Benro go Plus Travel FGP28C

£418/$469

a dazzling array of features, well implemented

Whereas the Benro Mach3 keeps everything simple, the Go Plus Travel is a sophisticated tripod that incorporates just about every trick and treat, featuring all of the latest and most innovative design concepts. As such, it has swing-up legs that enable it to shrink down to a carrying length of just 49cm, yet it extends to a generous height of 179cm, compared with the Mach3’s 171cm.

The extra height is due to the legs having four sections, but this means there are three extra clamps to tackle. Each extra clamp can result in reduced rigidity, and the bottom leg sections tend to be thinner, in this case with a diameter of 19mm compared with the Mach3’s 22mm. Even so, the Go Plus Travel’s stability and resistance to flexing is almost as good as that of the Mach3, even at its max operating height.

Like only the Vanguard in this group, the pivoting centre column can be rotated vertically through a 180-degree arc, with multiple locking angles along the way. This makes the feature more versatile than in tripods that only offer a 90-degree pivot for upright or horizontal use. Performance

After being folded to its minimum size, the tripod takes longer to set up for use than most other conventional tripods, but that’s the price you pay for the travel-friendly design. Even so, swinging the legs down and adjusting the centre column is completely painless and all the adjustment mechanisms operate with precision. The pivoting system for the centre column is elegant and every feature of the design is perfectly implemented for this tripod.

Key features1. The spider enables the legs to swing fully upwards for compact stowage.2. The pivoting centre column locks at multiple angles throughout a full 180-degree arc.3. As with the Mach3, the padded leg can be unscrewed for monopod duty.