Benro Mach 3 - 4 legs vs 3 legs? (1 Viewer)

[Peregrine Took]

Having just bought a Kowa TSN-883 I'm looking at a new tripod - possibly a Benro Mach 3 37C or 38CL, which have good sized tube diameters.

The 37C is the same height with the centre column down as my existing tripod (a 4-section Gitzo). I only have to extend the centre column if I am looking high into the trees... generally that's about about 150mm / 6" maximum - probably more like 100mm / 4".

So, with the Mach 3, I can either buy the 3-legged version and accept that the centre column will come into play at times. Or buy the 4-legged 38CL version, where I would only extend the lower legs.

The 4th leg of the 4-leg Mach 3 is still a decent 21.8mm diameter, and might only be extended by 20-25cm / 8-10" in order to achieve 'tree-top' height. (Obviously each section of the 4-legged version is shorter than the 3-legged version.)

The Mach 3 38CL is 200 grams / 8oz heavier than the 37C, which doesn't unduly bother me.

Q. Which would you go for?
The 3-legged and use the centre column for extra height, or the 4-legged and use the legs for extra height. The former is quicker, but the latter just seems like it'll be more stable.

Thanks.

 

[Peregrine Took]

Okay folks, thanks for all the replies... he said with tongue firmly in cheek!

I'm buying a three-legged 'something' (Manfrotto, Leofoto or Benro), so the decision is made - three legs good, four legs not so good. I prefer not to buy products made in China, but at least Leofoto use Japanese 10x Toray carbon (which I've had in fishing rods).

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[seawatcher]

Okay folks, thanks for all the replies... he said with tongue firmly in cheek!

I'm buying a three-legged 'something' (Manfrotto, Leofoto or Benro), so the decision is made - three legs good, four legs not so good. I prefer not to buy products made in China, but at least Leofoto use Japanese 10x Toray carbon (which I've had in fishing rods).

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I am a bit confused by your original post. Do you really mean you need help choosing between a 3-legged and a 4-legged support, or do you mean a 3-section versus 4 section tripod??

 

[Peregrine Took]

I am a bit confused by your original post. Do you really mean you need help choosing between a 3-legged and a 4-legged support, or do you mean a 3-section versus 4 section tripod??

I am confused by the question. I was asking specifically about the two Benro's. In that context, I'm not sure what you mean by a support, as opposed to a tripod.
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[William Lewis]

I think the reference must be to 4 leg sections of a 3 legged tripod as opposed to a 4 legged support which would be a quadropod as opposed to a tripod! Glad that's done and written.

Anyway.

It depends on how thick the legs are to a degree, 4 leg sections can mean the lower legs are getting quite thin and flexy so sometimes a centre column would be just as good and is easier to use - just one extension to play with rather than 3. Talking of centre columns this website - The Center Column that tringa45 and Hermann have mentioned before is a good place to start when considering which tripod to buy.

 

[Peregrine Took]

Thanks for the Centre Column link, William - I was looking at that website after my original post.

It seems that stability is less to do with leg thickness (I can't even begin to bend the 18.2mm carbon 4th legs of my Gitzo) than with the number of joints and the forces applied to them. Which I guess is kind of obvious, once you look into it.

I was just curious as to what the consensus is on 3-section vs 4-section legs and the use of centre columns, but I'll buy a 152cm 3-section tripod (like a Gitzo Systematic), which means I'll have no need to use a centre column. The only downside of such tripods is a closed length of about 62-65cm, plus the head, but that's okay for my needs.
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[Andy Hurley]

It will all depend on the length of the sections whether it would be better for sitting in a hide, etc, or standing only, whether to have 3 or 4 sections. The best thing to do is go to the retailer and test it in all the positions that you would normally use the tripod in and with the head and scope, or camera sitting atop the tripod that you want to test. You can try different combinations to find the one best suited to your needs and wallet.

I use a rucksack attachment so I can carry my scope and tripod though the countryside and still have my hands free for photography. The way it attaches means a strap is on the centre pole, making it more difficult to adjust. (see attachment)



For me it is easier to adjust the lowest sections of the tripod to suit the terrain I'm standing on. I'm 1.86 m, 6ft 2.5 inches and I have only needed to extend the centre pole once, where the ground dropped rapidly away.