Camera Labs

Hi All

I am planning to buy a tripod and currently in a fix whether to go for manfrotto or benro.

Here at my place , we have a discount on Benro and the price is quite tempting , but i heard manfrotto is best in the business. My basic hobby is wildlife , bird photography , portraits , landscapes.. i know i mentioned almost everything , so you must have known by this time that i need a solid tripod for all the categories i said.. I was thinking of 055PROXB , then 055CXPRO4.. obviously the first one was quite affordable and the later is not.. but then again , i dont want to keep my 7D and 70-200 2.8L mk2 on some cheap stuff and get worried all the time.. future i am also planning to buy some long lens , so keeping everything under consideration , what would you suggest me ? Also i am not sure of which head is good for wildlife? Ball head or the tilt head(like 804RC2) etc.. going through some posts here i understand that wimberly is best for wildlife but it is almost costing me the price of 055CXPRO4 tripod ...

Is benro a good tripod? if it is , then i can plan for wimberly as head , coz i can save some money .. i really dont want to compromise , but would love to get guidance from you all on any other trusted alternatives which are economic.. Pls help me..

Regards
Mano

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Canon EOS 5D mk III|Canon EOS 7D | 70-200 F2.8 L IS II USM | 400 F5.6 L USM

Hi Mano.

I've no idea on Benro sorry, but in general, get the best you can afford. Also make sure that it will easily hold the weight that you intend to use in the future, they are weight rated. (same applies to ball-heads) Carbon fibre are obviously lightr to carry, but more expensive. (& possibly not as sturdy with a heavy lens on top)
Re birds, I can recommend the Manfrotto 393; viewtopic.php?f=25&t=28468

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Nikon D800E & D700 bodies + Nikon AF-S 80-400mm f4.5-5.6G ED VR, 50mm F1.4G, 16-35mm f/4G VR, 105 F2.8 VR macro, 70-300mm lenses. A couple of filters, Giotto tripod & ballhead. Lowepro Slingshot 302 AW

http://www.flickr.com/photos/oldcarlos/

I'd say go for Manfrotto, more trusty, better quality.

Benro's got good price, but made in China and all that... no way!

ever heard of Induro? they're a Japanese alternative to the the Wimberly head, costs 40% less and it is an exact copy of the Wimberly head, its also very sturdy and well built.

but if ur looking for the most reliable and strong tripods yet lightweight, have a look at Gitzo and have a look at Basalt fiber tripods they're not as light (still quite light) or as expensive as Carbon fiber:P

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http://www.AnderssonPhoto.com
Cameras: Leica M8, Nikon FE-2, Canon EOS 1D Mark IV, 5D Mark II, 40D
Lenses: Voigtländer Nokton Classic 35mm 1.4, Ultra Wide Heliar 12mm 5.6 ASPH II, Nikkor AI-S 28mm 2.8, Canon 24-70 2.8L, 85mm 1.2L II, 300mm 2.8L IS, TS-E 45mm 2.8, Sigma 105mm 2.8 Macro
Canon 1.4x/2X TC II, Canon 580EX II X2, Gitzo + Manfrotto.
Wishlist: Leica Monochrom, Summilux 50 ASPH, Voigtlander 35mm 1.2 ASPH II

The Induro `gimbals` are still more expensive than the Manfrotto 393 though. Aren't Induro & Benro the same company?

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Nikon D800E & D700 bodies + Nikon AF-S 80-400mm f4.5-5.6G ED VR, 50mm F1.4G, 16-35mm f/4G VR, 105 F2.8 VR macro, 70-300mm lenses. A couple of filters, Giotto tripod & ballhead. Lowepro Slingshot 302 AW

http://www.flickr.com/photos/oldcarlos/

I just got a 190CXPRO4, ordered the 3, but as they couldn`t deliver in time, they upgraded to the 4 at no extra cost. I was a little concerned with the stability in the 4, but seems stable enough with the 70-300L mounted on the 7D. Its about .5kg lighter than the 70-200 but even with the flash on top and fully extending the lens, its still surprisingly stable.
I wanted the flexibility of taking this bushwalking, so went for the 190 over the 055.
I bought the 498RC4 midi ball head to go with it and the height without extending anything is good for me.

So far quite impressed with the stability and strength of it. But then I don`t really have had anything to compare it to.

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Canon Powershot S95, Canon 6D,7D, 24-70 2.8 Tamron VC, Canon 15-85, Canon 85 1.8, Sigma 30 1.4, 50mm 1.8, Canon 100 2.8L Macro, Canon 70-300L +Kenko 1.4 Pro 300DGX, Canon 430EX II and RS 4 Classic