Hi, I will be getting a new tripod (I posted another topic about that). I have a few specific questions regarding reliability and spare parts availability though.
I'm deciding between Benro Travel Angel , Sirui R2204X or N1004X. Sirui offer 6 year warranty and seem to have a stable product line that isn't changed very often, unlike Benro, who are constantly introducing new models. I live in Wurope, so I guess Manfrotto spares will be easiest to find in the future.
I noticed some Sirui tripods that had twist locks had problems opening and closing the legs. It turns out, that some clients who were testing them in store had unscrewed the legs and the teflon parts inside got displaced and smashed. The sales person said, that the teflon parts are easy to order and relatively inexpensive, but the warranty doesn't cover them. I guess benro twist lock legs would be the same. I have been told to get flip lock tripod, but It seems they can break too over use and the legs are not protected form sand and dirt too.
Have you tried out the models in the store and if so do you have a preference for use?
I'm not that familiar with Sirui tripods but I can tell you that the Benro twist locks are sand and dust resistant. I've used my Benro travel tripod on a number of beaches and so far no issues with sand.
Twist locks are said to be better in the stability department than flip locks. Any tripod you get, it's a good idea to look after its mechanics by removing dirt and dust after use and occasional judicious lubing. They're not complicated products and a bit of care and attention will prolong their useful life.
I'm not used a Benro but greatly prefer the Sirui twist locks over my two Gitzo tripods: smoother, easier to grip and a lot more gentle on hands. My Gitzo 'pods are real finger burners.
Thanks Peter. What about theirball heads - any issues with them?
I hope someone says something about Sirui. I tested both in store and sirui are much lighter and seem at leas if not more sturdy. The leg sections are overlapped very tightly so when you retract them the air cones out with a hiss - that's good. I am concerned about overall durability though. Some demo units in the store had the legs stuck due to being unscrewed by clients and put together in the wrong way.
Sirui are a bitnore expensive than Benro buttheyhavesome advantage in ease of use and weight to height ratio.
I have a Sirui K-20X ball head (38mm) and it's very smooth, locks tight and is well made. The clamp is okay but the jaw knob is on the small size. I wouldn't mind upgrading the clamp to a model with a larger knob or lever. The included plate is terrible and you'll want to get one that is sized and fitted for your camera.
Sirui are a little more expensive and 'up-market' even here in the land of their birth, and pricing tends to be ultra-competitive over here
I've had a Benro tripod (small), a couple of their smaller ballheads, and am currently using a Benro CF monopod that is often slung over my shoulder and always has 6.5kgs hanging off it. I've never had any problem with the top mounting plate or the twist locks, both have been sturdy and reliable. The only issue has been losing the screw-in feet - probably I didn't tighten them enough so my own fault.
For my main tripod I now use a Manfrotto and love it. It's light but very strong and stable. I've also got a Manfrotto ballhead (which I love) and also a Manfrotto geared head. I really do like their gear, it's feels and looks quality from the moment you unpack it through years of use.
TBH I don't think you can go wrong with either tripods or ballheads from any of those brands and I wouldn't worry too much about parts as I seriously doubt you'll ever need to replace anything (apart from the feet if you forget to tighten them) !
sasho_p wrote:
Thanks Peter. What about their ballheads - any issues with them?
I think there are better ballheads. Sirui in particular, but I've only seen the K-20X, 30X and 40X models. I wouldn't generalize to the rest of their range having only seen those three. I don't know if those designs are available in Bulgaria or not.
Sounds as if you like the Sirui tripods. You should try out their heads if you can.
I've got a Benro C-358 that's been superb over the years. Butter smooth
and fast twist locks, no issues. You might look into PhotoClam ballheads
if they're available, I can highly recommend them as well.
Well I could get most brands available worldwide, but I would be ordering from the UK, which may prove a little troublesome should I decide to return them. It also means I won't be able to try them in person. A friend of mine showed me two of his Gitzo heads - one ball head and one pan head and honestly I wasn't blown away by them. He got them from some corner shop in London for quite a bargain price. They are very durable though, as he puts them through a lot of beating. I liked his manfrotto MG460 Three way head more than the Gitzo's for some reason.
I will be able to test the G30-x Sirui head in a few days along with the N2004x. What bothers me the most is that none of these tripods has a built in bubble level, which for panoramic shots is a really useful feature that cannot be replaced by a hotshoe bubble level.
Induro travel tripods seem to have one and they are basically a Benro brand.
BTW these screw legs are available as spares I think.
The Sirui K series ball heads have bubble levels. My K-20X has a larger one on the clamp edge and a small one facing upwards. I can see the edge bubble if I peek under the camera but the upwards bubble is completely covered once the camera is mounted.
sasho_p wrote:
I hope someone says something about Sirui.
