Manfrotto Befree GT 4-Section Aluminum Travel Tripod with 496 Center Ball Head, Black/Silver

Very sturdy 4 section carbon tripod. Separate locking knobs on the head for panning and variable resistance on the ball head. With a max payload of 17.63 lbs, it will hold any of my cameras up to 4x5.I’ve been using an aluminum Manfrotto 190 for the last ten years, and the BeFree Advanced compliments it well. I appreciate the fact that the head’s qr plate clamp is compatible with both Arca Swiss, and backwards compatible with my old RC2 plates.The legs deploy smoothly and provide a sturdy base, the spider connectors lock at 3 angles. The center column can be reversed for low work, and once you get used to it, the twist lock for the center column is a great feature.Usually when I travel, I carry a MF camera; a Rollei or 500 C/M, and a 4x5 camera; either my Graflex Super Graphic or a metal Wista field camera. The BeFree Advanced fits nicely in my kit, providing a lightweight and sturdy base for the cameras I take farther afield, allowing me to relegate my trusty old 190 to cameras that I tend to use...er...closer to the car, like my Century 8x10...

Great tripod to take with you travelling. It's light-weight, quick to set-up, and well made. some things I have noticed that I do not like about it is that it can be a pain removing the camera from the tripod. The camera mount will at times seem stuck in the tripod and the unlocking mechanism hard to operate but this could just be because it's not worn in... I'm not sure. When the tripod is fully extended and on uneven ground it is slightly bouncy (due to its construction and weight of the camera). I definitely wouldn't use this fully extended on a windy day because of how light the tripod is it will vibrate/shake. Other than that it's been a great tripod.

Lightweight and travel friendly, but not as stable as I'd like (unusable if the neck is extented or the legs are spread wide) and overall kind of janky. Both the quickrelease and tension knobs locked up several times during light use in a beach environment causing lots of frustration. Unfortunately waited too long to thoroughly test before my return window closed so I'll have to try and sell. Sucking it up and buying a Gitzo while they're still on sale.

Great compact travel tripod (with bonus monopod function)! I already own a heavy duty tripod for my big telephoto lenses, but I found I would avoid using it for things like macro or landscape photography because it weighs so much and is awkward to attach to my backpacks because of its length. This tripod is so light weight and compact, it fits great on my backpack and I barely notice its there.While it technically has a weight capacity rating that can hold my big telephoto lens, I dont recommend it for those. Since the legs are thinner, it gets pretty top heavy and wobbly with that much weight on it, but it handles my smaller lenses no problem (which is what I got it for anyway).The included ball head is nice and sturdy and allows for quick readjustment. It has a adjustable friction setting you can change depending on your camera's/len's weight.This ball head is designed with cutouts for the tripod's legs as the tripod collapses by folding the legs up/inverted with the head in between them to save space. Just be aware if you swap the ball head for a different one, the legs might not close as compact as before depending on the shape. You could still collapse the legs downward in that situation if needed, but that will add a few inches to the height of the collapsed tripod as the head would not be inside the legs anymore. Probably not a problem for most people considering this tripod's small footprint, but wanted to point that out just in case.Overall, great compact tripod if you need a travel friendly one.

We just returned from Utah where I was interested in getting some astraphotography done. The tripod did a good job with a Nikon D750 mounted. Very light and compact. Took it on my flight as a personal item which fit under the seat which is great if you also have a carry on camera bag. Controls work well but realize that the cutout on the head has to face you if you want to raise the camera. The lever locks work well and simplifies locking the legs. My other tripod has twist locks and I have never been a fan of that design. It does not have a bubble level which would be a plus.

Welp, part one; I ordered the be free 2in1 with a scratch on it from what the description said. The description did not say anything about missing parts. (200pl-pro quick release plate). Also the description stated it would be the lever lock system not the twist lock one that I got.Not off to a great startThankfully the tripod i previously got has the same size quick release plate so with minimal alteration i could make that one work.Other than the problems with Amazon not getting their description of the product right it seams like it will work well for my needs. It supports my 150 to 600 Sigma Lens with a Canon body with out problem and is easy to set up, very light and fairly compact. I will leave more reviews as I use the product.

