Benro’s new CyanBird Carbon Fiber Tripod aims to compete against the Peak Design Travel Tripod at a fraction of the price.
While inspired by the Peak Design Travel Tripod’s distinct leg design, the Benro CyanBird eschews Peak Design’s sleek black look for a dark gray, silver, and vibrant ocean blue aesthetic. This “Bird” is probably not the best bet for photographers hoping to fly under the radar.
However, for photographers looking for a functional, versatile, lightweight, and affordable carbon fiber tripod, the CyanBird may fit the bill.
Thanks to its carbon fiber legs and lightweight aluminum locks, the Benro CyanBird weighs just 2.25 pounds (1.02 kilograms) with its panning two-in-one tripod head attached. When closed, the tripod is 17.1 inches (43.5 centimeters) tall, and its maximum height in use is 60 inches (152.5 cm). The maximum height includes the extended center column. The tripod’s minimum height is 7.2 inches (18.2 cm).
The CyanBird’s maximum height is the same as the Peak Design Travel Tripod’s. However, the Peak Design tripod can get slightly lower to the ground (5.5 inches). At 2.8 pounds (1.3 kg), the Peak Design Travel Tripod is also somewhat heavier than Benro’s new CyanBird.
Aside from the price, the most significant difference between the two tripods is their payload capacities. The Peak Design Travel Tripod is rated to hold an impressive 20 pounds (9.1 kg), while the Benro CyanBird supports 9.9 pounds (4.5 kg). Nearly 10 pounds is still quite a bit of gear, but it is still a noteworthy difference between the two tripods. For reference, a Sony a7R V camera with a Sony FE 200-600mm f/5.6-6.3 G OSS lens weighs 6.2 pounds (2.8 kg).
Another difference is that, unlike the Peak Design tripod, the CyanBird has aluminum leg locks. Peak Design uses plastic locks. It is a minor difference, but one worth noting.
Benro CyanBird Variants
The Benro CyanBird comes in multiple variants, like the Peak Design Travel Tripod, which comes in carbon fiber or aluminum. The Benro CyanBird also comes in a hybrid carbon fiber and aluminum model, where the lower four leg sections are constructed using aluminum instead of carbon fiber. The cost of doing so is a reduction in max height to 52 inches (132 cm) and a decrease in the payload to 8.8 pounds (4 kg). This carbon fiber/aluminum version comes with the N00P ball head.
There is also a fully aluminum version, which has a max height of 61.6 inches (156.5 cm) and a total weight of 2.7 pounds (1.2 kg).
Pricing and Availability
The carbon fiber CyanBird with the FS20PRO 2-in-1 pan head is $280. The carbon fiber and aluminum version with the N00P ball head is $190. Rounding out the trio of travel-friend CyanBird tripods is the aluminum version with the FS20PRO head for $200.
Compared to Peak Design’s Travel Tripod, which costs $650 for the carbon fiber version and $380 for the aluminum version.
Image credits: Benro