Benro A-169M8 Travel Angel Aluminum Tripod

Comments about Benro A-169M8 Travel Angel Aluminum Tripod:

This tripod is great and plenty steady enough for my Nikon D5000 and heaviest lens, 70-300 mm VR. Some reviewers have said that the leg twist locks are slow, but I haven't found them to be THAT slow.

I also love the fact that this tripod folds small enough to fit in airline carry-on luggage.

Comes with an excellent bag with shoulder strap.

All in all, a great product at a reasonable price.

Comments about Benro A-169M8 Travel Angel Aluminum Tripod:

This is really a nice product, but the load rating is overstated....maybe all tripod manufacturers overstate the load capability of their products...I don't know, but this unit was not robust enough for my 7D and 100-400...too much flex with the lens at 400MM...you can see the vibration in live view mode. Pick this model if you are not using any long heavy lenses.

Comments about Benro A-169M8 Travel Angel Aluminum Tripod:

I was really surprised when I opened the box for this tripod. I've used this tripod with a Nikon D90 with 18-200mm lense. The construction is much better than I expected. It fold small and I find it very easy and fast to set-up and take down. It is a bit heavier than I expected, but I guess it gives it more stability.
I can't see the point in paying double the price for the carbon fibre version for only o.5 lbs lighter. I like the fact that the legs can extent out wide, for low angle shots. The carry case is also very neat. The ball-head is great too. The only con I can think of, is I would have liked a bubble level.

Comments about Benro A-169M8 Travel Angel Aluminum Tripod:

Great Tripod.

Quick build, quick teardown

small, light enough with out being weak or in any way flimsy.

included ball head is good. wish it had a level, but oh well.

Comments about Benro A-169M8 Travel Angel Aluminum Tripod:

The Benro A-169M8 folds to a compact size that easily fits into your suitcase; even carry-ons. Once you arrive at your destination, the convenient carrying case with shoulder strap makes transport a breeze.

The tripod sets-up and breaks down easily and offers all the stability and support I need. My wife and I use this tripod with a Canon Rebel T2i with kit lens, a Canon 50D with kit lens and with the 70 - 200 mm lens. While the weight at 3.5 - 4 lbs sounds light, it will surpise you if stash it in your backpack (feels heavier); however, for the price versus carbon and the minimal decrease in weight versus aluminum, this tripod's weight suddenly feels lighter!

Comments about Benro A-169M8 Travel Angel Aluminum Tripod:

Very stable with DSLR and 300 mm lens. Ball head works well and holds position of camera. Haven't tried panorama shops yet but looks as if will do a good job. Had to learn how to use the legs height adjustment but after 30 minutes, I got the hang of it.

Comments about Benro A-169M8 Travel Angel Aluminum Tripod:

This is the perfect travel tripod. I won't go any where without it. It has made my photography better and it will be an important part of my gear. AS I get older it becomes harder to hold the camera still for those crisp shots. I NO longer have that problem. Thank you for producing such a wonderful piece of equipment.

Comments about Benro A-169M8 Travel Angel Aluminum Tripod:

Bought this for a trip after going to the BH store and testing all the small tripods out...this was pretty much the only one that combined small size, light weight and affordibility. Refused to buy one with the plastic leg locking levers because they always break and then the whole tripod is worthless. So this one has the twist locks which are slow to set up but are sturdy. It's plenty stable for my 5DII with 24-105 lens on it. Ball head is great.

Comments about Benro A-169M8 Travel Angel Aluminum Tripod:

Shooting outdoors offers lightweight portability to quickly change position for lighting changes.

Screw down locks take a bit longer to set the tripod for a different height. Quick clamps would be much faster.

Comments about Benro A-169M8 Travel Angel Aluminum Tripod:

This tripod fills my need for on the road situations. It folds quite compactly and fits on my camera pack nicely. It unfolds with moderate effort. Once unfolded it is quite stable even with my 100 - 400 mm L Canon lens fully extended. This lens is best for field applications.

