Welcome jstenuf. I'm pretty new to this, but here's my two cents worth. Benro is a knock-off brand copying Gitzo I think. There are at least three people on this site that have Benro's and they can give you the ins and outs. I'm sure others will chime in on the differences and it basically amounts to "you get what you pay for" and "Would you trust almost $3,000 in gear on a $150 tripod?". Both are valid questions. If this is a one-time thing, you might consider renting one instead. If you're going to use it a long time, save your self some money and get the best you can affordthe first time as yougoing todo it sooner than you might think if you go the cheap route, even if it is a Benro. I don't know if you'll like the weight of the one your looking at as I think it's aluminium (+5 lbs.). Also keep in mind when looking around that the 4-section packs better, but you lose stability.


Hope this helps some until the pros get online