Geared tripod head comparison - Manfrotto Xpro vs Benro GD3WH.
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- Опубликовано: 14 июл 2024
- In this week’s video I do a geared tripod head comparison and review two makes: Manfrotto xpro and the Benro GD3WH. While both proved to be excellent geared heads, both also had one particular downside. I look at all the pros and cons.
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No wonder you’re into photography, where ever you live is so beautiful and picturesque! Also, thank you for an amazing comparison video!
It is Slovenia, and yes it is very beautiful!
I watched this video before receiving my BENRO head, and thought maybe you were complaining of the big turning knobs for nothing. After receiving the head and using it on a cold California day without gloves, I realized your complaint was well founded. If the ridges were softer, it wouldn't have been so hard on the fingers. Other than that, I find the knob placements for each axis to be not exactly as I would like them, but I will get used to it. Right now I keep banking the camera when I really want to pitch it up or down. I mount a Hasselblad 503CW on this head and it's holding it fine, even though the head almost weighs nothing compared to other robust heads. The load capacity of 13 lbs is just right for my gear. All in all, I like it and I am getting used to it fast. Thanks for this video.
Thanks for the feedback. Yes that my thought too that on cold or freezing days this would really be tough on your fingers. But you can avoid using them to be honest. I find that rotating the knobs seems to turn things pretty fast and you can do it all this way.
Thanks for the vid. I have the Benro head and you're absolutely right, turning the dials/knobs can be difficult and sore on your fingers and in winter, it gets worse. However, it is a great head and I love it. Thanks a mill.
Thanks. I know. I just try to avoid using it as much as possible. It's easy enough when doing landscape photography as there isn't much need to move fast.
Thanks for the upload. I've been shooting for many decades and never quite liked Manfrotto gear. It's the small things with their equipment that lets it down. The professional geared heads are have much tighter tolerances but are expensive and heavy. The Benro is a good compromise.
Yes the Benro is a great head for the price
I used to like Manfrotto, but I have a feeling they’re falling behind. Heavy, not innovative, sometimes questionable quality. I now have a Sirui tripod and put the Benro geared head on it.
@@nicola6323I've always used Manfrotto tripods and heads. The first tripod had really bad levers for locking the legs. That was improved on the next model I bought, and still have. The levers are still good after many years, and in general the tripod is still good. The only problem I had was the centre column fell apart when tried to pull it out once (I never really use it anyway). I managed to put it all back together and won't touch it again. It's not carbon fibre, but is not that heavy to honest, and aside from the centre column problem, it has always worked well and is very sturdy. The three way head though, did have a problem with the grips breaking and I ended up having to use a spanner to adjust them. I now have a Benro 34clv carbon fibre levelling tripod, which so far has been superb. And I have the geared head and a three way. The Manfotto tripod is now a spare.
@@nicola6323I too like Sirui. I have lots of their stuff and their quality is quite good across the board.
I originally bought a Manfrotto 405 for the larger knobs and tighter controls but, when it developed a wiggle, I bought a Benro to fill in. The Benro is a fantastic head for the money and I’ve gotten a lot of use from it.
The other thing that I added to both of my geared heads was a panning Arca clamp. They come with Arca plates on the bottom and add about an inch of overall height but allow for 360° panning with degree marks/indents to help with panoramic shooting or indexing your shots. That combo has been my go-to for over six years.
Yes I'm really growing to love this head. I used it recently for a long exposure in high winds and it didn't move at all.
Thank you for making this. I chose the Benro
Excellent choice. I just got a Benro tripod too now. Really great.
Another Arca Swiss advantage, some new collar tripod mounts for telephoto lens are Arca Swiss compatible, so you can attach them directly to the head and don't need a plate. For example Sigma lenses have that.
That's good to know, thanks.
Have the Benro, Arca-Swiss d4, Sunway, and Manfrotto 410. Yes I like geared heads. Manfrotto out, need Arca-Type Quick Release Plates. Arca-Swiss d4 the best but $1200. Benro more bulk than Sunway, not as smooth. Sunway practical winner.
Good to know, thanks
Awesome video! Thank you!!
You are welcome.
Thank you for a pleasant to watch review. I’m in the market for a geared head and both brands are in consideration. I’m quite frustrated with Manfrotto and their proprietary QR plates. Everything I have is Arca Swiss. I’ve looked at the possible mods that convert the Manfrotto to Arca Swiss style, but I’m a dude of principle and think if spending hundreds of dollars on a piece of equipment like this, it should work for me out of the box without me needing to modify it. But that’s me, I’m sure some people don’t mind it.
