Cigars anyone??- new Tiltall Grandbaby

Oliver Yang, present manufacturer of the original Tiltall, has recently completed the design and first production of a direct descendant of the Marchioni Tiltall - in two versions, an aluminum tube and in a lighter carbon fiber tube, in two sizes. (Shown at left, larger carbon TC-284 with ball head BH-3, click on photo to enlarge.) Tiltall's grandbaby continues the reversable center column, removable leg cum monopod and spike/rubber leg tip, but adds a monoball head and three stop legs that folds over the ball head (see my earlier "dream" post) for a compact carry-on size.  Stats: Smaller carbon TC-254 closed: 42cm; extended: 142cm; weight: 1050g; Larger carbon TS-284 closed: 50.5cm; extend: 172cm; weight: 1430g; Smaller Alum TE-254 Closed: 42cm; Extend: 142cm; Weight: 1300g; Larger Alum TE-284 Closed: 50.5cm; Extend: 172cm; Weight: 1640g. Adorama is the first USA dealer - selling the smaller aluminum Tiltall Traveler TE-254 with smaller ball head BH-20 for $130.

Learning curve - feet Two

The original Marchioni foot (left) had a descending spike through a fixed rubber tip.  The foot in current production follows  the opposite design - a fixed spike with a descending rubber tip - a change in design that I believe occurred with the Marchioni brothers before they sold the company to Leitz USA, but a design that certainly exists on the later Uniphot version and the StarD version.  If you own a late Marchioni, Leitz or StarD Tiltall, kindly submit a foot jpeg to correct this post and for the edification of your fellow aficionados.

Learning curve - feet

More notes from the field - The Uniphot (Woodside NY) foot (left) looks like it has very close to the same diameter post as the current production foot (right) and probably had/has a fixed spike/decending rubber (Note: Marchioni had decending spike/fixed rubber - see next post). But the Uniphot definitely has different threads - as per my order page, this is where the "may need a machinist" comes in - the ID of the last section of leg may need to be re-threaded. Or try to force things and/or copious amounts of epoxy for a very permanent solution. Alternatively, watch EBay for a Uniphoto Tiltall and cannibalize the parts as you need them.  (If you end up not using the current foot, please return ofcourse without paying.)  Photo and question from Jerome Crowder