First test
PRICE: £240
UK.BENROEU.COM
Benro Tortoise 24CLV
Offering high performance in a compact and lightweight form, Benro’s Tortoise collection has done well since its arrival. Now, two more innovative pods have been added
THE APPETITE FOR travel tripods among photographers and videomakers seems undiminished. Benro’s Tortoise family has been well received since its inception, recently adding two more models: the 34CLV and – tested here – 24CLV. Both pods are nicely appointed units. We’ll dig deeper into key features of the 24CLV shortly, but the headline innovation on each is a levelling bowl, appealing to stills and video shooters alike. If you haven’t come across this feature before, it’s simple, clever and very useful. At the top of the tripod legs, instead of a fixed platform to which the tripod head is fitted or centre column installed, there’s an adjustable and lockable bowl for the tripod head to sit. It means the fitted camera can be levelled quickly by using the locking bowl, without having to loosen the tripod head or adjust leg length. To assist, you just need a bubble level on the platform or the camera itself. On this Benro pod, the bowl has a smooth action with just about the perfect amount of friction. It locks “THE HEADLINE INNOVATION IS A LEVELLING BOWL, APPEALING TO STILLS AND VIDEO SHOOTERS ALIKE”
SPECS › Price Tortoise 24CLV, legs only £240. Video kit 24CLV with S4Pro head £365. Optional ball head Benro VX25 £105 › In the box Tripod, bag, spiked feet, 2.5mm and 4mm allen keys › Leg material Carbon fibre › Folded length (no head) 54.5cm › Max height (no head) 148.5cm › Min height (no head) 12.5cm › Leg sections Four › Leg angles Three › Leg locks Twist rubber grips
EXTRA FITTING Two 1/4in holes are available, for adding extra arms that hold accessories like LED lights rigidly with a quick twist of the side-locking lever. Aside from this nifty detail, the 24CLV is a four-section, carbon- fibre set of legs, with three leg angle positions. Plus, it’s compact and lightweight enough to fit into the travel tripod category. A centre column-free design gives the pod a slim, space-saving profile, and means a very low shooting position is attainable in quick time. A ballast hook is fitted, there are two 1/4in fittings for extra accessories – and spiked feet come in the box. The 24CLV is a quality set of legs that performs well. Fully extended, using an Arca-Swiss ball head, the viewfinder eyepiece of the fitted camera was a very handy 170cm off the ground. You get this very practical height with good stability. Leg sections lock firmly without having to exert too much effort, working fine either with or without gloves. Should you need to de-grit the leg locks, they disassemble and reassemble with no fuss.
› Ballast hook Yes › Bubble level No
› Thickest leg diameter 28.6mm › Thinnest leg diameter 18.4mm › Max load 14kg
› Weight 1.38kg legs only › Contact uk.benroeu.com
Giving the shoulder of the fully erected pod a firm twist produced a little flex, but not much, and the mounted camera was very stable. At the other extreme, with the same ball head, the camera’s EVF was about 32cm off the ground. I tried the pod with a combination of kit, including Canon EOS R5/100- 500mm, Fujifilm X-H2S/150-600mm and Nikon Z 7II/24-200mm, and had no problems with stability – even with long shutter speeds and a gentle breeze. The 24CLV is marketed at £240 legs only, or can be found in the shops with the Benro S4Pro video head – this pairing priced at £365. Naturally, Benro has a full complement of head options, but any 3/8in-fit head will suit. From Benro, the VX25 at £105 is a fine option. WC
A LOVELY TOUCH The Tortoise 24CLV’s levelling bowl works really well, is perfectly smooth and locks securely with very little effort
Verdict At £240, the Benro Tortoise 24CLV is an excellent-value set of legs. It offers the weight saving of carbon fibre, has good working heights – high and low – and the levelling system adds an extra dimension, making it a lovely tripod. PROS Slim profile, handy maximum and minimum heights, levelling bowl has a smooth action, travel size, good stability CONS Nothing of note
QUICK LOCKS The leg twist grips work well, are comfortable to handle and lock securely without too much effort
GET DOWN Splay out the 24CLV’s legs and you get a super-low camera viewpoint in seconds – no centre column to account for here
66 Photography News | Issue 101
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