Author Topic: New Tripod  (Read 22963 times)

Akira

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Re: New Tripod
« Reply #15 on: May 06, 2018, 01:00:09 »
Spend your money on a high quality head for it. Whether your preference is for a ball head, or whatever .. don't skimp on the head.

I think this is a very good advice.
"The eye is blind if the mind is absent." - Confucius

"Limitation is inspiration." - Akira

CS

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Re: New Tripod
« Reply #16 on: May 06, 2018, 01:18:49 »
LOL!  A builders survey tripod, weighs 4.5 Kg and cost a hundred quid 30 years ago, owes me nothing, I have various heads, a Manfrotto video, A Manfrotto ball head and a cheap Chinese head which is pretty rubbish.  Also my new panorama head 'with a difference' which is novel to say the least!

I am working on creating my own ball head soon from another chunk of aluminium.

My lightweight tripod is a Kennet Benbo (correct spelling) tripod which is also of a novel design but not quite so rigid as the big one, but serves well enough for flowers, it doubles as a bipod and a monopod.  Weighs a mere ~3.8 Kg.

http://www.patersonphotographic.com/product-category/tripods/tripods-tripods/

It is a very versatile tool which can stand in water, a bog or against a wall with aplomb.

Here using it on a lava flow on the Isle of Mull, 2008 photographing a tiny flower.



I hope you'll keep us posted with visuals of the ball head build progress as you did with the pano head. More motorcycle tangents too, please.  ;D
Carl

Akira

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Re: New Tripod
« Reply #17 on: May 06, 2018, 01:42:35 »
I would call the Benbo a "puzzle link of tripod".   :o :o :o
"The eye is blind if the mind is absent." - Confucius

"Limitation is inspiration." - Akira

ArthurDent

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Re: New Tripod
« Reply #18 on: May 08, 2018, 16:24:54 »
LOL!  A builders survey tripod, weighs 4.5 Kg and cost a hundred quid 30 years ago, owes me nothing, I have various heads, a Manfrotto video, A Manfrotto ball head and a cheap Chinese head which is pretty rubbish.  Also my new panorama head 'with a difference' which is novel to say the least!

I am working on creating my own ball head soon from another chunk of aluminium.

My lightweight tripod is a Kennet Benbo (correct spelling) tripod which is also of a novel design but not quite so rigid as the big one, but serves well enough for flowers, it doubles as a bipod and a monopod.  Weighs a mere ~3.8 Kg.

http://www.patersonphotographic.com/product-category/tripods/tripods-tripods/

It is a very versatile tool which can stand in water, a bog or against a wall with aplomb.

Here using it on a lava flow on the Isle of Mull, 2008 photographing a tiny flower.



After reading a few reviews on the Benbo Trekker, I think it is the one I’ll get and I greatly appreciate your post on it. I think I’ll buy the leg set and get a separate ball head for it. Do you happen to know the ball head mounting screw diameters?

ArthurDent

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Re: New Tripod
« Reply #19 on: May 08, 2018, 16:51:59 »

Seapy

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Re: New Tripod
« Reply #20 on: May 08, 2018, 17:28:15 »
After reading a few reviews on the Benbo Trekker, I think it is the one I’ll get and I greatly appreciate your post on it. I think I’ll buy the leg set and get a separate ball head for it. Do you happen to know the ball head mounting screw diameters?

Glad it was helpful.   ;D

Bearing in mind it's many years since I got mine, the design may have changed slightly...

The sliding column has a ¼" Whitworth (UNC) thread at one end and a 3/8" Whitworth (UNC) thread at the other end.  They can be used interchangeably, one or t'other.

The only thing which has really failed with mine was the thread in the main, clamp nut stripped, it's aluminium and can be tightened up pretty hard.  I simply tapped it out and fitted a Hellicoil insert which renovated the thread perfectly.  Any engineering shop should be able to perform the simple operation for a small fee.  That repair was about 10 years ago and I think I bought the tripod about 1975 so that makes it at least 43 years old!  The concept design is based on the design of field gun folding legs which had to be simple and robust.  Not sure it would support a field gun but it has certainly been reliable and robust for me.  What clinched the choice for me was seeing the tripod being used by forensic photographers taking evidential photographs in difficult to reach positions.

Adjusting the leg angle can seem a little awkward at first but by swinging the leg, almost any angle can be obtained quite easily.

