Thank you for your video. What kind of material is the Benro made of? Is it plastic? I need to buy a new one after my Manfrotto xpro PLASTIC plate rest broke. I don't want to make the same mistake...I considered the 410 too but it is so heavy.
Hi. Thanks for the review. Really helpful. I have a question though. It has to do with the durability of both of those geared heads. I am planning on buying a new tripod and a head for architectural photography and I would like to get a set up that last as much as possible. What is your opinion on that regarding those two? Cheers
I still own both of them, but I use the Benro for most of my work as it has the Swiss Arca system and I find that much easier to use than the fiddly Manfrotto QR plate. The Benro head is also considerably lighter. I do think, however, think that the Manfrotto head is more sturdy & durable than the Benro.
@@AWalkontheWildSideBlackpool I do have a 70mm Arca type adapter attached to the mounting plate of the 410. It is rock solid and it allows me to use the Arca plates. The 410 mounting plate is huge and very very solid.
Please be aware of badly made plates. Arca Swiss has been the only system where my camera has dropped to the floor owing to one of these plates. After examination I found that the machining was not done accurately and the jaws of the receiver did not latch into the grooves of the plate although it felt and appeared to be a solid fit. Buy good buy once is the best advice.
Thanks John. I have had a few close calls regarding using different brands of plates. Some of them have protruding screws which don't allow the plate to sit in the head, so I have to be very careful when mixing & matching.
What's that riser you are using under the lens on the Benro head? I need one to accommodate a large format field camera that the tilt knob prohibits from attaching. It would be great if you can tell me the exact brand and model of that riser/spacer. Haven't seen that anywhere. Thanks
There's no riser. That must just be the top of the tripod, but Benro do make a spacer which allows the head to tip backwards without the knobs fouling the tripod.
I bought this head and am very happy with it. But I take a lot of panoramas, and then I used the leveling base on the stand. I have two leveling base, but none of them fit this head because it does not pass the bottom screw / wheel on the head. So I wonder if you know of a leveling base or adapter that fits this head.
I'm not quite sure what you mean about the levelling base. I tend to just arrange the legs so it is as level as possible before doing a panorama, although it's never quite as simple as just getting the bubble in the circle. You still tend to see the camera go off level when turning 180 degrees.
having to fiddle with a new geared head would winde me up to snapping point , benro says use a half inch spacer on manfrotto tripods great pictures buddy .it started off a little uninspiring how old was the manfrotto head before you eeplaced it , you can bolt an arca swiss platform onto anything these days .
@@AWalkontheWildSideBlackpool anything that can be fixed with a tweak of an allen key up a mountain or in a swamp gets my vote , thanks for pointing it out , its mico narrowed my choice to the blue spectrum 😊
I think if you are using a fairly large telescope like that, this mount may be a little weedy. It does suffer from flexure, so I would look at something more sturdy like the Manfrotto 405.
I now use a video head for my cameras which has a sliding plate that will not slide out and has the convince of a drop-in and quick release plate. All the convince and movement you could ever wish for. Manfrotto MVH500AH
thanks for sharing the fault fix , great tip im sure lots of peeps will find helpfull , . im stuck between the two . the manfrottos arent as well made as the older version. the benro needs a spacer to fit a manfrotto ( to clear the bottom/ lowest knob ) ,
I used to hate the Benro (got it as a last minute buy after I broke my Manfrotto 405). I do not like the fact that you have to swing the camera RIGHT in order to shoot vertically, but that's just me. In order to swing LEFT you have to lock the camera "backwards" on the head, in other words with the locking knob facing forward. It's odd but it works. I actually find the Benro gears much more precise and way smoother than the Manfrotto's. Plus it's way lighter. We'll find out if it holds the test of time... BTW I do not use the small Benro plate, mine is an Arcatech (on my Canon Mk IV) and it's been working fine so far with heavy Tilt Shift lenses.
Boidlmocha after a year of using the Benro, I still like it. It’s just way lighter than the Manfrotto. You just have to treat it carefully as it is more lightweight and has more plastic parts but having said that, it is by no way a “cheap” head. Just be careful not to bang the locking knob (same could be said for other knobs). The movements are as smooth and précise than on the Manfrotto.
Personally I found the manfrotto quick release more practical in general. Really fast and safe. On the benro you have to screws to release the camera. It will take more time. Nice photos btw !
Fantastic photography buddy.
Thank you so much 😀
Thank you for your video. What kind of material is the Benro made of? Is it plastic? I need to buy a new one after my Manfrotto xpro PLASTIC plate rest broke. I don't want to make the same mistake...I considered the 410 too but it is so heavy.
The Benro is carbon fibre. I recommend there tripods over Manfrotto, although the 410 geared head is very well engineered.
Hi. Thanks for the review. Really helpful.
I have a question though. It has to do with the durability of both of those geared heads. I am planning on buying a new tripod and a head for architectural photography and I would like to get a set up that last as much as possible. What is your opinion on that regarding those two?
Cheers
I still own both of them, but I use the Benro for most of my work as it has the Swiss Arca system and I find that much easier to use than the fiddly Manfrotto QR plate. The Benro head is also considerably lighter. I do think, however, think that the Manfrotto head is more sturdy & durable than the Benro.
