Our regular readers will know that we are slowly trying to post our own reviews of all of the popular tripods currently available on the market right now. That said, today’s review is going to be a little bit different as instead of reviewing a particularly popular review, we are going to be covering a tripod that we have seen people request a review of, the Benro t880ex.
So, after seeing so many people request a Benro t880ex review we decided to set some time aside and review the tripod ourselves. That said, rather than waste our readers time having them read the full article, we just want to say that we feel that the Cayer BV30L (Click here to check for product prices and availability) is a better all-round tripod than the Benro t880ex.
Anyway, the Benro t880ex has a solid build quality, some decent performance, and a steady following so we will still be reviewing the tripod in full for any of our readers who are still interested in adding it to their camera accessories.
Click Here To Check For The Current Prices For The Benro T880EX Tripod!
User Interface And Control System
Although we would actually class the Benro t880ex as an intermediate price point tripod, everything on it is very easy to use meaning if this is the first tripod you have picked up, you should easily be able to operate it. Additionally, if you are an intermediate photographer and you have prior experience with tripods everything on the t880ex will be straight forward and you will probably have used it before.
The tripod uses flip lock leg locks to secure each of the leg sections in place when setting the tripod up. Although we personally prefer the twist-lock leg lock system due to it being slightly faster, the flip lock system does tend to age better than twist locks helping to keep your tripod in a serviceable condition for longer.
The leg angle selectors at the top of each of the legs are also very easy to use and are based around the standard press – adjust – release system that the vast majority of modern tripods use these days. Not only does this allow you to quickly and easily adjust the angles of the legs of the tripod but it also gives you confidence that the lens will hold their position and not cave during use.
The Benro t880ex also comes with a fluid head as standard helping it stand out from many of the competing tripods on the market right now at this price point that comes with a simple ball head. If you are wanting to use the t880ex for any type of slow pan video footage recording or panoramic photography the fluid head will make your life so much easier. Additionally, the head on the t880ex offers some great smooth panning while having just enough resistance to help counter any potential sharp movements you may make during use.
All in all, we feel that Benro has done a solid job of putting the tripod together and ensuring that it is as easy to use as possible. We have no doubt that you will be able to quickly build and debuild the tripod as required when arriving or leaving your location helping to save you time too.
Click Here To Check For The Current Prices For The Benro T880EX Tripod!
Performance And Functionality
The performance that the Benro T880EX offers is decent in all fairness to the tripod. Even though it uses some pretty dated technology by the standard of the more modern tripods on the market, it can still provide you with some great image stabilization for your camera rig. The list below covers some of the key features of the t880ex that we feel our readers will want to know about the tripod:-
- Maximum load capacity: 4.4 pounds.
- Maximum usable height: 57.1 inches.
- Minimum usable height: 18.1 inches.
- Folded Length: 19.1 inches.
- Four leg sections.
We already covered the performance of the fluid head in the section above and really can’t fault it. One thing that we would like to point out about the head on the t880ex is that it can be a bit of a pain finding spare quick release plates for it. Although it may sound like a small issue, in our opinion, this pushes it slightly behind the completing tripods at this price point as it is a nightmare to source spare or replacement quick release plates.
Additionally, if you use multiple cameras for your work then it is a pain to switch between camera rigs. With the Cayer BV30L (Click here to check for product prices and availability) you simply pick up a few spare quick release plates and mount one to each of the camera bodies you will be using with the tripod. Depending on where you live and the availability of the Benro quick release plates, this may not be possible for you. Although some third-party quick release plates will fit the head and keep your camera rig mounted safley during use, we were unable to find a list of third-party plates that would work with the head.
Click Here To Check For The Current Prices For The Benro T880EX Tripod!
Build Quality And Design
To try and keep the price tag of the Benro T880EX as low as possible while also keeping the tripod as lightweight as they can as well as robust as they can, Benro decided to use an aluminum alloy for the majority of the tripod body. Although some of the intermediate tripods on the market do use carbon fiber bodies, they tend to be at the higher price points where the t880ex comes in at the lower price range for intermediate price range tripods.
Click Here To Check For The Current Prices For The Benro T880EX Tripod!
Our Verdict
That brings our review of the Benro t880ex to a close. Although we have no doubt that the t880ex is able to provide you with some decent image stabilization and help improve your image quality we just feel it is massively overpriced for what you actually get.
As we mentioned at the start of the article, we feel that the Cayer BV30L (Click here to check for product prices and availability) would make a much better addition to your camera accessories. Not only is it a better overall tripod, it also has a much better reputation within the community too with a massive user base who have put it through its paces.
Click Here To Read Independent Third Party Reviews Of This Product!
