Against my better judgement I purchased a couple of Benro Carbon fiber tripods and Ball heads, what a joke.
These tripods are Direct Gitzo knockoofs, they look very similar but believe me the materiials that these products are made out of are not the same.
I have had constant issues with both of these tripods, the locks that you pull out to change the angle of the legs, have broken off, they are made out of pot metal so as soon as you put a little weight on the legs while extended snap the pull outs breakoff.
When you pull the legs out to adjust the length they are supposed to lock and not turn when you tighten them that does not work,both the KS1 and KS2 ball heads have locked up after a couple of months of use.
These products are made from cheap materials, I could go on and on about the problems I have with these tripods, the Carbon fiber legs are quality, however all of the components that hold everythnig together is cheap, BEWARE.
I use a Benro A-328 tripod - the aluminium one, plus a KB-2 ball head, and to me it is very rugged. I have inadvertently applied much too much pressure to the legs and they have held up perfectly, including the locks.
Maybe the Carbon ones aren't as good, because I find this very sturdy and a pleasure to use. There is absolutely zero leg creep when tightened, and I don't mean over tightened, I mean just tightened.
I am sorry yours was soo terrible, it is a total bummer, but I must offer my opinion as my tripod has held up very well in the last year.
John Hanon wrote:
I am very happy with my benro c-296 tripod, but I had 2 poor experiences with their ballhead and switched to RRS.
Sorry for your bad experience, but benro legs are not as bad as many would like us to believe.
Beware, when you open the legs at a wider angle by pulling out the cams to adjust the angle, DONOT put any downward pressure on the legs, the cams will break right down the middle, they are made out of cast pot metal and cannot support any downward pressure, two of mine snapped off.
I'm having a machine shop custom make new cams for my C358N6 legs out of aircraft grade aluminum, that should fix that problem. Oh and the black anodize is peeling off all of the hardware.
I'm interested if your experience is similar to this and if you would agree with this teardown.
J
The Products Benro produces are Junk Period, the materials they use are inferior.
I will say this the carbon fiber legs of their tripods are up to snuff, unfortunately all the hardware that holds everything together is Junk pot metal, the meterial is porus and brittle, it breaks very easily.
I'm surprised as hell that B&H would sell this stuff, I'm betting it won't be long before they are going to have a lot of complaints and Warranty issues.
I am in no way affiliated with any of the companies that these knockoofs represent, I work hard for my money, I just don't want to see anyone else get burnt by the crap that Benro manufactures.
I have had a Benro CF tripod and one of their ballheads for the last 1 1/2 years and have never had a problem with either. Both have worked very well so for me they are not "junk."
I own a Benro Carbon tripod (don't knwo which one) and it is very lightweight and very stabile. Only issue is the locking mechanism which is not as good as Gitzo's original one I know from an old aluminium Gitzo.
But: 80 percent of the Gitzo quality for half the price ...
One of my local retailers sells the Benro and Induro lines of tripods and heads right along with the Gitzos. The bottom line is there is more profit in selling them which incourages the dealers to push them because accessories are where they make their money.
Now when it comes to the pro shooters they will not even try to sell them on these lines but for the everyday customer that really requires a lightweight solution to hold their XTI w/18-55 kit lens there is no reason to buy a $600 tripod and $450 head. So, Induro and Benro have a place in the market. On the other hand anyone that can afford a $6000 Canon telephoto lens should have no problem with buying a $1000-$1500 tripod and head.
I realize everyone is different and requirements vary depending on your equipment and it's use. If you are happy with your gear then thats all that matters, but if you have a heavy investment in high end glass like I do then you can understand that spending a few more dollars now will be well worth it in the end.
Their heads are fine as an inexpensive option. What gets me is my local camera store selling the identical Induro-labeled version for $200-250. That's a rip-off.
SSISteve wrote:
I have had a Benro CF tripod and one of their ballheads for the last 1 1/2 years and have never had a problem with either. Both have worked very well so for me they are not "junk."
Steve
Your Lucky, I hope it does'nt happen but if something breaks on it try and get parts......lol
These guys rip off Gitzo and Acra Swiss designs and we Support it to save a Buck, China is kicking our ass and laughing all the way to the bank, I'm ashamed of myself for going there.
Try Benro service the Mac Group, Benros supposed parts and service, the 1st thing they ask you is where you purchased your benro, then they will tell you that Benro is gray market and they don't support them they support induro the American version......lol.
Hey B&H, who services Benro in the USA if it's not Benro's service dept.
I have an Induro C214 tripod and Benro head. The Induro tripod is great for the money, about half of the cost of a Gitzo, and has served me very well so far. I don't doubt the Gitzo legs are somewhat better but I doubt they're twice as good. The Benro head was a cheap one; it has worked well but I did replace it with a RRS BH40 as I found some images weren't as sharp as I wanted when using my 5D and 100-400mm.
The Induro/RRS combination is cost effective and rock solid.
Here is an interesting story. Anyone looking to invest in a platform should be well informed prior to purchasing. As I said, for lightweight gear I would not see much of a problem but for the big glass it just isn't worth it! No offense to anyone here but I beg to differ on Gitzo. I think they are 100 percent better as I have never had one of mine fall apart.
