It was time to upgrade after 18 years with the same heavy aluminum tripod. I don’t change gear often and I obsessively research what I am looking for to find the best possible option at the best possible price. If you want to skip all the details and know what I purchased, it is the Benro Mach3 9X CF series long tripod. read below if you want to know why I picked this one and what else I looked at.
I had three main criteria for a new tripod:
- Weight needs to be less than my aluminum Manfrotto 3021B Pro at over 7lbs with the ballhead
- Height needs to put the camera near eye level without the center column extended
- Carbon fiber is a requirement for weight and temperature (more on that below)
I currently own these two tripods
Manfrotto 3021B Pro – Aluminum, eye level with ballhead, very sturdy, very heavy, workhorse of a tripod
MeFOTO A1350 RoadTrip – Aluminum, short, adequately sturdy, and good for travel/hiking
Why I am upgrading?
My goal for a new tripod was a blend of the two I currently own. The MeFOTO travels well in a suitcase and is a decent small tripod but it has thin aluminum legs and feels a bit unsteady in windy conditions. It is also short and requires me to bend over to use the viewfinder. I know I can use the screen, but in some lighting I have a better time with the viewfinder. The 3021 has been an excellent workhorse of a tripod for 18 years and will last another 18 years if I wanted to keep lugging it around.
I do a lot of hiking and I prefer to take the 3021 due to height and stability but the weight is cumbersome. I am still physically able to carry the weight but it does wear on my shoulders over long hikes. I often hold the tripod in my hand while hiking for quicker set up and a lighter tripod would be easier to handle over long hikes.
Aluminum is excessively cold in cooler weather …almost like it takes in the cold air and multiplies it! My hands get cold quickly and holding and using the aluminum tripods in the winter is quite miserable. Sometimes I hike in weather below 20F. Carbon Fiber is not supposed to have the same issue and should not be as cold. Yes, I do wear gloves, but that doesn’t seem to help as much as it should.
I put this off for several years because I have a tripod that works and I try to be frugal with my income. I sold a few photography items to fund the purchase.
Why did I pick the Benro Mach3?
It has the best combination of the main three items and the other items listed here:
- It weights 4.52lbs which is 2.5lbs less than the 3021.
- This is obvious as soon as I pick it up.
- It is slightly taller than my 3021B which I find is an advantage.
- With legs fully extended the base for mounting the ball head is at my eye level.
- This gives me further reach if I use the center column.
- It is carbon fiber.
- It collapses shorter than the 3021.
- I have used Benro ball heads for 18 years and I like their products.
- I found it on Amazon for $63 below retail price at $386 which is below what I expected to pay.
- I found multiple reviews highly rating this particular tripod.
- Feet are interchangeable.
- Center column can be inverted.
- Legs can move to a flat position getting you close to the ground.
Overall, it had all the things I was looking for. The only option I did not get with this tripod is the ability to position the center column sideways but I rarely do that with my current tripod so it was a minor item for me.
Runner up!
Runner up was the Manfrotto 055 carbon fiber 4 section tripod. It was eliminated due to a much higher price ($600) and it is 1/2 pound heavier.
What else I considered:
These are all the others I researched and why I didn’t pick them.
- Manfrotto BeFree Advanced Carbon Fiber, BeFree GT Carbon Fiber, & BeFree GT XPRO Carbon
- All three are shorter than what I was looking for.
- The GT Carbon Fiber is the closest to the Benro and more expensive even if it includes a ballhead
- One of these would be my choice as a good travel tripod to replace the aluminum MeFoto I have.
- Ratings are great and the price is reasonable.
- Coupons are often available to get a discount.
- Leofoto USA LS Ranger Series LS-324C, LS-324C PRO
- This would have been my runner up except…
- They don’t offer a version with an integral center column.
- The center column is an add-on and you have to remove your ball head, attach the center column, attach your ball head to that, then you can use it
- I would never use it with that much extra work required
- The center column is an add-on and you have to remove your ball head, attach the center column, attach your ball head to that, then you can use it
- They don’t offer a version with an integral center column.
- I really like their PRO offerings
- Their pricing is highly competitive
- They have good reviews online
- I was really disappointed when I chatted with them about the center column
- This would have been my runner up except…
- Peak Design Travel Tripod
- Overpriced for what you get
- I could not see any way to install my own ball head. I don’t like their head
- Ulanzi carbon fiber tripods
- Both are too short
- While I read some positive reviews of this brand I wasn’t convinced it would work for me.
- Three Legged Thing tripods
- No direct links because I could not really find what I was looking for
- I don’t care for the look and design they offer
- Gitzo & Really Right Stuff
- Not a chance …way too expensive and I don’t see what you gain for the price.
Did I learn anything else?
I found most of the websites for these manufacturers to be awful! They all have a lot of offerings for tripods but offer very little in the way of directing you towards specific lines of tripods. I had to spend a lot of time on each site to sort out which ones would work for me. They need to do better!
Summary
I am happy with my decision and hope it lasts as long as my 3021. If you made it this far thanks for reading.
douglas adams 