I noticed a very slight bit of movement in the Benro when tightened. But I think in this price range they will all have this. I’m guessing we have to get into something like the Arca Swiss branded geared heads to find relief for this problem. But now we are talking at least 5 times the price. So for me, that’s for pro’s or people that are earning income from this type of photography and absolutely need the best to work fast and reliably. I think I can live with the wonky knobs and the mm or so of lens drooping with the Benro. I’ve also looked at the K&F Concepts, but not sure if it’s much better or worse than the Benro. Wish you had that one here with your fantastic review.
Anyways, thank you sir!
You are welcome. Glad you like the video. I don't really mind the QR plate, and aside from this geared head never had a problem with any Manfrotto tripod. The Benro does move a tiny bit when you push a tight filter in, but the movement is minimal compared to the Manfrotto, and doesn't affect the composition set as it seems to spring back. The most important thing is that it is solid so will not move in windy conditions. My concern about the flex in the Manfrotto was that it was so loose it would vibrate in windy conditions during long exposures. I've had the Benro on my tripod consistently ever since making this video and it's superb. Can't imagine ever being without it!
Thanks for the reply and info. I went with the Benro and your video helped allot. I find the same pros and cons with it as you do. Those clutches are really a poor design but do work. Other than the rubbish clutches, the head stays pretty still when set. The fine tuning is adequate.
I wanted an Arca Swiss brand model but the prices are out of my budget as I’m not a pro. Otherwise that’s where I may have gone.
It’s too bad there isn’t more manufacturers making these at a reasonable price. The Manfrotto people have got to get Arca Swiss designs in as I think they are losing plenty of sales due to their proprietary QR plates.
Anyways, thanks again for doing this.
@@andyp7787 You are welcome. Glad the video helped. Yes the Benro one is much more stable. I find the fine tuning more than adequate for landscape photography. I never had a problem with the Manfrotto QR plates, when I was just using Manfrotto only. But it can be a problem if you are using another system alongside it. Just a pain having to switch plates, that is all.
Really enjoyed your video but I have to own up that I haven't yet got to the Benro section.
The reason is simple: the Xpro you demonstrate looks very easy to rough align but then there were two issues which you showed that would have made it a no for me: firstly the "fine" adjustment was too coarse and secondly. the lack of rigidity I thought made this geared head effectively unusable.
I got a 410 jr cheap some years ago and yes it is heavy and the controls are stiff as is manfrottos custom but it is as solid as a rock for medium loading.
I have just bolted on RC2 and AS clamps to 2 off RC4 plates which works for me.
Thanks Richard. Glad you enjoyed the vid. Yes the lack of rigidity was a disappointment to me too, as I have always used Manfrotto up til now. Good the 410 is better. The weight is only really an issue if you plan to hike a lot with your gear, I think.
Thanks a lot for that video and comparison of these two gear heads. I've already put the Manfrotto XPRO in my Amazon basket, but had that slight doubts regarding Manfrotto's quick release plate that propably will not fit into my Peak Design camera holder. Now I will switch to the Benro and hope my Peak Design plate will fit to the Benro gear head. Nice side benefit: the Benro is 12% cheaper than the Manfrotto.
Thanks. Glad it helped. The Benro uses the standard arca swiss, so hopefully that will fit. Or at least you could find an adapter for it.
Thanks for the video Ian (y) Also a big fan of the Benro :)
You are welcome. Yes the Benro is certainly a good geared head. Heard great things about the rest of their stuff too so will be checking it out when I can.
I agree with your comments on these heads. I have them both.
Thanks. It would be great if we could combine the two to make one perfect one!
own the Manfrotto XPRO 3-Way and will not trade it for nothing, I love the quick release lock mechanism and the quality and I got mine new on sale for $ 175.00 US dollars including taxes and shipping ......I use mine to also shoot short videos and the head is so smooth .....
Excellent! As I said I also loved those quick release mechanisms, but just couldn't accept the flex. How is yours with regards to this? Is it solid or does it move a bit also?
@@IanMiddletonPhotographyTravel you should have the gears checked on yours ... because I use mine with a 24-70mm 2.8L and a 16-28mm f2.8 Tokina Opera on a FF Canon 5DSR with a battery grip and it doesn't wobble like yours does...... But mine is brand new....maybe with time it will develop a wobble.....the knobs need to be protected...do not throw the Manfrotto around in the trunk of a vehicle..... Those knobs cannot take any hits !!!!