@@AWalkontheWildSideBlackpool thank you 🙂
@@AWalkontheWildSideBlackpool I do have a 70mm Arca type adapter attached to the mounting plate of the 410. It is rock solid and it allows me to use the Arca plates. The 410 mounting plate is huge and very very solid.
@@lensman5762 I could probably adapt mine like that, I suppose. The 410 is more beefier than my Benro geared head, and better in the wind.
Please be aware of badly made plates. Arca Swiss has been the only system where my camera has dropped to the floor owing to one of these plates. After examination I found that the machining was not done accurately and the jaws of the receiver did not latch into the grooves of the plate although it felt and appeared to be a solid fit. Buy good buy once is the best advice.
Thanks John. I have had a few close calls regarding using different brands of plates. Some of them have protruding screws which don't allow the plate to sit in the head, so I have to be very careful when mixing & matching.
Thanks Steve,I just ordered one to use with my Nikon P1000.Thanks again for the great review.
What's that riser you are using under the lens on the Benro head? I need one to accommodate a large format field camera that the tilt knob prohibits from attaching. It would be great if you can tell me the exact brand and model of that riser/spacer. Haven't seen that anywhere. Thanks
There's no riser. That must just be the top of the tripod, but Benro do make a spacer which allows the head to tip backwards without the knobs fouling the tripod.
I bought this head and am very happy with it. But I take a lot of panoramas, and then I used the leveling base on the stand. I have two leveling base, but none of them fit this head because it does not pass the bottom screw / wheel on the head. So I wonder if you know of a leveling base or adapter that fits this head.
I'm not quite sure what you mean about the levelling base. I tend to just arrange the legs so it is as level as possible before doing a panorama, although it's never quite as simple as just getting the bubble in the circle. You still tend to see the camera go off level when turning 180 degrees.
how hard was it to remove the benro covers to tighten those screws? Did you have to damage the covers to pry them off?
Not that easy without damaging them, but Benro will send you some new ones if you ask them.
Is it possible to use the Benro on top of a tracker?
I wouldn't use a geared head on top of a tracker, but rather just for aligning it. I use a Benro B2 ball head to go on top of the tracker.
having to fiddle with a new geared head would winde me up to snapping point , benro says use a half inch spacer on manfrotto tripods great pictures buddy .it started off a little uninspiring how old was the manfrotto head before you eeplaced it , you can bolt an arca swiss platform onto anything these days .
Thanks.
@@AWalkontheWildSideBlackpool anything that can be fixed with a tweak of an allen key up a mountain or in a swamp gets my vote , thanks for pointing it out , its mico narrowed my choice to the blue spectrum 😊
Would whit head work with Maksutov 127mm telescope with 150x magnification in visual observing of the planets?
I think if you are using a fairly large telescope like that, this mount may be a little weedy. It does suffer from flexure, so I would look at something more sturdy like the Manfrotto 405.
I now use a video head for my cameras which has a sliding plate that will not slide out and has the convince of a drop-in and quick release plate. All the convince and movement you could ever wish for. Manfrotto MVH500AH
That's a Manfrotto 410 not a 405.
Thanks - appreciate the review and images are stunning!
thanks for sharing the fault fix , great tip im sure lots of peeps will find helpfull , . im stuck between the two . the manfrottos arent as well made as the older version. the benro needs a spacer to fit a manfrotto ( to clear the bottom/ lowest knob ) ,
No problem. I could really do with the spacer myself, but I get round I by reversing the camera.
amazing photo u got there
Thanks.
For me, the manfrotto quick release is far better and faster. Actually its the reason why im am not getting the benro
Steve, did you use the Benro geared head as your alt-az mount on your tracker? Also, which tracker? Thanks!
Thanks, Steve.
I used to hate the Benro (got it as a last minute buy after I broke my Manfrotto 405). I do not like the fact that you have to swing the camera RIGHT in order to shoot vertically, but that's just me. In order to swing LEFT you have to lock the camera "backwards" on the head, in other words with the locking knob facing forward. It's odd but it works. I actually find the Benro gears much more precise and way smoother than the Manfrotto's. Plus it's way lighter. We'll find out if it holds the test of time... BTW I do not use the small Benro plate, mine is an Arcatech (on my Canon Mk IV) and it's been working fine so far with heavy Tilt Shift lenses.
Hey I'm currently struggeling which one to buy.
What's your opinion now after a few month testing?
Is the Breno worth the 30€ difference?
Boidlmocha after a year of using the Benro, I still like it. It’s just way lighter than the Manfrotto. You just have to treat it carefully as it is more lightweight and has more plastic parts but having said that, it is by no way a “cheap” head. Just be careful not to bang the locking knob (same could be said for other knobs). The movements are as smooth and précise than on the Manfrotto.
Yeah it's a pain than. I do the same thing, but if I just get the spacer I should be ok.
Personally I found the manfrotto quick release more practical in general. Really fast and safe. On the benro you have to screws to release the camera. It will take more time. Nice photos btw !
Thank you. I do still like the Manfrotto. It just wasn't as practical with the standard QR plate.
What?? What's with the MUSIC? T U R N it down!!
I rather like it.
Even then do a test to make sure it will hold