Benro's version of MeFoto Roadtrip on sale - today only

BackdoorArts

Senior Member
Since it seems to take forever for a Deal thread to be approved I just thought I'd give everyone a heads up that Benro's version of the MeFoto Roadtrip (their Series 2) is on sale today only at B&H. I love my MeFoto so much that I got Benro's carbon fiber version (less than the price of the aluminum MeFoto).

Deal Zone, Deal of the Day at B&H
 

cwgrizz

Senior Member
Challenge Team
Wow, I just checked back to the site and ALL of the models are now on backorder. I wonder if they still honor the price if you ask them to notify you when they are back in stock? It really looks like a good price for them. I may have waited too long to justify spending the money right now. Oh well.
 

hark

Administrator
Staff member
Super Mod
Contributor
Wow, I just checked back to the site and ALL of the models are now on backorder. I wonder if they still honor the price if you ask them to notify you when they are back in stock? It really looks like a good price for them. I may have waited too long to justify spending the money right now. Oh well.

I doubt it. You should subscribe to their daily specials which get emailed in the morning. These specials are advertised as being for a limited time or while supplies last.

benro.jpg
 

cwgrizz

Senior Member
Challenge Team
Thanks @hark for that info. I really don't think I want to subscribe to Daily Specials. It could cost me too much money. Ha!!! After seeing Backdoorhippie's post, I looked on an impulse and really thought I "may" do it. Then after trying to justify "Robbing Peter to pay Paul" I lost out. :unconscious:
 

BackdoorArts

Senior Member
Wow, I just checked back to the site and ALL of the models are now on backorder. I wonder if they still honor the price if you ask them to notify you when they are back in stock? It really looks like a good price for them. I may have waited too long to justify spending the money right now. Oh well.

Sorry for the delay in getting back. Yes, they were all available when I posted this morning,yes, I got the Series 2 CF, and no, they will not price honor on back orders.
 

BackdoorArts

Senior Member
Interesting thing here (not that it matters any more) that I did not realize when I purchased it. This is not the same as the Roadtrip. The Travel Flat series is named such because it truly folds flat. The legs are set such that they fold in to lay 3-at-a-side. Because of these there is no center column permanently mounted to the legs. This is very confusing when you see the photos on the B&H site because it clearly shows a telescoping center column. Going to the Benro site it seems that the column is "removable" and sits between the legs and the head, essentially meaning that if you want to alternate between using it and not using it you must remove the head, add the column and replace the head (leaving the column on extends the overall length permanently by probably 6-8").

I'm not thrilled about this as I would generally need to center column to get the camera eyepiece close to my eye level (full extension is only 5 feet without it), but there is an added advantage to having a tripod that will literally "fold flat" to be placed on the top of your suit case or on the side of a backpack.

It'll arrive today so I'll have a chance to play with it over the weekend. No regrets. I just wish the details had been clearer on B&H's site.

FYI, it is not listed as discontinued on the Benro site.
 

cwgrizz

Senior Member
Challenge Team
It doesn't matter now, but might in the future. Another thing I was looking at (due to the fact the CF was Out of Stock when I first looked) was that the ball heads that came with each model were different. The CF tripods had a ball head with an extra "lock screw' for friction adjustment. The Aluminum models did not have that extra adjusting screw on their ball heads. For all who have experience with ball heads, how important is the friction feature? TIA
 

BackdoorArts

Senior Member
It doesn't matter now, but might in the future. Another thing I was looking at (due to the fact the CF was Out of Stock when I first looked) was that the ball heads that came with each model were different. The CF tripods had a ball head with an extra "lock screw' for friction adjustment. The Aluminum models did not have that extra adjusting screw on their ball heads. For all who have experience with ball heads, how important is the friction feature? TIA

Interesting observation. I noticed it, but for some reason I thought it was the difference between the smaller and bigger model and not the aluminum and carbon fiber, which makes a lot less sense to me. The double screw adjustment is what the Roadtrip has, as does my Manfrotto head. I would not have been happy without it. It's important for some types of photography where you need to make very minor adjustments. It also helps so that you don't have a camera accidentally nose dive if you loosen the primary screw too quickly without paying attention - my primary use for it.
 