I have the Sirui T2204X legs and K20X ballhead as my travel tripod. The combo is compact (about 41cm folded) and light (1.5kg total), while being substantial (the largest leg diameter is 28mm, smallest is 19mm).
I find the legs to be stable and smooth in operation, and of comparable quality to my Manfrotto 055cxpro3 legs. I have had no problems with durability in the 2 years that I have owned the tripod, but I am not particularly hard on my tripods.
The ballhead is, I think, a bargain for the price. It is smooth and solid with my heaviest combo (6D and 70-200 f2.8). It is not quite as good as my Markins, but a lot cheaper.
Gochugogi wrote:
The Sirui K series ball heads have bubble levels. My K-20X has a larger one on the clamp edge and a small one facing upwards. I can see the edge bubble if I peek under the camera but the upwards bubble is completely covered once the camera is mounted.
A lot of the ballheads have bubble levels but it seems the OP also wants one on the tripod for some reason.
If you level the tripod, then it's easier to make flat pans. A level on the clamp is less help, if at all when trying to pan but is OK, if you can see it, when setting up a static shot.
Craig Gillette wrote:
If you level the tripod, then it's easier to make flat pans. A level on the clamp is less help, if at all when trying to pan but is OK, if you can see it, when setting up a static shot.
Indeed! There are very few travel tripods that have this feature. There are metal plates with bubble level that can be pinched between the head and base and they are cheap, but it's not very elegant solution. The best is integrated bubble level and if greater accuracy is needed - a separate leveling head. Acratech offer the ability to reverse mount the head and get the panning base on top, but it seems they are too expensive in Europe.
Craig Gillette wrote:
If you level the tripod, then it's easier to make flat pans. A level on the clamp is less help, if at all when trying to pan but is OK, if you can see it, when setting up a static shot.
My point is it makes no difference if the spirit level is on the tripod or ballhead, you can level the tripod with either. You then make the pano adjustments to the ballhead on one axis only of course so this won't affect the level. The biggest issue is parallax but that's beyond the scope of most panos.
The Chinese leveller I have is made by Letu Photo, a dumbed down version (though still has 3 mini spirit levels) of the Novaflex Panorama Q or RRS version (ca. US$250 - $700), there is also a Benro version (US$250) and one from Sunwayfoto (US$). It cost me about US$30 and that included an L plate and a QR plate ! It does the job.
Thanks. I tested a Sirui N2004 with the K30-X ballhead. The tripod had some issues with extending and retracting the legs and I noticed that in many sirui models. The sales person said that the issue was caused by clients who had unscrewed the legs and then put them back together the wrong way. I liked the ball head but there were some things I didn't like - mostly the friction control is situated on the same knob as the ball lock knob and it does almost nothing - you can't easily get a position where you can rotate the ball head without the whole gear dropping down rapidly. There was some grease on the knobs too. Other than that I liked the head a lot - I found it superior to the benro ball heads.
I am currently in a pickle as I don't really know what I want any more, but that's my problem.
I think I need two different tripods - travel and big and it seems that there isn't one that fits both criteria.
For a compromise my setup handles large tele birding lenses (with a 1.5kgs gimbal on top too, total weight on the tripod of 6.5 kgs) and landscapes (using the ballhead or a geared head), and I think you could do much worse than consider them, is the Manfrotto Tripod (055CXPRO4 - or PRO3 if you prefer 3 sections to 4) which weighs in at 1.7kgs and the ballhead (633g without the QR plate), Manfrotto MH054M0-Q5 (3 spirit levels, separate friction control and curved levers contoured to suit fingers & thumbs).
The tripod folds up small too for my birding trips.
sasho_p wrote:
I think I need two different tripods - travel and big and it seems that there isn't one that fits both criteria.
Regrettably this is correct. I use three tripods: One for regular use, one for travel and one with an articulating center column that's only used indoors.
Frogfish wrote:
For a compromise my setup handles large tele birding lenses (with a 1.5kgs gimbal on top too, total weight on the tripod of 6.5 kgs) and landscapes (using the ballhead or a geared head), and I think you could do much worse than consider them, is the Manfrotto Tripod (055CXPRO4 - or PRO3 if you prefer 3 sections to 4) which weighs in at 1.7kgs and the ballhead (633g without the QR plate), Manfrotto MH054M0-Q5 (3 spirit levels, separate friction control and curved levers contoured to suit fingers & thumbs).
The tripod folds up small too for my birding trips.
I'm not into birding and generally don't use telephoto lens that much. Maybe I'd get a 70-200 or a 200 2.8 some day, but it may take long for this to happen.
I was looking at the 190CXpro3 or 4 and the 190Xpro3 as a budget friendly soltion. Didn't consider manfrotto ball heads until now - I might take a look at the one you recommended.