Mine was brand new when I tested it in the video. It was like that out of the box. Heard others complain about the same problem also. I sent mine back and then bought the Benro.
I have the XPRo head and I have no issues with it flexing in the way that yours does in the video. Rock solid and always has been. I think yours may be faulty.
Good to hear. Mine was like it straight out of the box, so not a good sign in my book. I returned it and got a refund. Glad yours is okay though, because as I said aside from the movement it is a great design and I loved those quick release handles.
Real advantage of arca swiss is with an l-plate where you can easily switch landscape to portrait
True. I also did a video on that: ruclips.net/video/gyV76n2UMi4/видео.html
Speaking as an amateur: I spent quite a bit thinking about this before I went with Arca. There was an alternative that I liked because it was quicker to attach with than the Arca system. However I do a little bit of different kinds of photography and the overall security, adaptability and variability of devices that come as Arca was enough to convince me that, at least for me, Arca was the way to go.
I've used the Manfrotto XPro for several years and it has held up really well until in the last few months I've had two of the three springs that initiate the large movements when squeezed fall out causing me to switch to my backup while I try to decide whether to get it repaired, or just go with the Benro, etc. I've enjoyed the XPro and up until the loss of the springs I had considered it a very reliable and rugged geared head. I'm leaning toward just retiring it and investing repair money into a new head, likely the Benro displayed here as it is reasonably priced and has a good reputation at this point.
I suppose it depends how much the repair will be. I liked the Manfrotto because of the quick release handles and it was really smooth to use. I just didn't like the flex. Hopefully yours didn't have that. The Benro isn't off my tripod now. It's fantastic also for landscapes, being able to fine tune the composition so easily.
Great video, thank you Ian! I was wondering if I would have to abandon Arca Swiss compatibility but after watching your video and trying the Benro out, I think I can live with their choice of quick adjustment mechanism. If I need speed, I'm probably using my ball head anyway.
Thanks. Glad it was helpful
great video!
i just bought the Benro and so far i realy like it.
the movement in the Manfrotto to me,, seems to be a loose gear/bearing area. i don't know but i can't see Manfrotto allowing that.
i would take it apart and check.
That's possible about the Manfrotto, although I read about many others having the same problem. I also heard you can tighten it with an allan key, but you need to remove the cover. I wasn't about to do that as it would invalidate the warranty. Mine was like it straight out of the box, which for me was not acceptable. So I returned mine, got a refund and then got the Benro to try. The Benro was rock solid, and still is a year on.
I don't think you could go wrong with either head, but I went with the Benro. I'm not a pro, and don't think I'll do enough to make sore fingers an issue. This will be my 3rd tripod head, since I already have a ball type and a heavy duty Manfrotto pan-and-tilt head.
Actually I've rarely needed to use the quick release. Even for larger movements the knobs are big enough that you can move it around fairly fast.
10:21 Manfrotto has at least three plate/attachment designs. Some are Arca Swiss compatible, some use a hex plate (I think these are its better heads), and some use this design (I think these are their cheaper heads). And then their are video heads, and we haven't touched on bowl designs.
That was an awesome sky Ian, and beautiful and well made video.
manfrotto all day Long! 😊
Stay safe and Happy Shooting! 👍
Thank you!
@ 12:12 there is a play in the Benro I noticed not as bad as the X Pro but none the less it is there.
Yes, as I showed later in the video, there is a tiny bit of movement but it's negligible and nowhere near as bad as the Manfrotto one. The main concern about the Manfrotto for me was that it would not be steady enough in windy conditions. The Benro has proven to be a rock in comparision.
Arguably you should be using an L bracket for those times you don't have a lens with a foot. The feet for some lenses are compatible with Arca Swiss heads.
Some camera brands actively support Arca Swiss. For example, Fujifilm has an accessory L bracket for my X-T10.
Pretty much all L brackets not from Manfrotto are Arca Swiss compatible.
Wow, backlash in manfrotto is huge. It ruins whole point of geared head.
Benro is really rock solid
Yes it is. However I will say that it was very precise in its movement, and works fine when there is no wind. But I would question its stability in windy conditions. The Benro on the other hand was rock solid when I did a long exposure in high wind at Swanage. You can see that in my recent video.
You've cleared up my primary concern about the Benro, which is unwanted movement. Thank you for a valuable analysis.
That said, I'm curious to know what camera body you used in this video? I know it's a Canon, but I'm not sure what model. Looking forward to your response...
Hi Kenneth. At the time of the video I was using the Canon 5D3, which is heavier than the R5 I now use.
