Mike in O wrote:A few thoughts...sidekicks are fine on a sturdy tripod but lose some of their effectiveness on a less than ideal pod. I would look into an acratech long lens head which is in between a ball head and a gimbal. Very light even with a leveler attached; its only drawback is that the lens will flop if you don't pay attention. It is very stable even with my old Minolta 600f4 (12.5 lbs). I use it almost exclusively if I am walking and don't want to carry my Whimberly.
I just tried the Sidekick and Benro B3 ball head with the setup and it seems to be OK. However, there is a reason why a Markins M20 ball head is a few hundred dollars more than a Benro B3. The B3 panning is not as smooth as a more expensive ball head unless you loosen it to pan freely. I need to play with it more to see if it's some adjustment that I need to make on the B3.
I want to use a tripod instead of a monopod so I can be hands free and not have to always be holding onto the gear. For that purpose, this tripod is doing its job. It has to be of a certain closed-down height and light weight enough so it can be transported comfortably on a slimmer profile backpack. Or handheld. There are not many reviews on the tripod and use with a 500 lens. That's understandable given the tripod is not one people would normally use with a 500. Durability is the thing I do not know yet as I haven't used it long enough in the field to make any assessment.
Update:
Well, it definitely can hold up a 500 lens. Feels solid when locked down. As mentioned and also field tested, the Benro requires more twisting of the twist locks to loosen and tighten. Sometime when you think a knob is already loosened and start to push the leg section up, it can't move because the twist knob needs more loosening. The Gitzo excels in this area as it loosens and tightens with a quick twist - a lot smoother and quicker to operate. But you are paying over a $1,000 for a Gitzo vs $420 CAD for my Benro TMA28C. One step up is the Benro TMA38C for $500 CAD but is a bit heavier and thicker legs than the TMA28C.
Sidekick works great on the Benro B3 and Wimberley said it would as well. However, the Benro B3 is no Markins. Markins has much smoother panning when under tension. The Benro B3 panning under some tension is not smooth at all. If you loosen it to turn freely, then it pans smoothly. However, the Benro B3 works and gets the job done for a couple of hundred dollars less.