Benro TRCB069 Travel Angel

[Abel]

Review: Benro TRCB069 Travel Angel

The Benro TRCB069 Travel Angel tripod replaced my larger, heavier Gitzo & Markins ballhead combo. The Benro tripod coupled with my Crumpler 6 Million Dollar Home camera bag has been my go-to travel rig for the past year. My New Year's Resolution for 2010 was to travel more in order to get out and shoot more photos. In order to make the most of my trips I decided to slim down my traveling photography rig considerably and this tripod helped out a lot in that regard.


Features:

• Light weight carbon fiber construction
• Arca Swiss compatible quick release and camera plate
• Center column hook to accomodate support weight
• Compact design allowing for easy travel
• Nylon carrrying case
• Rubber feet (removable) provides a secure grip
• Anti-twist leg sections
• Adjustable height center column
• Dust and water-resistant leg lock design
• Adjustable matching ballhead has three independent locking knobs to separately control general positioning, panning, and friction control
• Offers two leg-angle settings to accommodate uneven terrain or awkward shooting situations

Specifications:

• Leg Sections 5
• Max Height: 54.3 inches
• Normal Height: 47.8 inches
• Folded Length: 13.1 inches
• Weight: 3.6 lbs
• Max Load: 13.2 lbs

Summary:

I used to travel with a larger Gitzo Carbon Fiber 1227 Tripod paired with a Markins M10 Ballhead which is considerably heavier and larger than the Benro Tripod. That larger setup spent more time in the hotel room since it was a bit of a burden to carry around on a daily basis when I wasn't even sure if I would be using it that day.

The Benro's collapsable, compact design is very nice and allows me to attach it to the bottom of my Crumpler 6 Million Dollar Home very easily. This is a major plus for me because now I carry it everytime I grab my camera bag for a shoot which ensures that if I need a tripod for any given shot then I'll have one available.

Function:

Being such a compact tripod there are a few items that have to be sacrificed in order to accomodate the design. You'll notice the normal tripod height is about 48" tall and about 54" tall with the center column fully extended. This can be a major deal breaker for some photographers but I feel the advantages of having a lightweight, well built, stable tripod that you can carry very easily far out weighs the disadvantage of having it be on the "short side" when it comes to it's overall height.

The overal design and construction of this tripod is top notch. It is Gitzo-esque which is very impressive for the price and what all is included. The supplied ballhead features a Arcaswiss style quick release plate which also comes with a small camera plate. I currently use a Really Right Stuff camera plate on my Canon 5dmk2 and the Benro quick release clamp works great with it.

Benro states the max load on this tripod is 13.2lbs. I have never had anywhere close to that kind of weight on it but I can tell you what the heaviest setup I've used on it. The most weight I've had on this tripod/ballhead combo is my Canon 5dmk2 (2 lbs) with a Canon 24-70 f/2.8L lens (2 lbs) attached which totals around the 4 lb mark. The ballhead never flinched. It stays right where I set it every time. Other heads I have used in the past have had a "droop" which just drove me crazy. Meaning once I lock doen the head the camera/lens would "droop" a small bit which threw off my original composition. In order to combat that I had to account for the "droop" and aim a little higher so that after the inevitable "droop" my composition would line up how I want it to. So not cool. Very annoying.

Benro attached to my Crumpler Shoulder Bag:

My Sample Photos:

Canon EOS-5D Mark II : Canon EF 15 Fisheye : 25" : f/22 : 50 ISO : 15mm : Shutter Priority : 0 Bias : No Flash
City Hall - Philadelphia, PA - April 2010



Canon EOS-5D Mark II : Canon EF 15 Fisheye : 1/10th : f/4.5 : 1000 ISO : 15mm : Aperture Priority : +1 Bias : No Flash
Citi Field - New York City, NY - April 2010

The Verdict:

It's a no brainer. I would not replace this Benro tripod with any other that I have seen on the market. This tripod may not be for everyone and that's completely understandable but for me and my shooting/travel style it's a perfect fit. I feel that I enjoy my photo trips so much more now since I don't have to lug around my massive older tripod rig in order to get the shot I want, the Benro does the trick! Plus it weighs around 3.5 lbs total and measures about 13" long when folded for storage. Wow.

