Place the Benro Theta on pretty much any surface and it’ll automatically level itself by adjusting its leg height, making sure your camera’s absolutely horizontal no matter what. A built-in motor and gyroscope allow the Theta to find its level in seconds, doing the one task that takes photographers minutes to do, often costing them that perfect opportunity to take their career-defining photo. Press a button and the Theta does it on its own… if that isn’t absolutely genius, I don’t know what is.
Designer: Benro Design
Click Here to Buy Now: $349 $599 ($250 off). Hurry, only 67/1450 left! Raised over $1,700,000.
Over the years, the tripod’s seen but minor improvements to its design. People have implemented new materials and minor design tweaks to make the tripod lighter and more compact, but they haven’t solved the tripod’s most annoying problem – that it’s still a time-consuming activity to set up. The way the Theta from Benro approaches its redesign feels refreshing because it adds innovation to a product that desperately needs it, but doesn’t innovate for the sake of it. Every part of the Theta tripod is sensibly relooked, resulting in a photography accessory that feels about as smart as the camera sitting on top of it.
Self-leveling.
Sand/dust resistant and easy to disassemble.
The Theta’s design can be manually deployed in seconds as opposed to minutes, thanks to a new deployment mechanism. Once deployed, a simple push of a button allows the Theta to self-level, giving you a tripod worthy of use in a fraction of the time. An anti-slip and sand-resistant design keeps your tripod (and camera) stable on pretty much any surface, and a set of add-on modules let you remotely control your camera in a way that makes photography feel advanced. You won’t want to go back to your old tripod ever again.
All range movements & Locked roll axis separately & Twist and full locked.
Instantly switch to portrait mode.
The Theta tripod’s innovation can be broadly clubbed into two categories – its cleverly redesigned non-tech details, and its futuristic, smart tech features. As far as the former goes, the Theta boasts of a new kind of deployment mechanism, a redesigned ball-head with the ability to lock it in pan and tilt mode, a new bracket that makes snapping the camera on and off the tripod much easier, and a trigonous central shaft that keeps the tripod’s footprint incredibly compact when closed.
Accurately fine tune camera composition from a distance.
The smart functions go well beyond just simply slapping a SoC on the tripod too. That auto-leveling feature borders on sorcery, as the camera just automatically finds its level without requiring you to sit there, staring at the spirit level and fiddling with the tripod to get things right. A snap-on battery mechanism powers this feature, letting you get about 8000 levels on a fully charged battery. A Camera Control Module and an Optical Matrix Sensor Module finally create a bridge between you and the camera, allowing you to remotely operate your camera and control every single one of its parameters as well as do more complex unmanned things like take time-lapses.
As an exercise, try and time yourself as you deploy your tripod. Stop only when your camera is 100% leveled and you’re ready to begin shooting. Took a while, didn’t it? A bulk of the Theta’s features actually focus on cutting that precious time down to mere seconds so you can begin taking photos and videos. Most tripods have flipper or twisting leg-locks, and you need to unlock all three telescopic parts on each leg before setting your tripod up and locking them back. The Theta ditches that for a new, single-twist opening and locking feature that works for each leg. Once the legs are deployed, most tripods require minor adjustments and tweaks while referring to the spirit level built into the tripod. The Theta further cuts the need to do any of those things thanks to its game-changing auto-leveling feature which takes under a minute (and a single button push) to complete, giving you a ready-to-use setup in practically 8-10% of the time… during the day. At night, the auto-leveling feature is a literal heaven-sent.
Once deployed, the Theta’s redesigned ball head offers the convenience of switching between freeform adjustment and a locked, pan & tilt motion. By simply tightening the retractable knob on the side of the ball head, the ball head is restricted to only move in the pan and tilt direction, while the roll axis remains locked and level with the tripod. An automatic snap-lock mechanism on top of Theta’s ball head makes camera installation faster and safer too. Mounting or unmounting the camera takes a split second, with a clicking feedback that lets you intuitively know when the camera is locked or ready to lift off the mounting plate. Place the camera on top and it locks with a satisfying click. A knurled ring right above the ball head lets you twist to unlock the camera. The Theta is also designed to be compatible with Arca Swiss Plates and L-brackets.
Designed with the purpose to make photography more efficient, the Theta tripod’s self-leveling trick is just one part of what makes it impressive. Pair it with the Camera Control Module (available as an add-on accessory) and you can remotely control every detail of your camera from your smartphone. The screen turns into a viewfinder, and Benro’s app lets you adjust every parameter remotely right from your phone. A GoLive module turns your DSLR or mirrorless camera into the perfect live-streaming rig, using cellular data to livesteam on Youtube/Facebook or via RTMP URL to other platforms. Benro’s even working on an Optical Matrix Sensor Module that detects ambient light in real-time and enables the camera control module to combine sensor inputs with advanced algorithms to dynamically adjust exposure settings, making it the perfect time-lapse autopilot. In doing so, the Theta seamlessly goes from a smart tripod to a smart assistant that helps with setup and even with photography.
Sealed aluminum collar keeps sand out.
The Theta comes made from 6061-T6 aluminum (a hardened alloy that’s perfect for rugged use while still being lightweight), with carbon-fiber legs that are rounder and thicker than those found on other tripods. The Theta still manages to have a smaller footprint when closed, thanks to the trigonous central shaft that lets the legs fold into the tripod, making things space-efficient. Sand-proofed collaring prevents tiny grains and particles from getting into the Theta’s telescopic legs, and automatic locks let the Theta’s legs instantly activate when it feels like the tripod is slipping, doing pretty much what a seatbelt does when the passenger leans forward to suddenly.
Benro developed the Theta in two sizes, to hold both smaller as well as larger camera setups. The Theta has a maximum height of 155cm (61 inches) and can take weights of up to 11 kilograms or (24.3 lbs). Its larger sibling, the Theta Max stands 170cm high (67 inches) and can take on a larger payload of 20 kilos (44.1 lbs). Available at early bird discounts, the Theta Tripod starts at $349 while the Theta Max Tripod starts at $399. The battery module which powers the auto-leveling feature is available as an add-on accessory for $30, while the Camera Control Module and GoLive Module cost $99, and Optical Matrix Sensor Module has a $50 price tag. The Theta and its accessories ship globally, starting June 2023.
Click Here to Buy Now: $349 $599 ($250 off). Hurry, only 67/1450 left! Raised over $1,700,000.
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