Benro & Induro: Fact or Fiction?

[Mark-B]

I own a Benro tripod and I have been shopping for Induro tripods. While researching Induro, I found many posts on different forums stating that Induro products are manufactured by Benro and just branded with a different name.

When trying to find lower prices on Ebay, I noticed that Benro tripods are available from Chinese sellers at heavily discounted prices and Induro tripods are not.

MAC Group it the US distributor of Benro, Induro, and other popular brands of photography gear. I contacted them through their Twitter account and asked about the availability of Benro vs. Induro on EBay.

I was told that Benro & Induro are separate companies, Benro does not manufacture Induro, and the only thing they have in common is that they are distributed by the MAC Group.

Can anyone point me to some factual information showing that Benro and Induro products are manufactured by the same company?

[peter_n]

Good question. Benro is just a brand name but they were made by a company called Yilee. We loosely say that Induros are made by Benro but really they're both just brands made by a manufacturing company with a different name. Benro came first so maybe that's how the loose language got started.

Benro tripods were originally manufactured by a company called Yicheng Hardware, that company changed it's name to Yilee Precision Machinery in 2003. Here's the source for that info: About Benro. The company was renamed yet again in 2007 to Zhongshan Benro Precision Industrial.

A quick Google using the search string induro manufacturing plant? produced this text content from an Induro document:

"Induro is manufactured in a new, state-of-the-art facility by Yilee, Zhuhai, China. Yilee developed and pioneered their own brand under the Benro name, which has become the #1 best selling professional tripod in Asian markets. They have been awarded with the Best Brand, Highest Quality, Best Reputation and Photographer’s Choice Awards 2005 in China." Here's the link to the full document.

The Benro and Induro brands may be incorporated and so therefore are separate companies. I think Induro emerged around 2006 and so it's also entirely possible that the two tripod brands are manufactured in different factories. The About Benro link above shows a new factory built in 2006 in Zhongshan City and Yilee changed their name a year later to reflect their location and dominant brand name.

I guess it's murky, but here's one post that shows a connection in 2006 and here's another. Six years later maybe there's less of a connection but it wouldn't surprise me that the two brands are still manufactured by companies and/or factories that are related to each other. I think what you're hearing is tricky marketing-speak, Induro has the brand markup but really there's precious little difference apart from the design. Product differentiation maybe?

[irukandji112]

Induro is manufactured in China (http://www.luminous-landscape.com/re...ndiro413.shtml), I have a feeling probably by Benro, but I have no proof.
I have the AT313 and really like the tripod. It is affordable, sturdy, yes a little heavy for some but it doesn't bother me. The only complaint I have toward the tripod is a it doesn't come with the short column (which is completely subjective) though I purchased one anyways.

Best of luck

[Mark-B]

Great information, Peter. Thanks.

[silvrg35]

I have lost a Benro ballhead knob and MAC Group sent me an Induro knob that is identical.

[Mark-B]

Originally Posted by silvrg35

I have lost a Benro ballhead knob and MAC Group sent me an Induro knob that is identical.

Was it an older ball head? I saw this post on Goolge+ where the person got ball heads with no brand name on them, but they came in an Induro box. These ball heads look exactly like my Benro ball head, but they do not look like the current generation of Induro ball heads.

https://plus.google.com/109621131238...ts/gyVPd74N9Sw

[silvrg35]

Originally Posted by Mark-B

Was it an older ball head? I saw this post on Goolge+ where the person got ball heads with no brand name on them, but they came in an Induro box. These ball heads look exactly like my Benro ball head, but they do not look like the current generation of Induro ball heads.

https://plus.google.com/109621131238...ts/gyVPd74N9Sw

Not sure if it is the current ballhead, but it's the Benro B1.

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/produc..._Ballhead.html

[MajesticMomentsPhoto]

They are made by the same plant in China. The parts are identical, for example my Induro ct414 uses a benro ecl4 short column which is identical and same part number as the induro.

Induro is the brand marketed in the us, benro overseas.

[Mark-B]

Originally Posted by MajesticMomentsPhoto

They are made by the same plant in China. The parts are identical, for example my Induro ct414 uses a benro ecl4 short column whichis identical and same part number as the induro.

Induro is the brand marketed in the us, benro overseas.

Yes, I followed the articles linked by Peter and saw this was the case. I also bought an Induro with the optional short center column. The Induro has the identical "Made in China" sticker on the leg as my Benro, and the short center column is identical to my Benro.

The spider, center column lock, and leg locks are different (improved?). There is foam on all three legs instead of just one.

Last word from the MAC Group was "Induro gear is designed and engineered in the US. Worldwide distribution by MAC Group". During all the messages we exchanged on Twitter, they never would come out and say that the tripods were manufactured in China. They definitely want to give the impression that these are US products.

I also bought one of the Induro BHL low profile ball heads. This seems to be an excellent product so far. It is styled similarly to the RRS BH-55 and there are no comparable head manufactured under the Benro brand.

[Wilt]

It is quite common that a company makes products for a second company, where the products are specified by that second company and marketed by that second company under their brand name. Meanwhile the first company specifies and markets goods under their own brand name as well. Some notable examples:

• Kenwood appliances made to Sears specifications by the Maytag company
• Caltar lenses made for Calumet by the Rodenstock company and by the Schneider company

So for Benro and Induro to both be made by the same manufacturer, with largely the same parts, with two different brand names is not at all unprecedented.