Comments about Benro A-169M8 Travel Angel Aluminum Tripod:

I bought this tripod for a trip to Yellowstone National Park and used it with my Canon XSI (battery grip attached) with a rented 100-400mm L lens. Though I had my doubts about its sturdiness due to the five leg sections, it is surprisingly stable. It isn't as rock-solid as a heavy two- or three-section tripod with a heavy-duty head, but it is much more portable and does the job within reason. I might not have been comfortable with much more lens (such as the 500mm f/4) on it.

The head locks down tightly without having to crank on the screw, though the tension adjustment was a little fiddly, and I found I had to adjust it looser or tighter, depending on the general angle at which I was shooting -- looser for more horizontal shots and tighter for more angled shots. Part of the problem, though, was that the 100-400mm L is a push-pull zoom, so the center of gravity is thrown off as the focal length is changed.

The tripod fits into its nice case well, neither sloppily nor too tightly. I had to get used to the release mechanisms that allow the legs to swing down from the spider; they must be pulled out to release and pushed back in to lock the legs at the appropriate angle, and they are not spring loaded. This is a two-hand operation, which can be a little tricky if the lens and/or camera is premounted. The legs fold over the head to save space, but the head must be positioned just right or the knobs and quick-release plate interfere.

I am a little over 6'1", and I do have to bend down to look through the viewfinder unless I extend the column. I found that was the case with most of the "packable" tripods, though, the price one pays (along with sturdiness) for portability.

Overall, I am happy with my purchase. The Benro Travel Angel is reasonably priced and fills the niche between a large, heavy tripod and a cheap, flimsy one.

Comments about Benro A-169M8 Travel Angel Aluminum Tripod:

I actually leave it in my car so I never forget it. It sets up fast and secure. Quailty is topnotch and it folds up so small I almost forget it's on my pack.

Comments about Benro A-169M8 Travel Angel Aluminum Tripod:

I bought this tripod to use while I travel up and down the coast of New England shooting shore scenes and light houses. I wanted something that packed small but gave me decent height (I'm only 5' 8") and could hold my 5D MKII steady, attached to some medium sized zooms.

The ball head had no trouble holding the 5dII/24-105/70-300 DO steady, at any angle, once the friction knob was set. I also had no issues with the kit in portrait mode since the ball flops over into the notch. I can't speak to how stable it is with every single piece at full extension since I never needed to do that. But the center column was solid and the legs seemed just fine. Balanced and firm, even with the 70-300DO fully extended.

Overall, I'm very pleased with the function of the kit and the quality of the build. You can't go wrong for the price.

Setup is a little bit of a chore. Since the tripod folds so small, over itself, there are a few operations needed to get it extended. The twist locks are a little stiff and slow but with practice I was able to get it set up pretty quickly.

What's great: Packs small, good build, stable legs and head. Comes with a case, strap and q.r. plate. Price.

Not so great: A little slow to set up.

Comments about Benro A-169M8 Travel Angel Aluminum Tripod:

I bought this tripod for a trip to Winterlude in Ottawa Canada to photograph the ice sculptures at night. It worked great, controls easy to adjust with gloves on and it was stable in the snow. Personally, I don't think the carbon fiber is worth the extra $$ for a few ounces less weight. The case with shoulder strap came in handy.

Comments about Benro A-169M8 Travel Angel Aluminum Tripod:

Easily portable and lightweight. Leg extension tightening knobs are a little more difficult than lever lock units.

Comments about Benro A-169M8 Travel Angel Aluminum Tripod:

This is a great compact tripod. Great for backpacking,walking through the woods, or taking it on vacations. Lightweight but built very sturdy.

Comments about Benro A-169M8 Travel Angel Aluminum Tripod:

I shoot with a dslr, which this tripod works well
to support. It is very compact and folds up very
small-it fits inside my camera bag or backpack
when I need it to. It came bundled with a fairly
small-compact ballhead too, just wish it had a
bubble level.

Comments about Benro A-169M8 Travel Angel Aluminum Tripod:

Very compact and light tripod. Fits inside most photo backpacks.
I got a Canon 40D and mostly use the 10-22 and Sigma 18-200 since they are great for travelling. While doing horizontal shots this kit works great. But when you have to tilt it for doing vertical, it creeps very easily. And I was afraid to over tightend the ballhead.