Now I don’t really recommend buying one - not until they are truly being delivered but you can find Benro‘s page about the tripod here: m.benro.com/en/campaign/theta.html If you want a self-levelling tripod that is available check out this piece of kit from Edelkrone - though it comes at a cost: edelkrone.com/en-eu/products/tripod-x
I only backed because Benro has been making tripods for 30 years and assumed they had all of the design work done like they claimed. Never had a problem with Peak Design kickstarters. It's mind boggling an established company would do something this brazen.
I was an earlier backer (in the 300s) of the Theta Max. I thought it was an interesting concept, particularly for astrophotography, but started to have my doubts on their ability to deliver sometime in November of 2023. Luckily, I managed to get a refund in March of 2024, but only by raising a big stink about possibly filing a class action lawsuit. And this point, I think legal action is the only way someone is going to get any money from them--they've pretty much ghosted everyone who has been asking for one for months. Based on my experience, I will never buy another Benro product. Thanks for sharing your experience. I think it's helpful for other people to know about this outside of Kickstarter and the Facebook group!
Yep, same, I’d looked at Benro’s other video tripods at the photography expo earlier this year and like the look of them. To the extent I thought I’d buy one. Not now though. No chance I’ll ever give them more of my money.
I have had the same experience with you. Thankfully I managed to get my bank to recoup the money. And now I will never touch the accursed Benro ever again. Just bought myself a Ulanzi F38 Quick Release Travel Tripod and a happy. Hope you get the refund. I think I'll no longer do this kind of crowdsourcing stuff from now on.
I got a DHL Express shipping notification on Thursday for a package from Hong Kong even though Benro claimed I was supposed to get a package from the latest shipment to the US that had "just arrived". None of this made sense until someone posted a link to the PetaPixel article about this Kickstarter the very next day. At the end of the article it mentions people in the US can get a refund if they email BenroUSA which is a separate entity. I asked for a refund back in March and gave up because I assumed they'd never give me an actual refund. All I can figure out is they wanted to get some tripods shipped out to some disgruntled people in the US ahead of the article being published so those people wouldn't ask BenroUSA for a refund.
I didn't have the same back and forth experience but like everyone else, I really trusted the company's reputation as I had great experiences with their products up until this kickstarter. I had completely forgotten about the project and reached out once. they promptly responded and sent me one within a day but like most are reporting it's not what was promised. while the build quality seems solid, it's really, really heavy and look entirely different from the original concepts.
I joined the Kickstarter also, but while I put up with the lies and deception for a while, I did manage to get a refund. I'm glad that I did, since I backed the Max version which is still not shipping. But once it became clear that Benro claimed that they were charging for shipping before they were even done with the design process and the tripods were 700 grams heavier than they claimed that their prototypes were, I lost patience. I hope you succeed in getting your refund.
@@HamerReviews I don't have my theta either; bought a Gitzo Traveller for my recent trip . I have the PDDT if you use longer lenses consider getting the standard tripod head adaptor as the ball head imo is useless (it won't pan unlike theta either). I found loosened up over time to the point I had to account for sag when lining up the shot. Adding the Adaptor and a good head did transform it; though it doesn't completely fit in the bag anymore.
Sounds like my journey with the vago vac bags. Excuse after excuse then they released it into shops in asia before the backers. I did eventually get it but i dont know to this day if anyone did. Its a shame as without support some things would never start out
@@HamerReviews didn't it go through the Kickstarter page when yo ordered it? I saw this tripod but didn't order it as it was too much at the time. Dodged a bullet really
@@madnlooney oh yeah I won’t lie I rushed through the ordering as was trying to do something else at the time - the insta ad didn’t show kickstarter but the purchase page was - just somehow didn’t notice on mobile - absolutely my mistake. Not one I’ll make again
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Now I don’t really recommend buying one - not until they are truly being delivered but you can find Benro‘s page about the tripod here: m.benro.com/en/campaign/theta.html
If you want a self-levelling tripod that is available check out this piece of kit from Edelkrone - though it comes at a cost: edelkrone.com/en-eu/products/tripod-x
Edelkrone makes some pretty good gear, but its self-leveling tripod is definitely not a travel tripod!
@@rakeshmalik5385 oh absolutely - that’s true. It’s also something like £2,000+ but at least it’s available 🤷♂️
@@HamerReviews True. Good for a film set!
I only backed because Benro has been making tripods for 30 years and assumed they had all of the design work done like they claimed. Never had a problem with Peak Design kickstarters. It's mind boggling an established company would do something this brazen.
Yeah brazen is the word for it!
