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Archive 2009 · Benro sidekick?

  
 
Juhani Piekkal
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p.1 #1 · p.1 #1 · Benro sidekick?


Is there any comparisions between Benro and Winberley sidekicks?


Dec 19, 2009 at 09:41 AM
Mike K
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p.1 #2 · p.1 #2 · Benro sidekick?


I didn't see any Benro products on their website that looked remotely like a sidekick. Did you mean Jobu (they don't have a sidekick either) or some other manufacture?
Mike K



Dec 19, 2009 at 02:55 PM
Chris Moy
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p.1 #3 · p.1 #3 · Benro sidekick?


Found this...

http://www.benro.cn/EnSite/EnProduct.aspx?id=147&SerName=GH+Series+Gimbal+head

BTW I have no experience with any type of sidekick/gimbal head.

Chris



Dec 19, 2009 at 03:55 PM
Lars Johnsson
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p.1 #4 · p.1 #4 · Benro sidekick?


I was reading a test of the 3 different Benro Gimbal heads in a Swedish photo magazin last month. Maybe you can read Swedish when you are from Finland. It was the Proffsfoto number 2 magazin.
This is their internet site http://capdesign.idg.se/2.2563



Dec 19, 2009 at 04:54 PM
Mike K
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p.1 #5 · p.1 #5 · Benro sidekick?


Cool, it looks like Wimberley will get a bit more competition. Clearly they are not importing them to many countries yet. I like Benro tripods, good price, but they are a bit heavier.
Mike K



Dec 20, 2009 at 12:04 AM
sjms
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p.1 #6 · p.1 #6 · Benro sidekick?


its all in the content of the product you build


Dec 20, 2009 at 02:46 AM
dcains
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p.1 #7 · p.1 #7 · Benro sidekick?


Lars Johnsson wrote:
I was reading a test of the 3 different Benro Gimbal heads in a Swedish photo magazin last month. Maybe you can read Swedish when you are from Finland. It was the Proffsfoto number 2 magazin.
This is their internet site http://capdesign.idg.se/2.2563


You can't give us a hint? Not that I likely need one when it comes to Benro products.



Dec 20, 2009 at 03:26 AM
Lars Johnsson
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p.1 #8 · p.1 #8 · Benro sidekick?


dcains wrote:
You can't give us a hint? Not that I likely need one when it comes to Benro products.


They got a rather good or descent review in the magazin. And they wrote that they worked like they where supposed to do, like other Gimbal heads. But they also finished the review by writing. We don't know how they will last or work over a longer time. Because we only tested them for one day



Dec 20, 2009 at 04:00 AM
Mike K
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p.1 #9 · p.1 #9 · Benro sidekick?


I found another Wimberley gimbal knock off from Photoclam, also a Korean company.

http://www.tripodballhead.com/2009/03/orion-tilt-head.html

link to another thread on the Arca Cube
Mike K



Dec 20, 2009 at 10:40 AM
Smiert Spionam
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p.1 #10 · p.1 #10 · Benro sidekick?


I'd be curious about how they look inside. The internals of Benro Arca-style ballheads are notoriously shoddy, and don't hold up well over time (cheap metal bearing surfaces that get pitted and grooved with repeated use). If they've improved things, they would do well to promote that fact, though to do so would be to admit how badly they were made originally.


Dec 20, 2009 at 11:20 AM
justruss
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p.1 #11 · p.1 #11 · Benro sidekick?


Smiert Spionam wrote:
I'd be curious about how they look inside. The internals of Benro Arca-style ballheads are notoriously shoddy, and don't hold up well over time (cheap metal bearing surfaces that get pitted and grooved with repeated use). If they've improved things, they would do well to promote that fact, though to do so would be to admit how badly they were made originally.


My guess is that they won't go out of their way to promote "we've changed" because: i) as you mentioned, companies don't like to admit to mistakes, ii) a quick scan of the Web indicates that the majority of people who buy the majority of Benro products are thrilled with their performance and value, and finally iii) aside from a few products (those ballheads in particular) people who have been using benro products for the past few years have anecdotally indicated that they're holding up very well (let me add my piece to that: not a year old yet, but my benro tripod has been in sand, fresh and salt-water, used across Southeast Asia, crashed inside my bag going really fast down a mountain in the Bavarian alps in the snow and ice-- that just happened a few hours ago), and served me very well for professional editorial assignments.




