Mini test: Manfrotto One ALU tripod with 500X fluid head

Posted on Nov 11, 2025 by Pro Moviemaker

We tested Manfrotto’s One tripod – a flexible, fast and affordable option for hybrid creators

Words Adam Duckworth

Manfrotto is a seasoned professional at producing solid, reliable camera support that won’t break the bank.

Its new One tripod is an impressive rethink of what creators need in the modern, hybrid era. Designed for creatives who shoot both still photos and videos, it’s the first tripod built to handle both disciplines with equal finesse. The stability required by still photographers is joined by fluid control demanded by video shooters.

The One feels solid, with clean lines, clever design touches and intuitive leg locks. While so many of its features ooze precision, the leg locks feel a tad plasticky and are hard to open at first. However, after some use, they loosen up and all is well.

While the tripod with the 500X head is also available in premium carbon fibre, the aluminium kit that we tried is £150/$200 cheaper but 400g/0.9lb heavier. At £519/$680, it’s a bargain.

At its core, the One is built around two new technologies: Xtend and Xchange. Xtend allows all three leg sections to deploy simultaneously using a single top-mounted lever per leg. Gone are the days of bending down to unlock each leg one by one. It’s best to unlock all three of the locks, lift the top of the tripod to the height you want and then lock them all down, a simple but decent speed improvement. You can extend each leg individually but it’s not as quick.

The Xchange system is a universal quick-release platform that lets you swap tripod heads, sliders or other accessories in seconds with no tools required. For hybrid shooters moving between stills, gimbals or video set-ups, this means less time fiddling.

The multifunctional centre column is another highlight. It can be used for quick height changes, as expected, but push a button at the bottom to release it from its catcher and it can also be used to slide horizontally for overhead shots. You have to be careful not to extend it too far so that your whole rig doesn’t topple over though. It can even be removed entirely so that the tripod legs can be splayed for ultra-low-angle work. This gives a minimum working height of 30.8cm/12.1in, while the tripod can also reach maximum heights of 181cm/71.3in. That’s a big range, ideal for everything macro as well as elevated interview angles.

The legs themselves are particularly innovative. The best description that Manfrott0 has been able to come up with for their shape is ‘non-round’. They are flatter than round legs, which makes the tripod easier to carry on your shoulder and improves its resistance to twisting for greater stability during panning or heavy lens work. Standard rubber feet conceal retractable spikes for outdoor grip, and there’s also a handy Manfrotto Easy Link mount for attaching accessories like monitors, magic arms or lights.

A Manfrotto tripod with a camera and microphone attached, sitting outside on a pathway

Side view of a hand operating a Manfrotto tripod with a camera and microphone attached

A single press of a button sees the top-plate switch its angle to shoot vertically, great for Reels

Bundled with the new 500X Fluid Head, the One becomes a powerhouse. The head is optimised for mirrorless and compact cinema cameras that weigh up to 2.4kg, but it feels surprisingly capable with slightly heavier rigs as well.

Its standout feature is the hinged camera plate, which lets you switch between landscape and portrait orientation without removing the camera. Just push a button and the plate tilts, an invaluable feature for social shooters and those juggling horizontal and vertical deliverables.

The head itself is top-quality kit. The Fluid Drag System (FDS) offers smooth, cinematic panning and tilting, while a selectable counterbalance helps maintain control when using larger lenses or heavier cameras. The 500X also uses the standard 501PL quick- release plate and includes a bubble level for horizon accuracy.

Levelling the head involves lifting a lever on the tripod’s side, eyeballing the spirit level to get it right and then locking it down. It’s easy and fast, and doesn’t require a ball-type head fitment. A big thumbs up.

Thanks to the Xchange adapters, the 500X head can be detached or swapped out in seconds, ideal for switching to a slider or stabiliser mid-shoot.

Where most tripods compromise between the precision of a video head and the simplicity of a stills rig, the Manfrotto One refuses to pick sides. It’s built for hybrid creators to shift a single shoot from stills to motion to vertical content without pausing.

Both initial set-up and later adjustments feel fast and intuitive. The tripod system’s rigidity, smooth movement and modular flexibility make it as practical for professional filmmakers as it is for content creators and photographers.

Manfrotto’s One tripod and 500X fluid head marks a genuine milestone in hybrid design. It’s sturdy enough for cinema, agile enough for stills and smart enough for modern hybrid work.

£519/$680

manfrotto.com