Benro Slim Travel

£125/$156 Slim by name and nature

This tripod is based on 5-section legs and a 2-section centre column, with the usual facilities of swing-up legs for reduced folded height and the ability to use one of the legs and the detachable centre column as a monopod.

The aluminium version of the kit sells for £99/$115 but, in the UK at least, this carbon fibre edition isn’t much more expensive, while shaving 130g off the weight. Even so, the max load rating is pretty respectable at 4kg. The tripod folds down to just 32cm, making it easy to pack inside a bag, although the maximum operating height is a little restrictive at 130cm. The monopod is similarly short at 133cm, but least a monopod configuration is available.

The ball head performs well, but lacks an adjustable friction damper and an independent panning lock. A neat touch is that the blue accents of the head are also featured in twist grips for the centre column and leg sections, the latter being made from aluminium alloy.

Performance

Rigidity is good for such a light tripod, but not as impressive as in the heavier tripods. There also tends to be more sag in the tripod head, after tightening the clamp and releasing your grip on the camera.