The holy grail of tripod design is, perhaps, manufacturing a travel tripod that is as stable and strong as a full-size tripod, while keeping to the travel tripod form factor, and these new offerings from MeFOTO and Benro show that we’re closer to than than ever.
Coming in at different price points and feature lists, these new tripods deserve individual attention.
MeFOTO S Travel
First, the MeFOTO S Travel line. There are three tripods in this line – the BackPacker S, the RoadTrip S, and the GlobeTrotter S. All three are available in both aluminum and carbon fiber. In a very efficient design, MeFOTO allows the tripod legs to fold up against the center column for tight packing. You can also combine a tripod leg with the center column to convert the tripod into a monopod. And, in the MeFOTO tradition of making good products that look good, these tripods are available in five anodized finishes – Black, Titanium, Blue, Red, and Green.
The three versions are differentiated in size and load capacity. Although they all have a two-section center column, the BackPacker S reaches a height of 54.7 inches (139 cm), the RoadTrip S reaches 59.4 inches (151 cm), and the Globetrotter S reaches 61.6 inches (156.5 cm). As far as maximum load is concerned, the BackPacker S will support a load of 13.2 pounds (6 kg), the RoadTrip S will hold 17.6 pounds (8 kg), and the GlobeTrotter S will bring it up to 26.5 pounds (12 kg).
The entire S Travel line is available for purchase now. The BackPacker S in aluminum is listing at , and in carbon fiber it will go for . The RoadTrip S in aluminum is , while in carbon fiber that model will be listed at . Lastly, the GlobeTrotter S in (only in carbon fiber), is going for a list price of .
Benro Tripster
Benro’s new Tripster line also comes in three flavors. They are all called Tripster: the Tripster 0 Series, Tripster 1 Series, and Tripster 2 Series. Available in Black, Blue, and Titanium, and in carbon fiber and aluminum versions, there’s something here for everyone. 0 Series and 1 Series have five leg segments. Tripster 2 Series has only four leg segments for additional stability (in addition to the two segments in the center column that all the series share).
The Tripster 0 Series starts at a list price of for the aluminum version, which rises to an affordable for the carbon fiber version. Carrying a load of 13 pounds (6 kg), the aluminum version weighs only 2.5 pounds (1.13 kg), while the carbon fiber version drops to 2.2 pounds (0.98 kg). Tripster 0 Series rises to a maximum height of 54.7 inches (56.1 when converted to a monopod).
The Tripster 1 Series bumps up the specs in terms of load and height – 18 pounds (8 kg) and 59.3 inches (or 61. 4 as a monopod), respectively. And, insofar as weight is concerned, the aluminum version weighs 3.4 pounds (1.55 kg) and the carbon fiber one an even 3 pounds (1.36 kg). The prices are very respectable — for the aluminum model and for the carbon fiber version.
Lastly, the Tripster 2 Series is the flagship of this product family. Only available in carbon fiber, for you get a tripod that holds 26 pounds (12 kg), has a maximum height of 61.4 inches (64.2 inches as a monopod) and weighs only 3.5 pounds (1.6 kg)!
There are no bad choices here – each of these tripods speaks to a different set of needs. But the inner geek in me has to make a special note of appreciation to Benro for using zero-based numbering in their product line.
