Unless you’re lucky enough to live near a dark sky site, most astrophotography sessions involve traveling to those dark sky areas — this could be by car, airplane, train or hiking. Having a lightweight, reliable travel tripod is essential. If this sounds like something you’re missing, let us introduce you to the Benro Rhino travel tripod.
Specifications
Weight: 3.8 lbs / 1.74kg
Maximum payload: 39.7 lbs / 18kg
Maximum Height: 66.3-inches / 1.69m
Folded length: 19.3-inches / 490mm
Leg sections: 4
Head: Ball-head
Accessory mounts: 3
Feet: Rubber or spiky
It’s compact and lightweight, made of excellent quality carbon fiber and extends to an impressive height — not to mention it also converts to a monopod, which could be useful if you shoot other styles of photography as well. This tripod can do it all, and although it’s not the cheapest model on the market, we think it’s well worth the investment and will last you for years.
For travel tripods to truly shine, pair them with the best cameras for astrophotography and the best lenses for astrophotography for those stunning astro shots you’ve always dreamed of.
Benro Rhino Travel Tripod: Design
- Different size options are available
- Carbon fiber construction
- Premium quality feel throughout
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Benro tripods are known for their superior build quality and longevity, and the Rhino tripod series is a prime example of that. Made from a carbon fiber construction, the tripod is lightweight (3.8 lbs / 1.74kg) and built to last. It has four leg sections with soft rubber twist locks which are gentle on the hands and easy to operate — particularly if you’re using it for an astro shoot in the dark. It comes with either soft rubber feet or spiky feet so you can customize the tripod to fit the terrain you’ll be shooting on, and they are easy to change — just unscrew them. The bag even comes with a little pocket that you can store the feet in to avoid losing them.
The buttons on the top of the legs allow for easy angle adjustment and have a lock button to keep them in place to prevent any slipping. The legs have an attractive grey geometric design which gives a very high-end and premium feel. You can set them at pretty much any angle you like, but they do click into place at certain points.
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The Rhino comes in four different sizes, all of which have varying heights and number of leg sections to accommodate all photographers and shooting styles. The 24C, which we reviewed, has a maximum height of 66.3-inches / 1.69m and a folded length of 19.3-inches / 490mm, making it TSA carry-on approved. The maximum payload is an impressive 39.7 lbs / 18kg.
Benro Rhino Travel Tripod: Performance
- Easy to set up and take down in the dark
- Reverse folding design makes it easy to transport
- Extremely sturdy and stable
During our testing, we were delighted with how smoothly this tripod is set up and packed down (particularly in the dark). The soft twist locks are easy to use, smooth on the hands, and big enough to grip comfortably, and they lock and unlock the legs with just half a twist. It was easy enough to convert to a monopod, although you may need the help of one of the best headlamps to ensure you don’t drop the weight hook when you unscrew it. We were also very impressed with how sturdy it was — we took it to a coastal location with pretty strong winds (approx 10 meters per second — enough to make it unsuitable to fly a drone), and even without the camera attached to it, the tripod didn’t budge at all when we set it up.
It packs down neatly with a reverse-folding design, which enables it to fit nicely into TSA-approved carry-on luggage. While it does pack down small in terms of length, the reverse folding design means there’s a bit of bulk to it when folded. It also isn’t the lightest travel tripod out there, but Benro has designed it with versatility in mind, so it’s a toss-up depending on what factors you prioritize when traveling. It’s also one of the tallest travel tripods we’ve found, measuring 66.3-inches / 1.69m when fully extended.
The mounting plate attaches to the camera with a D ring, which works for shooting in landscape orientation, but when we switched to portrait, we found the camera slipped down quite often. A D-ring is fine when you have the strength to fasten and unfasten it as tightly as it needs to be, but if you have weaker arms or long nails you may struggle to tighten it enough.
In regards to the rest of the head, the panning was incredibly smooth, and we appreciated being able to adjust the friction depending on how quickly you want to pan the camera. There’s a spirit level on the head, but you’ll need to check this before you put the camera on otherwise it’ll be covered by the camera.
Benro Rhino Travel Tripod: Functionality
- Excellent safety features prevent your camera from being dropped
- Soft rubber twists to operate legs and central column
- Converts into a monopod for versatility when traveling
The features of the VX25 head really set this tripod apart — it truly is the small details that elevate it from just being good to being great. There are two safety features to stop your camera from falling off the tripod when you’re attaching it or taking it off. The first of which is the two metal pins on either end of the underside of the mounting plate. If the camera is pointed up, down or vertically, then these pins will prevent it from slipping and hitting the ground when the mounting platform is loosened to take the camera on and off. The other safety feature is the quick-release lock knob. When you turn it, it’ll suddenly stop, then you need to pull the knob out slightly to continue loosening it.
On the VX25 head, you’ll also find a pan lock knob to enable/disable the whole head to pan round, a ball locking knob to set the ball head in place and a panoramic locking knob, which sets the friction of the panning.
One thing we particularly love about the Rhino is its versatility. Not only can it act as a tripod, but you can also configure it into a monopod, which is great if you shoot wildlife, sports or fast-action photography and want to rest your arms. Particularly when traveling, it’s great to have the option to do both when you don’t have room to carry a tripod and a separate monopod. There’s also a spirit level on the mounting platform and a removable counterweight hook on the bottom of the center column to weigh the tripod down if it’s windy.
Should I buy the Benro Rhino?
Ultimately, it depends on which factors are more of a priority when you shoot with a tripod when traveling. The Rhino is an excellent choice if you favor versatility or height. However, if you will be carrying it around in your bag all day and focus more on weight, then we think there are better lightweight options out there. That said, the Rhino does come in different sizes to suit different needs. It’s not the most affordable travel tripod out there, but it’s fantastic quality that we think would last for many years through many different photography adventures.
If the Benro Rhino tripod isn’t for you
If you aren’t concerned about height or versatility and want something lighter and more compact that isn’t necessarily marketed as a travel tripod, we’d say spend the extra $30 and go for the Benro Tortoise. It’s similar to the Rhino, only it doesn’t have a central column and has a slightly different head. Although it’s not reverse folding, it does still fit into TSA-approved carry-on luggage (just).
For something really compact and lightweight, you won’t find much smaller than the JOBY GorillaPod 3K Pro kit. GorillaPod’s are known for having flexible legs that can grip around pretty much anything. If you travel a lot and you only sometimes use a tripod, this would be a great option to keep on you without weighing you down. It’s also a great option for on-the-go content creators and vloggers.
If you’re on a budget, the Benro MeFoto Road Trip Pro could be worth considering. It’s almost as tall as the Rhino and converts into a monopod, but its aluminum construction does mean more weight when traveling.