Review: Benro C2680T travel tripod

tishetsky,

Go to the Benro.com site for all of their specs on the different models of tripods. Like this one:
http://www.benro.com …x?cid=208&pid=2​13&nid=253

The specs shown are without ballhead. Holgacamera is probably combining both head and legs.

peter_n wrote in post #15237382
Good to hear. I'm now well into my 3rd year with this tripod so I think it's appropriate to report how I'm now using it and if it's holding up or not. Actually I think I've found the achilles heel of the tripod; the center column hook assembly. A few months ago I was still using the regular center column and after taking some pictures I collapsed the legs, loosened the center column lock and pulled the center column all the way up ready to fold the legs back over. Suddenly there was play in the center column and on inspection I found that the stop at the bottom of the column had pulled out from the column. So on-and-off I spent the next couple of weeks trying to fix it with various super glues, two of which are in the pic below.

The problem is that the Benro stop uses a very tightly fitted combination of rubber and metal for its rigidity. If you're pulling the center column up as hard as I do it's bound to give at some point. I ended up looking for an adhesive that would bond rubber and metal and found Loctite 495. You can't buy this stuff in hardware stores and I had to get it online, and it comes with a frightening list of cautions as to its use - I was almost too scared to use the bloody stuff! It's supposed to be the Superest of Super glues. Anyway long story short I applied it and it didn't work. Useless. As you can see I roughened the bolt and basically did everything I could to get a bond but nothing worked.

Finally I figured that the Benro is a Gitzo clone so maybe the Gitzo stop is all-metal. I bought the G2020 hook assembly from Adorama and much to my relief the stop is all-metal and it fits perfectly. Problem solved.

Just so that you Benro C2680T owners know...

My use of the tripod has evolved over the last few months. This is partly the result of taking my Gitzo 3541LS on a trip with my DSLR and a big zoom lens. I wasn't happy, particularly with the heavy camera gear. So I sold off the Fuji S5 and all my Nikon lenses and bought a Sony NEX-7 which is closer in size to my usual Leica rangefinder gear. I also finally bought a small backpack that's perfect for the NEX and four Leica primes and I can carry my Rolleiflex in there as well.

Once I got the backpack I replaced the regular center column with the short column so that the tripod straps easily to the backpack, see above. The pic below shows my new camera with a Leica 90mm Summicron lens on the Benro with short column.

I've had the short column on the tripod for several months now and I really like it. The short column isn't a handicap especially with the NEX as the camera has a back LCD panel that cantilevers up. Looking through the VF is easy too. I don't see myself going back to the regular column as this rig works really well for me. No more folding the legs back over the ballhead either...

Until a short time ago I'd never sold any of the tripods I've bought and had a ridiculous number of tripods, 5 in all. But earlier in the year I sold my old aluminum Slik S502, the Gitzo 1228 and Gitzo 1541T and was left with two, a Gitzo 3541LS systematic and the Benro traveler. I must confess that I've been thinking about selling both and buying a middling tripod like the RRS TVC-24. But I looked at the specs and the RRS just doesn't hack it for traveling. Neither does the new(ish) Gitzo series 2 systematic. I also looked at the RRS TQC-14 but then a quick comparison of the size specs with the Benro put that one to bed:

RRS TQC-14
Maximum Height: 59.0" (150cm)
Maximum Height w/o Column Extended: 48.0" (122cm)
Folded length: 17.8" (45cm)

Benro C2680T
Maximum Height: 61.8" (157cm)
Maximum Height w/o Column Extended: 51.6" (131cm)
Folded length: 17.7" (45cm)

So for now I'm staying with what I've got and apart from breaking the center column hook assembly I've had absolutely no problems with my Benro C2680T. I'm in Newport, RI for the long weekend and going out with it right now to see if I can catch a sunset off one of the wharfs.

Peter,

Are you using PhotoClam pc-30n head? Do you still recommend this setup? Thanks!

volandos wrote in post #16238063
Peter, Are you using PhotoClam pc-30n head? Do you still recommend this setup? Thanks!

I've used a Photo Clam PC-33NS on the tripod and thought that it was a good ballhead but a smidgin behind the Markins Q3T in quality. I no longer use the Markins as I experienced binding with an end-heavy zoom lens and then it locked up in severe cold in the winter. I replaced the Markins with an Acratech Ultimate and have not experienced any problems with that ballhead.

To those of you using the c2680t, can you tell me the overall height of the tripod and head when the legs are just folded down (as opposed to sliding the column up and folding the legs 180°).
I'm looking for a tripod to use for street shooting and want to be able to carry it inside my fstop loka backpack (I'll turn a small icu 90° so that I can use the full depth of the bag).

