High Weight-to-Support Ratio and Travel Friendly Benro C2682TB1 Tripod Kit
Life is compared to a voyage and for this journey, photography is one of the best ways to memory it. I like travel and photography but heavy cameras and support equipment do distress me. The tripod I use now is made of metal. It is stable but is too heavy. It is not easy to carry it anywhere, especially when I go on a journey. On the lookout for a travel tripod, my friend told me that the Travel Angel II tripod kits Benro newly developed are lightweight and have high weight-to support ratio, especially carbon fiber models. He has bought the C2682TB1 model. After trying it out, I bought the same one. And I wrote a review, hoping it can help some photographers who are looking for high weight-to support ratio and lightweight support equipment.
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Benro C2682TB1 Travel Angel Tripod Kit
The C2682TB1 Travel Angel II triple transfunctional carbon fiber tripod kit with B1 ball head from Benro is a multi-functional support system that has been newly upgraded based on the predecessor Travel Angel models. The newly upgraded model is not only waterproof, anti-vibration and being able to be locked and released quickly (the predecessor Travel Angel tripods also have these features) , but also features detachable leg which can be converted into a full-size monopod, a compact monopod and a walking stick by combining with center column, ball head and the wooden knob with integrated compass. It is more versatile and multi-functional.
B1 Ball Head
The B1 ball head (the above picture showed) is a lightweight head which offers separate lock and drag adjustment knobs for a dual-action control, which firmly secures our gear and operates more easily and smoothly.
There are 6 rubber pads on the plate, which ensures a closely connect with the camera for a very stable configuration.
The 2 screws at each end of the plate (on the bottom) can prevent the camera from sliding out of the holder by accident and the lengthened guard rail is good for adjusting the camera’s gravity.
The signs (the short vertical bar“∣” on quick release plate and the tiny “Φ” on the baseplate) are designed to indicate whether the quick release is in the center of the slot, which is good to remind us of the plate’s gravity.
Adjusting the location of the quick release can shift the weight of camera.
The integrated fluorescent bubble level ensures precise image alignment.
One more thing, the quick release adopts lock device constructed by slot with lock latch to increase locking force and secure the safety of camera. It is required to unscrew the positioning control firstly, pull out the knob and screw off it once again if you try to get the plate out. (showed as the following 3 pics)
The dual-action control prevents greatly camera from falling off caused by forgetting accidently to lock the quick release.
For the ball adjustment, the B1 head has upgraded its positioning knob and drag knob with different size to control its tilt and swivel. The larger one is positioning control and the smaller one is drag control.
The head can set flexibly multi angles to expand the shooting view, making photography more flexible and marvelous.
Distinguished from other heads on the market today, the Benro B1 ball head designs a 360° graduated panning scale which is good for panoramic shooters to adjust properly the head for precise image alignment.
The standard 3/8”-16 head mount thread size is compatible with most of the tripods on the market.
Tripod
The main casting is made of magnesium alloy for higher stability and the center column adopts sliding with telescoping extension by the capacious rubber ring for stronger locking force.
And the groove design on the main column not only increases the lock force but also prevents the column’s self-rotation.
The C2682T tripod model can be extended up to 1380mm without center column extended and the maximize height with all the leg sections extended and center column extended is about 1645mm, which can meet most of needs of photographers with different height.
When opened, the leg can be locked individually into place at three different angles to allow photographers to spread it over different surface areas for different shooting needs.
different leg angles
A spring-loaded metal hook at the bottom of the center column allows us to hang a sand bag or some other weights for increased stability.
The upgraded C2682T carbon fiber legs still adopt twist lock. I prefer the rubberized ring to the flap lock. The rubberized locking rings not only provide protection and save space while carrying the tripod, but also keep the legs anti-dust. And it enables fast set up by only a slight unscrewing of the ring.
There are rubber feet and stainless steel spikes two choices for the leg feet. The screw-in rubber feet grab hold on any solid surface and the additional steel spikes can be used on slippery ground or grass lawns for stability.
The steel spike makes the tripod sturdy when shooting on some soft surface areas.
Unscrew the hook and you can reverse the center column so that the camera can be set up down to ground level which is convenient for low level minimize depth-of-field.
Benro Travel Angel II tripod kits can convert a tripod into a monopod and by removing the head and installing the wooden knob with integrated compass and hand strap, it can become a walking stick too. And the comfortable and firm foam grip on the removable leg makes the carrying comfortable even in extreme weather. Therefore, it deserves the name of “Travel Angel”.
The leg with blue ring can be removed to convert into monopod and a walking stick.
Mount the center column and head to get a longer monopod.
walking stick
use of walking stick
One more thing, there is an additional Allen Key in the package. When you want to lock the quick release and loose or tighten the leg, it helps a lot.
The Allen Key screws the plate into the camera more tightly.
Use the Allen Key to adjust the tightness of legs.
The Benro C2682TB1 can support my EF 70-200mm f/2.8 easily and stably.
For location and travel shoots or landscape photography, when the light is dark and to assure the image quality, it is required to use smaller aperture with slower shutter speeds. Under this circumstance, the Benro tripod gives sturdy support to ensure the picture composition to be compact, stable and clear.
Conclusion
The newly upgraded Benro Travel Angel II tripod kit pays more attention to the detailed function and the fine workmanship. Based on the rich experience in photography accessories industry, Benro develops products according to the different needs of different users. For the lightweight and sturdy C2682TB1 tripod kit, it is not only a tripod, but also can convert into a monopod and a walking stick without even one tool. It can meet the need of professional photographers and is travel friendly for the compact and 180° fold-up leg.