Top positive review
5.0 out of 5 starsLightweight, solid and smooth
Reviewed in the United States on October 30, 2018
i bought this to replace the Benro B2 ball head that came with my Benro Adventure Series 2 carbon (TAD28CB2) tripod. the B2 ball head i received had an issue with drift when locking since day one. after reading a lot of negative reviews on the Benro V2E, i decided to give the G2 a try knowing i could always return it. because of my positive experiences with Benro tripods and their other ball heads, i was reluctant to move away from the brand unless it was truly necessary despite the abundance of low-profile style ball heads that offer similar features for less money.
right off the bat, the packaging was top notch and somewhat unexpected, though in afterthought i should've expected it. Benro does a good job with their packaging. nothing over the top but it was secure, padded and included all of the hardware needed to adapt to your application: in this case, the G2 was accompanied by a drawstring bag, 3/8" to 1/4" adapter bushing, 60mm ARCA-Swiss plate, and hex key for the mounting plate.
the ball head has 3 knobs: clamp lock with safety, pan lock knob, and ball lock with friction control. on the clamp is a bullseye fluid level and the panning base is marked as expected. that said, clamping and panning are exceedingly smooth. the hollow 44mm ball is polished and anodized, moving smoothly in the base; far smoother than that of the B2 ball head, more consistent friction control and locks solidly. the squircle shaped, rubber coated knobs offer better grip than that of the B2, or even other brands' designs featuring everything from plastic to bare metal, with ribs or teeth. only levers offer a more reliable grip in my experience. the clamp used is machined and anodized aluminum instead of cast and powder-coated aluminum... it may not offer a measurable difference in strength and weight, but it sure looks good with sharp, accurate edges and precise cutouts that match the construction of the also machined and anodized adapter plate. the diameter of the base is an exact match to Benro's series 2 and 3 center columns.
now for some speculation. the advertised max capacity of 31 lbs seems a bit optimistic. obviously that maximum could easily be exceeded with the ball and plate aligned directly perpendicular to the ground, but i'm extremely pessimistic about the possibility of it holding 30 lbs with the ball and plate at an obtuse angle. i'm not sure what the base is made from, but while it looks like bead blasted and anodized aluminum, it could also be magnesium, which would help to explain the relatively low weight of the whole device. either way, it feels solid and the finish looks great with a combination of matte and glossy elements and laser engraving that's easy to read and should last the life of the unit. there are no visible "weak points" i could identify from a cursory inspection.
most importantly, it resolves the drift and creep problems i had with the B2. it locks in place accurately and securely with no bias. movement is the smoothest i've experienced with any previous Benro ball head while the finish correlates favorably to the price point. it's a high quality, low profile ball head with huge capacity and smooth action that punches well above its weight, comparing favorably against more well-known name brands even if you take out price as a factor. it's not just great for the price; it's just plain great.
