We do a lot of car photography here at Motor Verso, between incredibly detailed interior shots of wood grain on a posh Merc, all the way to high-speed snaps of a GT3 racer, putting down the gauntlet at Silverstone. So, as you can imagine, a good camera – and the abundance of paraphernalia to go along with it – is a must. Similarly, I am privy to a good tripod to fit that camera onto, as well. For my particular use case, a nice tripod should be easy to set up, is rather versatile and flexible, has a lot of adjustability, and could remain dead stable, among others.
For a long time, Manfrotto has been my go-to brand for a lot of photography gear, and that includes tripods. Right now, I’m very much a fan of the Manfrotto Befree Advanced aluminium travel tripod, which I’d argue is one of the best tripods of its class, and it suits my needs rather well. Yet, it seems like Manfrotto isn’t content with keeping itself idle, as it now has a great successor. Behold… Manfrotto Befree GT PRO, a new and enhanced model, with some slight adjustments and improvements that might be worth considering, if you’re looking for a tripod.
What’s Old Is Now New Again (With Some Upgrades)
So, what’s really changed between that old Befree Advanced and this new Befree GT PRO? In summary, this new Befree GT PRO is taller (140cm vs 164cm) and heavier (1.49kg vs 1.85kg) than its predecessor. Crucially, it sports a heftier payload capacity as a trade-off – 9kg vs 12kg – giving you more flexibility to mount heavier cameras and a lot more gear attached to it. Nonetheless, despite the slight elongation of the physical dimensions of the brand-new Manfrotto Befree GT PRO, everything that I loved about the old one is still here, but made even better!
For instance, it’s still made from that high-quality, rock-solid, industrial aluminium material, ensuring that you have nothing to worry about when it comes to stability. As I mentioned earlier, the Befree GT PRO could support cameras and other equipment up to 12kg (or 26.46 lbs for all our imperial friends out there). As such, this means that you could easily accommodate professional-grade DSLRs and mirrorless cameras with super-heavy lenses. It also remains quite portable, just like its predecessor, allowing you to fold it down neatly.
It is a tad bit longer when closed compared to its predecessor – 40cm vs 43cm – but that’s mostly inconsequential. With that in mind, despite having a robust and sturdy build that handily beats many other tripods for the money, the Manfrotto Befree GT PRO is still very much a tripod that you’d have no trouble lugging around with you. In so doing, if you’re a car photographer like me, or if you want a dependable travel tripod, all those changes made to the Befree GT PRO haven’t compromised it one bit over the Befree Advanced. If anything, it’s now improved.
Everything You Need Out Of A Tripod (And More)
Just like the older Befree Advanced and other Manfrotto tripods, the Befree GT PRO has a plethora of tricks up its sleeve that make it stand apart from its rivals. Arguably the best of the bunch is the M-Lock twist lock system. If you’re not up to speed with Manfrotto gear, this clever locking system essentially lets you make quick and secure adjustments to the tripod’s legs. Yet, it achieves this without any protruding parts, while also allowing you to set your tripod up rapidly, and keeping it supremely compact and easy to use. Of course, there’s way more to it!
Another noteworthy highlight of the Manfrotto Befree GT PRO is the included 496 aluminium centre ball head. It is no doubt one of the best tripod heads that I’ve used, thus allowing you to move the camera with absolute smoothness and precision. If you look at it more closely, you’ll notice that the 496 centre ball head has 3 controls, all acting independently. There’s the main knob for your sphere lock, a friction control knob for balancing all that weight from your equipment, as well as a panoramic knob to make horizontal adjustments and movements.
Better yet, that 496 ball head is cross-compatible with both Manfrotto RC2 and Arca-type quick-release systems, so that ought to offer you more versatility with whatever equipment you might already have, without needing to buy any new gear. Speaking of, the Manfrotto Befree GT PRO also comes paired with an Easy Link connector. This will allow you to attach various accessories, like lights or reflectors, with much more ease and convenience. Those are just some of the many little quality-of-life features that make the Befree GT PRO worthy of consideration.
Many New Improvements, Upgrades, And Changes
Oh, and I nearly forgot to mention the massively adjustable leg angles on the new Befree GT PRO, too! You’ll find that it comes with Manfrotto’s signature ergonomic leg-angle selector, allowing you to independently adjust the tripod legs in one of three positions. Depending on how you’re using it, you could either make good use of this for guaranteeing more stability on uneven terrain or supporting various shooting perspectives. All in all, when using and testing this in the real world, the Befree GT PRO delivers exceptional stability with all my gear on it.
This rock-solid stability even applies when it’s been fully extended to its maximum length. Moreover, that awesome M-Lock locking system keeps the legs securely in place, while the 496 ball head lets me adjust my camera smoothly for absolutely precise framing. It’s clear the Befree GT PRO was designed in a way that effectively minimises almost any vibrations, ensuring you could snap sharp images. And, as I’ve noted earlier, with how portable it is, I could very quickly move on to the next shot, or pack it up and call it a day.
Additionally, with just how intuitive its controls are, the Befree GT PRO enables you to quickly make adjustments and set up your shot in no time! All you need to do now is focus on snapping the perfect picture, without much of the fuss! Sure, the Manfrotto Befree GT PRO is not perfect – that twist lock mechanism, for example, might take a bit of time to get used to for those of you who are new to it. With that said, as far as travel tripods go, it’s one of the best options for the price, and it’s definitely one of the most valuable pieces of gear in my camera bag.
