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Manfrotto Befree Advanced Special Edition 4-Section Aluminum Travel Tripod with 494 Ball Head, Bundle with JOBY GorillaPod 3K Tripod

SKU: BGMKBFRLABHA

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Questions & Answers

FAQ

Is the Befree Advanced Special Edition 4-Section Aluminum Travel Tripod compatible with other camera brands?

Yes, while it's specifically designed for Sony a7 and a9 cameras, it's also compatible with other camera brands thanks to its Manfrotto RC2 and Arca-swiss style head attachments.

What is the purpose of the QPL Travel lever on the Befree Advanced Special Edition 4-Section Aluminum Travel Tripod?

The QPL Travel lever is a unique locking mechanism that ensures full stability of the tripod in all configurations when it's open. It's a lightweight version of the professional Manfrotto tripods like the 190 & 055.

What is the weight capacity of the 494 Center Ball Head?

The 494 Center Ball Head can support equipment weight up to 8 kg. It's perfect for all kinds of mirrorless cameras with zoom lenses and even medium-format DSLRs.

Can I attach additional accessories to the Befree Advanced Special Edition 4-Section Aluminum Travel Tripod?

Yes, the tripod features an Easy Link attachment that allows you to add accessories such as lights and reflectors to enhance your photography.

What makes the Befree Advanced Special Edition 4-Section Aluminum Travel Tripod suitable for outdoor photography?

The tripod features a newly developed spider that ensures perfect stability on all types of terrain, including uneven surfaces. Additionally, it can be set to three independent leg angle positions for versatile shooting.

Shopper : Why Did You Choose This?WAYNE F : good deal and good brandJOSE G. S : Light weight. And I want to trip the small model.PAUL C : After reviewing online reviews and local stores, I think this will meet my needs. The extra Joby GorillaPod did help as well.PATRICK P : It got good reviews.

Reviews about this item

Review Summary

2023-08-18T19:02:51

Rated 5 out of 5

Stands up to then brand.

Manfrotto holds up to its name. There are probably better trips-pods, but also cost more.

Solomon H.

2023-03-28T11:20:32

Rated 5 out of 5

Solid work horses

Two solid products that have elevated my photography

THOMAS L.

2022-01-03T06:14:32

Rated 5 out of 5

Tripod

Like the tripod, I have really used it a lot. I don?t have great experience with it.

mark p.

2021-06-18T08:22:58

Rated 5 out of 5

Great for Travel

Works great. Easily holds my Nikon camera with 70-300 lens attached. Folds up nicely for travel. The only quibble I have is it is still heavy - yes I know they squeezed out all the weight they could for travel. I attach it to the side of my backpack and it twists the backpack. Otherwise it?s awesome for travel.

KEVIN K.

2020-07-15T06:23:47

Rated 4 out of 5

Overall a good buy.

Great deal, joby gorilla pod is as good as the reviews say it is. Holds like glue to anything you wrap it around. Doesn’t support the weight of a big lens though so only good for medium to small lenses. The manfrotto is great with the exception of mounting to a lens ring. Because of the lip on the Sony edition tripod mount, The instrutions state to use an included plastic pin to level it so you can mount it to a lens ring. The only problem with that is the screw in the base is not long enough and I had to dig through my gear to find a screw from something else to make it work with my 70-200.

ANDREW L.

2020-06-02T08:24:33

Rated 5 out of 5

Sturdy

TV/MOVIE Students love this item

TANIS F.

2020-01-02T07:34:28

Rated 4 out of 5

beautiful tripod

I was looking for a lighter tripod, and this fits the bill. I love the design and ergonomics. A negative for me though - too much flex in the legs.

Judy L.

2019-12-11T09:49:05

Rated 5 out of 5

It is soooooo light

My old Manfrotto tripod became too heavy to carry around so i was searching for a newer lighter one. If you are tall, you most likely will want something that stands a bit higher. I'm 5'6" and it suits me fine. The instructions to set up the tripod are almost impossible to understand. I managed with a bit of trial and error. The ball head also has a learning curve but easily holds my 60-250mm zoom. There is a knob to control friction, one to control panning and one to lock the head. Those will take me a bit of time to learn because it is so different from my old head. I could easily swap out my old head but this one is just too light not to try using. My old tripod had clip releases for the legs and they were hard for me to open and close at times. This one has twist knobs that are easy to grip and use. All in all, I am very pleased with the quality and stability for such a lightweight piece of equipment. Did I mention how lightweight it is? Now I have no excuse not to carry it.

