Benro Adventure 8X CF Series 3 Monopod review: a super-sturdy, 4-section carbon fiber monopod

I’ve owned a couple of Benro tripods and heads over the years and have always found them to be absolutely dependable. The Chinese manufacturer has been creating quality tripods and other supports since 1996 and has earned a very good reputation over the past 30 years, turning out some of the best tripods for photographers, best carbon fiber tripods, best travel tripods, best ball heads and best gimbal heads, to name but a few of the catalogued temptations. It also makes some of the best monopods, including the innovative Benro SupaDupa Pro MSDPL46C. The monopod that I’m reviewing here is a more conventional stick but based on the highest quality components.

Benro Adventure 8X CF Series 3: Specifications

Benro Adventure 8X CF Series 3: Price

Good-quality monopods are available for about half the price of this Benro, which comes in at $120 / £125 / AU$229. However, they tend to have an aluminum build whereas this Benro is carbon fiber with additional magnesium alloy components. That makes the price less than I’d expect to pay for a monopod of its quality and specifications. It’s actually very good value.

Benro Adventure 8X CF Series 3: Design & Handling

There’s a saying that stems from a 1960s British sitcom entitled Never Mind the Quality, Feel the Width. Alternative tailoring priorities aside, this Benro stands out from the crowd in terms of both quality and width. Like any monopod, this one’s very much akin to a single tripod leg with a camera mounting platform at the top. But the leg is made from very high-quality 8-layer carbon fiber, with additional components engineered from magnesium alloy. The overall benefit is that the monopod is very strong and rigid, but with a lightweight build of 0.5kg / 1.1lb. It's very sturdy but easy on your back.

Getting back to the ‘width’ side of the equation, the top section of the monopod has an oversized diameter of 32.4mm / 1.28in. There are four sections in total, the lower three filtering down to 28.6mm, 25.2mm and 21.8mm (1.13in, 0.99in, 0.86in). The net result is that even the bottom section has an impressive girth with no hint of being thin and spindly.

I think that four sections per leg is a good compromise. Three sections would result in a long folded length for stowing the monopod away, whereas five sections would increase setup time as well as reduce the diameter of the bottom section. As it is, the folded length works out to an easily manageable 52.5cm / 20.7in, which also enables fairly low-level shooting, should you feel the urge.

Despite being made from relatively warm-to-the-touch carbon fiber instead of aluminum, the monopod features a generous amount of comfort padding, which to me feels just right on the scale of firm to soft. There’s also a wrist strap, which comes in handy for carrying the monopod around and for adding a sense of security when you’re actually using it with your precious camera mounted on the top.

Naturally, the top of the monopod features a mounting platform or ‘top plate’. You can attach your camera directly to this, but I feel that a little head goes a long way in terms of practicality when using a monopod. I know opinion is divided on that amongst photographers, but the platform is circular with a diameter of 56mm, just crying out to have a head added to it.

There’s also a spanner included with the monopod, so you can remove the 1/4in camera fixing screw from the platform, reverse it and pop it back in with a 3/8in thread up top for mounting a suitably sturdy head. My ideal match for the monopod would be the very clever Benro FS20PRO Video & Foto Head. It works equally well as a ball head and as a pan-and-tilt head, selling for around $85 / £100 / AU$215.

Down at the bottom of the monopod, at least when it's folded, are the three flip-lock levers for extending and locking the inner sections. They’re quick, comfortable, and reliable in use, with a similarly high-quality feel to the rest of the monopod. Some might prefer twist-action clamps instead of flip locks, but that’s just a matter of personal preference.

At the very bottom of the monopod is a large rubber ‘rotating foot pod’. I have mixed feelings about this. I like that its large, flat, textured base gives a good, solid footing on hard and soft surfaces alike. I also like that it has a cutout at the top, which enables you to angle the foot in relation to the monopod by up to almost as much as 90 degrees. The only thing I don’t like about it is something I’ll come to next, in ‘performance’.

Benro Adventure 8X CF Series 3: Performance

If I’m going to the expense of buying a monopod and the effort of carrying one around, I want it to be able to do the job for which it’s intended. The Benro does that and more. I found it to be super-sturdy and extremely resistant to any unwanted flexing or vibration in use. I’m tall at 6ft 5in but found the maximum height of the monopod adequate for my needs. It’s an even better fit for me with a compact ball head added to the top, which is not included in the kit but a very worthwhile add-on in terms of performance as well as practicality.

My only slight niggle is that while the rotating foot pod is nice to have, it didn’t actually work very well in my tests. It was so stiff that the whole foot would scrape around and dig a hole in the ground instead of rotating on the end of the monopod. And when I did force it to rotate or adjust the angle to the vertical, it made a horribly loud squeaking noise. I’m sure that both of these negative attributes could be easily remedied with the application of the right kind of lubricant, but there’s no mention of that in the instruction pamphlet.

Benro Adventure 8X CF Series 3: Verdict

All things considered, I really like the Benro Adventure 8X CF Series 3 Monopod. It’s a relatively simple and straightforward affair, lacking little add-ons like fold-out feet, smartphone clamps and other mod cons, but that’s fine by me. When I reach for a monopod, it’s because I want something that will give solid and sturdy support with no flexing or vibration. And that’s what the Benro is all about, with its top-quality carbon fiber and magnesium alloy construction, and its hefty 16kg / 35lb payload rating. It doesn’t come with a monopod head but still, that’s reflected in the price and it’s nice to be able to add one of my own choosing.

Alternatives

The Benro SupaDupa Pro MSDPL46C is a more innovative carbon fiber monopod that includes a leveling head with a pan-only release, a free-spinning foot if you’d rather pan that way instead, and a mix of flip locks and twist locks.

The 3 Legged Thing Trent 2.0 is a comparatively ‘affordable’ monopod with a high-quality build, albeit based on magnesium alloy rather than carbon fiber. Optional extras include Docz2 feet (three of them) and an add-on head.