Compact Worth Carrying

What equipment to take and what to leave behind is a standard question when packing for an on-location assignment. If you don’t have it, you can’t use it. But having too much equipment can slow you down. When I teach workshops, I often see students leaving their tripods at home even though it’s on my pre-trip recommendation list. I understand the reasoning, but I think the hassle-factor scale has leaned too far in the wrong direction.

Without a tripod, you basically give up on the incredible number of photographic opportunities that exist at exposures longer than 1/60 second or whatever your slowest handheld shutter speed is. Dramatic photos of fireworks, waterfalls, night skies, and deep depth of field architectural shots are just a few of the victims.

The question is how do you reduce or eliminate the hassle of carrying what some might consider a three-legged, ball-headed monster? Manfrotto’s Befree Advanced Carbon Fiber travel tripod is the answer. It’s made of carbon fiber, which makes it lighter than most tripods at 2.76 pounds, but it retains its sturdiness.

I was impressed with the height the Befree could extend to, 59.06 inches, without becoming shaky. Part of this is due to its well-designed twist lock legs. Even though my Nikon Z 8 and Z 9s are mirrorless, I still use a cable release or the built-in timer to eliminate the possibility of camera shake due to the depression of the shutter button.

Once I’ve secured my desired shot, I can quickly fold the tripod down to a demure 16.14 inches for ease of transport. The tripod comes with its own bag, so if I want to go out with just a camera body and lens, I can sling the tripod over my shoulder and be ready for any on-the-spot news or split-second travel photo op. If I carry my camera backpack, the tripod is small enough to fit into an exterior side pocket.

Another hassle-lessening technique is to have dedicated Manfrotto Quick Release 200PL Pro plates on all my camera bodies and longer lenses so I can quickly attach my equipment to the tripod without the delay of putting on and then taking off a plate every time I use it. This also eliminates the unpleasant feeling of discovering that you’ve left the plate back home or in a hotel room when you’re about to take a shot using a tripod.

The Befree Advanced Carbon Fiber tripod has a 360-degree ball head with three independent ergonomic controls, including a side-pull selector. This was particularly useful when I put the tripod to the test in the Dwan Light Sanctuary, a contemplative art space on the United World College campus at Montezuma Castle, designed by Virginia Dwan (conceptualizer and funder), Charles Ross (solar spectrum artist), and Laban Wingert (planner-architect). Architectural photography, particularly interiors, is a game of inches.

With a price tag of $389.95, the Manfrotto Befree Advanced Carbon Fiber tripod has all the components to make it ideal for travel photography without being a strain on the wallet.  •

Mark Edward Harris is an award-winning photographer based in Los Angeles.