SUSAN L.

2019-10-10T08:46:42

Rated 5 out of 5

Boss tripod

It’s very good

MARVIN A.

2019-06-30T11:19:11

Rated 5 out of 5

Good item

Easy to use, solid and light.

Yang Z.

2019-04-05T13:05:48

Rated 5 out of 5

Yes!

It’s fantastic! Lightweight and very sturdy. Highly recommend it.

BECKY B.

2018-12-29T10:02:26

Rated 5 out of 5

Great Travel Tripod

I took this on a trial run to Joshua Tree National Park and it performed very well. Very stable, but light and easy to set up and take down, this is a great travel tripod.

Andrew B.

2018-12-14T03:20:48

Rated 4 out of 5

This is my first tripod. Happy so far

Looks well built along with strength and stability while using it outside

David M.

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Manfrotto Befree Advanced Specifications

  • Weight

    56.08 oz (1589.84g)

  • Compatibility

    Sony Alpha a7II, a7rII, a7rIII, a7sII and a9 Camera

  • Material

    Aluminum

  • Safety Payload Weight

    17.64 lbs (8.00kg)

  • Minimum Height

    15.75" (40.01cm)

  • Maximum Height

    59.45" (151.00cm)
    With Center Column Down: 50.39" (127.99cm)

  • Closed Length

    15.75" (40.01cm)

  • Head Type

    494 Aluminum Center Ball Head

  • Legs Tube Diameter

    0.47- 0.61- 0.75- 0.89" (1.19-1.55-1.91-2.26cm)

  • Leg Sections

    4

  • Base Diameter

    1.57" (3.99cm)

  • Leg Angles

    22 deg., 54 deg., 89 deg.

  • Top Attachment

    3/8" screw

  • Base Type

    1.57" (3.99cm)

  • Ball Locking

    Yes

  • Center Column

    Rapid
    Ballast Hook

  • Easy Link

    Yes

  • Friction Control

    Yes

  • Independent Pan Lock

    Yes

  • Leg Type

    Single

  • Leg Lock Type

    Flip Lock

  • Working Temperature

    158 to -22 deg. F (70 to -30 deg. C)

  • Pan Drag

    No

  • Panoramic Rotation

    360 deg.

  • Plate Type

    200PL-PROSONY

  • Quick Release

    Yes

  • Tilt Drag

    No

  • Upper Disc Diameter

    1.57" (3.99cm)

  • Tripod Feet

    Rubber

  • Camera Mounting Thread

    1/4"-20 Male

  • Lateral Tilt

    -90 to +40 deg.

  • Vertical Tilt

    -90 to +40 deg.

  • UPC Code

    192223035881

12 Accessories for Manfrotto Befree Advanced Special Edition 4-Section Aluminum Travel Tripod with 494 Ball Head, Bundle with JOBY GorillaPod 3K Tripod

  • All Accessories (12)
  • Quick Release Plates (5)
  • Utility Aprons (2)
  • Sandbags (5)

About Manfrotto Befree Advanced

FEATURED REVIEWS

Stands up to then brand.

By Solomon H.

Manfrotto holds up to its name. There are probably better trips-pods, but also cost more.

Solid work horses

By THOMAS L.

Two solid products that have elevated my photography

The Manfrotto Befree Advanced Alpha travel tripod is a special version of the Befree Advanced Lever dedicated to all Sony a camera users who want maximum performance and stability in all shooting positions. The plate is designed to match Sony a7 and Sony a9 camera bodies, to ensure perfect grip, even in the most angled camera shots. The front jut of the plate physically blocks the camera, preventing any play both on tilt and rotational movements, always keeping the camera stuck to the head plate. The result is impressive camera stability, which takes image sharpness to the highest level.

The plate is also fully compatible with the world's most widespread standard head attachments: Manfrotto RC2 and Arca-swiss style. With this aluminum plate fixed to the camera, all Manfrotto heads and almost all tripod heads on the market featuring Arca-style attachments can be set up rapidly and effortlessly, without disassembling components. Its ergonomic design makes operating the Manfrotto Befree advanced intuitive and fast, enabling even the most demanding photographers to set their equipment up quickly and easily, without losing sight of their desired shot.

