Manfrotto keeps expanding and improving its popular Befree line of travel tripods, and the latest and best versions, the Manfrotto Befree GT XPRO Carbon Fiber Travel Tripod with 496 Center Ball Head and the Befree GT XPRO Aluminum Travel Tripod with 496 Center Ball Head, represent the pinnacle of the line. Separating these new GT XPRO tripods from existing versions is the built-in 90-degree center-column system that allows you to employ a lateral arm quickly without missing a beat.
Photographs © Todd Vorenkamp
For several years, the Befree travel tripod has been one of the featured selections of our 12 Recommended Travel Tripods article, so let’s take a quick tour of the new Manfrotto Befree GT XPRO travel tripod from the head to the feet.
The 496 Center Ball Head with 200PL-PRO Quick Release Plate is a slim but sturdy unit designed to nestle in between the reversed GT XPRO legs when traveling. A main locking knob has a coaxial friction adjustment and there is a separate small knob for panning. The quick-release plate is what the tripod experts call “forward Arca-type compatible,” meaning that you can use the 200PL-PRO plate on Arca-type compatible accessories, but you cannot use an Arca-type compatible plate on the 496 head. However, the Manfrotto Top Lock Travel Quick Release Adapter is available for users with Arca-style accessories and L plates. The head also accepts standard Manfrotto RC2 plates.
What does a 90-degree center column give you? By using a lateral arm, you can get closer to macro subjects on a table top or out in the field, dangle your camera perilously over the edge of a bottomless crevasse or the rim of a bubbling volcanic caldera (or a tamer subject) and point it up or down to get an angle that is impossible to reach with a standard tripod and head, and other applications.
The transition from vertical to horizontal is where you see fantastic Manfrotto innovation. To go lateral, you loosen the main lock knob on the chassis and depress a button at the base of the center column. Press or pull the center column up and position at 90°. It is a pretty slick system.
A word of warning—or a word to the wise—be conscious of your setup’s center of gravity when using the lateral arm. The tripod, being a travel-friendly support, is relatively lightweight. Because of this, when you displace the weight of a camera and lens far from the central tripod axis, you have to be aware to not let the whole assembly tip over.
The chassis also has a loop for hanging weight and the Manfrotto Easy Link Port with a 3/8" threaded connector for adding accessories.
The leg-angle locks are also innovative. They are spring-loaded with a design that is, to the best of my knowledge, unique to the GT XPRO. In operation, they are cleaner and easier to use than some pull-out leg locks, and one-handed operation is easy.
One leg features a rubber sleeve for extra grip and comfort when carrying the rig.
Twist-lock fans can rejoice because these M-Lock twist-locks are really nice to use and look great with their grippy rubber and metallic ring accents. The locks are a great size and vertically compact so that, with average hands, you can unlock all three legs sections simultaneously for quick setup. I would rate these twist-locks as some of my favorites for their look and feel and, since I hang out in the B&H SuperStore’s tripod section regularly, that is high praise.
At the bottom, angled rubber feet give a sure-footed grip on many surfaces.
Now that the tour is over, let’s talk specs.
The GT XPRO line represents a beefier set of specs from the base Befree tripods with a hefty load capacity of 22.1 lb for the carbon fiber and aluminum versions. Maximum height for the carbon fiber version is 63.8" and the aluminum version stands tall at 64.6"; minimum height, with the legs fully spread, is 3.5". Folded for transport, the rig is 16.9" in length. The aluminum version tips the scales at 4.4 lb and the carbon version shaves a half-pound off at 3.9 lb.
The Manfrotto Befree GT XPRO is a formidable addition to the Befree family, as well as the crowded field of travel tripods—bringing some unique full-size tripod features and a stout load capacity.
0 Comments