The tripod is an essential accessory for photographers, no matter if a professional or just a photographer is pursuing it as a hobby.

You can have perfect camera settings, ideal lighting conditions, and brilliant scenery, but what a little shake in capturing an image can do to mar your results that all these factors can not do collectively to save your picture from a blur.

For avoiding the camera shakes, a tripod comes to your rescue.

The core purpose of using it in photography is to eliminate physical shaking to save photographs and videos from unsolicited blur.

Many producers from the tripod manufacturing industry offer a vast range of tripods in terms of quality and price.

Manfrotto is among the well-known name of this industry. Their tripods, monopods, and other photography equipment are widespread across many countries globally, mainly known for their affordable prices and durability.

Manfrotto is also offering several tripods to target all camera users, from basic or regular DSLR too heavy cameras or telelens.

In this article, we will give you all the details about a very reasonably priced but a good-quality tripod from Manfrotto.

Manfrotto MVKBFR-LIVE Befree Review

The one we choose is Manfrotto MVKBFR-LIVE Befree. It is one of the popular tripods offered by its manufacturer.

They dedicated it to hobbyist Videographers and Bloggers who want maximum performance. It is lightweight, long-lasting, easy to use, well-built, with some advanced options.

Hence, it is the right choice of a tripod for any camera which weighs less than 4 kg. This weight load category covers almost all entry-level DSLR cameras and some advanced cameras, such as the Nikon Z one.

The next section will elaborate on details about its core features, detailed specifications, pros, cons, and opinions. So let’s began without wasting any further time.

KEY FEATURES AND THEIR DETAILS:

In this section, there are details about core features and their complete breakdown.

BUILT:

The Manfrotto MVKBFRT-LIVE is an aluminum traveling tripod of the Befree Live series from Manfrotto with the Twist-lock leg locking system.

Most of the body is made up of Aluminum, which makes it very lightweight; Aluminum is one of the metals known for its property of strength and lightweight compared to the other metals.

It weighs around 3.6 lb. or 1.6 kg. Being this lightweight, it can be an incredible and trustworthy travel buddy. You can easily carry it around with you to different locations and shooting sites.

This accessory’s maximum height is 59.1 inches or 150 cm, whereas the maximum Height without Column extended is 52.4 inches or 133 cm.

This range of height is good and can cover a lot of photographic requirements. In many cases, you won’t even have to carry a second tripod with you because of the height issue because MVKBFRT-LIVE Befree is there to cover it all for you.

The folded length of the accessory is around 15.7 inches or 40 cm. This is another reason to make it travel, buddy, as we think carrying around just a 15.7 inches tripod on your shoulder is none of a big deal compared to the other bigger one.

It may be small in size, but in no one, it is any less than an accessorized heavy tripod with an expensive price tag in terms of performance and sturdiness.

LEGS:

There are four leg stages. Legs are also made up of aluminum, but their feet are rubberized. Adding rubber increase their grip on the ground.

One new future Leg-Angle Selector is also added as compared to predecessor models. This feature is designed to be used by both Right and Left-handed Videographers.

Every type of user can use this tripod to its fullest and can easily find the right tripod height as per the requirement of the shot without putting much effort or losing their focus.

You can face one issue because of legs, i.e., when you extend the legs of the tripod, they start getting thinner.

The more the extension, the more the legs will go thin. At the maximum extension, legs give out the feeling of skinny aluminum sticks.

Now, the problem is that in such a condition, the tripod is very vulnerable; a little breeze can shake your tripod, which this totally against the core purpose of using the tripod.

LOAD SUPPORTING CAPACITY:

The load which Manfrotto MVKBFRT-LIVE Befree can support is  8.8 lb. / 4 kg. Almost all entry-level DSLR cameras, some smaller and medium level professional cameras fall under this weight category. This tripod can be a good choice if you have a camera weighing less than 4.4 kg.

After putting the camera on the tripod, you can lock it at a place in the head to ensure the device’s maximum safety.

Do not go for this tripod if you have a slightly higher camera, i.e., a very high-resolution professional camera or telephoto lens.

Some other reasonable and not so costly options are available by the same manufacturer for such categories of optical devices.

M-LOCK:

To lock the legs at the desired position, there is M-lock or twist lock. It is a totally new locking system for Manfrotto’s tripods.

Unlike the previously used lever lock mechanism, the New Twist Lock is compact, easy to use, and fast. Moreover, M-Lock has no protruding parts.

The working mechanism of the lock is that it closes near the head. This enables the Befree Live to slip into and out of its storage pocket without needing a shred of any extra effort from the user.

Many users didn’t like this new type of lock and thought that the lever lock found in previous models was way better than that.

The majority of the complaints say that this type is pretty annoying. Well, in our personal opinion, maybe all you need is just a little more practice with this lock. It is not that bad.

SPIDER FEATURE:

There is another new feature added by a manufacturer for this tripod. The original spider feature works to develop a natural link between the tripod and any extra accessory you want to use with your SLR.

This feature was previously available only in Manfrotto’s professional 190 And 055 Tripods, one of the products falling in the expensive category from this producer.

The spider feature allows the photographer to use its creativity to increase aesthetics in results and make images unique and your experience unforgettable.

