Our hands-on review of the Benro Hydra 2 Waterproof Tripod: A worthwhile addition to your Kitbag?
It’s an old absurdity that there are two factors that influence the price of a tripod: stability and weight. Benro proved two more things. So, is their Hydra 2 worth their cost?
A few months back, I wrote a review of the two Benro . tripods. One is Benro Slim, an affordable lightweight touring bike that I find perfect to carry on a bike or in a backpack while hiking. That one is Tortoise Benroa columnless tripod that I was very impressed with.
I usually shoot on sandy beaches, standing in the water, and so when I got home, with my camera and IP53 weather-sealed lenses, I took off the Turtle’s legs and washed them in the shower. Both sand and seawater penetrate the tripod. Sand and salt corrode and corrode most things and I want my kit to last, so I consider careful maintenance very important.
However, I recently saw an advertisement for Benro INDURO Hydra 2, which is claimed to be a waterproof tripod. So I contacted the staff at Benro and asked if I could get through its steps. Two days later, the postman delivered it to my door.
Benro Hydra 2’s Real World Experiment
As expected from Benro, the tripod is extremely well made. It comes in a sleek carrying case and is individually wrapped in a drawstring nylon sleeve. In addition to the tripod, the case also contains a spiked foot pocket, an alternative to the rubber ones fitted with a wrench.
The INDURO series of tripods feature 8-layer carbon fiber tubes, making them 60% sturdier than conventional tripods. The five sections of the legs are secured with painted metal twist buckles that are large and easy to grip, even with gloves on. A quarter turn allows the sections to slide in and out. Because they’re sealed, the twist locks are tighter than other tripods I’ve used, and the pins are more resistant when pulled out. But it’s reasonable to assume that anyone who buys this model for its waterproofing will be well enough to venture out into challenging environments. So that won’t be a problem for them. However, if you have a disability that affects your grip or arm strength, this may not be the tripod for you.
That sealing seems to do the job. After leaving the tripod in the sea for about ten minutes, letting the waves roll through the twist locks, I dried it off with a towel and slid the tripod back and forth. There was no grit in the movement, so sand didn’t get in the way during operation, which happens with all other tripods I’ve used. Furthermore, after removing the foot and inspecting the inside of the vacuum there is no sign of water entering. I also pushed my feet into the wet, soft sand and it was bearable.
The tripod itself is very stable. That’s what the Turtle impressed me with. Unlike Tortoise, Hydra 2 has a reversible center column. I’m not a fan of center columns, but this one when fully extended is solid and when fully extended the tripod reaches 60.4 inches (1533 mm).
It is secured in place by an oversized buckle with wing lugs for easy handling. The base of the column has a ballast hook to hang your camera bag. On the spider is a leveling bubble. It also has an accessory screw and a eyelet for attaching a third-party strap. It should be noted that the center column adjuster does not have any waterproof features.
The top mounting plate has a double threaded screw, so heads can be taken with both 3/8” and ¼” sockets. Unlike the Turtle, this camera is not supplied with a ball head.
The Hydra 2 can be used with its legs independently folded out up to 90 degrees, useful for rough terrain.
To pack it away, the legs fold 180 degrees from the extended center column. This means that when stored, the tripod measures just 16.7 inches (424 mm), short enough to slip into my small backpacks and bike panniers. However, that reduced length means a slight sacrifice in its width when in storage.
This tripod is sturdy and designed for my larger cameras; it has a maximum payload of 37.5 lb (17 KG) so for my OM System camera it was overkill. Also, the ball head I used for testing, Benro’s excellent GX25, looks a bit dwarfed on the top plate.
Impact on the environment and society
As promised, in all of my reviews I will cover the environmental and social impact of the products, as they are of increasing importance to photographers. All the equipment we buy will have an impact on the environment. It’s nice to know that companies are taking real action to address that problem.
Benro’s website doesn’t include any environmental or carbon emissions performance data, nor does it publish a commitment to tackling modern slavery. This doesn’t mean they’re bad, it’s just that they don’t share a lot of information.
BENRO is committed to environmentally friendly products, minimizing environmental impact, from environmental green magnesium alloy materials, natural rubber to finished product packaging.
Despite the lack of detail, I think that claim is better than the slander of some other manufacturers who hide poor performance behind complicated claims and policies with promises for future.
Contacted their main UK distributor, they told me that Benro is now taking the environmental impact seriously.
Recently, Benro has taken steps to improve these aspects of their business. Most recently, they installed solar panels on the roofs of both their factory and office building to provide power, and they also recently stopped manufacturing some products because of the solid anode process. specifically used on them.
What I do and don’t like.
This is a dedicated tripod aimed at a niche corner of the market. It will appeal to serious, adventurous outdoor photographers who, like me, wade into the ocean or river to get their landscape and seascape shots. I can also picture it being bought by wildlife photographers who stand in the lake to take water level pictures of waterfowl. If one combines photography with rock climbing, hiking, biking, canoeing, kayaking or hiking, this will be a worthy investment. It will also be a boon for those who want a lightweight tripod that is powerful enough to carry heavy video equipment.
The only drawback for me is that, unlike the Turtle’s columnless design, you can’t position all the legs at a 90-degree angle without elevating the mid-column. So the worm’s eye view image can only be captured when the column is inverted, meaning that part of the column must be dismantled to do so. I personally would like to see a version without columns as most of my photos are taken at the knee and lower. Also, a short pole like they do for other models or an adapter to mount the head directly on the spider would be welcome.
Other than that, this is a great, precision built, high quality tripod that anyone would be happy to have in their arsenal.
Inference
When used, it feels like a special set. You know when you’re dealing with quality gear, and it’s superbly built.
At the beginning of this review, I mentioned three factors that need to be balanced: weight, stability, and price. This tripod is light at only 3.3 lb (1.5 kg) and extremely stable, so one can expect the price to be at its highest. However, Benro has added two extras of strength and waterproofing, and that is also reflected in the price. At $450, this won’t be in the pocket of many. It is aimed at serious professional photographers and videographers who require high-end equipment with extra features like Benro INDURO Hydra 2 yes – especially waterproofing – and for them it would be an attractive proposition.
