Manfrotto MKBFRA4-BH Compact Lightweight Tripod for Travel Photography (Black)

I took this tripod with me to the big island of Hawaii 2 weeks ago. I packed it horizontally into a laptop case by pac safe. The size was a definite seller for me. The ease of using the tripod was excellent. You do have to unfold the legs around the center column, then engage the levers that allow it to stand like a normal tripod. This took at the most, about 40 seconds to do. The more i used it the quicker it was to setup. The leg clasps are awesome, strong, sturdy, and reliable. I consider myself a advanced hobbyist, and not a professional. It survived the mixed weather of the island the day we drove around it. The inclimate weather provided challenges, but the robust construction, well appointed rubber feet, and ease of use made even my more challenging shots with a still camera. Video was a different story. There is not a fluid cartridge, so video shots in motion required the handler to loosen the ball head while maintaining contact with the camera body. You cannot pad the videocamera without holding the camera, it will just flop down, damaging your camera and the tripod. By no means was a fluid camera pan possible. Static video was great though. I have a canon vixi a hf g30, and r50. I used the r50 because it was lighter and easier to transport. While you can replace the ball head with a micro video head, it would require unscrewing the head if the legs were to be folded up for transport home. The mere 3 lbs of weight of the tripod sounds light, but it has substance, and feels solid in my hands. It is absolutely perfect for stills. I would HIGHLY recommend making this your travel tripod. The case is padded, thin, but padded. In my mind, the padding is enough to protect the tripod without making it bulky. To be honest, you kind of forget the padding is there. That is how well engineered the whole package is. The rubber grip on the upper part of one leg was a nice surprise. I could not see the rubber grip on the carbon fiber version that recently came out. I was debating getting both, the aluminum pictured here and the carbon fiber, but the aluminum is quite sufficient for travel. It's only 3 pounds! Get one. Ok, I'm done typing.

This tripod does exactly what it promises: A good, lightweight tripod for travel. It easily collapses into a size that will fit into carry-on luggage with room to spare. The legs flip to the open position quickly and firmly - just move the lever on each leg to the open position and flip it around. The locking levers on the sticks are nice and firm and don't have a ton of give when all of them are extended. The center column locks sturdily enough but like any tripod when it's fully extended things feel a bit tippy. TIP: The instructions show how to collapse the tripod with the head straight vertical...this ONLY works if you remove the QR plate FIRST (there are notches in the plate to allow the legs to fit around it). But if you want to store it with the QR plate attached with a little fiddling you can position the deck so it fits between the legs when they collapse. The ball head is sturdy enough for most travel uses. I have a Nikon D3 and it's fine with a 14-24, 24-70 and a 70-200/2.8 (collar mount). I even tried it with a 300/f4 not on the collar mount and it was sturdy enough - although you're not going to be shooting stars with it. One ding is the head is it has no real friction adjustment - the lock is your only friction. But it locks firmly with no real bounce so it's not bad for positioning. The quick-release has a locking tab to keep it from opening unexpectedly. You can trigger the tab with one hand with a little practice. Unlike other Manfrotto RC2 QRs this one does NOT lock open - you have to activate the tab both when mounting and unmounting the camera. It holds the camera steady when the lever is fully engaged - but you have to make sure it is or it'll wobble. Another ding is the QR locking lever is inexplicably plastic instead of metal like every other RC2 QR in existence. It will probably break if you drop the tripod on it and I would be wary using it in extremely cold temperatures. It's a shame they didn't make this very important piece out of metal like every other component in the head. The pouch that comes with it is nice and compact and will keep your clothes from getting any dirt or oil from the tripod. It's a shame they didn't include a little sewn-in pouch to hold the included adjustment wrench - would have been a nice touch for a $200 tripod. All in all I'm happy with this tripod. It has a couple of flaws but they're workable. It's lightweight and fits in carry-on luggage - which were the primary constraints for me.

