Manfrotto Befree Advanced AS Twist Carbon Tripod Review

This is a review of the Manfrotto Befree Advanced AS twist carbon tripod.

A lightweight tripod is vital for photographers focusing primarily on landscapes and wildlife.

Having previously owned a budget-friendly aluminum travel tripod from Manfrotto, upgrading to carbon fiber has significantly reduced the weight.

I’ve put the Manfrotto Befree Advanced AS through its paces in the wilds of the UK’s Peak District, and the results have been impressive.

Here’s everything you need to know about the portable tripod and whether it would suit your photography needs.

What is the Befree Advanced AS Twist Carbon Tripod?

 

Specifications

Weight – 1.25 kg
Maximum Height – 150 cm
Closed Length – 41 cm
Head Type – Ball Head
Safety Payload UNI/PdR 105:2021 – 9 kg
Maximum Height (with Center Column Down) – 127 cm
Base Diameter – 40 mm
Carrying Bag Included – Yes
Center Column – rapid
Upper Disc Diameter – 40 mm
Top Attachment – 3/8″ screw
Base Type – 40 mm
Easy Link – Yes
Friction Control – Yes
Min Height – 41 cm
Independent Pan Lock – Yes
Ball Locking – Yes
Leg Type – Single
Leg Angles – 22°, 54°, 89°
Leg Lock Type – Twist Lock
Legs Tube Diameter – 11.2, 14.7, 18.2, 21.7 mm
Panoramic Rotation – 360 °
Plate Type – 200PL PRO

Manfrotto needs little introduction to even the most casual photographers, being perhaps the most recognizable name in camera tripods.

With a large selection of tripods across a broad range of budgets, it’s a brand highly regarded for its commitment to quality manufacturing, practical use, and high performance.

The Manfrotto Befree Advanced AS twist carbon tripod sits within the mid-range budget for travel tripods, and it is aimed at hobbyist photographers who get out regularly.

Small enough to fit inside a rucksack for a day trip or city break, it’s also light enough not to become a notable burden when climbing hillsides to get those stunning landscape shots.

While the Befree Advanced AS might lack the weight-bearing capacity and bells and whistles of high-end tripods, it meets all the basic requirements for most photography scenarios.

Design and Build Quality

The Befree Advanced AS twist carbon tripod demonstrates Manfrotto’s reputation for high-quality tripods that combine robust build quality with carefully considered design choices.

Compared to its budget travel tripods, the Advanced AS is significantly lighter and feels better when performing in the field.

Operating the leg twist locks is intuitive and allows for quick and accurate height adjustments, with the carbon fiber legs responsive and tactile to manipulate.

The tripod’s top spider is made of lightweight magnesium, which enhances the camera’s stability and further enhances its robust feel when in operation.

The only aspect of the tripod that feels compromised, particularly compared to the rest of the design, is the quick-release plate.

This plate is made of cheaper plastic, and Nikon users have reported issues mounting their cameras on it using the FTZ adapter.

While this is something to be mindful of if you’re a Nikon-based photographer, the potential additional cost of a different plate.

Height and Adjustability

Measuring just 40cm when packed down, the Manfrotto Befree Advanced AS extends to a maximum height of 150cm.

While this isn’t the highest extension compared to other tripods, it allows the tripod to maintain its low overall size for easy transportation.

As a tall person, at 6′ 6″, I find this height a little too short for comfortable shooting in some situations, but the average-sized person isn’t likely to run into the same issues.

It’s more than adequate for establishing most shots without issues, comparable to most travel tripods, and ideal for landscape and city photography shoots.

Height can also be easily tailored to a given shot through the adjustable leg lengths and the multiple angle options the lock positions offer.

Weight and Portability

When it comes to the weight and portability of the Manfrotto Befree Advanced AS, it’s in this department that the tripod truly shines.

Weighing in at just 1.25kg and packing down to a small size capable of fitting snugly inside a backpack, it’s a highly versatile tripod for daily use.

The tripod’s foldable legs reduce its length to a compact 41cm, making it easy to wield by hand and facilitating easy set-up and use.

There are no protruding parts to make it more cumbersome than necessary, with a seamless closure around the head that allows it to be quickly slipped in and out of the bag.

Stability and Load Capacity

While compact travel tripods are typically restricted in terms of total load capacities, the 9 kg Befree Advanced AS is ample for most shooting scenarios.

It can easily handle a camera setup with a large super-telephoto lens while maintaining a stable base throughout a shooting session.

Setup on uneven terrain is also quick, and stability is maintained when adjusting the camera’s direction through the tripod’s 494 ball head.

Likewise, while this tripod isn’t designed for videography, stability is good enough to handle smooth tracking and panning shots on a long lens without jerky effects.

Legs are locked into place securely through the twist lock mechanism without any compromises by adding accessories on the side-pull selectors.

The overall impression is of a robust and reliable tripod that can handle an impressive weight, considering its lightness and portability.

Tripod Head

The Manfrotto Befree Advanced AS is fitted with a 494 ball head with an aluminum center and smooth motion.

Performance is pleasing, with tactile performance when adjusting the ball head position and a responsive mechanism to lock shots into position.

It’s fitted with three dedicated knobs for 360-degree panning for panoramics while keeping the horizon flat for landscape shots, as well as a smaller friction-based knob.