I think that unfolding the legs and lowering the column every time I pull it out will lose it's appeal very quickly, so I just want to use it as a 'normal' tripod. Alternately, will the legs fold 180° with a short column/small head on the tripod?

Thanks in advance,

Douglas

This is how I use mine, see the middle pic in post #242 above. I use an Acratech Ultimate head on a short center column - haven't used the regular column in a couple years. The total height is 23.5" with the Acratech. Many people use the slightly smaller Markins Q3T on this tripod and the total height there is 22.75".

Thanks Peter. I think I'm going to have to look again at my options - folded height vs. stability. I had hoped to have something around the 52cm mark. the rrs tqc-14 does this, but at a cost I could go with the feisol 3441s and just avoid using the telescopic column.

Question about this thread.

I am 6' Tall and look at the C2682TB1 and putting a Markins Q3T on top of it.
I have a 6D and use my 70-200 MKII a fair amount. Worried about the stability of the tripod and the markins Q3T with that kind of weight on it as it says small DSLR. Any suggestions for other type of heads would be great.

Also planning to use with this Plate http://fpgear.com/ I have this plate for use with my BR sport

Thanks for the help.

I think the C2682T tripod is marginal for a person of your height. Feisol tripods are popular with taller people, but I understand that they get the higher max height spec by reducing the angle of the legs which may have an effect in some conditions.

Having said that, a C2682T and Markins Q3T would have no trouble with the weight of your rig. However the Q3T might have problems with that lens. I no longer use a Q3T (I've had three of them) as discussed in post #243 above. I'm currently using Acratech ballheads which are basically maintenance free.

I'm not a fan of the Benro "transfunctional" tripods. If you want to get a good Benro traveler get the C2680T which is just a straightforward tripod with no dodgy gimmicks.

peter_n wrote in post #16919468
I think the C2682T tripod is marginal for a person of your height. Feisol tripods are popular with taller people, but I understand that they get the higher max height spec by reducing the angle of the legs which may have an effect in some conditions.

Having said that, a C2682T and Markins Q3T would have no trouble with the weight of your rig. However the Q3T might have problems with that lens. I no longer use a Q3T (I've had three of them) as discussed in post #243 above. I'm currently using Acratech ballheads which are basically maintenance free.

I'm not a fan of the Benro "transfunctional" tripods. If you want to get a good Benro traveler get the C2680T which is just a straightforward tripod with no dodgy gimmicks.

Thanks for the tips peter.

Did you sell your Benro or still using it?

Also what problem with the Q3T have with that lens?

Peter, what's the part number for the Benro short column? And source?

freitz wrote in post #16919501
Did you sell your Benro or still using it?

Also what problem with the Q3T have with that lens?

I'm now in my 4th year of use of the C2680T and it's still working fine, just used it this morning actually. At the time I bought the Benro I was using a Gitzo 1541T traveler, kept them both for about a year then sold the Gitzo because the Benro is a better tripod. The better Benros are Gitzo copies and some of the parts are interchangeable.

I've had two problems with my Q3T heads: When using a Nikkor 17-55/2.8 on a Fuji S5 body the ballhead binds at angles around 25-30° from the horizontal. I've owned three Q3T ballheads and they have all done this. So if you use a lens with a particularly large lump of glass at the end I'd urge caution WRT this ballhead. Second, it locks up in cold weather. Last year we had some fairly cold weather here in New England: 1°F (-17°C) and the Q3T got cold and was locked solid. After it warmed up a bit it was binding and I took it off the tripod and replaced it with another. Later I cleaned and polished the ball and it was fine. This winter we had some seriously cold weather but the Acratechs I now use had no problems at all.

v35skyline wrote in post #16920836
Peter, what's the part number for the Benro short column? And source?

Well you have your choice of carbon fiber or aluminum:

CF: Benro ELC2 or Induro ELC2.

AL: Benro ELA2 or Induro ELA2.

freitz wrote in post #16919501
Did you sell your Benro or still using it?

This is from a post from way back - May 21, 2014 when the thread was dying and finally the answer is yes. I sold it in January 2019. I had bought a Leofoto LS-284C which is just a more stable tripod. I got about 8 terrific years out of my C2680T but I'm not sentimental about my tools. After about a six month overlap which included winter use I sold the Benro. The buyer was happy as it was still in great shape. It was just overtaken in function, weight, folded size and quality of the hardware and carbon fiber by the Leofoto which is above the Benro in the pic below.