I think the problem may be that the Benbo is so different to other tripods
you could easily make the mistake of thinking that fiddling with one for a
few minutes in a shop has taught you all there is to know about it.
I think Keith was right to play with his for a while first. Same here. I
am almost ashamed to say it took me over a week before I realised how one
could rearange things to get the centre post so that it was inverted and
so pointing downwards between the legs. I don't mean it took me a week to
work out - that took about 2 minutes when I put my mind to it - just that
it took that long to get around to realising it should be able to do that.
I do not think the Benbo I have (1) is unusually heavy for its range of
adjustment and rigidity.
There is no cast lead alloy that I am aware of. The tubing is supposedly
aircraft grade aluminium and some of the other hardware is cast aluminium
I would say, having hefted the disassembled components.
The knobs are not Nylon, and even if they were, what is wrong with nylon
used in the right place. An excellent material. I agree I have seen
better quality injection molding but they work and seem to be quite
robust.
I agree about a collapsed Benbo not being exactly compact but that is one
of the trade-offs for water I'mmersible legs and the versatility of the
central post which you can position almost anyway and anywhere you choose.
I think your impression of an inadequate angle between the two similar
legs is just a matter of your being unfamiliar with how to set it up. I
mean no offence, just that a Benbo takes a bit of getting used to.
I just measured the spread of the legs (fully retracted) and set to as
near equilateral as I can judge. The distances between the bottoms of the
legs are 780mm, 780 and 740. That seems to me to be fairly even spacing
and therefore angle. Drop it a bit lower and the bottom of the central
column is on the ground also and I have a quadrapod! Raise the column,
extend the legs then lay all three legs flat to the ground and the
footprint is hardly what I would call narrow 2220mm, 2220 and 1220. The
longer measurements are even longer than Acer is tall ;-)
The story, as I have heard it and understand is that the original
designer/s (?) left Benbo (Kennet Engineering) and started up Unilock and
made some adjustments to the design incorporating some improvements, most
notably models with an elbow joint in the central column and the ability
on some models of removing the legs and forming a monopod or attaching
really short stubb legs to form a table tripod (I have a brochure;-).
I like mechanical beauty also but there is a certain beauty in true
functionality and ingenuity and Benbos/Unilocks have this kind of beauty
in my eyes. I agree certain bits could be prettied up a bit I don't think
they would add one iota of functionality.
I disagree completely about four section legs. The more sections you have
the more room there is for play between the bits hence you sacrifice
rigidity for the sake of compactness when collapsed. So you sacrifice a
quality of the tripod when it is 'in' use for a quality it has when it is
'not' in use. Also, the more sections you have, the more weight you have
in terms off hardware such as locks and fittings for each section, not to
mention extra weight for the bit of each tube which has to overlap the
other.
I agree completely about how nice a carbon fibre Benbo would be ;-)
The hardware already is aluminium, just robust ;-)
Giles
Ilona Lemieux wrote:
> i've been in the market for a stable tripod for quite some time, and have
> always considered benbo/uniloc to be the prime contenders. I've had great
> expectations based on magazine reviews, all of which seem to be positive.
> Then I finally met a "trekker" and a "1" in a local shop. Now I have some
> reservations. I think the concept is brilliant, but the execution
> questionable. Looks like something cobbled together in a garage. First
> of all, the tripods are HEAVY, apparently due to the use of some cheap,
> easily cast lead alloy. Those "large fastening knobs" are made of cheap
> looking plastic (looks like nylon!) - probably an attempt to offset the
> weight. Because of the 2-section legs, the tripod is quite long when
> collapsed, the middle post does not easily fit between the legs when
> storing, and the angle of spread between the two similar legs seems to be
> inadequate (this is not apparent from the brochures), which leads to a
> pretty narrow footprint.
>
> I'm a former machinist, and mechanical beauty is important to me(that's why
> I like olympus stuff!) If you have a similar bent, stay away! I recall
> reading somewhere that of the two mfrs. of this type of tripod(uniloc and
> benbo) that benbo had the quality edge. I can't imagine. If anyone has
> encountered a uniloc product, I'd like a review. I still think the concept
> is wonderful and deserves an embodiment worthy of it. I imagine . . .
> carbon fiber, 4-section legs,wider angle spread between the similar legs,
> aluminum, or magnesium hardware. I think the combo would be killer for
> nature photographers. I don't understand why a major mfr doesn't take up
> the idea - I'm sure the patent expired years ago.
>
> I'm sure the benbo can do stuff no other tripod can, and if that stuff is
> important, they are indispensable. Just thought I'd make known the less
> rosy aspects of the tripod. I can't imagine someone who has owned a bogen
> not being disappointed with the quality of a benbo when purchased through
> the mail, sight unseen.
>
> I must agree that the manfrotto/bogen line seems to offer the best value
> for money. Gitzo seems to be cynically expensive.
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