benbo?

[momoe]

anybody use these? I'm looking at the trekker. can get a kit for under $200 any thoughts?

[oRGie]

I've had one for many years now, but I also have a manfrotto 055. The benbo just gets used for flash stand duties now, but I would also use it if I was planning on setting up in water as the lower leg goes outside the upper.

[hania]

anybody use these? I'm looking at the trekker. can get a kit for under $200 any thoughts?

got it; love it as I find the manfrotto I have too heavy. It also packs down small enough to fit in a suitcase.

Wish I had got the one with the quick adjustment catches (mine has the twisting catches )but they didn't have that model then.

[momoe]

got it; love it as I find the manfrotto I have too heavy. It also packs down small enough to fit in a suitcase.

Wish I had got the one with the quick adjustment catches (mine has the twisting catches )but they didn't have that model then.

What model do you have?

[Lester Wareham]

I have one that is about 25+ years old, unfortunately the "feet" have recently split so the legs are no longer water tight.

They are difficult to handle (like a drunken set of bagpipes) but very flexible.

Because they are metal I found vibrations tend to be slow to damp compared to modern carbon fibre pods.

[hania]

What model do you have?

Travel Angel Kit C-269M8/B-1/PU-50

b-1 is the head

pu-50 the quick release plate

[yogestee]

I still have a Benbo with Manfotto head from over 20 years ago.. It's the big jobby I used to use when shooting medium format.. It's definitely not a tripod to take hiking..

A college mentioned once it's big and sturdy enough to mount a ship's crows nest;);)

[yogestee]

They are difficult to handle (like a drunken set of bagpipes) but very flexible.


I heard someting similar.. Like out of control bagpipes!!

[Lester Wareham]

I still have a Benbo with Manfotto head from over 20 years ago.. It's the big jobby I used to use when shooting medium format.. It's definitely not a tripod to take hiking..

A college mentioned once it's big and sturdy enough to mount a ship's crows nest;);)

Believe it or not I used to do 12 mile walks with mine, easy terrain, though - I was a lot younger then :rolleyes:

[jr_senator]

They are difficult to handle (like a drunken set of bagpipes)...
That's why I don't use mine. I don't have a need for it's unique features, but I can see how some would.

[hania]

One good thing about the benbo - if you align the central column parallel to one of the legs and use a ball head you can get the tripod right down to ground level!

I have the carbon -fibre one - don't find it flexes at all (5d + 100-400 combo) and is very light.

The one I have will take up to 12lbs I think.

[momoe]

I mentioned it in another thread but what about the vanguard Alta pro? It looks like the benbo but a fraction of the weight and says it's easy to change positions of the camera. Any thougts?

[mattia]

Travel Angel Kit C-269M8/B-1/PU-50

b-1 is the head

pu-50 the quick release plate

That would be a Benro. Benbo is a different brand.

[Lester Wareham]

One good thing about the benbo - if you align the central column parallel to one of the legs and use a ball head you can get the tripod right down to ground level!

I have the carbon -fibre one - don't find it flexes at all (5d + 100-400 combo) and is very light.

The one I have will take up to 12lbs I think.

They make carbon fibre ones now?

The website says tubular aluminium....
http://www.patersonphotographic.com/benbo-tripods.htm

[HoosierJoe]

I bought a Benbo Standard #1 a little over a week ago. About $80 lightly used. The camera store selling it did'nt know what they had. They called it a benbo trekker mk1. It was missing a knob and a rubber foot. It cost me $5 from Lowes hardware to put a knob and generic furniture feet on it. Sooner or later I will order the real thing from the manufactuer.

Not a trekker, but its solid as a rock. I put a manfrotto head on it and the setup is very versatile. Got the camera one inch from the ground just for the heck of it and took some pics. It was a little difficult to get my 51 year old body down there but the setup never budged.