I was excited to get my hands on this tripod because of the twist lock. However, the twist lock in this particular tripod is very cumbersome to use because its not a one twist and pull method. You have to almost un-screw a few times before the tripod legs are able to extend. Also, one of the legs is harder to extend than the others. Maybe it is a manufacture defect? I think i'm going to look into a different tripod.

Ive had a few of the cheaper models of tripods in the past, but after my last, the legs no longer could hold the wieght of a dslr with a flash, i had to get something better for the money. Its so light weight i dont mind carrying it, easy to set up and sturdy!. Ive used it a dozen times, few in the surf, saltwater did nothing to it. It still works smoothly and looks like it should last a very long time.

This product though, well made, is not what it claims to be. The product spec states it can handle 8Kgs or 17lbs.I mounted a Nikon D850 with a 200-500 mm lens. I weighed the camera and lens and it turned out to be approx around 3.5Kgs say even 4 Kgs. The shake in the camera was like they show an earthquake in the movies, I could even notice the strain in the legs. So I quickly removed the camera and lens and packed it back and am returning it. However the mechanism is well tuned and the ball head works well. Go for this tripod, only if you will not use heavy lens.

Se siente su firmeza y rigidez al momento de ponerle las manos encima. En verdad da mucha estabilidad y es ligero de cargar. Su estuche lo hace más cómodo. Creo que al menos el estuche pudo haber venido más acolchonado, porque realmente solo es de tela.No le pongo 5 estrellas porque:1) no tienen nivel de burbuja, y para estos niveles de precio y marca creo que debería de traerlo.2) Al extender las patas más delgadas, siento que puede ser algo inestable, no para caerse, pero sí para meter movimiento en la foto si hay viento o la superficie es suave y se sienten las vibraciones.3) Le faltaría gancho para colgar peso extra.Un ideal sería que le agregaran que una pata se hiciera monópodo/monopié.

Some how this tripod extremely let me down. First few days I shot with it, two of the legs came completely out and the plastic piece won't fit back in. The twist locks are so unpredictable and not fast at all! You don't know if its locked or not, wouldn't recommend getting this one, as I've had way to many problems with it. The ball joint nozzle gets stuck on occasion and won't allow my camera to shift angles when shooting, usually making me miss a shot opportunity. It is lightweight so definitely would recommend putting something heavy on the bottom to weigh it down if you have a heavier lens like myself or else your camera will fall and break trust me, already lost my best lens to this tripod mess. I missed my return date because I've been so busy and working nonstop due to covid, so now im stuck with a useless tripod that I can't even use. WOULD NOT RECOMMEND BUYING! Not worth the price I paid, nor is it even close!!

The befree advanced carbon fibre tripod is very light compact travel tripod. Perfect for long hikes to great views for landscape shots. The legs are sturdy and twist locks are constructed so that you can unlock all three legs at once when extending legs making for quick setup. The latch mechanisms for leg pivoting as nicely improved over the previous version as well.My only gripe is the included 494 ball head. Plainly, it only works with a manfrotto RC2 plate. The ball head seat won’t accept Arca Swiss from an L-bracket for example. This forces you to pivot the ball head 90 degrees to one side for vertical shots which, when the tripod is at max height, makes the whole setup quite unstable unless you weigh down the tripod with a bag. I no longer use the included 494 head.

My first reaction with the box opening was, oh my, this looks pretty flimsy and I figured it would be sent back. I set it up, extended the legs to full height, attached my camera/400mm lens and played around .... it's a keeper. The sturdiness and capabilities exceeded my needs for a light weight tripod . I walk miles to get even 1 good photo so this fits my needs.