Benro A-1681 TB0 review

Sitting at the higher-end of Benro's Travel Angel series is the A-1681 kit, which includes the company's B0 ballhead.

Key features include an easily removable top plate and detachable leg assembly, but the real selling point is the inclusion of a monopod – simply screw the top plate into a tripod leg for a single leg support.

As with the C1180 T, this tripod can support up to 8Kg, again making it suitable for travel and nature photographers with higher-end enthusiast cameras and long lenses.

Build quality and performance

This travel kit is made from aluminium alloy and feels reassuringly sturdy, but light. As with the C1180T, the twist lock system is a delight to use and the four section legs can be easily assembled.

While aluminium alloy offers more rigidity than carbon fibre, we noticed more leg flex than with the C1180T.

The legs have only two degrees of angle/adjustment, but go almost flat to the ground – making this tripod a good choice for awkward shooting situations.

Maximum height is 1320mm, which also comes in handy, but the monopod was a bit fiddly to set up (don't forget to pack the allen key). The supplied ball head is of reasonable quality, with friction control and a handy spirit level.

Verdict

Shop around online and you can get this tripod kit for £170, which makes it another great buy for photographers after reasonably priced, fuss-free support.

While it's not as light as a carbon fibre tripod, the A1681 is still easy to lug around, and don't forget the price includes a monopod and ball head too.

We liked

You get a lot for your money with this full-height tripod kit, and it saves you the extra hassle and expense of getting a ballhead and monopod. It's easy to set up and dismantle, too,

We disliked

The legs had more flex than those of the C1180 T and setting up the monopod could be easier