@@IanMiddletonPhotographyTravel Thanks for the info. I'm currently shooting a Canon R and have been thinking about moving to the R5, but I can't justify the expense at this time. I'm sure the quality of the R5 is well justified by its cost, but I'm just not "there," yet. Thanks again.
@@kennethjonesphotography You can get the R5 quite a bit cheaper here: panamoz.com/gb/canon-mirrorless-camera-r5-body.html
Thanks for the Video but the Benro has too much friction in general and i will sent it back. My fingers hurt when i move the placement b< the screws.
Yes I know. It’s painful on the fingers. If the Manfrotto didn’t have so much movement I’d have stuck with it. But for long exposures in strong wind it would be a problem. I recently shot several 30 second exposures and the Benro didn’t move at all. As I said, it’s a compromise I’ll have to accept for now.
Thanks for your video. It was nice to see the two in comparison. I used to have the Manfrotto xpro until it broke...Being made of Techno-polymer plastic, it is not as robust as it may seem. So if you travel around with it, maybe it's not the best option, just saying. I am now considering between the Benro and the Manfrotto 410, which both seem quite sturdy and reliable, and above all precise. Although the 410 weighs 1,2 kg.
I've been using the Benro ever since and it's really strong and sturdy. I haven't done any extensive travelling with it yet, but many of my photographer friends have had one for years and say it's still working great.
@@IanMiddletonPhotographyTravel Thanks for the quick reply. Actually, I didn't mean traveling perse but more situations outside of a studio (like on set, or in the street for architecture photography). Anyway, I appreciate your opinion. What kind of material is the plate rest?
I'm not sure. They use carbon steel and bronze and magnesium alloy in its construction overall.
Neither of those heads is well designed for panoramas. For panoramas it's necessary to have the panning plane level, neither of those supports that. To achieve this, you need one of two further accessories.
1. A levelling base that goes beneath the head. In this case you don't need a geared head at all.
2. A panning base that goes atop the head. If you have this, you might not need a head that does more than a straightforward tilt.
I don't see the need for precision panning. I like a lot of pixels so I can shoot wide and crop. If the lens is not wide enough, I pan a bit and make another shot so I can finalise compensation later. In this case, neither of these heads is ideal.
I have seen heads with a panning mechanism on top. I don't remember one that's not a ballhead.
Video heads are good, but you do need a separate mechanism for levelling.
thank you, I made up my mind, the Benro head is my choice.
Good choice! I'm really happy with mine.
Can i use the benro with my manfrotto tripod ?? EXCELLENT VIDEO… thank u !!
Yes absolutely! As you saw, it fits perfectly on my Manfrotto 055 and I am using it all the time now.
@@IanMiddletonPhotographyTravel thx …..Ordered !!!!
@@berniestang2616 Excellent!
Sold me on the Benro. Think it will securely hod a 50 ounce spotting scope? Thank you!
Great to hear. It's a superb head.
Should i tighten the screws with allen key after a time?
Yes I've heard you can do that.
Why is framing precisely such s big concern? If your subject is big enough to fill the frame, can't you just shoot a little wide and then crop in post? To me, number one consideration is steadiness, then weight, then cost. Hard to believe ergonomics would be a decider as they should be at least ok, but does sound like the Benro might be an exception. This vid does not have me wishing for a geared head.
I think precise framing is critical, personally. Firstly when you crop you lose pixels, so the goal should be to avoid the need to crop. Although, even if you want to pull back wider to give scope to crop you still need to be precise in how much wider you go. For me the use of a geared head has made the world of difference. As well as framing, aligning your composition to accurately place objects within the frame, such as centralising a pier, tree or church. Getting the horizon perfectly straight is much easier with a geared head. Once you have all this set, the last thing you need is for it to move. So for me the Benro has proven invaluable.
@@IanMiddletonPhotographyTravel thanks for the reply
Once you get used to a geared head, they are easy to love. Not crucial except for architectural photography where leveling the camera is key to getting further precise micro adjustments to the geometry in post (especially when shooting one point perspectives).
Sorry. Should have asked, " Where were these pics taken?" Sorry about the grammar.
No problem! They were taken in Slovenia. The Manfrotto ones were taken in Ljubljana, and the Benro ones in a little called called Prezganje, about 30 minutes east of Ljubljana.
12:39 Why would you do that?
Where was these pics taken?
In Slovenia.
Your review is not complete as you should mention about the prices comparations. Don't you agree,?
True, I didn't sorry. But the prices are pretty much the same for both models so it depends on which one you prefer.
Too many adverts.
Price of watching for free