One Day Deal on Benro Tripods at B&H today (6/23)

I suspect these are going on closeout to be discontinued. I bought one of their "lay flat" versions a couple months back and it's become my go-to tripod. When I bought it I thought it was essentially the same as the MeFoto Roadtrip, but it wasn't. I believe this one is.

Do yourself a favor and pick up the carbon fiber version. It's a great value and the head on the CF version is head and shoulders above the aluminum version, not to mention it's better than the MeFoto head. Seriously considering getting one more and selling the MeFoto.

Deal Zone, Deal of the Day at B&H

Looks like Adorama wants $360 for the highest priced carbon fiber one in B&H's sale. I hope people realize there are 4 tripods from which to choose. Two are aluminum and 2 are carbon fiber. Definitely looks interesting!

Earlier today I ordered the larger carbon fiber tripod--which is now sold out. I regretted not getting the carbon fiber tripod they offered the last time as it was taller than this, but this will work for me in many situations. My first tripod was by Velbon (but not carbon fiber)--and I still grab it although infrequently. I should sell that one as I won't have use for it anymore.

I decided to post a few comments on this tripod here since I bought one of the four that B&H advertised for their one-day sale. The one I ordered was the most expensive (carbon fiber) at $169.95.

Benro FVY28CIB1 Velocity Series 2 Carbon Fiber Tripod FVY28CIB1

I haven't mounted a camera on it yet so my observations are simply from setting it up. The very first thing I noticed is ALMOST everything was especially tight on this tripod. Did I say tight? REALLY tight! Trying to unfold the legs, I felt like I was prying them apart. Granted, I can use an allen wrench to make adjustments, but they were very difficult to move.

When I unscrewed the twist leg locks, I failed to notice one of them was already partially unscrewed. So when I unscrewed it more, that section of the leg came right off in my hand. The white piece of vinyl slider fell out onto the floor, but I was able to reassemble the leg without any trouble.

The tripod stores in the carry bag differently than any tripod I've ever seen. Usually the center column is down with the legs folding closed against the center column. On this model, the legs fold upward completely and the center column is fully extended. This makes the tripod shorter in length instead of storing it with the center column down with the legs down. It won't fit in the carry bag unless the legs are up. Just an observation--not a problem.

The tripod has the usual 3 height adjustments like many tripods offer. Since it isn't an overly tall tripod, when the center column is fully extended and the legs at its tallest setting, the height is okay; however, since it isn't an overly tall tripod, the footprint is smaller than others I've used...meaning the legs aren't open a great deal and it could tip under the right circumstances. BUT the legs do open wider--the problem when that happens is the height becomes lower than a comfortable eye level. For me, it isn't a problem as I wouldn't use this tripod with a really heavy lens. I have 2 taller tripods that are better equipped for long telephoto lenses.

The one thing that wasn't tight on the tripod was the head. It was loose, and a few turns had it coming off in my hand. I snugged it down so hopefully it won't be a problem.

At $169.95 for a carbon fiber tripod, this was a great price! It will work in many situations. The legs were larger/thicker than other carbon tripods I've looked at, and it does seem to be sturdy.

Let's be realistic here...I own an aluminum Gitzo tripod that goes to almost 70" tall. It was an excellent price, and coupled with the head I chose, it meets my needs. I also own a Bogen/Manfrotto that is very heavy and durable and extends to about 70", too, but its weight (10 pounds with the head) is more than I want to lug around. It works well as an indoor tripod now. But this Benro tripod will be convenient for many of my outdoor photos. Normally I either take my 24-70mm f/2.8, the 70-300mm f/4.5-5.6, and/or the 18-35mm f/3.5-4.5. It will easily accommodate all of these lenses. The only lens I'd be hesitant to use with this is my 70-200mm f/2.8. To be comfortable with it and to keep it from tipping, I'd have to open the legs more making the height of the tripod lower. Other than that, it should be fine with all my other gear.

So who else took advantage of this sale? :cheerful:

Just a couple observations.

The folding is typical of a travel tripod and the same as the MeFoto Roadtrip I have (I believe there was an image of how it folks in the series of images on the site, though the orientation of all parts may not have been completely evident. It's a little inconvenient if you have the neck down, but the idea behind it is compactness and that's its smallest orientation.

The tightness was evident on my lay flat tripod as well. It was a little awkward to get used to at first, but it's become a little comforting on the back end. I'd rather have it tight than slip. It may have something to do with the CF and the plastic parts(?) but who knows. The already loosened pieces would cause me to pause - maybe not the head (IIRC I had to put the head on mine). Could have possibly been a return, and at that price on a closeout I wouldn't worry too much about it provided everything works properly.

Can't comment on the tipping with the bigger lens other than to say that it always pays to pay attention to the landscape and orient the legs against tipping in any situation. If you're using the tripod foot on the lens (one would assume you'd have to) it should balance well. The heavier the load on top the more likely I am to hang a weight from the bottom of the center post which adds significantly to stability.

BackdoorHippie said:

Just a couple observations....

Click to expand...

Thanks for your input. Although I looked at the images on B&H, the one showing how it is folded didn't register with me. It isn't a problem...just never saw anything like that. Thought it was an unusual way to store it but isn't a problem.

And thanks for letting me know the tightness was something you encountered, too. Sure, I can loosen the joints, but as you mentioned, I wouldn't want it to become too loose.

Later today I will look at it again and check out the head. I didn't look closely to be sure it is the correct head--and if it's possible to be a return, I just want to be sure it's the right head. This is my first ball head--will need to work with it as I've only used the heads with levers. I don't want my camera to go kerplunk on the ground.