Benbo Trekker MK3

The Benbo Trekker MK3 has a highly unconventional design, using a large hinged joint to position the legs.

The Benbo Trekker MK3 takes a bit of getting used to, with the legs flailing all over the place rather like a set of bagpipes, but once mastered, the centre column can be easily swung between shooting at ground level and conventional position. Benbo claims the geared faces of the main joint enable it to be locked firmly without undue tightening, but we found the legs did slip in some positions when heavy pressure was applied.
There’s no built-in spirit level or padded leg warmers, but there is a hook for hanging your bag off the centre column to keep it safe and add stability. There are only two leg sections, but it still reaches a maximum height of 150cm thanks to the long centre column that can be rotated into either a vertical or horizontal position. To release the legs the MK3 uses a twist-lock system that is slower than a flip-lock system and took us 26secs to set up. The head attaches via a 1/4in screw but isn’t included, so you’ll need to factor in some additional cost.