As for the head, you don't actually 'need' a head.  Almost any angle can be obtained without resorting to the expense and added complication of a ball head.  Might be an idea to try the bare tripod first.  I very rarely use a ball head on mine.  Obviously a QR attachment can be useful but for many years I screwed and unscrewed my Bronica S2a on and off the column.  I am sure the head you linked to will be serviceable.
Robert C. P.
South Cumbria, UK

ArthurDent

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Re: New Tripod
« Reply #21 on: May 09, 2018, 09:20:56 »
So, I bought the Benbo trekker tripod with the Benbo head on sale for $150 (normally $219) since it was only a few dollars more than the bare tripod not on sale. I also bought the Serui k-20x head for $110, and it comes with a $10 mail in rebate. I’m hopeful it will solve my tripod issues for the foreseeable future. The Benbo head is probably going to end up on my old tripod for use in my photography area (too small to dignify it by calling it a studio).  Thanks for your assistance!

Seapy

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Re: New Tripod
« Reply #22 on: May 09, 2018, 10:28:48 »
Well done, hope it meets expectations.  :D

Perhaps given the very reasonable price I should get the large tripod, could be perfect for me.
Robert C. P.
South Cumbria, UK

ArthurDent

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Re: New Tripod
« Reply #23 on: May 09, 2018, 13:05:42 »
https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/247269-REG/Benbo_BEN102_2_Tripod.html

$180 at B&H here in the States. I don’t know what the shipping would be to the UK, but you could probably find a comparable, or better, deal locally.

Seapy

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Re: New Tripod
« Reply #24 on: May 10, 2018, 23:06:58 »
The UK price is £128.33.  At 2.5 Meters (101")  It's well high enough for most needs, and only a tiny bit heavier than the standard height version.

http://www.patersonphotographic.com/product/classic-benbo-tripod-no-2/

Be interested to hear what you think of the current version.
Robert C. P.
South Cumbria, UK

ArthurDent

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Re: New Tripod
« Reply #25 on: May 11, 2018, 21:20:40 »
The UK price is £128.33.  At 2.5 Meters (101")  It's well high enough for most needs, and only a tiny bit heavier than the standard height version.

http://www.patersonphotographic.com/product/classic-benbo-tripod-no-2/

Be interested to hear what you think of the current version.

I’ve been watching videos and reading a number of blogs/posts, and it seems to me those who cliticize it for being complicated to set up are overstating their case. It looks fairly simple to me, but I’ll admit looks can deceive, so I'll wait until I’ve got it in hand and have set it up a few times to claim victory.

Seapy

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Re: New Tripod
« Reply #26 on: May 11, 2018, 22:36:18 »
Can set it up with my eyes closed, in the dark, and often do (in the dark!).

Thing is it's a bit different mechanically from your conventional three legged tripod.  Somebody who doesn't have mechanical aptitude may find it confusing but actually it's a dam site easier to get where you want it than my big one.  And it can do many tricks my big tripod will never do. Bipod for a start, very useful for flowers, holds the camera steady sideways but allows you to move in and out to get the best distance without faffing about and much quicker.
Robert C. P.
South Cumbria, UK

ArthurDent

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Re: New Tripod
« Reply #27 on: May 15, 2018, 02:34:25 »
Well, I got my Benbo trekker tripod today and it seems like a very nice tripod.  I followed the directions and had no problem setting it up in normal tripod mode. When I extended the legs so as to get close to the floor, I had some difficulty locking it down. That may be just my reluctance to really crank down on the locking handle for fear of stripping the threads or it may just requre a little bit of a break in, I’m not sure. Overall though, I like it a lot, a very nice piece of kit and appears to be well put together.

I also got the Sirui K-20X ball head. This is the first ball head I’ve purchased, so I don’t have any basis for comparison with other brands, but it seems to be a very well constructed piece of gear and seems built to last. I hope so, I’d much prefer to spend my money on trips to take photographs than on the equipment necessary to capture the images. It will require an adaptor to use it on the Benbo, the stud on the trekker is 1/4” dia. and the hole in the K-20X is 3/8” dia., but the adapter is readily available on Amazon. For the present, I am using the ball head that came with the trekker, and will probably use the Sirui on my old tripod.

ArthurDent

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Re: New Tripod
« Reply #28 on: May 15, 2018, 15:47:12 »
I spent a lot of time with the Benbo last night, could not get it to lock in place when down low, so I am sending it back today. I haven’t decided whether I’ll get another or just return it and get the Vanguard tripod I looked at initially.

BEZ

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Re: New Tripod
« Reply #29 on: May 15, 2018, 22:04:58 »
I spent a lot of time with the Benbo last night, could not get it to lock in place when down low, so I am sending it back today. I haven’t decided whether I’ll get another or just return it and get the Vanguard tripod I looked at initially.

I have quite a lot of experience with the standard Benbo tripod. It has unparalleled adaptability, but is not particularly stable. I would consider it a special use tripod. For mounting a DSLR the Bembo head is next to useless. This is only my opinion from my use, your use may differ.

Manfrotto tripods get no love on here, but my experience of their high end models has been very positive.

Cheers
Bez