Benro Rhino FRHN05CVX20 Review: A Compact Carbon Travel Tripod

The Benro Rhino FRHN05CVX20 is a small carbon-fibre travel tripod kit with the VX20 ball head. Its value is not simply that it is light: the reverse-folding layout and five-section legs make it a practical option when carrying a full-size tripod would mean leaving support at home.

It is best suited to mirrorless cameras and reasonably sized lenses where compact packing matters more than working at eye level. The 10 kg quoted capacity is useful headroom, but it should not be mistaken for a promise of the same steadiness with a long telephoto lens and both centre-column sections extended.

What the design changes in practice

Folded length is about 35 cm, so it can go inside many daypacks rather than hanging awkwardly from the outside. Five leg sections create that small package, but each extra joint adds a little setup time and reduces stiffness compared with a larger three- or four-section tripod.

The supplied VX20 head has a separate pan movement beneath the ball. That is useful for carefully assembled panoramas or modest video reframing after the horizon is levelled. It does not turn the kit into a fluid video tripod; for moving video shots, the lack of controlled drag still matters.

Stability is more than the payload figure

Benro lists a maximum height of roughly 139.5 cm and a 10 kg capacity. Those numbers describe the system’s rating, not the ideal way to use a long lens. The smallest leg sections and raised centre column are the places where vibration becomes more visible, especially in wind or during a multi-second exposure.

For the sharpest result, open the thickest leg sections first, keep the centre column down when possible, and hang weight only when it will not swing. A remote release or self-timer prevents touching the shutter from becoming the weakest part of the setup.

Where it makes sense

This is a sensible travel kit for city breaks, hiking with a small camera, landscapes at dawn and occasional low-angle work. The removable leg and centre column can form a monopod, which is helpful where a three-legged support would be awkward.

If you need the lateral-column flexibility of a larger support for close work, the Benro GoPlus FGP18A is the more specialised design, although it is much less compact.

Limits to accept before buying

The kit is expensive for its size and the compactness has consequences: it is short without the column, takes longer to deploy than a simple three-section tripod and is not the best choice for regular work with heavy lenses. It makes more sense as a portable camera support than as the only tripod for every job.

Key specifications

• Carbon-fibre, five-section travel tripod
• Approx. 35 cm folded length
• Approx. 139.5 cm maximum height
• Approx. 1.24 kg kit weight
• 10 kg stated load capacity
• VX20 dual-pan ball head and monopod conversion

Head choice and camera balance

The supplied VX20 head is convenient because the kit is ready to use, but the head is still part of the stability system. A large camera body or telephoto lens should be mounted with its centre of mass over the tripod, not cantilevered far forward. A lens collar is often better than mounting a long lens from the camera body, because it keeps the balance point nearer the ball.

Carbon fibre saves carrying weight but does not make the lower leg sections magically rigid. The practical advantage is that a tripod this small is more likely to travel with you. The practical cost is that careful setup becomes more important when the shutter speed slows down.

Is it still a sensible buy?

Older stock can still be worthwhile when the price is sensible and the kit is complete. Check that the plate, bag, tool and head are included, and make sure any used twist locks extend smoothly. A small discount is not a bargain if the tripod will spend every long exposure with its column fully raised.

Care after travel

After salt spray, rain or sand, wipe the legs and allow the joints to dry before folding the tripod into its bag. Do not force a gritty twist lock. A few minutes of care protects the small leg sections that make this design portable.

Before committing to any tripod, mount the heaviest camera-and-lens combination you actually carry. A tripod that looks ideal in a specification table can feel very different once the framing angle, wind and position of the centre column are involved. The right choice is the one that gives you a repeatable, safe setup rather than the highest number on its box.

30-second decision

Buy it if a genuinely packable carbon tripod will get used more often than a larger support. Skip it if you regularly shoot with a long telephoto lens or need comfortable eye-level height without raising a centre column.

For more help choosing the right support, see our guide to travel tripods and these practical reasons a camera tripod matters.

For the manufacturer or a reliable technical reference, see Benro’s Rhino FRHN05CVX20 product information.

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