Benro vs. Gitzo travel tripod - Do you trust Benro?

[wilm_radeloff]

Hello all,

I am looking for a travel tripod and narrowed down my search to the following

two:

 

Gitzo GT1540T: Number of Sections - 4; Max. Height - 1400 mm; Folded - 390 mm

Weight - 1kg; Max. Load - 4.5 kg

 

 

 

Benro C-168M8: Number of Sections - 4; Max. Height - 1380mm; Folded - 375mm;

Weight - 0.99kg; Max. Load - 8kg

 

So are on paper almost identical apart from the max load.

 

I have been told the Benro is a cheeky copy of the Gitzo. So how come the max

load is higher then Gitzos? There is even a version supporting 12kg (C-268M8).

 

It sounds too good to be true, can I trust these figures? Does anyone have

experience with the Benro travel series?

 

Thanks a lot in advance for any replies.

Wilm

[Ed_Ingold]

The weight capacity specification is meaningless - a minimum requirement at best. The Gitzo will obviously hold much more than 4.5 Kg without collapsing, but too wiggly for any serious photography, as is the Benro. A tripod capable of holding any camera steady will have a much higher capacity than either of the above - A Gitzo Series 2 or larger (or equivalent).

 

Benro/Enduro is a shameless knockoff of the Gitzo, for much less money. There have been reports of failure of the leg joints. It's your money and your camera, if you want to risk it.

[nickwhite]

I own Both Gitzo and Benro.

 

I've used Gitzos for 20 plus years - the quality of the current range is nowhere near what it used to be, hence, when I wanted a CF model I opted for the (IMO) better made Benro C-228n6 which I find superb; time will tell of course, but I see no reason why it shouldn't outlive me! oh, and it was less than half the price of the equivalent Gitzo in the UK.

[paul_ferrante]

I have a Benro tripod and monopod and I love them. The quality is excellent. I don't have a Gitzo so I can't compare, but if you are asking if I trust Benro, YES.

[kevin conville]

Benro and Induro ARE shameless knock-offs off Gitzo. They also improved the design by

initiating multi-layered construction for the carbon fiber models as well as anti-rotation

legs and non-porous sleeves (that don't bind when wet) for the collets. Gitzo was forced

to implement these changes to stay up.

 

The popular story that goes with the Benro/Induro saga is that Gitzo went to China to see

about having their product made there. So much for French loyalty. Anyway, the deal was

kaboshed somehow but it was too late for Gitzo as the seeds had been planted for the

Chinese to steal yet another idea for production by their exploited workforce, free of any

union, EPA, or other regulations. Hard to feel too sorry for Gitzo though as that was the

intent when they went to China.

 

If you buy an Induro or Benro you are probably getting the product that would have been

labeled Gitzo had the deal been struck.

 

Back to your question.. Forget about these arbitrary weight ratings they are about as

meaningful as the load capacity of ball heads. As for the quality of the Chinese versions,

they are excellent. I have a smaller Benro CF model that I use for travel and it is very tight

and functions perfectly. I'm not one who collects photo equipment as art objects so I'm not

the one to wax poetic about the nuance of Gitzo vs everyone else. There are others ready

to do that. As a tool though, the Chinese versions are fine.

 

If you don't want to buy the Chinese products for political reasons, then I can understand

that. Don't forget to buy your dovetail clamps and plates from no other than Arca Swiss,

and your extra batteries for your DSLR from the maker of your camera.

[bennett_richards]

In numbers of posts Bemro and Induro tripods and ball heads have proven materially inferior

to the Gitzo and ArcaSwiss products This is especially true for the very high precision needed

in asymmetrical ball heads.

 

The current Carbon 6X G-lock series Gitzo line is superb. The truth is that you get what you

pay for... the current plethora of problems with Chinese imports is just the tip of the iceberg.

[kevin conville]

Bennett,

 

Number of posts on this site "proves" nothing.

Also, you are mixing ball heads and tripods. We were talking tripods.

 

"The truth is you get what you pay for..." Regarding what? Photographic equipment or in

general?

 

A Leica digital camera costs a lot. Is it a better camera than a Nikon D3? A Canon 5D"

 

Mercedes Benz cars are expensive and statistically THE MOST unreliable cars you can buy.

-Consumers Reports Annual Auto Survey, nearly a million responses.

 

There are myriad other examples.

[kevin conville]

Forgot to mention..

 

Your DSLR is probably made in China. Probably the lens mounted on it as well.

[ilkka]

"Do you trust Benro?"

 

Well, yes and no. I have four Gitzo tripods and have been using some of them for more than 20 years. I also have a Benro CF tripod that I bought when I was living and working in Shanghai. It is very nicely made and seems well worth the price, which was about 1/3 of what a similar Gitzo would cost (in China). Will it be as reliable as the Gitzos have proven to be? Only time will tell. I have no fear that this tripod would fail in normal use. But the original question referred to travel tripod and asked whether I trust it. Frankly, when I go for an important trip, I will always bring one of my Gitzos as a travel tripod. I do trust them better than the Benro.

[RaymondC]

I have a Feisol 3402 www.feisol.com direct purchase for like $150 or abouts. Its 40cm holded, 1kg abouts, included leg wraps and no middle column which is great. After I got it, the legs were not that easy to undo and also when the daypacks are 40cm it meant that the ballhead to be continually taken off and put back on and I found that tripod not the easiest to pop the ballhead on.

 

Therefore, I intend to get a Gitzo traveler one day, I know I cannot get them used as they are v new. Oh well...

 

I do have a 1228 but that is about 50cm folded.

 

Yeah pple will say, its not the best tripod, some will say use a Gitzo 3 series which is like 55 or 60cm folded and more like 2kg and then more for the ballhead.

 

In these situations, I guess we just do a tradeoff.

[wilm_radeloff]

Choices Choices!

 

Thank you all for the good information supplied. I guess due to budget restrains I will go with a Benro as a travel set up now and start saving for a Big Gun Gitzo in due course.

 

 

Once again, thanks for your help!