Photo Plus - USA (2019-07)

SUPERTEST

108 http://www.digitalcameraworld.com

CONSTRUCTION MATERIAL Aluminium

ALTERNATIVE MATERIAL None

WEIGHT 1.6kg

FOLDED HEIGHT 41cm

MAX, MIN OPERATING HEIGHT

150cm, 40cm

MAX MONOPOD HEIGHT 156cm

HEAD ADJUSTMENTS Lock, pan, friction

BALL HEAD Manfrotto 494

QUICK-RELEASE PLATE 200PL Pro

LOAD RATING 8kg

SPECIFICATIONS

MANFROTTO

BEFREE 2N1 £199/$195

The more up-market of Manfrotto’s tripods isn’t as

good value for money as you might think

anfrotto’s Befree series

of travel tripods has

earned a good

reputation for

practicality. There’s a wide

range of ‘basic’ aluminium and

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even greater selection in the

‘advanced’ category. Unlike

most, the advanced 2N1 kit is

only available in aluminium,

but you can choose between

clip locks and twist locks for the

four-section legs.

Looking at the specs, there’s

not much to justify spending

the extra here, compared with

the less expensive Manfrotto

Element kit on test. Both are an

almost identical weight and

have the same max load rating.

The Befree 2N1 is only a single

centimetre shorter when folded,

but its max operating height of

156cm is disappointingly 15cm

shorter. In monopod form, it

only stretches to 156cm,

compared with its sibling’s

more generous 171cm.

On the plus side, the 2N1 has

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build quality, and a higher-spec

ball head that adds an

adjustable friction damper. The

tripod also gains an Easy Link

socket for attaching accessories

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mechanism for its multi-angle

legs. The quick-release plate is

Arca-Swiss compatible but the

ball head platform isn’t, instead

being designed to also accept

Manfrotto’s 200PL plate.

Performance

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tripod but performance is no

better than from the cheaper

Manfrotto Element, making

the Befree 2N1 poor value.

FEATURES

VERDICT

01

An independent

friction adjuster is

built into the main

clamping knob.

02

The quick-release

plate is Arca-Swiss

compatible.

03

The centre-column

doesn’t have a

two-section

telescopic design.

04

Sliders for selecting

locking leg angles

are simple to use.

05

The twist-action

M-lock clamps for

the extending leg

sections work with

smooth precision.

FEATURES

BUILD & HANDLING

PERFORMANCE

VALUE

OVERALL

05

02

03

M

PLAYING THE ANGLES

Multi-angle legs help you cope with terrain and overcome obstacles

ll of the tripods on test have

legs that can be locked at

multiple angles to the centre

column. In most cases, three lockable

angles are on offer, although the Benro

Slim Travel only has two. It’s good to

have the option of using alternative leg

angles when shooting on uneven

terrain, or when there are obstacles in

the way. For example, you might need

to use one or two legs in a near-

horizontal orientation and place the

feet on a wall or table to get into your

desired shooting position.

Also, by splaying the legs to a wider

angle when shooting at low heights, you

can increase stability and reduce the

risk of the tripod toppling over. Using

wider leg angles also gives you a lower

min shooting height, as we’ll come to.

A

01

04

Most tripods have a mechanism for locking the legs

at three different angles from the centre column