Dec 20, 2009 at 01:19 PM
dolina
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p.1 #12 · p.1 #12 · Benro sidekick?


A months ago I was looking for an inexpensive arc-swiss type camera plate for the Arca-Swiss Z1 monoball so I brought my Wimberley WH-200 gimbal with me for testing. I found one for $15 and also noticed this Benro GH-2 gimbal in the store. So naturally I asked permission to take some iPhone shots comparing one with the other.

Guess which one is the Benro and the Wimberley.

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2616/4200084471_331e7c5575.jpg



Dec 20, 2009 at 01:25 PM
jhom
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p.1 #13 · p.1 #13 · Benro sidekick?


Wimberley = right


Dec 20, 2009 at 01:51 PM
dolina
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p.1 #14 · p.1 #14 · Benro sidekick?


^^^ good guess

which is which?

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4004/4200839862_75c2423afa.jpg

I wasn't able to test the stability or ergonomics under load as neither the store or I had a long lens and proper tripod to test with.

The four knobs of the Benro only unscrewed a quarter of the way compared to the Wimberley. The metal work felt sturdy on the Benro but has a finish appropriate for the price. The Benro assembles the very same way the Wimberley does.



Dec 20, 2009 at 04:15 PM
Lars Johnsson
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p.1 #15 · p.1 #15 · Benro sidekick?


Wimberley below the Benro. The Wimberley quick release looks better


Dec 20, 2009 at 04:35 PM
Lars Johnsson
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p.1 #16 · p.1 #16 · Benro sidekick?


Benro has an office in Sweden now. And they also have a website and shop. Their price for this Gimbal head is $ 555.


Dec 20, 2009 at 04:51 PM
dolina
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p.1 #17 · p.1 #17 · Benro sidekick?


Good guess and the quick release is wider with the WImberley when untightend.

Lars how much is a Wimberley in Sweden?

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2788/4200839198_164f997973.jpg

The Wimberley costs $600 in the US vs the Benro that costs $300 in the Philippines.

A lot of companies make arca-swiss type lens plates to the point that Arca-Swiss (the company) puts a label on there Z1 monoball that warranty will not be honored with 3rd party plates used with their products. So Benro making arca-swiss plates may be unfairly looked at as a sin they're solely guilty off.

Though the store didn't have it the Benro China website describes 5 different lens plates that corresponds to the Wimberley one. Though the lengths are not an exact copy the width and height were. Adorama carries 4 of the 5 lens plates at nearly half the cost of Wimberley, RRS, Kirk, and other brands.



Dec 20, 2009 at 05:00 PM
Lars Johnsson
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p.1 #18 · p.1 #18 · Benro sidekick?


I don't know any shop in Sweden that sell the Wimberley head. I bought mine from the Netherlands (605 euro)


Dec 20, 2009 at 05:09 PM
dolina
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p.1 #19 · p.1 #19 · Benro sidekick?


Fair price considering duties/sales tax.

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2750/4200086239_173ce9b514_b.jpg

Now would I buy one? Being the cheapskate that I am I may have bought one but I already have a Wimberley which I love to bits.

But the same with Swedish reviewers I wondered how long the Benro gimbal will last as I've read a number of local user complaints about other non-gimbal Benro products malfunctioning. Granted the market Benro sells their product to is very fault tolerant but gimbals normally handle gear north of $3,000 which isn't exactly their core customers.



Dec 20, 2009 at 05:14 PM
jhom
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p.1 #20 · p.1 #20 · Benro sidekick?


Let's see here, Benro gimbal ...hmmmmm? Save $45 ....hmmmm? Benro high quality gear ...hummm? Benro, years of user experience ....hummm? Bend over to pickup smashed gear ....hummmm?


Dec 20, 2009 at 07:44 PM
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