I have a fairly new (4 months or so) Benro A2970T tripod (same as the A2970F, but with twist locks instead of flip locks) that has a problem I've never had with my previous, 10 dollar tripod.
Two of the legs have their lowest (third) section fall out. That is, the twist lock is actually twisted all the way to the right and feels sturdy, but it doesn't hold the third-section legs at all. If, however, I extend that third section all the way down, it does lock, but with a bit of force you can push it back into the second section, so it's not a proper lock.
I tried switching between all the three legs and it didn't change a thing - so it's always that one single "main leg" (with the 3 sections) that is able to hold any of the 3 third-section legs. I hope that makes sense. What I'm saying is that it's not the actual third-section legs but the ones above them (second-section legs) and their locks that don't work well.
Anyway, I'd appreciate info on how to fix this. It was purchased from China through eBay and it's a big tripod, so I guess a return is out of the question (also, I really liked this tripod when it worked).
Their "Contact Us" form on their website doesn't work. When I press Submit, it says the site is under maintenance. Anyway, this problem probably isn't exclusive to Benro tripods, but then again, not many replies so far.
Can you twist the 'lock' off so it slides down the shaft. Theres probably a piece of friction material inside that has worn too thin to hold the leg firmly. I can remember having to replace the inner material on a very old tripod years ago
There's a white piece of plastic inside, that's it. I don't think it worn off as the tripod is practically new. However, I will try exchanging that piece of plastic between the legs to see if it makes a difference, so thanks for pointing this out.
EDIT:
YESH! The white plastic was fine on all 3 legs. It may seem stupid, but the problem was simple: I twisted the locks like 95% of the way, and it requires to be twisted more like 100% - that is, you gotta twist the lock with a decent amount of force, until you can't twist it even a tiny bit more. Kinda weird and unprofessional-feeling, but at least it works.
