Manfrotto Befree GT XPRO Aluminium Camera Tripod, 496 Centre Ball Head, Twist Lock System, 90 Degree Column, 200PL-PRO Plate, for DSLRs, CSC, Mirrorless, Macro photography, MKBFRA4GTXP-BH

A very impressive piece of kit. Superbly engineered, is compact when closed, feels very solid and I have found stability to be excellent. Extending the leg sections is easy and quick and the twist action feels very secure once tightened. The legs open to fixed angles with a reassuring and positive click and the release mechanism is unlikely to be triggered accidentally. The feature I was most looking forward to using was the ability to set the centre column horizontally. This feature is so clever, it makes getting the perfect angle for macro shots so much easier and is quickly achieved literally at the push of a button at the base of the column. Just remember that placing the camera on the horizontal column affects the centre of gravity so a hook is provided on one of the legs to hang a weight on to rectify any instability. Also provided on one of the legs is a screw mount to attach accessories such as an extension arm with a cold shoe mount. I am very pleased I bought this tripod.

Ok so I bought this after getting a befree advanced gt carbon. It's a tiny bit heavier but still under the 1.8kg that I wanted. Is a far superior tripod to any of the other befree range. (See my review of the advanced gt carbon)There are only 3 very tiny things in this version on the befree that's annoying for a pro tripod,1. As with all befree models there is no spirit level, not a big thing. Most cameras have one built in and when was the last time you actually used it? So not a big thing.2. But annoying but again all befree are the same the hanging wight hook is a bit on the poor side but I'm sure would work if you really needed but I'm not one for using them.3. For a pro tripod you cant hang the camera upside down. Again not a huge thing for me but some it might be.All in all this is a really good package! It's a bit heavier than the advanced gt carbon but not much it's still very lightweight but build very strong and well. I did buy the befree gt carbon but that had 2 problems I couldn't live with (see review) this xpro version has got rid of these 2 major flaws and it's well build and very easy to get on with.At the time of first ordering the xpro was just under twice the price but it dropped and after not getting on with the gt within minutes I sent it back and got this xpro for an extra £30 as was well worth it. At original price it wasnt worth the extra £130 or so.If you can buy it at the high price it's a fantastic travel tripod. Some may get annoyed at having to raise and lower the centre and turn the legs up and down but most travel tripods are going that way and you do save a good 10-15cm over most tripods due to it.Weight wise the carbon xpro is still under my 1.8kg limit that I can still fit a big 7d2 and 70-300L lens on and be happy it will be ok. If you go for the ally versions your adding quite a bit of weight and it's not really a travel tripod then and the lighter ones normally arnt as stable or capable of holding the weight. This tripod has hit the nail dead on.Unlike the other befree range this has a good quality centre stop (uses a press pin rather than the silly useless rubber bung) and it has a good quality centre tightening screw rather than a plastic twist lock that feels like it's either tight when not or will brake. So it's very good news for the xpro.I cant recommended this tripod enough, the twist leg locks are very good and it's very stable even at full hight with a big lens on. Until they upgrade the befree lower ranges centre lock and stop bung I wouldn't bother looking at any other befree except the xpro.

Obviously a good tripod, amazon originally told me it was carbon version. Aluminium version turned up. Too good to be true I guess. Thought about sending back, but was cheap, carbon version not that much lighter, and in the end this is a functional, sturdy, reliable travel tripod. Much easier to lug about than my 055. Not as stable, but a good solution even so.

Heavy.

Great tripod, quite light and compact. Works well in all conditions. Stable, holds even a 600mm lens well. The paint could be more durable because it scratches easily.

Got £100 cheaper from Amazon Outlet as there was a tiny scratch on one the legs. Great tripod, sturdy, light and fold down small for travel

Ability to set up in a wide range of heights and angles, steady base for your camera for long exposures. Easy to use twist lock and ability to move centre column into the horizontal to get close up or low down shots.

The tripod is very well built (one of the best-built things I own by far). It's easy to setup, feels very safe with multiple kgs of equipment, and moves smoothly when you want it to. The only thing that caught me by surprise is how quickly you can release the camera, which is good if you know what you are doing, but you could mess up 1 second and have the camera falling to the ground.