I’m still using a Manfrotto tripod that looks like it came off the Ark, but was actually owned by my dad for decades before I took it over. Let’s just say the company has earned a reputation for building tripods to last. By way of further introduction, it all started when Lino Manfrotto, an Italian photojournalist started selling light stands and the like, back in the 1960s.
Today, the ‘Befree’ range of travel tripods is among Manfrotto’s bestsellers and aims to be among the best travel tripods that money can buy. They’re suitably compact and lightweight and fit right in with the current vogue for mirrorless cameras. Going by the codename of MKBFRTA4FB-BH, the Befree Advanced AS that I’m reviewing here is one of the latest kits, launched in 2024 at the same time as the Befree GT PRO 3-Way, the latter being ideal for content creators who are into shooting video as well as stills. That said, the Befree Advanced AS is also very versatile and makes a decent stab at videography for a tripod kit that has a ball head up top.
