Benro Wild 1 aluminium birding tripod

5.0 out of 5

2

I brought a decent quality 2.2kg Spotting Scope at Christmas last year. The mistake I made was scrimping on the tripod. With the cheaper tri-pod, I was getting lots of unwelcome movement and found it hard to focus on anything for anything more than a few seconds.
I decided to upgrade the tri-pod, and after looking at various reviews on Amazon and in Bird Magazines and not able to make up my mind - I eventually saw this one on the RSPB website. The fact the RSPB allow free returns meant I could purchase this, try it and return it if unhappy.
The good news is, I shan't be returning it. It s so much more more stable than a cheaper alternative. I'm guessing that it is a little heavier than fibre glass alternatives but I can live with that. I have the Viking Tripod rucksack that I purchased from the RSPB and they are very compatible.
The panning is very fluid and satisfying.and the head adaptor plate fits nice and snug.

If I have one criticism, it would be to echo what the previous reviewer has stated. The adaptor plate knob is very close to the pan and tilt knobs and can be mistaken for eachother. I have accidentally released the the adaptor plate on occasion causing my scope to slide. Luckily it didn't fall completely off. This is something that I'll get used to in time.

All in all - very happy with the the tripod.

Arrived promptly and very securely packaged. I find this a very nice and sturdy tripod and definitely a step up from my vintage Velbon. The pan and tilt controls are very smooth, enabling accurate tracking of moving birds, even in breezy conditions. The retractable weight hook and set of interchangeable spiked feet and tool kit are nice touches. The carry case is roomy and well padded and has two zipped side pockets for accessories and the option of using the carry handle or the shoulder strap.

Now to the one weakness. The pan and tilt locking knobs and the quick release plate knob are all lined up very close to one another on the same side of the tripod head. If one were not concentrating there is a distinct possibility of unscrewing the quick release knob by mistake, instead of the tilt control knob. If so, this would leave the optics perched on top of an unlocked plate and in danger of falling off as there is no safety mechanism to prevent this. My remedies are to concentrate and also I slip a little foam sleeve onto the locking knob once the release plate is locked in the hope that this entirely different tactile sensation would warn me that I am touching the wrong control. This by no means spoils an otherwise excellent tripod but it is unfortunate to have to take measures against human error and the destruction of some very costly optics while looking through the scope.