Benro Review - Head to Head with Gitzo and Manfrotto Tripods

1. The GT3532LS legs have needed two replacement legs over the ten years due to the carbon fibre breaking down and splintering.  I wouldn’t say that was definitely down to the quality of the product, but anyone who knows me, knows I take very good care of my equipment.  Secondly, the G-Lock rubber seals, that you use to tighten and untighten and the 3 legs have stretched over the years and when wet from rain they become very loose, making it difficult and often frustrating to get a secure lock on the leg positions.

2. The overall weight of the  GT3532LS legs with the Manfrotto 405 Geared Head is a consideration when you are walking up hills or over any distance with all your other equipment.  Whilst I certainly wouldn’t call the combination heavy, it certainly reminds you that you are carrying it when you walk more than a mile or two or an ascent.  It is worth pointing out early on in this review that the majority of the weight burden comes from the Manfrotto 405 Geared Head as you will see from the comparison table below.

3. I am frequently asked by clients what tripod and head I recommend for them.  We all know this question always results in the “depends” response but even when the answer is the  GT3532LS legs with the Manfrotto 405 Geared Head the cost becomes a barrier for most amateurs with not much change from a £1,000 and that’s if you manage to find a deal somewhere. So this review will hopefully meet the needs of some of those enquiries.

Having acquired the Mefoto Globetrotter - Carbon Fibre a few years back, for use when travelling overseas, I was interested to see if the MAC Group also produced a good alternative to the Gitzo/405 setup.  

Benro is one of the brands in the MAC Group, alongside Mefoto and Tenba.  I was so impressed with the Mefoto Globetrotter as my lightweight (3.70 lbs), compact and sturdy solution it has been my top recommendation for the majority of my clients for the last two-three years.  The aluminium version is excellent value at around £110-£150 (depending on what colour you pick) that it falls within most amateurs budget and needs.

Link Mefoto Globetrotter on Amazon

Following a discussion with the MAC Group Brand Manager I discovered that they were about to launch a combination head and legs that would be an ideal match and comparison to Gitzo/405 combination, so when then the Benro product arrived in early November 2018 I was very excited to unpack it and give it a road test, which happened to be Glencoe a week later.

The first impressions of what arrived were excellent.  Clearly great build quality in the geared head and tripod legs but I was also impressed with all of the accessories that are included.  Various feet and attachments, tool kit and a padded protective carrying bag all reassured me that this was a quality product straight out of the box.  The test would be in its use out in the field or in my case in wet conditions in Scotland.

Since that inaugural trip I have not used the Gitzo/405 combination and the C3770TN Benro Combination Tripod with the GD3WH Geared Head has become my default setup on workshops.  So far, over 15 workshops later and over the equivalent of 25 days in use, it has stood up to every test and has not shown any issues. Now, of course, I have to be fair and say that the Gitzo/405 combination has had 10 years of hard use so can I really compare one over the other?  The answer is probably not just yet, but my experience tells me that the C3770TN legs definitely feel more durable and easier to use than the Gitzo 3532LS, importantly the G-lock seal's on the C3770TN feel more rugged and secure than the Gitzo ever does, even when new. Time will tell if the Benro-combo stands the test of time and durability.