BackdoorArts

Senior Member
You had me curious, so I went to the Benro site and pulled up the aluminum 13 lb. model and the photo of the head shows that it does have a friction knob as well. The difference, it seems, is the thumb level (which I actually prefer) to the round knob on the main wheel.

FTF18AIN0 Travel Flat 8X Aluminum Tripod kit

I'm assuming the tension screw for rotating the head is hidden on the back.
 

cwgrizz

Senior Member
Challenge Team
@BackdoorHippie
The ball head that is shown with the Tripod you gave the link to (Aluminum 13lb) has the IN0 ballhead, which is a "Double Action". The ballheads that came with the CF are the IB series (IB0 & IB1) which are "Triple Action". The Triple Action have four "Adjustment" screws and the Double Action seem to only have three. The four are Lock for the ArcaSwiss Plate Lock, Ball lock, Friction adjustment, and Pan lock. The three on the double action are the ArcaSwiss Plate Lock, Lever Lock (Assuming it the one for locking the Ball) and the Friction (Assuming it is for the Pan). No Fourth Screw per the photos on the description page.

Benro is a little lacking on the description pages that I found on the difference between the Double Action and Triple Action heads. When you receive yours, maybe you will be able to give us the missing details. Ha!

Double Action IN1 Ball head Description page
 
Last edited:

BackdoorArts

Senior Member
Since it's discontinued I figure it's not worth posting a full review, but for the curious I thought I'd share my thoughts on the Travel Flat Series 2 CF tripod.

First off, the stuff I'm not crazy about. As mentioned, I expected this to be more like the MeFOTO Roadtrip and it certainly is not. Fully compacted it's about 6 or 7 inches longer and an inch or two wider (in one direction, about an inch narrower in the other). Instead of being mounted in a circle the legs hinge off a single straight bar under the head, with one leg being where a center column post might be. The center column exists, but only an "above the mount" version and needs to be screwed in when you want it, but that'll extend the most compact length by 8" (it's stored in a pocket in the rather nice carry bag, which will only hold the tripod without the column attached). This is what enables it to lay flat, but it's also what normal tripod users will find to be the hardest thing to get used to for two reasons. First, on normal tripods everything pulls in the same direction as you rotate, but here not so much - everything moves in its own direction and rotating it doesn't make it any easier. Second, the leg positioning complicates the process of getting every leg the same length. On a normal tripod I'll loosen a set of rings and simply raise or lower it against the ground allowing all legs to extend/contract at the same time, and then go around and tighten each. With the lay flay arrangement this is nearly an impossible task as there is no room for your fingers to get around the center leg's rings.

OK, so all that stuff I can deal with. Now the good stuff. The carbon fiber legs are wider and sturdier than the aluminum legs of my Roadtrip, with the thinnest section being equivalent to the second to last on the MeFOTO. This makes for a very stable feeling tripod. The IB1 tripod head is also a step up in quality from the MeFOTO. The knobs are all slightly larger and have a smoother feel - and they're also labeled which is kind of nice if you get confused. What I love is the mounting bracket. I've got 3 other tripods with Arca-Swiss mounts, but this is the first with a safety system that will not release the plate simply by loosening the tension - you need to physically pull on the knob after loosening and loosen again to remove the plate. As someone who has accidentally loosened the wrong knob while trying to make an adjustment with my eye to the camera I know the shear panic when you feel it slipping out of the mount and to have something like this is awesome as a "just in case" measure. I wasn't expecting it but when fully extended without the center column the camera eyepiece is in a great position for my 6 foot tall frame, something I was worried about when I realized there was no permanent column. And while I complained about the lack of a center column above, I'll uniformly praise it now as my full size tripod can quickly adjust so that the mounting plate is only 7.5 inches off the ground - a full inch lower than the minimum height for my MeFOTO Daytrip mini-tripod!!

I'm guessing this thing was designed as a travel tripod that can lay flat in a suitcase, and yes, it can surely do that. But it's by no means something I'd call "compact". That said, folded in its case it's an easy carry, and strapped to my backpack it's actually much less obtrusive as it will "lay flat" against the front or either side. All said, I'm pretty darn happy I jumped on this.
 
Top