Lastly, there’s the central sphere knob for a complete lockdown on the shot, which feels solid and reliable. keeping the camera firmly in place.

The friction control mechanism is advantageous when using the Manfrotto Befree Advanced AS to shoot video, allowing for greater control over your shots.

Perhaps the most apparent drawback of the ball head is the lack of compatibility with L brackets.

This might be a deal-breaker for photographers who need to quickly switch between portrait and landscape formats while retaining the full motion of the ball head.

With that said, an adapter is available to alleviate this issue, although some might be less than pleased about the additional expense for what should be a standard feature in their tripod.

Leg Locks & Joints

Setting up the tripod is simple, and anyone with a modicum of photography experience will have no issues with the process.

The legs are extended and retracted by unfolding them from their closed position and locking them back into the desired angle, which takes a few seconds to perform.

Likewise, extending the length of each leg is quicker than with cheaper travel tripods, eschewing the latch system in favor of a speedier twist lock system.

Twist the dial around each leg joint, and the leg slides out, securing into place by turning the lock back to the locked position.

This makes setup and adjustments easy to manage, even on tricky uneven surfaces, assisted with the easy-to-view spirit bubble.

The tripod’s legs can be locked into three main angles—22°, 54°, and 89°—so there are enough options here to allow for awkward setups for difficult-to-achieve shots.

For shots close to the ground, the center column can be inserted upside down into the legs, and lights and other accessories can be added to improve the shot.

While it certainly doesn’t break any new ground, this tripod delivers a hassle-free setup with elegant simplicity.

There’s enough leeway for setting up for unusual shots on precarious terrain without compromising a given shot’s overall stability and angles.

Features and Accessories

This Manfrotto tripod keeps extras to a minimum, focusing instead on being lightweight and compact.

In addition to the carry bag, it comes with a built-in bubble level to assist with setting up the tripod for level shots, which is standard with most camera tripods on the market.

Side-pull selectors for left- and right-handed photographers and the Easy Link system allow users to access camera accessories quickly.

It’s a relatively bare-bones list of additional features and compatibility with accessories, but a predictable trade-off when weight and size are the primary considerations for practical travel tripods.

Ease of Use and Setup

Setting up for a shot is straightforward with this tripod, thanks to its combination of latch and twist lock mechanisms.

The tripod’s impressively lightweight nature is crucial for its ease of use; it’s light enough to be handled with one hand and quickly manipulated into position.

It slides in and out of the bag with a snug fit, and thanks to the generally durable and reliable construction, it’s a pleasure to use without any noted issues.

Thanks to the reduction in weight and size, which has a notable impact on the ease of use and setup, it’s well worth the upgrade over the brand’s cheaper models for travel and hiking photography.

Price and Value for Money

At around US$300, the Manfrotto Befree Advanced AS twist carbon tripod is at the higher end of the travel tripod range and reflects improvements in materials and design.

There are cheaper travel tripods on the market, but these will add significant weight and lack the robust mechanisms offered by the Befree Advanced.

Its premium carbon fiber legs, smooth functioning, ball head, and quick setup offer great value for travel-related photography activities.

While it lacks the breadth of features some standard tripods offer, these omissions are unlikely to be an issue for the shooting scenarios it’s intended for.

Indeed, this simplicity is one of the key attractions, with the basic but robust features keeping the weight and size low while also reliably holding the camera in place.

How I Tested the Befree Advanced AS Twist Carbon Tripod

For this review, I tested the Manfrotto tripod across a series of hikes in the Peak District National Park in the United Kingdom.

Weight and compactness were assessed throughout the hikes before reaching shooting destinations and testing the setup and performance aspects.

In this regard, it performed highly. It was notably lighter than my previous aluminum travel tripod from Manfrotto and I had plenty of spare room in my rucksack.

A series of shots were taken to assess the load, stability, and ease of setting up on uneven and rocky terrain and wet conditions.

Shots were taken with a Sony a7III using a combination of prime and telephoto lenses, with no stability or issues with locking off the frame for landscape shots.

Over multiple hikes, the tripod lived up to Manfrotto’s reputation for solid build quality and reliable performance.

Alternatives

There are many varieties of travel tripods on the market that can be considered alternatives to the Manfrotto Befree Advanced AS.

I have extensive experience with Manfrotto’s aluminum travel tripods, which are certainly adequate for shorter hikes and day trips. However, they aren’t as intuitive to use.

Alternatives from brands such as K&F Concept offer specifications similar to those of the Manfrotto, but aren’t quite as well constructed.

For those with more budget to spare, the TreeRoot Quick Lock Travel Tripod offers state-of-the-art features and the Arca-Swiss quick-release plates that the Manfrotto lacks.

Manfrotto Befree Advanced AS Twist Carbon Tripod Review | Conclusion

With its simple yet effective design, performance, and impressively low weight and bulk, the Manfrotto Befree Advanced AS twist carbon tripod is a compelling addition to the brand’s travel tripod range.

Small enough to fit in a rucksack along with other photography gear, it’s particularly suitable for landscape photographers who like to walk miles to reach impressive vistas.

The tripod’s maximum height was a slight issue for me due to my own height, but this won’t be a concern for most and can be worked around in the field.

Overall, its primary market will likely be photographers who like to keep their gear to a minimum, whether hitting the countryside or scouring a metropolis for impressive cityscapes.