From: Mike Bloor <admin@xxxxxxxxxx>
>
> Benbo are still around -
>
> https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/4822-REG/Benbo_BEN107C.html
>
> I have the original Trekker. Great for photography at low level - plants etc.
Cool! That’s the Trekker. They claim it will hold 5 kg, but it’s pretty whippy
with anything heavier than a small camera and lens on it. Another weakness for
packing is the two-section legs, which stick out either side of you long enough
to catch brush and stuff, and they won’t go inside a suitcase'. On the other
hand, they set up Real Fast, unlike the four-section Gitzo with nine twist
locks, which takes forever to set up. I wish Gitzo had mastered the art of
lever-locks.
If you want to put a Big Lens (or Big Camera) on a Benbo, you’ll want what they
used to call the #1, which now appears to be the “Classic 1." That thing is
awesomely strong. B&H claims it will hold 10 kg. I bet Lester Bogen could sit
on it, for those who remember the ad. I got it for Linhof large format work,
for which it was fabulous.
https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/203482-REG/Benbo_BEN101C_1_Kit_with_Pro.html
The weak point is the feet. Mine slowly broke down and went away. I tried to
get them for a while, and couldn’t find any place that could help me. When I
got the #1, I assumed the bent bolt would be the weak point, and I bought a
spare that I never had to use.
My guess is that bankruptcy and re-org happened at some point, causing Benbo to
temporarily go away. I’m glad to see they’re back, with even the feet
available. (3 for $25 is not totally unreasonable, although I discovered that
hardware-store 1.25 inch rubber stool legs work for 75 cents each.)
Mine lives with the Manfrotto mini-gear head on it. Wonderful for rock-steady,
precise studio-work movement, but I’d hate to carry it for more than ten feet.
:-) Also great for an hour-long setup of the Super Technika, where, after 45
minutes, you move the loupe into a corner and see a distant McDonalds sign in
your pristine nature landscape, so you just tweak one knob, and it’s gone. :-)
I despise the conventional choices in heads, though. I keep the gear head on
the Benbo, and I use a pistol-grip ball on the Gitzo. I originally had the
upright Manfrotto grip ball, but the lever arm was so long that it slipped a
lot. I found a Chinese grip ball with the lever out the side, which works
better. They’re heavier than the set-screw balls, but quicker, and MUCH quicker
than a 3-axis.
So, that’s my “tale of TWO tripods” that fill essentially all my needs.
Jan
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