I’m going to blame disappearing brick and mortar camera stores for my collection of tripods.  If I lived in New York, and could go to B&H and lay hands on the different offerings from the various tripod manufacturers, I’m quite positive I’d have fewer tripods in my house.  But a rare opportunity came up to not only go into a store and handle a tripod, but to also speak to a company representative when I attended Dodd Camera’s annual sales event in Cincinnati Ohio.  Several camera industry representatives attended the event and Benro was one of them.  Not being overly familiar with their product line, I sheepishly wandered over to have a look at their offerings.  “I won’t buy anything…I’ll just look.”  The Benro representative made me a fantastic deal on the CyanBird TCBC15 – their most popular model.

Dodd Camera in Cincinnati (NOT my minivan)…

The BENRO display at the sales event

WHY DID I BUY YET ANOTHER TRIPOD?

Being able to speak with the company rep about Benro and learning what differentiates them and their products from the crowded marketplace of Chinese tripod manufacturers was very helpful.  Benro is different – founded in China in the early 1990s, they’ve evolved far beyond their origins, establishing a significant U.S. presence through MAC Group which is their official distributor in New York. That partnership isn’t just a sales channel — it’s the backbone of their customer support, warranty service, and domestic inventory. If you buy a Benro tripod in the States, you’re dealing with a real support network, not a warehouse somewhere in Shenzhen.  But what also sets Benro apart is their focus. They’re not trying to make lights, sliders, or drones — they make tripods, monopods, heads, and related accessories.  A specialized company that makes specialized tools for photographers.

Benro’s CyanBird TCBC15 is the carbon-fiber model in its travel tripod line. It’s a five-section tripod that reaches roughly 60 inches at full extension, folds to about 17–18 inches, and weighs close to 2.3 lb depending on the head kit you buy.  I’m about 5’7” tall, so with a camera mounted on the tripod, the view finder hits my eye pretty perfectly without having to bend or crouch over which my aging back appreciates.

The Benro CyanBird extended to full height 

The CyanBird is the lightest tripod that I own which can reach eye-level for me.  And it’s about a half pound lighter than the Peak Design Travel Tripod.  I’m not aware of any tripod that extends to this height and is lighter in weight, which I greatly appreciate.

I also appreciate the ¼” threads built into the column of the tripod.  That opens the door of a whole slew of accessories that can be mounted on the tripod – a magic arm being my current favorite.

The Benro CyanBird has several 1/4” screw holes built in the base and center column.

The CyanBird also has those cool blue (cyan?) anodized aluminum components which, if I’m being honest, really drew me into the tripod.  I get it…a tripod is a tool.  It shouldn’t matter what it looks like.  Except…it does.  There – I said the quiet part out load.  I actually like it when my tools, both function well and look cool.

The CyanBird load rating is about 10 lb., so we’re talking mirrorless bodies, modest zooms, and small telephotos rather than a 400/2.8 safari rig.  In other words, more than enough load capacity for those travel photography occasions where the size and weight of the tripod trump max load capacity.  Which for me is any time I travel.

A PEEK (DESIGN) AT THE TRIPOD LEGS

The CyanBird uses an arch or concave-leg profile where the leg sections fold very closely around the center column, which minimizes the collapsed profile of the CyanBird as compared to more conventional tripod designs.  I think it’s fair to say the CyanBird is inspired by the Peak Design Travel Tripod – and that’s not a bad thing.  If you’re looking for maximum tripod height at minimum weight in the smallest possible, this approach is a proven winner.   Releasing each of the leg sections to extend is accomplished through a series of level leg locks.  If there was anything that gave my pause about buying the CyanBird, it was the lever locks.  I’ve become a real fan of twist locks on tripods, but the angular design of the tripod legs mean that a round twist lock won’t work.  It also means you don’t get any built in spikes into the bottom sections of the tripod to help keep it in place on rough terrain.  Admittedly, I’ve never photographed anywhere that might require  the built-in spikes some other brands offer so the rubber feed on the CyanBird should suffice.

The nice thing about the lever locks on the CyanBird is you don’t ever have to tighten them as you do on every other tripod I’ve seen which incorporates lever locks.

Like most tripods that have come out in recent years, the CyanBird has a hook at the bottom of the center column – that hook can be used to hang a weighted object to create added stability (like your camera bag for example).  But you can unscrew the hook from the center column to reveal an Allen wrench.  You use that to loosen a screw in the center column which allows a section of the center column to be removed, providing the clearance needed to splay out the tripod legs for its lowest possible position:

The leg shape/design on the CyanBird makes for a collapsed package that’s shorter and slimmer in overall diameter than most competitors, but the Peak Design Travel Tripod collapses down a couple of inches shorter and has a bit smaller diameter.  But the Peak (price) Design model is also about twice the price as the CyanBird.

The Benro CyanBird collapsed will be smaller in length and diameter than most tripods.

The FS30 Ball Head — A Photography First Tripod Head

Unlike the FS20PRO hybrid head version of this tripod, the FS30 is aimed squarely at still photographers. It’s a true Arca-Swiss compatible ball head with excellent tension control, smooth rotation, and an independent panning base.  The FS30 comes with the Benro PU60N mounting plate, but I was pleasantly surprised to see that the Ulanzi F38 quick release plates I use are natively compatible (thank you Arca-Swiss).  The quick release plate is secured in place by a lever mechanism – not quite as fast as a push-button release like I’ve used on other tripods, but it feels very secure.

The Benro FS 30 ball head & PU60N mounting plate

The FS30 ball head really is a joy to use.  It’s really nice that you can loosen one control and unlock that panning base.  With many other travel tripods, the only way to swivel the head is to loosen the main knob which unlocks that perfect head position you just spent 10 minutes trying to get exactly where you want it.  The main locking knob offers a progressive feel — it tightens predictably rather than snapping from loose to locked. That’s a detail only someone who’s fought with mediocre ball heads can truly appreciate. The safety-lock Arca clamp is another smart feature, preventing your camera plate from slipping off when you loosen it.  There are also bubble level indicators on both the FS30 head and in the base of the tripod exactly where you need them.

ANY NEGATIVES?

Probably the only thing I don’t like about the Benro CyanBird is the accessory case that it comes in the box.  Put the tripod into the case, roll it up, and fasten it with a couple of fiddley clips.  No thank you.  It’s rare that I would transport a tripod in anything other than clipped to my camera bag, but when I do, just give me a simple case with a zipper I can quickly get in and get out.  On the plus side, the tripod is probably a bit more well padded/protected in this case design then with many others that I’ve used, which could be a plus if you plan to check the tripod as luggage.

Screenshot

The $300.00 retail price of the Benro CyanBird is half the price of the Peak Design model on which it’s inspired by, and right about the same price as many lesser Chinese tripod manufacturers – a huge value.  And it’s not difficult to get at least a 10% discount off that retail price.  I suspect this won’t be my last Benro tripod.

Here’s my video review on the ThrMyLens YouTube channel:

Peak Design Tripod Killer: Review of the BENRO CyanBird Tavel Tripod TCBC15