latebloomer Loc: Topeka, KS

My question is the new tiltal still of the same dimensions and same quality? I don't know. I do know there are a number of items that are not as sturdy as older items.

therwol Loc: USA

Same dimensions, same weight. It doesn't look like much, but I wouldn't climb a mountain with one on my back. Too heavy with other gear. One of the legs on the newer one comes off and can be used as a monopod. Having said that, I believe that the original was better made. It has a slightly different, smoother feel in the moving parts. The leg locking is more secure with less effort. I'm a sentimental sort of guy. My father bought me the original in the early 70s when I was in college. When my son-in-law permanently borrowed it, I replace it with the "same" thing. It's okay, certainly for the money.

mcveed Loc: Kelowna, British Columbia (between trips)

Do read Thom Hogan's article on tripods. It is good advice. Also beware of the load carrying capacity claimed for tripods. That is what they will carry without failing but it says nothing about their vibration damping capability or stability in the wind. It also says nothing about how convenient they are to operate. Nor does it say anything about how useful they are on sloped ground. Don't buy a tripod based on specs - go try it out.

Silke Loc: Germany

Trying it out isn't an option, unfortunately. I am hundreds of miles from anywhere where they have tripods I could try out. (Munich -- 3hr drive one way)
I am reading a lot of user reviews though. :)

imagemeister Loc: mid east Florida

Make sure you read the B&H user reviews of this one .....

therwol Loc: USA

I'm going to quote my own post to add a comment. The original Tiltall tripod was remarkable in its time for being both high quality (actually hand made initially) and affordable. You could buy better tripods at the time, as you can buy better ones now. It reminds me of how we started to see quality, affordable loudspeakers from such companies as AR and Advent in the 60s and 70s, but I don't think that any of that technology would hold up today. If you buy the newest Tiltall tripod, it doesn't quite have the feel of the original, the head is clunky, as it always was, and it's too heavy to drag around very much. On the other hand, the price is right.

LoneRangeFinder Loc: Left field

Anandnra Loc: Tennessee

If you are patient you may be able to pick one up to satisfy your needs. B&H has a daily deal on their website and they often rotate various tripods with a significant discount. Just last week they had a $280 Benro TAD18CHD1 Series 1 Adventure Carbon Fiber Tripod for $130. What a deal! Keep looking .....

mcveed Loc: Kelowna, British Columbia (between trips)

Where are you? I didn't think you could get three hours away from a big city anywhere in Germany. I lived Hugelsheim near Baden-Baden and in Lahr back in the 70's.

Silke Loc: Germany

I'm in deepest darkest Bavaria. Near Austria / Czech borders.
The only other place might be Linz or Prague, they are a bit closer.
And oh yeah, you can get faaaaar from big cities here. Germany isn't as densely populated as people may think.
But the 3 hrs is mostly because it takes me an hour or so to get to the Autobahn, on narrow country lanes. :) Distance wise it's not too bad. Road wise it is.

LoneRangeFinder Loc: Left field

Sounds like a great place to call home....

therwol Loc: USA

I have friends in Germany and in the UK. When I was last in Bonn, I noticed a photo shop in the middle of the town, but I suppose driving a thousand miles from the eastern end of the country to check out their stock wouldn't appeal to you.

More seriously, have you considered Amazon.de? When we send presents to our German or UK friends (from the US), Amazon.de and Amazon.uk save us the hassle of expensive overseas shipping, and their deliveries are quite fast. I realize you can't actually touch the merchandise if you order online, but you can always send back something if it doesn't work out for you.

By the way, England also has miles and miles of nothing but sheep and cows in the northwest. The human population is concentrated in the south. Once you get north of Manchester, the sense of "nothing" is startling and also very beautiful, like in the mountains of the Lake District. Northumberland, north of Newcastle, is also sparsely populated and has several interesting castles and opportunities to take pictures of sea birds.

Silke Loc: Germany

I'm on Amazon Prime, and I always read reviews there. :)
Yeah, Bonn would be a bit far to travel, lol.
There aren't many pure photo shops left, I think. And Media Markt (which is the big electronics store here) is useless.
In the UK I'd go to Jessops, and there is a cute little shop where I used to live (Epsom) but I think that closed last year. We got our camera from there and good advice. They also traded in second hand lenses, tripods and cameras.
The trouble is, most people go to the small independents for advice -- and then buy the stuff online because it's cheaper. :/
So those little independents can't make money, and close, and you're stuck with a teenager at a department store who knows less than you do. (Unless you're very lucky!)
It's really disheartening to walk into one of those shops, knowing your way around stuff, and the sales person gives you a blank look when you ask about specific features of something. (Happened to me with a computer...I asked for specifics about the water cooling... (which I happen to know about, having built my own from the year dot.) and the guy went "There are water cooled computers?"
We were standing NEXT TO ONE.
On the flip side, I once applied for a sales job at one of those stores...and didn't get the job. (I used to be an IT Manager, Programmer and whatnot. I've probably built more computers in my time than they ever sold.) But apparently a school leaver is way better suited...because the new IT person (when I went back to the store a month later to get a new keyboard) was barely out of diapers.
Gave me a blank look when I asked about their range of ergonomic keyboards, too...
Frustrating.

therwol Loc: USA

I can understand that the best and the brightest are not working in camera stores, Best Buy, etc. When I go into such a store, if I get good advice on something, it is a pleasant surprise. I always go in knowing pretty much what I want ahead of time. But there is nothing that annoys me more than getting BAD advice from someone who knows absolutely nothing about anything. "I don't know, let me ask someone about that." is a better answer that BS. It could be a learning opportunity for someone.

racerrich3 Loc: Los Angeles, Ca.

<silke> here's my 2 cents. check out the SLIK brand. go to there website. "www.slik.com" . they have many different kinds.