Self-Powered Tripod Levels Your Camera All By Itself

For the photographer that is overwhelmed by all the equipment they need to set up before they get that perfect shot, Benro will introduce soon what it claims to be”the world’s first travel tripod with automatic leveling,” which uses self-adjusting legs to align itself perfectly at the push of a button.

Setting up a tripod is a long way away the most difficult task on a photographer’s to-do list, but it can take a few tries to shorten and lengthen the legs to get the head perfectly aligned. On rough terrain it is even more demanding, Where each of the feet of the tripod can land at different heights and frequent readjustment be made when the tripod is moved or repositioned. To be clear, aspiring photographers don’t give up their passion because tripods are too bulky, but it’s nice to see a tripod make these adjustments all by itself.

Although Benro does not go into detail Via how the Theta’s self-extending legs work, the mechanism also appears to allow for manual adjustments with additional failsafes. If a photographer forgets to fully lock one of the leg segments after a take, the powered mechanism can take over and lock it in place should the tripod begin to tip over, protecting a connected camera from a nasty fall.

It also doesn’t sound like the Benro Theta is a one-trick pony. The legs are made from strong but lightweight carbon fiber with an aluminum ball head that swivels and tilts for additional adjustments on a connected camera. And it’s compatible with a range of optional modules that attach to the Theta’s center column. These include a battery module that literally powers the auto-leveling feature, a GoLive module for live streaming from a camera, a camera control module that doubles as a wireless remote control and adds wireless connectivity to a mobile app, and an Optical Matrix Sensor module that recognizes lighting conditions and can make adjustments to a camera’s recording settings for longer time-lapse recordings.

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The Benro Theta will be available in two versions: a travel-friendly 2.9-pound version for $349 and a larger 3.3-pound Theta Max model that costs $399 and increases payload capacity from 24.3 pounds to 44.1 pounds for larger cameras. The optional modules range from $50 to $99, which means you have to add $50 to the price of the battery module, which enables the Theta’s most notable feature.

However, you cannot buy both models just yet, since Benro will go the crowdfunding route with a Kickstarter expected to start this month. So you can rest assured that these prizes will only be available to those who eagerly support the campaign at launch. If you’d rather wait until the Kickstarter hits its funding goal or the product actually starts shipping, it looks like the MSRP will increase by $250-$300 for both tripod models.