The Manfrotto BeFree Advanced GT XPro is a four-section aluminum twist-lock travel tripod. It comes with various flexible, professional features. Read on!
Note: Manfrotto sent us the BeFree Advanced GT XPro tripod and ball head to review and keep. However, this is a completely independent review. All thoughts about this tripod and ball head are our own.
Pros
- Decent build quality for the price
- Ability to shift to 90 degrees for close-up and macro photography
- Ball head has both panoramic and ball head friction knobs
- Ball head is sufficiently sturdy and easy to use
- Versatile, intuitive, quick, and easy to set up and operate
- Easy Link for attaching lights or other accessories
- Nice size for travel photography
- Rubber grip on one of the legs for carrying and maneuvering the tripod
- Large rubberized M-lock style twist locks make it easy to deploy legs
- Full height is good for a tripod that folds up to slightly less than 17 inches
- Versatile and solid leg angle selectors near the top of the legs allow for changing the angle of the legs
- 360-degree panning
- The center column may be used as a monopod!
- The tripod allows you to flip the camera upside down, allowing you to get close to the ground for macro or close-up photography
Cons
- Aluminum instead of carbon fiber makes the tripod heavier (then again, this makes it less expensive and feels sturdy, so maybe not that much of a con for the price point)
Manfrotto BeFree Advanced GT XPro Tripod — Technical specifications
All of the technical specifications for the Flex Light Pro were taken from the official Manfrotto site.
- Weight: 4.41 lbs (2 kg)
- Maximum Height: 64.57 in (142 cm)
- Closed Length: 16.93 in (43 cm)
- Head Type: Ball Head
- Safety Payload UNI/PdR 105:2021: 26.46 lbs (12 kg)
- Maximum Height (with Center Column Down): 55.91 in
- Base Diameter: 1.57 in
- Carrying Bag Included: Yes
- Center Column: rapid
- Upper Disc Diameter: 1.57 in
- Color: black/silver
- Leg Sections: 4
- Top Attachment: 3/8″ screw
- Base Type
- 1.57 in
- Easy Link: Yes
- Friction Control: Yes
- Min Height: 3.54 in (9 cm)
- Independent Pan Lock: Yes
- Ball Locking: Yes
- Leg Type: Single
- Leg Angles: 22°, 54°, 89°
- Leg Lock Type: Twist Lock
- Legs Tube Diameter: 0.61- 0.75- 0.89- 1.02 in
- Material: Aluminum
- Maximum Working Temperature: 158 °F
- Minimum Working Temperature: -22 °F
- Pan Drag: NONE
- Panoramic Rotation: 360 °
- Plate Type: 200PL PRO
- Quick Release: Yes
- Tilt Drag: NONE
Also included: a carry bag, quick release plate, tool for attaching the quick release plate, and an owner’s manual.
Manfrotto BeFree Advanced GT XPro tripod — Ergonomics and build quality
I am a night photographer. I frequently photograph in strong desert winds, sometimes doing long exposure photos for hours. As such, I look for rock-solid stability. Consequently, I typically use larger, sturdier, higher-end tripods. You may read about how I generally choose my night photography tripods here.
I mention this because every type of photography has different tripod requirements. What works for you may not work for me, and vice versa.
I immediately noted the XPro tripod’s professional features and solid build. Many travel tripods are not built this way. The aluminum build (4.41 pounds/2 kg) is heavier than its carbon fiber counterpart (3.88 pounds/1.76 kg), but it feels solid and instills confidence.
Ergonomics: Tripod
The tripod has large rubberized M-lock style twist locks, making it easy to deploy legs.
You may lock the leg angles at 22°, 54°, and 89°. The locks used to do this are well-designed. You may push up on them with your thumb to release the leg angle. This requires a bit of hand strength to do, but appropriately so. I don’t like loose locks. These also did not wiggle, further installing confidence.
One of the legs has a rubber grip on one of the legs for carrying and maneuvering the tripod. This is definitely appreciated. During cold weather, it’s doubly appreciated, as aluminum can get rather cold. In fact, the user manual refers to it as a “rubber leg warmer.” It won’t warm your legs, but it will keep the tripod leg warm!
In theory, I prefer latch locks. In practice, I go with twist locks. Maybe I’m clumsy, but latch locks always seem to be catching onto my clothing or weeds or other things. These twist locks work well, although, in what is an admittedly unscientific comparison, my impression is that it takes longer to twist these to the lock position than other tripods I’ve used. Regardless, the twist locks feel reasonably solid. I like that you can initially deploy the legs by loosening all the twist locks simultaneously.
The tripod has rubberized feet.
Ergonomics: Ball head
The ball head feels solid and clamps down quickly.
I strongly prefer ball heads that have friction knobs or controls. This has two. One is for turning the entire assembly, great for panoramas. The other is almost “hidden”. It’s positioned on the ball head’s adjustment knob! This allows you to set the ball head’s friction or adjust the ball head entirely from the same place, and offers a cleaner design.
Ergonomics: Easy Link
Remember that I mentioned that this tripod had some professional features? This tripod has an Easy Link that is covered by a rubber seal. Basically, it’s a screwhole that allows you to attach, well, whatever. Not bad for a travel tripod! The obvious thing to mount would be lights or reflectors. However, you could conceivably mount a small monitor or USB battery here as well.
Manfrotto BeFree Advanced GT XPro tripod — In the field
Despite weighing more than my larger tripods, I didn’t notice much of a difference. For some reason, it feels light, particularly when picking it up in a completely folded position.
The tripod deploys easily. As stated above, I felt like it took longer to twist the locks from completely unlocked to a completely locked position than other tripods I’ve used. Regardless, once locked, they don’t slip.
With the legs fully deployed, I tapped on the upper part of one of the legs repeatedly. This resulted in the usual quick vibration that you would find in just about any travel tripod. I also pushed on the tripod a bit, and the legs felt solid.
I am tall at 6″1′ (1.85 meters). However, the tripod, even with the center column down, is tall enough that I feel like I can do work without bending too much.
Doing close-up shots? The tripod allows you to photograph just 9 cm off the ground. This is done by tilting the column mechanism down and unfolding the legs.
Using the quick release plate in the field
The included quick release plate easily fits to your camera via the included tool or by a handle on the screw that pivots out, enabling you to grip the screw and hand-tighten it. I know it’s a small design element, but it is so nice to have when you are out in the field. Sure, I have a couple of hex wrench sets with me, but it sure is nice when you don’t need to dig around in your bag for them.
The included quick release plate will not fit a traditional L-bracket. However, it looks like Manfrotto sells L-brackets that accommodate the quick release plate.
Using the center column in the field
Anyone who has read my articles for any length of time or has photographed with me knows that I don’t use tripods with center columns. Why? They shift the center of gravity from the top of the pyramid shape that the legs create, introducing instability. However, this tripod feels surprisingly sturdy. In fact, it is the sturdiest tripod with a center column I have ever used with a travel tripod so far. While I still will do my best not to raise the center column whenever possible, it’s good to know that if I need to, it will hold firm.
Also, the center column pivots 90 degrees easily when you unlock the red sleeve, allowing you to do close-up and macro photography. When you do this, you shift the tripod’s center of gravity to the side. Despite that, the tripod still felt solid when I extended it about halfway up the column while using a heavy Pentax K-1. For future macro photography, this will be the first tripod I reach for.
Transporting the tripod in the field
When the tripod is fully folded, it is 16.93 inches (43 cm). This is a very comfortable height for fitting on the side of my camera bag. And it’s plenty small for fitting inside my travel duffel bag or my suitcase.