The Befree Advanced features a new spider developed to ensure perfect stability on all types of terrain, including the most uneven, always keeping the camera completely steady and ready to capture sharp images. This model also provides a new locking mechanism called the QPL Travel lever, a brand-new system developed by Manfrotto that brings the full locking power of the QPL lever on professional Manfrotto tripods like the 190 & 055 to a more lightweight version that's ideal for travel.

The new on-off mechanism makes set up and adjustment easy and secure, providing full stability in all configurations when the tripod is open. The ergonomic leg-angle selector is designed to be used by both right and left-handed photographers, enabling everyone to change shooting perspectives intuitively and find the right tripod height without losing focus on the shot they want to capture. The Befree advanced can easily be set to three independent leg angle positions, guaranteeing full shooting versatility for all the creative ideas that can emerge outdoors.

The spider featured on this innovative model also provides an Easy Link, just like Manfrotto's professional 190 & 055 tripods. This allows photographers to enhance their creativity by adding accessories that make their shot unique and unforgettable. Photographers who love adding lights or reflectors can now take amazing outdoor shots that were previously only achievable with heavy accessorized tripods.

Befree advanced for Sony is the best travel tripod for passionate photographers who want maximum performance from their tripod and above all from their cameras. This lightweight travel tripod is the optimal combination of portability, solidity, easy set-up and operation. It is built with the unique goal of enabling individuals to express their talent using their camera with the confidence of a professional support solution. The Befree advanced Travel Tripod for Sony, ball head kit is available in black.

494 Center Ball head
For all amatuer photographers looking for a small yet powerful ball head, the 494 aluminum Center ball head enables fast and precise camera positioning. Lightweight and compact, the 494 Center ball head is ideal for anyone looking for a quick and easy solution that helps frame shots precisely. This tripod head is made of highly-resistant, lightweight aluminum, so it is both extremely portable and strong enough to cope with a payload up to 8 kg. It is the perfect solution for all kinds of mirrorless cameras with zoom lenses and even medium-format DSLRs.

• Flawless smoothness for easy framing
• Independent panoramic movement for easy landscape shots
• Independent friction control to balance your equipment
• 200PL-PRO plate (RC2 & Arca-swiss compatible)
• Unique premium design, strong and lightweight

This advanced ball head combines practicality with high functionality and features three independent controls: a main knob for managing the sphere lock, an integrated friction control knob that adjusts the ball tension so that equipment weight is always perfectly balanced and shots framed effortlessly; an independent panoramic knob that keeps the horizon flat and moves the camera horizontally, enabling astonishing landscape shots.

The 494 Center ball head mounts a unique plate that makes it fully compatible with the world's most widespread standard camera plates: Manfrotto RC2 and Arca-swissstyle. With this aluminum plate fixed to the camera, all Manfrotto heads and almost all tripod heads on the market featuring Arca-style attachments can be set up rapidly and effortlessly, with no need for disassembly components. The 494 Center ball head's design make it both extremely easy to set up and reliable to use in any configuration.

Dedicated 200PL-PRO Plate
• Increased grip for excellent stability
• Perfect camera stability for all shooting positions
• Cinnabar color to highlight the dedicated version
• Compatible with Sony's a7 and a9 camera models

Manfrotto Befree Advanced Features

  • 17.6 lbs payload
  • Improved spider & leg selectors
  • Dedicated 200PL-PRO Plate - Designed for select Sony camera's
  • Compatible with Sony's a7 and a9 camera models
  • Bespoke graphic
  • High-quality aluminum construction
  • Dedicated plate maximizes stability in all camera positions
  • QPL Travel lever secures maximum stability and easy setup
  • Centre Ball Head with three independent ergonomic controls
  • Side pull selector ensures quick setup with both hands
  • Unique premium design, 100% Made in Italy

What's in the box:

  • Manfrotto Befree Advanced Special Edition 4-Section Aluminum Travel Tripod
  • 494 Aluminum Center Ball Head with Dedicated Sony 200PL-PRO Quick Release Plate
  • Padded Carrying Bag
  • Manfrotto 6 Month Limited Warranty (Extendable to 10 Year with Registration)
  • Joby GorillaPod 3K Kit
  • Black