Stuart Forster tests a lightweight tripod ideal for travel photography in this Manfrotto Element MII tripod review.
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Manfrotto is one of the world’s leading tripod brands. Founded in Italy in 1972, Manfrotto designs tripods used by hobbyists, talented amateurs and some of the world’s leading professional photographers and videographers.
The Element Traveller range of lightweight travel tripods has proven to be a popular choice among those seeking affordable tripods in recent years.
The Manfrotto Element MII range features tweaks to that winning design. It includes tripods designed for smartphone photography and videography. Element MII Mobile tripods are supplied with a smartphone clamp and support cameras and lenses weighing up to eight kilograms (17.6 pounds).
The company’s aluminium and carbon fibre tripods are manufactured in Italy. The Element MII name plays on that place of origin, standing for ‘Made in Italy’ and ‘Mark II’.
Manfrotto Element MII tripod
The design of the Manfrotto Element MII makes a positive impression on me.
When packed down, this lightweight aluminium tripod measures 42.5 centimetres (17.72 inches) in length. The ball head carries a polymer plate that fits snugly between the legs.
It features a textured carrying grip on one of the legs. The twist locks that release and lock the legs into place are also textured, making the tripod easy to use while outdoors in rain.
Silver-coloured quick-release locks at the top of the tripod’s legs make the tripod impressively quick and easy to set up. The legs twist over the central column and can be locked at angles of 25 or 35 degrees.
Weighing 1.55 kilograms (3.42 pounds), the specification of the Manfrotto Element MII is ideal for keen travel photographers. It supports up to eight kilograms of equipment and rises to a maximum height of 160 centimetres (just under 5’3”). With the centre column down the tripod stands 132 centimetres (just shy of 4’4”) tall.
What the tripod comes with
The Element MII tripod is supplied with a Manfrotto ball head plus a plate to screw into the base of a camera.
This Manfrotto Element tripod is also supplied with a padded drawstring bag that’s easy to carry over the shoulder while out and about.
It also comes with an Allen key for adjusting the tightness of the legs.
Additionally, a screw-in plastic hook is provided for use in the tripod’s centre column. Hanging a photography kit bag from the hook adds weight to the tripod, giving added stability. I find that placing my bag beneath the tripod helps ensure I don’t inadvertently stand on it while engrossed in the details of a shoot.
Who is this tripod for?
This piece of Manfrotto kit is ideal for somebody who wants a reliable, lightweight tripod that’s easy to use and quick to set up.
The ball head can rotate smoothly through 360 degrees. That means the tripod can be used for panning sequences in videos made with a smartphone or DSLR camera.
The Manfrotto Element MII is attractively priced and ideal for use as a travel tripod.
If you are a keen travel photographer, this is a piece of equipment well worth looking at.
Video of the review
Here’s a link to my video review of the Element MII tripod:
Manfrotto tripods
Visit the Manfrotto website to view the brand’s full range of products. They include camera bags, memory cards and lighting. Manfrotto also makes mini tripods.
View the full technical specifications of the travel tripod reviewed here by visiting the Element II Aluminium Blue page of the Manfrotto website. Red and black versions of the tripod are also available.
The Element MII Mobile Carbon Tripod is made from carbon fibre and weighs 200 grams less than the aluminium version.
The Manfrotto Element MII tripod is available via Amazon.
Further information
Stuart Forster, the author of this review, is an award-winning travel writer and a director of Why Eye Photography. Based in the northeast of England, the company specialises in travel, food and portrait photography and is available for commissions.
Thank you for visiting Go Eat Do and reading this Manfrotto Element II review. Interested in photography? You may appreciate my posts about travel photography in Canada and how to photograph the northern lights.
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