Not going to trust Benros for a long time to come...

Yes, the lock failed. I forgot to post it in my first post, but after that incident a few members of the society went to keep the tripod and found one leg to give way under hand-pressure. It was the upper lock. It was never tampered with, and adequate care was used to make sure everything was tight. It's an older C-128 model without G locks.

Headshotzx wrote in post #10581336
Yes, the lock failed. I forgot to post it in my first post, but after that incident a few members of the society went to keep the tripod and found one leg to give way under hand-pressure. It was the upper lock. It was never tampered with, and adequate care was used to make sure everything was tight. It's an older C-128 model without G locks.

I use a Gitzo with 100% confidence but out of habit once I secure my camera and lens to the tripod i press down on the rig with some force just to make sure all the legs are locked.

That's a good idea...

I use a Manfrotto tripod and monopod with the snap leg locks. I chose them based on a similar problem to the one Zexun has just experienced.

In my case it was with a very old cheapy Velbon tripod with twist locks, but it was traumatic and I have been anti twist lock ever since. They seem over complicated and I am a great believer in good design equals simple design. I've seen "exploded diagrams" of a few twist locks and they rely on too many different bits and pieces working perfectly together. It's my experience that the more complicated something is, the more chance there is of something going wrong.

I went the opposite way because:

• nothing gets snagged by a twist lock (cable remote, camera strap, etc.);
  
• lever locks invariably tend to "bite" my fingers when I close them;
  
• lever locks are bulkier;
  
• I can open/close all locks on a collapsed leg with just one twist;
  
• lever locks are noisy when opening/closing them.
  

rvdw98 wrote in post #10583579
I went the opposite way because:

• nothing gets snagged by a twist lock (cable remote, camera strap, etc.);
  
• lever locks invariably tend to "bite" my fingers when I close them;
  
• lever locks are bulkier;
  
• I can open/close all locks on a collapsed leg with just one twist;
  
• lever locks are noisy when opening/closing them.
  

+1. I've had both Manfrotto and Gitzo, and you're right.

J.

rvdw98 wrote in post #10583579
I went the opposite way because:

• nothing gets snagged by a twist lock (cable remote, camera strap, etc.);
  
• lever locks invariably tend to "bite" my fingers when I close them;
  
• lever locks are bulkier;
  
• I can open/close all locks on a collapsed leg with just one twist;
  
• lever locks are noisy when opening/closing them.

Totally agree as well. My Gitzo 2540 has three locks on each leg...very easy to wrap one's fist around all locks at the same time, give a 1/4-turn twist, and extend. Very easy, and I can literally set up the tripod in about 10-seconds (true...my wife timed it).

^ I'm the same way but went with a 3 section/2 lock set to cut it down even more.

Anyway, is your gear insured at least? Any idea on user error? I've had my tripod (a gitzo) do exactly that before (but I caught it) because I didn't get a lock tight in a rush... I'd bet it's user error, but there's always a chance it's the legs.

Bummer.

argyle wrote in post #10584238
Totally agree as well. My Gitzo 2540 has three locks on each leg...very easy to wrap one's fist around all locks at the same time, give a 1/4-turn twist, and extend. Very easy, and I can literally set up the tripod in about 10-seconds (true...my wife timed it).

I guess my use of a tripod is different than others...I don't feel the need to setup in 10-seconds as being manditory. I shoot landscapes and seem to always have a lot of time, quite often waiting for the right light to appear. I guess there are situations where you need to setup quickly...but in those cases, I usually already have the tripod extended and carrying it on my shoulder.

When I was shopping for a tripod, I seriously considered a Benro.

However, at that time there had been several reports on various forums of the tripod screw on Benro heads (I don't know which head) shearing off when a camera (again, I don't know the weight of the camera or the circumstances of the accident) was carried attached to the tripod.

Since I often carry my camera in this manner, I decided not to purchase a Benro.

This suggestion is "Locking the barn door after the horse is gone." but, I ALWAYS shoot using a lens hood - it doesn't matter if I am shooting outdoors or indoors. The hood will often mean the difference between a terrible accident and just a big scare. I have arthritic hands and dropped my 30D camera, as I was securing it to the tripod. The camera was equipped with a 24-70mm f/2.8L which was wearing a lens hood. The hood hit concrete but the lens was not damaged.

Hogloff,

I agree with you. Setting up a tripod is not a race, it should be done in a very contemplative frame of mind, the fact that everything is slowed down is why a high proportion of my best images where made using a tripod. It encourages me to think about the shot more, examine the scene more carefully, shuffle it about and think about exposure rather more carefully as well.

The fact that you can setup your tripod in seconds does not imply that you must do it that quickly, or that you are somehow rushing through your creative process. You could even argue that fiddling with your gear actually interrupts that contemplative frame of mind.

Apart from that, tripods are not used for landscape photography exclusively. Other applications may necessitate a faster setup time.

For me personally, twist locks are more about convenience than speed though.

rvdw98 wrote in post #10583579
I went the opposite way because:

• nothing gets snagged by a twist lock (cable remote, camera strap, etc.);
  
• lever locks invariably tend to "bite" my fingers when I close them;
  
• lever locks are bulkier;
  
• I can open/close all locks on a collapsed leg with just one twist;
  
• lever locks are noisy when opening/closing them.
  

Me too.
Richard

I actually like the "snap" as they open or close. It's proof that they are fully engaged. Bulkier, yes I cannot argue with that, but how you manage to get fingers and cable releases tangled I have no idea!

I have a Benro c/f tripod and have noticed one section will retract every now and then. I am going to mark the section that collapses next time. I don't know if it's an error on my part or the tripod. One reason I don't like the twist legs is because unlike snap locks you can't tell when twist locks are tight or not. But, I still am very happy with the tripod

The situation from the OP is very unfortunate. Even when on the tripod, I have a safety strap from my Cotton Carrier that is attached to me just in case....