If you too feel burdened by carrying around a large tripod all of the time and aren't necessarily shooting with a 400 f/2.8 or 500 f/4 lens then you should definitely give the Benro TRCB069 Travel Angel tripod a chance. You won't be disappointed.

Me, my Crumpler & my Benro Tripod - Jackson Hole, WY - June 2010 - Photo by Wil Bloodworth

Where To Buy:

Find the lowest price on this tripod in the Pixtus Amazon Store located here:


Benro TRCB069 Travel Angel

[Abel]

Quick note...

I paid about $375 for this tripod when I bought it and there's currently a reseller in our TPF Amazon Store selling them for $260. That's $115 OFF from what I paid!

Just sayin' =)

[groovyone]

Too add to your review, I have been using the Benro TRCB269 Travel Angel.

I completely agree with your 069 review. I bought this tripod just before a trip to New Hampshire. It was so nice to be able to easily carry it with me in place of my heavy Aluminum Giottos. It is also very comfortable strapped to the back of my LowePro Flipside 300.

I regularly use this with my A900+VG and any of my 2lb or so Zeiss lenses with no issues. it also works very well with my 70-200G mounted to it.

My only complaint is the height, but I knew what I was getting into. I am 6'3" and even with the VG on the camera I have to bend over, but I knew that would be the case. The incredible compact folded size is well worth the trade off.

I think this model has been discontinued in favor of the Benro C2691T. The new until has a leg that can be removed and used as a monopod, but the folded size is less compact, so I chose the TRCB269.

[ngoduyviet]

^ the scenery is beautiful and would be great for any shoot.

[Abel]

Thanks for the added info Keith... I love the photo you added showing how to use the tripod inverted like that. I've thought of trying it but never got around to it.

Thanks again!

[groovyone]

Originally Posted by Abel

Thanks for the added info Keith... I love the photo you added showing how to use the tripod inverted like that. I've thought of trying it but never got around to it.

Thanks again!

It worked incredibly well!

The shot is so-so, but the fact that I was able to get it with my slow MF STF is handy.

[SpeedRacerSlots]

This is the same tripod that we started a thread about in the tripod section a while back.
After borrowing a friends and shooting with it, I love this tripod and plan on picking one up for myself soon primarily for my trips where I need something more portable than my 055X

[Abel]

That's cool Greg... If you don't need the detachable leg that turns into a monopod that the newer model has you might wanna hurry and get this previous model. Especially with the major price break some places are having on them.

[RubenZamora]

Do you guys know if the Center Column can be vertical or horizontal? Or is it a fixed up and down verticle column.

[Abel]

Actually the center column can't be oriented horizontally like for macro or offset shooting etc. It's vertical only, up and down. It can be used traditionally like I have shown in my photos or inverted like in Keith's photo as well.

Hope this helps. Thanks.

[groovyone]

Originally Posted by RubenZamora

Do you guys know if the Center Column can be vertical or horizontal? Or is it a fixed up and down verticle column.

Like Abel said, up and down only. My Giottos MT-9360 had the pivoting center column that was handy at times, but it was a lousy travel tripod so I sold it to fund the Benro.

[sandboa]

I've had two different Benro tripods over the last 5 years or so. They don't have the same naming sequence as yours as I bought them from a place in Hong Kong, but I can vouch for their quality. They are outstanding tripods, particularly for the price.

I paid $100 for my first pair of legs (approximately the size of the ones you describe) and then added another heavier, taller set. My more expensive Manfrotto legs haven't seen the light of day since I got my Benros.

The only sad thing is that after Benro's US distribution network improved, their prices doubled.

[contributor_M]

Can you add a different head to this tripod or are you stuck with the one that ships with it?

[groovyone]

Originally Posted by contributor_M

Can you add a different head to this tripod or are you stuck with the one that ships with it?

You can change them. It does require a small radius mount to get the legs to close. Markins makes one for the Gitzo Traveler that should work on the Benro too.

[soymilk]

im really interested in this tripod now, but the price seems like its gone up. Abel, did this actually replace your tripod? or is it just your travel tripod?