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Best Video Tripod for Filmmakers! – Sachtler Flowtech 75

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To understand my view on the Sachtler Flowtech 75 (B&H | Amazon) I need to share a story. I remember one time I walked into my rental house, and I came to pick up my Sony FS7. It was outfitted with all the bells and whistles that one would need for a production. I called the rental house owner and asked him the last minute if it’s ok to add a tripod. He told me, “sure, no problem! Take the Sachtler 20”. I asked the worker to get me one and asked him how much extra it was going to be and he said: “Nothing”. Later we chatted and I asked him how could it be that you give a $6,000 camera with a tripod that costs more than $11,000? That’s double what the camera costs! His answer stuck with me for years to come.

“A good tripod keeps everything on top of it safe, it’s cheaper for me to rent the tripod for free and have no broken cameras returned than to save some pennies on the tripod and fix a camera every few rentals.”

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Manfrotto’s Befree GT XPRO is a travel tripod designed specifically for macro shooters

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Macro is one of the more difficult subjects that many photographers choose to shoot, especially when we’re travelling. Often, there’s not enough light to go handheld to get the depth of field we need when we’re close to a subject, or our tripods just don’t allow us to get the camera into a good position.

Well, Manfrotto offers up a solution to this problem with the new Befree GT XPRO. It’s a travel tripod with a centre column that can rotate 90° and get extremely low to the ground. It completes the Manfrotto Befree Advanced range of travel tripods and is available in both aluminium and carbon fibre flavours.

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Manfrotto launches a trio of new Befree travel tripods for photo and video

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Manfrotto has just announced three new tripods. A new version of the Befree Live with Quick Power Lock (QPL) levers, mixing the best parts (yes, that’s an opinion) of the two previous models, the Befree 2N1 that switches between travel tripod and monopod, and the Befree Nerissimo, the slickest looking travel tripod I’ve ever seen.

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DIYP reviews the Manfrotto Befree Live Twist travel tripod – A great travel companion for video

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I’m going to save you all a lot of time and tell you from the start that I really like the Manfrotto Befree Live Twist (BLT – Yes, I’m calling it the BLT) video tripod. If you’ve been on the fence about buying one and wondering whether or not it’s decent… Well, for the most part, I think it is.

In many ways, the BLT a lot like its predecessor, the regular flip lock version of Befree Live. But it has received a couple of significant changes. The flip locks have gone in favour of twist locks (hence the new name), and the adjusters at the top of each leg have had a much-needed redesign. But let’s take a look at how it handles overall.

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Manfrotto beefs up its travel range with 4 new tripods and 2 ball heads

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It’s the time of year, at least for those of us in the northern hemisphere where the days are long, and we’re starting to get that travel bug. The sun’s well and truly back, and we want to get out exploring with our cameras. To do this, especially if we want to shoot any long exposures or video, we often need a tripod. But they can be big, heavy, cumbersome things.

Well, Manfrotto’s got your back, with four new tripods, three of which are carbon fibre. There’s a new Befree Advanced CF, a Befree Live Twist CF, and two new Befree GT tripods – one aluminium, one carbon fibre. And there are two new ball heads to go with them.

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The flattest tripod in the world – Platypod

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Here is one of the weirdest products we’ve seen. It’s called the Platypod, and it’s the world flattest tripod. The Platypod is a small flat metal plate that hs a few features that makes it a pretty cool device if you don’t require the height of a tripod. Actually for some low-profile uses, it even better than a tripod.

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DIYP Reviews the Manfrotto Element Carbon – Small but mighty

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The Manfrotto Element series of aluminum travel tripods have become quite popular since their initial release.  Now they’ve updated the line with the new Element Carbon. I’ve had one for the last few weeks, so here are some of my thoughts.

I’m not typically one to go for small tripods. Well, with the exception of the Manfrotto Pixi, those things are awesome. But sometimes I need my camera a little higher up. On location, when I need it to clear ground clutter or foliage, the little Pixi just doesn’t always cut it.

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Manfrotto launches new Element Carbon tripods – A photographer’s best travel companion?

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Manfrotto have just launched a new range of entry level carbon fibre tripods aimed at enthusiast travel photographers. The new Element Carbon range currently features two tripods, Big and Small, which pack up pretty small for easy packing. The Small model handles loads up to 4KG (8.8lbs) while the Big can take a whopping 8KG (17.6lbs).

Each of the carbon fibre legs locks into three positions, and features twist locks to adjust the length. The larger of the two also has a detachable leg, which connects directly to the centre column to create a full size monopod. The ball head also features the popular Arca-style quick release plate rather than the proprietary Manfrotto plate.

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