The spider feature makes it so easy to add a different lens, lights, and reflectors. A photographer can now capture out-class footage and videos without spending an extra amount of dollars on any fancy or heavily accessorize tripods.

PERFORMANCE:

Well, excellent performance is the core feature of this tripod. The purpose of using a tripod is eliminating shakes, and this model of Befree is designed perfectly to fulfill the requirements of this purpose.

You can get remarkably smoother footage every time by investing a little amount of money on this tripod.

Manfrotto technology for pan and tilt fluid movement to guarantee the smoothest footage. This technology induces an already adjusted pan and tilt drag in the tripod. Panning Range is 360 degrees, whereas the Tilt Range is -90 degrees to 65 degrees.

This tripod is also reliable in terms of durability. The aluminum body gives it all the strength required in a traveling tripod.

Though there can be dents on the body, using it with little care can last for years and years.

Everything a good tripod is supposed to have!!!!

Yes, you read it right. Besides the attributes we explained earlier, Manfrotto MVKBFRT-LIVE has several other qualities to optimize your performance.

Befree combines the successful Befree live head’s high fluidity with the more durable construction of Befree Advanced and the new M-Lock mechanism.

You can get amazing and smooth footage of your surroundings with Befree Live Fluid Video Head. A very ergonometric option, Pull Selector ensures quick set-up for both left-handers and right-handers.

Fluid cartridge tilt movement with fixed drive offers the tilt of 360° easy tilt to not miss anything because of the tripod.

There is also a Smart Levelling column to ensure perfect horizontal alignment in a matter of seconds.

All these offerings in a single tripod are a lot more than what others offer at the same category and price.

Manfrotto MVKBFR-LIVE Befree Specs:

In this section, there are complete and to the point, details about every aspect of the accessory, from its physical features to manufacture details to its performance.

All the information in this section is officially by manufacturer, i.e., Manfrotto.

• Model Number B&H no.: MAMVKBFRT
• Weight: 3.6 lb. or 1.6 kg
• Head Material: Aluminum alloy
• Load Capacity: 8.8 lb. / 4 kg
• Base Diameter: 1.7 inches / 4.3 cm
• Quick Release: Plate    Yes; 501PL
• Panning Range: 360 degree
• Tilt Range: -90 degrees to 65 degree
• Pan & Tilt Drag: Fixed drag, non-adjustable
• Separate Panning Lock: Yes
• Spirit Level: Yes, only 1
• Legs material:    Aluminum alloy
• Maximum Height: 59.1 inches or 150 cm
• Maximum Height without Column Extended: 52.4 inches or 133 cm
• Folded Length: 15.7 inches or 40 cm
• Leg Stages/Sections: 4
• Leg Lock Type: M-lock twist lock
• Independent Leg Spread: Yes
• Leg tube diameter: 12, 15.5, 19, 22.5 mm
• Feet of the tripod: Rubberized
• Maximum working temperature: 60° C
• Minimum working temperature: -30° C
• Powered by (batteries): 0
• Number of bubble levels: 1
• Carrying bag included: Yes.
• Central column: rapid
• Color: Black/silver
• Pan crank (bread) included: Yes.
• Pan movement (bread): fluid cartridge with a fixed drive
• Panoramic rotation: 360
• Shoe type: 501PL
• Tilt movement: fluid cartridge with a fixed drive
• Upper disc diameter: 40 mm
• Package Weight: 4.8 kg
• Box Dimensions (H x W x D ): 5.0 x 5.0 x 18.0
• Brand name: Manfrotto
• Color: Aluminum twist black
• Included Components with a package from the manufacturer: 1 x MVKBFRT-LIVE
• Model Year: 2018
• Manufacturer Part Number: MVKBFRT-LIVE
• Style: Befree Live

PROS:

• Built with very high quality but lightweight Aluminum. Durable enough
• Easy to carry around places and to different shooting sites. Very lightweight
• Easy to use
• Compact
• It can easily hold cameras up to 4kg. This weight support is among the highest in its category.
• Twist Lock with MVH400AH Fluid Head for DSLR
• Mirror-less
• Rubbery legs end makes the tripod to stay at the place.
• Smart leveling column

CONS:

• Being lightweight is a pro; it’s also a con. Tripods can not perform in windy conditions.
• Twist lock instead of lever lock can be annoying and for some users.
• It won’t work long last with you if you are a rough user

CONCLUSION:

If you went through all of the articles, you must have an idea by now that we think highly positive about this tripod, like there is no such apparent reason not to buy it!!

Here is a quick summary for you. Manfrotto MVKBFRT-LIVE Befree <- Affiliate Link 🙂 is a high innovation tripod for the best image quality.

It is a very light-weight built with Aluminum with rubber feet for the best grip. It comes with Twist Lock with MVH400AH Fluid Head for any camera.

It can support weight around four and a half kg but weighs only around 1.5 kg making it a perfect travel companion for photography tours.

This tripod’s maximum height is 59.1 inches or 150 cm, whereas the maximum Height without Column extended is 52.4 inches or 133 cm.

It is an excellent range to cover a lot of sceneries. It also comes with a brand-new spider feature that allows secure attachment of the different accessories to the tripod, such as the lens.

What else can a person want from a tripod? We sincerely liked it, and we also recommend it to you if you’re looking for a good quality tripod for your DSLR, and that too at a reasonable price!!