Benro Mach3 TMA27C

£368/$410

the Mach3 aims for elegant simplicity

With swing-up legs and pivoting centre columns being featured increasingly in tripods, the Mach3 looks like a traditional affair. It has a very conventional layout of three-section legs that don’t fold upwards for stowage, and a basic height adjustment clamp for the centre column that precludes any pivot facility. It’s therefore easy to write off this tripod as being somewhat basic, but the upside is that it’s superbly quick and easy to set up. Look closer, and you’ll see it’s not short of features either.

A simple but effective locking mechanism enables use of the legs at three different angles to the centre column, and there are bubble levels on the tripod spider and the camera platform of the ball head. For low-level shooting, a stub is supplied that can be swapped with the centre column, and the kit comes complete with interchangeable rubber pads and metal spikes for the feet. The leg that sports comfort padding can be unscrewed and used as a monopod, in conjunction with the removable centre column and ball head.

Performance

The Mach3 is one of the most rigid tripods in the group, along with the Manfrotto 055 and the Novo, maintaining excellent stability even at its maximum operating height, with the centre column fully extended. Adjustments of the leg sections and centre column are smooth, and the B1 ball head works a treat. It features independent clamp and friction damper knobs, plus a pan-only release with a calibrated rotation scale and an Arca-swiss quick-release plate. All in all, the Mach3 is a simple, highly effective tripod.

Key features1. The B1 ball head is sold separately but is a great match for the tripod. 2. A straightforward blue locking ring enables height adjustment of the centre column. 3. The leg with comfort padding unscrews for use as a monopod.