Benro TablePod and More!

The Benro Mammoth & Wildlife head has quickly become my favorite tripod, ever. I next added the Benro Mach3 Series 2 which is the perfect tripod for the Z400f4.5 for stills and video. With that, I went looking deeper into their line for gems and I have found two beauts I’ve added to the kit. You see pictured above the amazing Benro TablePod! (I’m getting them at Bedfords where, when you mention my name you will pay less!). My quest has been for lighter weight but just as stable if not more so tripods. The Benro TablePod knocked my socks off when I first saw it. Weighs in at less than a POUND! It’s legs with a push of button splay out flat with the wide stance you see above being its normal stance. It so easily holds the Z 9 / Z70-200f2.8. That got my attention but what sent me over the moon are the legs inside the legs.

That’s right, there are another set of legs inside the legs you see above (see below). Housed inside the carbon fiber legs are “flex” legs but not just flex legs. The can be screwed in place of the carbon fiber leg, or, they can be added to the carbon fiber legs. They are so strong they hold the Z 8 / Z14-24f2.8 wrapped around the head bar or strut of an airplane! They can do this without any scratches, no slippage and this is really important with aircraft and many other locals where you need to place a tripod. It’s brilliant, I love it! Just look below at how I attached the TablePod with a Z 8 / Z24-70f2.8 to the Tortoise. I really am heads over toes about this small yet powerful tool. I highly recommend it!

The Benro Mach3 Series 2 with the SmallRig Small Fluid video head is my dedicated tripod to the Z 9 / Z400f4.5 combo. I wanted a second, smaller tripod for landscapes and general video work. I had to look no further then the Benro line, their Tortoise Leveling Base #3 tripod with their VX30 Two Series Aluminum Ball Head. The Tortoise weighs in at only 2.8lbs but comes up to eyelevel. It has 1/4 accessory sockets all over the place. Legs can splay flat and with a push of a button, snap right back. It nests right in with the Mach3 in my luggage and compliments it perfectly. I love this new carbon fiber tripod too!

So, like many of you, I now have a number of tripods in the corner of the closet collecting dust now that I’ve updated but that’s ok. Lighter, sturdier tripods that solve my stability issues are a welcomed addition to the gear locker!