At the beginning of 2023, Benro announced that it had developed the world’s first self-leveling tripod. The company launched the product, named Theta, in March that year via a Kickstarter campaign. However, many backers are still waiting for their tripods over a year and a half later.
Theta and Theta Max backers experience delivery delays
Benro’s Kickstarter campaign ran from March to April 2023. It proved very successful, with the company raising $2,452,958 from 4,494 pledges against a goal of only $50,000. As well as the standard lightweight Theta tripod, there was also a heavy-duty model called the Theta Max. The tripods’ headline feature was self-leveling. Videos on the Kickstarter page demonstrate the tripods’ legs extending automatically to level your camera’s horizon with the press of a button. The page also quoted the estimated delivery for both tripod models as being June 2023.
In May 2023, Benro told backers that the first 200 tripods were going to ship in June as scheduled. However, in mid-June, the company announced that following user feedback it was changing the products’ design which had put back delivery by a month. Unfortunately, that was just the start of the delays. Benro posted 27 updates to the Kickstarter backers, citing issues with production, security and failed samples. Even worse, some backers reported that the company wasn’t responding to complaints or requests for refunds.
General sale
To make matters worse, the Theta tripods appeared for sale on Benro’s website in early 2024. You could add the products to your cart with a shipping date of May 2024. This was despite Kickstarter backers still having not received their pledges. However, there was some good news as a limited number of regular Theta tripod did ship to Kickstarter backers in May. Unfortunately, Benro said that Theta Max was still in production and not ready to ship at that time.
Too good to be true
Things didn’t get better for Benro after the first Theta tripods arrived with backers. The Everyday Reviews account on YouTube posted an extensive 20 minute review of the Theta. It demonstrated a number of problems including the legs locking up and even detaching. The self-leveling motor was also a lot louder than Benro had promised. In addition, the final production Theta tripods weighed 3.85 pounds (1.75 kg), over 40% heavier than the stated 2.7 pounds (1.25 kg) in the Kickstarter campaign.
What next?
At the time of writing, the Benro still hasn’t shipped the Theta Max tripod though the company claims it is now in mass production. Benro also told PetaPixel that it has shipped 800 standard Theta models and has a further 200 ready to go out. However, over 2000 backers bought the Theta through Kickstarter so there is still some way to go to fulfill those orders. In addition, the Theta Kickstarter campaign page currently has over 6000 comments. Many of the recent posts are from disgruntled backers asking for a refund and threatening legal action.
What has Benro said?
Speaking to PetaPixel, Benro said, “The R&D for this project really matters. It slowed the progress of our delivery timeline. The production of accessories as well as the assembly difficulties, all affected our progress. Unlike the traditional tripods that Benro is known for, this was the first time Benro added electronics into a tripod. As with many companies creating new and innovative products, we encountered challenges to be dealt with.” The company also faced issues sourcing some components, which introduced more delays beyond its control. In relation to refunds, the company added “Recently, we have speeded up the refunds. Backers who initiated the dispute through Kickstarter have been issued refunds to their account already.”
North American backers
PetaPixel’s post explained that the Kickstarter campaign was run by Benro Global. However, this is a separate company from Benro USA which is managed by the MAC Group. Despite this, Benro USA is offering to help with refunds for any backers who want a refund rather than continuing to wait for their tripods. Unfortunately, this offer isn’t available to customers based elsewhere in the world.
What we think
Benro appears to have been overly optimistic in relation to its ability to deliver the Theta and Theta Max quickly. The company also seems to have faced far more issues in the development process than it had anticipated. However, some users who have received their tripods so far have posted comments to say they are broadly happy with the product. It’s always important to remember that with Kickstarter campaigns you aren’t simply pre-ordering a new product. You are very much funding the research and development phase of production, and this often doesn’t go smoothly. Benro might find that any future Kickstarter campaigns they run are met with less support and more skepticism.
