Benro tripods are very familiar to us here at The Slanted Lens. We have used their tripods and ball heads for years. So naturally when we heard about the Benro Theta Travel Tripod we were interested in learning more about it.
The Benro team has been working on the Theta Auto-leveling Tripod for the past couple of years. We have to admit this is a great concept and we are looking forward to trying out the tripod when we can get our hands on one. We just wanted to let you know about Benro’s Kickstarter to give you the opportunity to take a look and see if this is the tripod for you.
The new Theta Travel Tripod is a smart auto-leveling tripod. What does that mean? It has a battery that you attach and when you push the button it automatically levels itself, saving time. It also has rapid leg deployment saving you time in your set-up (It only takes 10 seconds).
Other perks of the Theta tripod are remote camera control, automatic exposure adjustment and live streaming. You can remotely control these options with the Theta app, smart phone and GoLive module. It automatically detects ambient light and can help you determine your exposure settings. What a great selection of abilities. Who would have thought to see all these things in a tripod? The Benro team are obviously in tune with what is important to today’s photographer.
The Theta tripod also has three waterproof expansion ports on the top of the legs that allows you to connect smart modules including the battery module which will allow you to power your camera or other modules like the camera control module. You can control your camera up to 150 feet away with the camera module. This will allow you to adjust the shutter speed, aperture, ISO, see live view and trigger the shutter from your smartphone.
You can also attach an Optical Matrix Sensor Module that will allow you to shoot time-lapse. This module allows you to adjust exposures as the sunlight changes into evening.
Another module is the GoLive Module that allows you to live stream from your camera with your smart phone.
The Theta is compatible with Arca Swiss plates and L-brackets. 
It has an anti-slip leg locking mechanism to avoid leg slippage.
This travel tripod is light weight and compact for traveling. There are two versions of the Theta, the Theta and Theta Max. The Theta is 2.7lbs/1.25kg with a packed length of 17.3”/44cm and a maximum height of 61”/155cm. The Theta Max is 3.6lbs/1.64kg with a packed length of 20.8”/53cm and a maximum height of 67”/170cm making it better for large telephoto lenses.
The Carbon Fiber round legs are sturdy and secure.
The Theta ball head has a locking system that allows the ball head to be aligned with the tripod at all times. The ball head can quickly switch between full range of free motion and pan and tilt motion. It allows you to lock the roll axis so it remains level and you can still pan and tilt.
The center column has three equal concave parts that allow the legs to fold in compactly for a small form factor when traveling.
You can invert the center column for low angle shooting and macro work.
You can also remove the center column in order to drop the Theta tripod down to a very low height for low angle shooting. The center column also has a counterweight hook to use for adding weight such as a backpack for extra stability.
The feet house spikes that can be pulled out with the center column hex wrench. These spikes are great for rough uneven terrain. The legs have sealed aluminum collars that makes them sand proof and the legs are easy to disassemble in order to clean them.
The Theta comes with a protective soft case to keep the tripod covered while traveling.
Participating in the Kickstarter will give you a 42-53% discount depending on what you order. Check out this link to learn more about the Theta and Theta Max and watch the videos to see the tripods in action.
Benro is a reputable company with a 30 year history. We, here at The Slanted Lens, have several Benro tripods or ball heads that we have been using for years. Look for the hands on review when we can take the tripod out on the road. Until then keep those cameras rollin’ and keep on clickin’!
