Hi! I am looking for a lightweight travel tripod to use with my Sony NEX-6 compact camera and this looks like it may be what I want. Has anyone out there used it and, if so, what do you think of it? Thanks! cb
It's light, compact when folded, and sturdy enough for relatively light gear. However, there's no getting around the More Mass -> Better Stability & Vibration Damping correlation so you'll need to factor in your own shooting circumstances. I like it very much after climbing a few flights of stairs with the rest of the gear.
I've not played with a Befree (though Manfrotto have a good reputation). I just wanted to suggest looking at the Velbon Ultrek range or - for a bit more stability with more size - the REXi L, as alternatives (I use the latter as a travel pod). Good luck with whatever you choose.
I handled one for a short time the other day. I'd want to spend a little more time checking out the leg angle adjustment controls, etc. Not sure how they work as it was just a tight friction fit at the time but there was some sort of controls to it so there may be a ratchet or angle stops of some sort. It seemed to be a rather complicated sort of design compared to some of the others. Again, this was a very quick impression so it might be something you'd want to go over yourself in a store, etc. Unlike some of the competition, like the Benros, etc., I believe it has a proprietary Manfrotto clamp system. This might limit the choices in L brackets, etc. With a few exceptions, these designs which aim at allowing for folding the legs back alongside a fixed column for a truly compact folded length may have that as an issue, the fixed extended column as well as limited heght due to the shorter tube length available for telescoping. I have an earlier Manfrotto design which is a tad heavier but doesn't fold up the same way. Although not as compact, it's simpler and at first guess, more stable.
Hi Craig-thanks for the reply! I did more research after posting my question and came to the same conclusion as you did and decided to pass on the tripod. Thanks again. regards, cb