A serious tripod for serious photographers, the Benro Mach3 is part of the company's most advanced tripod range yet. Ideal for both indoor and outdoor shoots, it holds its own in tricky weather and terrain and is easy to set up and take down, although it's not the most travel-friendly.
Reasons to buy
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Strong and sturdy
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Can shoot low to the ground
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Comfortable twist locks
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Good payload
Reasons to avoid
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Fairly bulky — not ideal for frequent travel
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No monopod conversion
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The Benro Mach3 9X CF Series 3 tripod is part of Benro's most advanced tripod range to date, and in this review, we are going to be testing its mettle to see how it holds up against its competitors.
Benro produces some of the most beautiful and exceptionally high-quality tripods on the market, so we were very excited to get our hands on the Mach3. It sits in the higher mid-range of their collection in terms of price, making it ideal for professionals and enthusiasts with a bigger budget. It's adaptable for indoor and outdoor shoots and will suit a number of different photography styles, and it'll more than hold its own with pretty much anything you throw at it.
Sturdy and reliable, it can produce stunning images of the night sky when paired with one of the best astrophotography cameras, and it can get really low to the ground to capture shots of wildlife and nature with one of the best wildlife cameras.
There's quite a big size difference between the Benro Mach3 (left) and the Benro Rhino (middle) and Benro Tortoise (right) when folded.(Image credit: Kimberley Lane)
The Benro Mach3 (left) comes with a bigger and better carry case than the Rhino (middle) and Tortoise (right).(Image credit: Kimberley Lane)
When unfolded, the Benro Mach3 (middle) is only a little taller than the Benro Rhino (right).(Image credit: Kimberley Lane)
Our resident reviewer conducting a thorough sniff test of the Benro Mach3.(Image credit: Kimberley Lane)
With the central column fully extended, the Benro Mach3 (middle), is only slightly taller than the Benro Rhino (right).(Image credit: Kimberley Lane)
Fairly large compared to other models
Quality feel and materials
Choice of three or four leg sections
Specifications
Weight: 4.08 lbs (1.85 kg) Folded length: 24.6 in (62.5 cm) Maximum height (with central column extended): 63.58 in (161.5 cm) Payload: 35.3 lbs (16 kg) Leg sections: Three or four (user-selectable) Material: Carbon fiber
The first thing we noticed when we unpacked the Benro Mach3 was its size. It's a fair amount bigger than other Benro tripods we've tested — our first thought when we took it out of the packaging was that it looked big. We previously reviewed the Benro Rhino and Benro Tortoise over on our sister site and the Mach3 is substantially larger compared to those two, even without a head attached, as you can see from the images above. It's definitely a tripod for studio photographers and anyone in need of stability and durability.
Not only is the Benro Mach3 pleasing to the eye, but it also feels incredibly luxurious to the touch. The smooth carbon fiber legs are strong and sturdy, the twist leg locks are big and comfortable on the hands and the foam grip is soft enough to carry the tripod for long periods. Put simply, the Mach3 oozes luxury and class, and we think it's one of the finest Benro tripods yet.
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The Benro Mach3 fits nicely into its carry bag even with the head attached.(Image credit: Kimberley Lane)
It comes with a padded carry bag for safe storage and transportation.(Image credit: Kimberley Lane)
The carry bag has two zipped pockets on the outside.(Image credit: Kimberley Lane)
The carry bag is excellent quality, and one of the better bags we've seen from Benro.(Image credit: Kimberley Lane)
The Mach3 came tucked nicely into a padded carry bag (with pockets!) and included interchangeable spiky feet. You can choose between the three-section leg or a longer four-section. The latter costs $65 more, and is 15.5cm taller when fully extended, a few centimeters longer when folded and 200g heavier. For this review, we tested the three-section legs.
Benro Mach3: Performance
Strong and sturdy in windy weather
Quick and easy to put up and take down — even in the dark
Good 35.3 lbs (16 kg) payload capacity
In order to test its sturdiness, we put it at full height in our garden in winds of 15 mph with gusts of 33 mph — not exactly storm levels but still pretty windy. Although we were fairly confident it wouldn't tip over, we didn't want to take any chances by putting an actual camera on it, so we put a 1.5 kg dumbbell in a bag and hung it from the counterweight hook. The weighted bag was swinging a fair amount from the wind, but the tripod itself didn't budge.
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We found the Benro Mach3 easily held its own in windy weather.
(Image credit: Kimberley Lane)
The Mach3 has a generous 35.3 lbs / 16 kg payload capacity which is more than enough for most photographers, and will even suit more professional camera setups. We noticed that the legs were a lot thicker than other Benro models we've reviewed, which helps with stability at higher payloads — typically, the lower leg sections tend to be very thin and can cause the tripod to dip slightly when fully extended.