Mixed feelings about this one. It's a sturdy tripod and I do love the lightweight and compact design. However, I don't like the amount of effort it takes to fold/unfold it, and it is a finger pinch hazard (seriously I have painfully pinched my fingers several times - ow!). The case's carry strap is too short. The included head does not have a panorama swivel function. The head does lock to the camera mount securely and it offers a lot of positions, and it's quick and easy to adjust. Legs lock into a couple positions (narrow & wide) which has helped me position the tripod on slopes, rocks, picnic tables, etc. It's overpriced but overall a good travel tripod, not "cheap" or "flimsy." If weight/size are your prime concerns I would recommend this. Otherwise I would recommend looking at a different tripod.

I spent some time considering whether to buy a new tripod to suit my Nikon D7200. I was convinced when I read an article that made the point that the best tripod for your camera is the one that you are prepared to carry with you and so my research for a travel tripod began. I looked at many offerings on Amazon, some half the price of this model and often well reviewed. In the end my choice came down to the following points: - I was able to go and look at this one in a shop, Pick it up, feel the weight and the quality and understand how it works. - The legs are extended with locking levers, not twist grips. The tension of the legs can be adjusted with a supplied key. - It is light and compact - The service load for the head was around twice the weight of my D7200 and 16 - 85 DX VR lens. - The ball head clamps and holds my gear as I want it, without any difficulty. With the tripod at full height, with the column raised, zooming in with the lens and tapping the camera with my finger shows some vibration lasts for a couple of seconds. Not ideal, but if you test it with your own equipment, you will understand the limitations of this tripod, which is, after all, primarily meant to be light and portable. You may struggle to get best images out in the wind. I've now used this to shoot some time lapse and I'm very pleased with it. Above all, I carry it with me most of the time, which is what it is all about. There is even a lightweight carry bag with shoulder strap included, to make it even easier. Thoroughly recommended.

Manfrotto cumple con su prestigio de alta calidad con este producto. Sólido, compacto y ligero, es el compañero perfecto para el fotógrafo viajero. Las patas se abren de manera independiente, lo que facilita su empleo en terreno disparejo, y se doblan hacia arriba, alrededor de la cabeza de bola, lo que le permite ser muy compacto. La cabeza cuenta con una palanca de cierre grande y cómoda, con una placa de montaje rápido para la cámara. Incluye una resistente bolsa de transporte.

普段から5kg級の三脚を車の中に置いています。車から歩いて移動する際に、遠いと疲れます。 コンパクトで山登りでも使える三脚を探して迷いに迷ったあげく「値段・重さ・携帯性・耐荷重」のバランスが取れていたこちらに決めました。 水平器がついていませんが、カメラ(ペンタックス)に付いているので問題ありません。カッコイイ三脚です。そこそこ軽く、持ち歩きも苦になりません。 望遠レンズだとさすがに不安定ですが、用途で使い分けているので問題ありません。

Love this product, very compact and easy to transport inside my backpack.