I was an earlier backer (in the 300s) of the Theta Max. I thought it was an interesting concept, particularly for astrophotography, but started to have my doubts on their ability to deliver sometime in November of 2023. Luckily, I managed to get a refund in March of 2024, but only by raising a big stink about possibly filing a class action lawsuit. And this point, I think legal action is the only way someone is going to get any money from them--they've pretty much ghosted everyone who has been asking for one for months.
Based on my experience, I will never buy another Benro product.
Thanks for sharing your experience. I think it's helpful for other people to know about this outside of Kickstarter and the Facebook group!
Yep, same, I’d looked at Benro’s other video tripods at the photography expo earlier this year and like the look of them. To the extent I thought I’d buy one. Not now though. No chance I’ll ever give them more of my money.
I have had the same experience with you. Thankfully I managed to get my bank to recoup the money. And now I will never touch the accursed Benro ever again. Just bought myself a Ulanzi F38 Quick Release Travel Tripod and a happy. Hope you get the refund. I think I'll no longer do this kind of crowdsourcing stuff from now on.
So glad you got a refund. I’ve heard good things of the F38. Very similar to the peak design.
And yes I’m in the same boat.
I got a DHL Express shipping notification on Thursday for a package from Hong Kong even though Benro claimed I was supposed to get a package from the latest shipment to the US that had "just arrived". None of this made sense until someone posted a link to the PetaPixel article about this Kickstarter the very next day. At the end of the article it mentions people in the US can get a refund if they email BenroUSA which is a separate entity. I asked for a refund back in March and gave up because I assumed they'd never give me an actual refund. All I can figure out is they wanted to get some tripods shipped out to some disgruntled people in the US ahead of the article being published so those people wouldn't ask BenroUSA for a refund.
I think that is a very plausible explanation. Sadly, being in the UK, I’ve had neither a refund nor the theta delivered. I remain disgruntled
I didn't have the same back and forth experience but like everyone else, I really trusted the company's reputation as I had great experiences with their products up until this kickstarter. I had completely forgotten about the project and reached out once. they promptly responded and sent me one within a day but like most are reporting it's not what was promised. while the build quality seems solid, it's really, really heavy and look entirely different from the original concepts.
How heavy is yours if you put it on some scales?
@@HamerReviews 1.74kg/3.84lb with no plate or battery module attached and I have the standard one, not the Max.
I joined the Kickstarter also, but while I put up with the lies and deception for a while, I did manage to get a refund. I'm glad that I did, since I backed the Max version which is still not shipping.
But once it became clear that Benro claimed that they were charging for shipping before they were even done with the design process and the tripods were 700 grams heavier than they claimed that their prototypes were, I lost patience.
I hope you succeed in getting your refund.
@@rakeshmalik5385 thanks for sharing your experience! Did you find a suitable alternative in the end. I’m considering the peak design CF tripod
@@HamerReviews Not yet, but I'm seriously considering the Heipi 3-in-one tripod though. Or one of the new SmallRig tripods.
@@rakeshmalik5385the SmallRig stuff continues to impress me! Hope you find the kit you need and actually receive it this time!
@@HamerReviews I don't have my theta either; bought a Gitzo Traveller for my recent trip . I have the PDDT if you use longer lenses consider getting the standard tripod head adaptor as the ball head imo is useless (it won't pan unlike theta either). I found loosened up over time to the point I had to account for sag when lining up the shot. Adding the Adaptor and a good head did transform it; though it doesn't completely fit in the bag anymore.
Sounds like my journey with the vago vac bags. Excuse after excuse then they released it into shops in asia before the backers. I did eventually get it but i dont know to this day if anyone did. Its a shame as without support some things would never start out
It’s wild. I wish they’d made it clearer in the Instagram ads that it was a kickstarter
@@HamerReviews didn't it go through the Kickstarter page when yo ordered it?
I saw this tripod but didn't order it as it was too much at the time. Dodged a bullet really
@@madnlooney oh yeah I won’t lie I rushed through the ordering as was trying to do something else at the time - the insta ad didn’t show kickstarter but the purchase page was - just somehow didn’t notice on mobile - absolutely my mistake. Not one I’ll make again
@@HamerReviews I hope you get it all sorted 👍🏼
@madnlooney thanks 🙂 honestly I’ve written it off, but will see what happens
Can your credit card company not refund you?
@@ched999uk I’ve been trying to do this but with it being a Kickstarter project this has proven to be more complex - frustratingly….
For most of us, the charges to the credit card company were made over a year and a half ago--well outside the period of time for refunds.
@@margyk6190you’re unfortunately right