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Chinese manufacturer Benro, known for tripods, Polaris Smart Electric Tripod Heads and gimbals, recently announced two new tripods on Kickstarter: the smaller Theta for $349 and the slightly larger Theta Max for $399. They claim to be the world’s first self-leveling tripods and the Kickstarter campaign launch date will be around the end of February 2023. So let’s check them out!
But before we look forward, let’s take a look back as tripods are one of the oldest tools in the industry and even the early pioneers were using them. But the characteristics of tripods are contradictory.
On the one hand, they should provide as much stability as possible, on the other hand, trips should be small and easy. Modern materials like aluminum and carbon fiber have helped make tripods more versatile, but now Benro wants to take ordinary tripods even further and turn them into truly smart devices!
Benro Theta: Self-leveling tripods
Yes, both of the Benro Theta models can auto-level your camera amazingly well. I was actually expecting the tripod head to do a standard job, but instead the legs move! Benro didn’t go into detail about how the whole thing works from a mechanical standpoint or what’s inside the legs, but you can see from the short video above that all you have to do is press one button and the legs. Adjust their length to adjust the camera. And if you’re not happy with the results, there’s an app for any necessary fine-tuning.
According to their website, Benro has solved the biggest traditional travel problem in decades and finally brought absolute convenience to photographers! Well, that’s a bold statement, and for all of us who manually adjust the tripod and head during a shot, life could be so much better and easier without just pressing a button or using an app on a smartphone. right now.
But was this a problem for you? You’ve probably done it a million times already and it’s a natural part of your creativity to get the shots you want.
Benro Theta: Smart Tripod
But the Benro Theta tripods can do a lot more than move their legs. Of course, there are many additional modules available to turn your sticks into a true digital Swiss Army knife.
Battery module
At its core is the battery module, which powers the Theta tripod legs and also provides a one-touch balancing function. It also works like a regular USB power bank if you want to charge your phone or camera if 5V is enough. Depending on your personal needs and how many phones you want to charge, you can mount three of these modules on a tripod.
Camera control module
The camera control module gives you control over your camera with remote live view using the Benro Theta app! You get full remote control over camera settings and the ability to preview photos and videos to your smartphone or even send them directly to social media. According to Benro’s website, you get full control over camera parameters like ISO, Aperture, Shutter speed and even Focal length. Unfortunately, there is no information if this app works with other cameras on the market.
The GoLive module
The GoLive module has an HDMI port to transfer your camera’s view to popular streaming platforms. YouTube and Facebook are both supported natively, while RTMP lets you stream to other platforms you want to add. Live streaming works over Wi-Fi, so if you’re out of the area and don’t have free Wi-Fi, you’ll need to connect your phone to a hotspot or other similar device.
Optical matrix sensor module
The optical matrix sensor module continuously monitors the ambient light while shooting time intervals. When it notices changes in the scene’s brightness, it instructs the camera to instantly adjust whatever setting you’ve told it to adjust based on the brightness value. For example, you may want to keep your shutter speed and aperture where they are, adjust your ISO to compensate, to maintain a consistent depth of field and degree of motion blur. Unfortunately, we didn’t get to test this promising module, but it could be the most interesting of all. Remember, you’re still reading about a tripod, but at least it’s a smart one!
Benro Theta and Theta Max: Technical Specifications
In addition to all the amazing modern functionality, there are still some very old technical details for both tripods, so let’s quickly summarize:
- One-step deployment method
- A secure leg lock mechanism
- 5 part legs – carbon fiber
- Trigon central column – aluminum alloy
- Center shaft lock key – aluminum alloy
- Leg angle selector – aluminum alloy
- It is attached to the strength of the cylinder
- Dual multi-function ball head for photography and video recording
With pan and tilt function - Self-locking QR ring – aluminum alloy
- Arca Swiss compatible standard plate
And here are the technical numbers for the smaller Theta and the larger Theta Max.
Finally, in case you’ve lost track of all the amazing possibilities offered by the world’s first self-leveling travel tripods, here’s a quick overview to summarize them more visually for you:
Price and availability
If you believe that your existing tripod is really boring because it can only support your camera and doesn’t have any smart functions and you need a new one immediately, please check out the upcoming Kickstarter campaign here! It’s not fully confirmed yet, but according to Benro’s Facebook page, the campaign should start around the end of February 2023.
Here’s the price information for all three models and relative modules:
- Theta Tripod – 120 cm / 47.2-inch version for $349
- Theta Max Tripod – 170 cm / 67 inch version for $399
- Battery Module – Kickstarter Special $50 instead of $149
- GoLive Module – Kickstarter Special $99 instead of $249
- Camera Control Module – Kickstarter Special $99 instead of $249
- Optical Matrix Sensor Module – Kickstarter Special $50 instead of $149
Please remember that Kickstarter is not a store, but a platform for funding projects. Benro has a good track record as a manufacturer, so I’m sure they’ll deliver a solid product in time.
This is what we say at the end of every article related to crowdfunding: Be aware of the pitfalls of backing a project on a crowdfunding platform. Please read the terms of use of the platform and note that there may be significant delays in delivering the product. Some projects are never even delivered.
So what do you think? Has Benro finally solved the biggest problem with traditional travel in decades? Throwing away your old legs and upgrading to a smart tripod? Please let me know by leaving a comment in the section below!
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