The Most Versatile Camera Tripod of 2012 – Benro Mefoto A1350Q1T

Benro MeFoto A1350Q1T Transfunctional Tripod Kit (Titanium)

A tripod is a funny thing, everyone tells you that it’s the most important piece of photography equipment, yet everyone buys the cheapest tripod they can find and hardly every take it with them.  Even if you do spring for the tripod with all the bells and whistles I’d be willing to bet you hardly ever take it with you unless you know you’ll need it.

I have had the opportunity to test a number of tripods over the past 6 months to figure out which ones were worth the extra scratch you’ll inevitably have to pay for quality.  Before this, one of my favorite tripods has been the Slik Pro 700DX that I’ve been using for some time now with no complaints.  Just recently though I have fallen in love with one of the most versatile tripods I’ve ever used, the Benro MeFoto titanium tripod.

Note:  If your on a budget then I still highly recommend the Slik Pro 700DX at $160 on Amazon.

When you think of your tripod what’s the first thing you think of?  How about the awkward length and it’s weight?  I’ve tried everything from rigging it to the bottom of my pack to screwing it into the bottom of my camera and throwing it over my shoulder fully extended like a stick with a handkerchief full of my belongings.  That’s where the Benro tripod hooked me, it’s collapsible to 15.4″ and only weighs 3.6 pounds…

Versatile

The tripod can extend to almost 62 inches as a tripod and you can break it down into a 64″ monopod without the need for wrenches or screwdrivers.  Impressive.  I have little need for a monopod but I’ll admit that when I have the option I enjoy using it, if you’re an avid hiker then this is a selling point for you.  It’s nice to be able to strip an already light tripod down to an even lighter monopod.  Also, the middle column can be inverted to get close up shots of things near the ground as well.

When traveling with the tripod you’ll be pleasantly surprised that the legs fold up instead of hanging down, this makes taking it down and stowing it in your bag a pleasure.

Build Quality

This tripod is light, so light that I was worried it would feel dinky.  With any tripod there are always trade-offs, either its super light and dinky or it’s heavy and a pain to travel with.  This tripod navigates these waters very well.  It’s very light so high wind could be a problem, fortunately Benro thought of this and put a spring-loaded hook on the center post where you can hang a weight or your bag.  Brilliant!  The ball head works smoothly with three different knobs to control movement.  One knob locks the entire head from moving, the second knob locks the panning, and the last knob adjusts the speed at which you can move the head when adjusting.

The tripod comes in many colors which is a welcome change to the normal black and dark grey tripods I’m used to.  The Benro MeFoto sells for $229 on Amazon.com.

Photographs Courtesy of Amazon.com

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