Benro Long Mach3 4 Series Aluminum Tripod (TMA47AL)

After many years of using a very light weight Velbon Victory 150 tripod, I purchased what was described as a very stable, moderately heavy aluminum tripod - and I could not be more pleased with the Benro TMA47AXL! It works precisely as described, and is exceedingly well-designed and well-made. I have coupled this with a Tiltall BH-07 Ball Head, and am very happy with the compatibility!

For reasons to follow, this is probably a 4.5 star review.For the taller photographer this is the perfect tripod. I can raise the camera to a comfortable working height without extending the center column. The resulting platform (with an Arca Swiss P0 head and up to a D750/200-500 f5.6 lens combo) is close to rock stable. If you give it a whack it will vibrate for a second or two, but I dont tend to do that very often.To the quibbles. As some have noted, as delivered it was virtually impossible to tighten the center column collar sufficiently to keep the column from wiggling. I tightened the collar as much as I dared and it would still rock slightly from side to side if a moderate force were applied.I disassembled the center column locking mechanism and ... MoreFor reasons to follow, this is probably a 4.5 star review.For the taller photographer this is the perfect tripod. I can raise the camera to a comfortable working height without extending the center column. The resulting platform (with an Arca Swiss P0 head and up to a D750/200-500 f5.6 lens combo) is close to rock stable. If you give it a whack it will vibrate for a second or two, but I dont tend to do that very often.To the quibbles. As some have noted, as delivered it was virtually impossible to tighten the center column collar sufficiently to keep the column from wiggling. I tightened the collar as much as I dared and it would still rock slightly from side to side if a moderate force were applied.I disassembled the center column locking mechanism and cleaned the components up a bit and on reassembly it works as expected. For those interested in trying this, its not all that difficult.1. Unscrew the cap/hook on the bottom of the column.2. Loosen the center column retaining collar completely and slide the column out of the base.3. The column is supported by a plastic sleeve that is slotted on both ends. When the upper collar is tightened the sleeve is compressed between bevels on the bottom of the sleeve bore in the base and the upper collar squeezing the sleeve against the center column securing it.4. I didnt see anything obviously amiss, so I just wiped everything down with a microfiber cloth and reassembled it. The cloth did pick up a few specks of what have been debris left over from the manufacturing/assembly process. Whatever the case, it now seems to work as intended.Note: the sleeve only fits into the base one way. There is a small tab in the bore of the base which matches up with a slot on the sleeve.

I am very impressed by how much I got for my money with this tripod. The tripod is sturdy and functional, and feels solid enough that it will last a long time. It even came with a very nice carrying case! If you're looking for an extra long tripod, this is a really great deal.