Two Tripods. Which to Buy?

[Mogwyth]

Velbon Ultra LUXi F or Benbo Trekker Mk2 107c.

I am looking for a sturdy but compact tripod for hiking my budget is about £100 so can't afford Carbon Fibre.

I can get either of these for about £100 Iinc delivery, any thoughts.

The velbon has a Pan and tilt head, the Benbo a ball and socket.

Or do you any alternative suggestions bearing in mind my budget.

[jbradc]

I would pick the Benbo for several reasons, solid build and I prefer a ball head over a pan/tilt head for outdoor work. Enjoy.

[attu]

Ive got a Benbo and it can be a bit of a hand full when you first get it, its like trying to wrestle with a set of bag pipes :), its a good tripod though but I think Id look at one of the Manfroto kits or have a look at Calumets own make of tripods.

Andy

[robertwgross]

Andy, do you know the difference between a good tripod and a good set of bagpipes?
::
::
::
::
There is no such thing as a good set of bagpipes.

---Bob Gross---

[Cash--]

lol, you win the Jeff Reppond cheesy joke of the day award!

[ScottE]

There is no such thing as a good set of bagpipes.

---Bob Gross---

That is a gross remark. There is no such thing a as a bad set of bagpipes, only bad bagpipe players.

Even if you don't like the music, a good set of bagpipes can be quite attractive if artfully arranged and nailed to the wall.

Scott

[mdr]

The Benbo is a love it or hate it tripod. B&S head is better for hiking, being more compact with no handles getting caught behind branches.

Check out the second hand market and eBay. You can pick up a Manfrotto or Gitzo aluminium set of legs for around £60, leaving you with £40 for a good ball head with quick release. E.g. MXV Photographic (www.mxv.com (http://www.mxv.com/)) has a second hand Manfrotto 190NAT2 with 128RC head and strap avertised for £109.

I picked up a Gitzo series 1 compact tripod and a Gitzo G1276 off-centre ball head, both in as new condition, for £106 including postage on ebay.

Remember, you don't need a mint one, as with use in the wild, you'll get scuffs and scratches within no time.

[boone]

I have the Benbo Trekker Mark 2, which I bought off eBay. The jury's still out on whether I like it or not. It is a little clunky to get set up, but it will let you set up some odd angles and very low to the ground. Mine came without a ball head, so I bought my own. I don't like the plastic angle swivel atop the main column. It's pretty flimsy, and there's no way to remove it. Apparently the Trekker Mark 1 didn't have this, so a used Mark 1 would be better.

Here's a writeup of the Mark 1 with commentary on the Mark 2 I found via Google.
http://burren.cx/photo/trekker.html

I'm thinking of hacking off that angle swivel and somehow fixing my ball head directly to the column, but I haven't done it yet. Anyone done it?

[Mogwyth]

Thanks for all your replies.

Unfortunatly (well fortunatly) my plans have changed. To my :eek:surprise I recieved a nice little cheque in the post from the Training Company I recently did a course with.

:D £250 for all my hard work and commitment, I wouldn't mind but the Goverment paid for the course and it was done in work time. So after my wife and kids get their slice:cry:, I am going to double my tripod budget and put the rest in my lens fund.

Any suggestions?

[mdr]

Have a look at the Gitzo Explorer and Giotto Innovator. They give you the same versatility as the Benbo, but with standard tripod legs.

[jfred]

the best thing that has worked for me in the past is to go to a camera shop or two and try what a few different tripods "feel" like.

Sometimes it's worth being old-fashioned, then you know you got something that will work for you.