length, shock resistance, and quick connect-disconnect.  It should be a useful addition to the Capture System.  We hope this will be available in time for the holidays.

KICKSTARTER FULFILLMENT

For those of you who (internationally) who still haven't received your package...please do be patient.  If you received an email, it means that the label for your package was successfully created.  Double check that the address shown in that email is correct.  If it is, then your package will still be on the way.  As you can see by the comments, people are still receiving them every day.  If you haven't received it by Wednesday of next week, please contact me and I will further investigate.  I'm going to continue to keep a careful watch on the situation, as its important that every backer who supported me gets their rightful reward.

Thank you everyone!  Will be in touch soon.
Peter

Hi everyone,

I'd like to let it be known that all backers who have filled out their survey and paid their shipping have been sent their reward packages as of Monday 8/15.  We got it done in one day less than a month.  I know it seemed like it took a long time for a lot of you, but all in all I'm satisfied with how it went.  Officially, we have shipped 5,082 packages containing approximately 5,500 units.  There are about 150 people who still haven't filled out their surveys, and when they do their packages will be shipped.  Beginning next week, we will send inventory to our warehouse to fulfill the nearly 400 units that have already been pre-ordered off peakdesignltd.com

To everyone who has received their units and posted a comment on the message board, thank you.  Thank you very, very much.  It has been a pure joy to see your reports coming in from around the world.  It's so rewarding to see pictures from Japan and Denmark and Sweden and Australia and Canada and England and Brazil and China and Finland and Israel and Germany and Italy and the Czech Republic....48 countries in total.....which show camera on peoples tables, on their belts, their backpacks, and their camera bag straps.  I can hardly believe that the labels my intern and I have been printing for the last 3 weeks are actually translating into packages being delivered all across the globe.  

Regarding those shipments....I realize many International backers are looking for tracking information.  Please note that USPS First Class Mail and USPS Priority Mail only provide "Delivery Confirmation".  Each of you should have received an email which indicates that your shipping label has been printed.  It also includes a tracking number.  However, this tracking number only updates two times: once, when the label has been printed, and again when the package has been delivered.  So, for those of you wondering why your tracking number doesn't provide you with any updates, that is the reason.  If you've received the email though, rest assured that your package is on its way!

It will likely take up to ten more days for all backers to receive their products, due to the fact that international shipping can be slow.  Please be as patient as you can.  If you're a US backer, you should have received your unit by now, and you should contact me via a kickstarter message to help resolve the issue.

This will not be my last update.  There's lots to come from Peak Design, and we're very pumped to have you along for the ride.

Peter