Travel tripods have been following a certain newer form factor in the past couple of years, but Manfrotto’s BeFree tripods are sticking to their staple design. Let’s see what’s new about these tripods.
Manfrotto was one of the brands that changed the game about half a decade back by making tripods that were more travel-friendly and easier to carry while still providing substantial functionality options. For a number of years, as camera gear has been getting more and more compact, compact tripods have also started adapting to the changes in physical requirements for both casual and professional use, and the BeFree line was at the forefront of this. In 2024, updates to the BeFree tripods were made, and here are two tripods that are part of this next generation.
The Manfrotto BeFree Advanced AS
The Manfrotto BeFree Advanced AS is a 41 cm (16.14 inches) long, 4-section carbon fiber tripod when completely folded up. It weighs just 1.27 kilograms (2.8 lbs) and folds upwards in the “traditional” manner that travel tripods do. This 41 cm tripod also has a minimum working height of 41 cm when the legs are spread slightly wider. This limit is reached because of the center column that cannot be removed or replaced with a shorter rod. Without the center column extended, the tripod is 127 cm (50 inches) tall, and with the center column extended, it reaches up to 150 cm (59 inches) tall. a 41cm (16.14 inches) long 4-section carbon fiber tripod when completely folded up. It weighs just 1.27 kilograms (2.8 lbs) and folds upwards in the “traditional” manner that travel tripods do. This 41cm tripod also has a minimum working height of 41cm when the legs are spread slightly wider. This limit is reached because of the center column that can not be removed or replaced with a shorter rod. Without the center column extended, the tripod is 127cm (50 inches) tall and with the center column extended it reaches up to 150cm (59 inches) tall.
The legs are made of carbon fiber rods of four different widths, all connected by their respective twist locks, which are enveloped in rubber for better grip and control. Near the upper end of each leg are three locking positions for the leg angles that allow each leg to switch from 22, 54, and 89 degrees for better stability and versatility on uneven surfaces. This is controlled by a sliding lock on the left of each leg. In one of the corners of the central joint is a link port that takes any 3/8” screw to mount friction arms or other accessories with that screw size. This can be used to mount a field monitor, a microphone, or even another camera, depending on the payload that the arm can handle.
Above the central joint is a plastic twist lock around the center column that controls its extension. At the very top of the center column is a removable ball head made of magnesium alloy that basically follows almost the same design as the previous generations of the BeFree Advanced tripod. It has a small pan lock knob and a larger 2-in-1 main ball knob. The larger control unlocks the ball joint entirely, while the inner knob adjusts the friction of the ball for better control and/or more secure locking.
What’s New?
Two features are different with this version of the BeFree Advanced tripod. The first is the overall aesthetic, as this one is a more minimalist black-on-black design on top of the carbon fiber texture. Even the Manfrotto logo and the model markings are black on top of the interlaced black and dark gray carbon fiber rods. The second seemingly minor but heavily demanded change on this tripod is the reason for the “AS” at the end of the model name, which pertains to the fact that this finally uses an arca-swiss type mounting clamp on top of the ball head. It is compatible with the Manfrotto 200PL Pro and any other arca-swiss type plate, L-bracket, cage, or rotating camera mount.
User Experience
The Manfrotto BeFree Advanced has always been a reliable travel tripod that’s easy to carry in situations where you don’t want to be lugging around a large tripod. While it does have its limitations, it can withstand significant challenges from the shooting environment and can comfortably and securely hold most camera setups compatible with its use case. The change to arca-swiss type compatible mounting is a very welcome one; however, it would have been great to see even more improved or innovative features on this tripod. Whether or not Manfrotto aims to adapt to the now more common travel tripod form factor, the sturdiness of the BeFree tripods is undoubtedly attributable to their relatively robust central joint and the thickness of the carbon fiber legs. However, it could benefit from the ability to reduce or totally remove the center column for more versatility when it comes to camera angles.
The Manfrotto BeFree GT Pro 3-Way Hybrid Tripod
The GT Pro 3-way hybrid tripod definitely stands out more within the Manfrotto BeFree tripod lineup and was created for more than just one use case. For starters, the BeFree GT Pro variants are slightly larger, which also makes them more durable. When folded, this tripod is 46 cm long, while its minimum working height is 48 cm. With its thicker legs also comes a significantly heavier weight at 1.92 kilograms. When all four sections are fully extended, it comes up to a working height of 144 cm without the center column extended and up to 165 cm when the center column is fully extended. Since this uses a unique kind of head, it does not have a heavier payload capacity (6 kg); however, the ball head variant of the GT Pro does.
The legs still follow generally the same format as the other BeFree tripods. They have 4 sections joined by twist locks with rubber grips, leg angle switches on the side of the joints, and are able to open up to either 22, 54, and 89 degrees wide, but they are still limited by the fact that the center column cannot be reduced. This one, however, has a relatively shorter center column that only compensates for the longer upper portion connected to the head.
The upper part of the center column is topped off by a leveling bowl above the twist lock, and this is connected to a unique type of 3-way pan-and-tilt head that folds up nicely to make it easier to bring around. The top part of the head that holds the arca-swiss type mounting clamp folds downward, with the knob and adjustment arm positioned parallel to the long axis of the tripod. The other control arm and knob (which conventionally controls the up-and-down tilt) have a flip lock that allows them to fold downward to also align with the long axis of the tripod to achieve the compact form. When fully extended, this tripod doubles as a static pan-and-tilt head, or when used for video, the main body of the head is capable of providing relatively smooth motion with fluid drag.
User Experience
This is definitely a unique type of head and requires a bit of getting used to. However, for anyone who shoots both photo and video with relatively compact cameras, it certainly offers a more flexible option, especially when camera movement is involved in the shots. Due to the folding design of the head, the payload is significantly reduced and does feel like it has its limits. Moving forward, it can be exciting to see if Manfrotto will be able to implement the unique design in the bigger and more professional-grade tripod heads. One minor yet substantially impactful detail is that the arca-swiss mounting clamp on top of the head is aligned parallel to the axis of the fluid head. This works well when being used with the supplied mounting plate or any mounting plate with ridges positioned perpendicular to the camera body. However, when being used with an L-bracket, camera cage, or rotating mount, it would mean that the camera body will be parallel to the fluid head, which makes the action of the fluid head a side-to-side tilt. It would have been great if it was rotated 90 degrees or if the quick release clamp could be rotated as needed.
Conclusion
While the Manfrotto BeFree tripods are some of the most reliable travel tripods on the market because they provide undeniable stability in less-than-ideal situations compared to the recent trends in travel tripod design, I personally wish to see more innovation coming from one of the most reputable tripod brands in the world. It definitely would not hurt to infuse more modular features and provide even more accessory mounting options for the user’s benefit.
What I Liked
- Compact yet durable build
- Carbon fiber construction
- Arca-Swiss type mounting
- New black-on-black design
What Can Be Improved:
- Removable center column
- More link ports
- Rotating QR clamps
Nicco, I appreciate this deep dive into Manfrotto’s latest BeFree tripods. As someone who swears by my Manfrotto bag, I’ve always valued the brand’s commitment to durability and practicality. The shift to Arca-Swiss compatibility is a long-awaited improvement, making these tripods more versatile across different setups.
One aspect that stands out to me is how the BeFree GT Pro 3-Way Hybrid Tripod caters to both still photography and video work. That kind of hybrid design is increasingly relevant as more photographers branch into multimedia storytelling. However, the limitations in payload and center column removability seem like missed opportunities for further refinement.
Paul Tocatlian
Kisau Photography
www.kisau.com
I absolutely agree. I want to see the same design in bigger tripods though