We also found it effortless to put up and take down, even in the dark, making it great for astrophotography. It doesn't have a reverse folding design like the Rhino does, so you just need to separate the legs, twist the locks to extend them and away you go.
We also liked that the bubble level was on the tripod itself — one issue we found with the bubble level being on the tripod head is that the camera tends to cover it once it's attached.
Benro Mach3: Functionality
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We liked that the tripod body has a bubble level that won't be covered up by your camera.(Image credit: Kimberley Lane)
The pull-out leg locking mechanisms are easy to use when changing the angle of the legs.(Image credit: Kimberley Lane)
The tripod is made from 9x carbon fiber.(Image credit: Kimberley Lane)
The large twist locks are comfortable and easy on the hands, especially in cold temperatures.(Image credit: Kimberley Lane)
We also like the electric blue accents.(Image credit: Kimberley Lane)
It comes with rubber feet as standard...(Image credit: Kimberley Lane)
...that can be switched out for spiky feet on outdoor terrain.(Image credit: Kimberley Lane)
No monopod functionality
The central column can be reversed to shoot low to the ground
Legs can splay to almost 90 degrees
The central column adds height for shooting at heights of up to 63.58 inches (161.5 cm) — though keep in mind that's without a head attached, which will add a few more inches — and the column can be reversed to shoot low to the ground, which can be useful for wildlife and nature photography.
There's no monopod conversion with the series 3, which we think would be a useful feature and would add another layer of versatility, but it's not a deal-breaker.
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The central column can be reversed for shooting low to the ground.(Image credit: Kimberley Lane)
The camera can quite literally not get any closer to the floor.(Image credit: Kimberley Lane)
The legs splay out to almost 90-degrees.(Image credit: Kimberley Lane)
The legs can also be positioned to any angle thanks to the simple leg-locking mechanisms, and they can splay out to almost 90 degrees. It did come with a smaller attachment which looked like it swapped out with the center column to be able to shoot lower to the ground, however, when we tried that, we couldn't get it to fit for love nor money. Still, you can still get pretty low even with the main center column.
Should you buy the Benro Mach3?
Buy it if:
✅ You need something sturdy: It has a high payload for heavy equipment and can hold its own in windy weather.
✅ You want an investment: If you can afford a Benro tripod, you'll get years of use out of it — they are built to last.
Don't buy it if:
❌ You want to travel with it: There are other Benro tripods that are lighter and more compact than this one.
❌ You're a beginner photographer: Beginners will probably want to start out with something a little more affordable.
Users who are looking for a durable, sturdy tripod that will last a long time really can't go wrong with the Benro Mach3. It combines advanced design with classic materials and it's part of the company's most advanced range yet, suitable for both indoor and outdoor photoshoots for a number of different photographic styles.
It does come with a price to match, though. At the time of writing, it's just shy of $400 for the version with three-section legs and around $450 for the four-section — and that's without a head attachment. But if you can afford it, we think it's worth it.
That said, if you're a photographer who travels a lot and you want something small and lightweight to fit into your carry-on or suitcase, this is probably not the tripod for you — it has quite a large footprint when folded, both in width and length. We've listed some alternative options below if you're looking for something more travel-friendly.
If you want a Benro tripod but don't think the Mach3 is quite right for you, consider the Benro Rhino, which we reviewed on our sister site. It's smaller and more compact than the Mach 3 thanks to its reverse folding design, making it more suitable for photographers who want to travel with their tripod. It has a monopod conversion for added versatility, and it also has a slightly higher payload. The Tortoise is also good for travel as it folds up much thinner due to there being no central column.
For beginners or anyone on a budget, the Mach3 is most likely overkill. If you're wanting something more affordable, check out the Manfrotto Element MII. It's an aluminum as opposed to carbon fiber construction, but still a bit lighter than the Benro Mach3. You can certainly tell the difference in quality when you compare the two, but for the price, we still thought the Manfrotto Element MII was a fantastic tripod.
Kimberley Lane, E-commerce writer for Live Science, has tested a wide range of optical equipment, reviewing camera gear from Sony, Canon, OM System and more. With over 6 years of photography experience, her skills span across landscape and seascape photography, wildlife, astrophotography and portrait work. Her photos have been featured in a number of national magazines, including Digital Camera World and Cosmopolitan. She has also contributed to our sister site Space.com and Tech Radar, and she regularly uses binoculars and telescopes to stargaze in the dark skies of South Wales.