Als Gelegenheits-Stativnutzer suchte ich zu meinem bereits etliche Jahre alten Manfrotto-Mittelklasse-Stativ (Modell PROB irgendwas) mit Action Grip-Kugelkopf (das stabil, aber leider auch recht schwer und sperrig ist) noch eine reisetauglichere Variante. Meine Anforderungen waren: - Geringes Packmaß, nicht mehr als 50 cm. - Möglichst geringes Gewicht, absolutes Maximum 2 kg. - Akzeptable Arbeitshöhe, so dass man zumindest nicht ständig in der Hocke arbeiten muss. - Flexibler Kugelkopf (man will keinen 3D-Neiger mehr, wenn man einmal mit guten Kugelköpfen gearbeitet hat), möglichst Panorama-fähig. - Tragfähigkeit deutlich über 2 kg, damit auch mal die DSLR mit Batteriegriff und dickem Telezoom sicher montiert werden kann (Billigstative, die meist schon bei 1,5 kg an ihre Grenzen kommen, schieden damit von vornherein aus). - Kompatibilität mit der Manfrotto-Schnellwechselplatte (an fast jeder meiner Kameras ist so eine Platte permanent montiert). - Möglichst geringer Preis, nicht wesentlich über 100€ (extrem leichte Carbon-Varianten fielen damit auch flach), und das am besten inkl. Tragetasche. Mit dem Befree habe ich, so glaube ich, die richtige Entscheidung getroffen: Mit gut 40 cm Packmaß, knapp 1,5 kg Gewicht (die Produktbeschreibung schummelt hier mit 1,4 kg etwas), knapp 150 cm max. Arbeitshöhe, bis zu 4 kg Belastbarkeit, Manfrotto-Schnellwechselplatte, mitgelieferter brauchbarer Tasche und einem Preis, der im Blitzangebot sehr akzeptabel war, erfüllt es alle meine Anforderungen. Die einzige Kröte, die ich schlucken musste, ist, dass der Kugelkopf nicht Panorama-fähig ist. Damit kann ich persönlich leben, aber wenn Panoramas Ihr Haupteinsatzgebiet sind, schauen Sie auf jeden Fall nach einer Alternative mit Panorama-fähigem Kugelkopf (z.B. das Rollei, s.u.) oder gutem 3D-Neigekopf. Der Qualitäts- und Stabilitätseindruck ist hervorragend. Für sein zierliches Packmaß und Gewicht bietet dieses Stativ eine erstaunliche hohe Stabilität und gute Handhabung, selbst wenn man eine schwere DSLR mit großem Tele draufsetzt. Natürlich geht da bei anderen Stativen mehr, aber ich suchte ja einen guten Kompromiss zwischen Stabilität, Reisetauglichkeit und Preis, und diesen Kompromiss erfüllt das Befree aus meiner Sicht nahezu optimal. Die Bedienungsanleitung mutet etwas wie eine Sammlung von Explosionszeichnungen für eine Mondrakete an, aber ehrlich gesagt, braucht man diese gar nicht. Ich bin allein durch Experimentieren zum Ziel gekommen. Die Mechanik (der 180°-Mechanismus für die Beine, die zwei verschiedenen Anstellwinkel sowie der Kopf, dessen Grundfläche so ausgespart ist, dass er zwischen den Beinen Platz findet) ist clever gemacht, da hat sich jemand erfolgreich den Kopf zerbrochen. Dass das Zusammenklappen nur dann so perfekt klappt, wenn die Schnellwechselplatte vom Kopf entfernt wird, ist für mich kein Nachteil, denn die Platte gehört eh an die Kamera, sonst ist nichts mit "Schnellwechsel". Einzig der Verriegelungsmechanismus für die Schnellwechselplatte ist etwas umständlicher, als ich es von meinem alten Manfrotto-Stativ gewohnt bin, aber das ist nur eine Kleinigkeit, an die man sich schnell gewöhnt. Alternativen, die Interessenten auf jeden Fall prüfen sollten: - Mantona Scout Dreibeinstativ: Zwar 100 g schwerer und 10 cm mehr Packmaß, dafür bis zu 5 kg belastbar, Manfrotto-kompatible Schnellwechselplatte, mit rund 70€ sogar deutlich günstiger, allerdings kostet eine Tasche rund 20€ zusätzlich, so dass es nach wie vor deutlich günstiger als das Befree bleibt, sich der Preisvorteil aber wieder etwas relativiert. - Rollei Fotopro C5i: Zwar 200 g schwerer, aber fast dasselbe Packmaß, sogar bis zu 8 kg belastbar, Panorama-fähiger Kugelkopf, etwas größere Arbeitshöhe, Tasche ebenfalls mitgeliefert, Preis in etwa identisch mit dem Befree; leider keine Manfrotto-kompatible Schnellwechselplatte, was für mich ein KO-Kriterium ist, sonst wäre vielleicht das Rollei meins geworden.