TiltAll Tripods -again

Isn't the new Tilt-All completely different from the original ones? Everything I've heard suggests that they aren't as sturdy as the Leitz Tilt-All's, but maybe the parts are interchangeable. I'd ask on the Leica list over at:

http://www.greenspun.com/bboard/q-and-a.tcl?topic=Leica%20Photography

The original Tiltall tripod was made by two brothers in a garage in Rutherford, NJ. They eventually sold the name and the tools to the US division of Leica.

Leica sold the tools and name to Star D who manufactured the tripod as both the Tiltall and in a lower quality version under the Star-D brand.

When Star-D went bankrupt the bank (Bank Leumi) spent several years trying to dispose of the Star-D factory and Tiltall. After several years the name Tiltall was sold to a Chinese manufacturer.

That is the version currently sold.

A comparison to any of the earlier versions or the cheaper Star-D version will show that any similarity is in looks. Not quality.

The previous respondents' understanding of the rise and demise of Tilt-All is right on. However, the original item, and the Star-D version, appears in second-hand shops pretty regularly. And any machine shop can copy the part, I'm sure.

Keep hunting. They are out there. BTW, I bought mine in Washington, DC in June, 1965. Still working like a champ! Best bargain I ever got in photo equipment. Just keep them clean.

B&H Camera & Video in New York has them in stock.

B&H has the new ones. I haven't noticed any real Tiltalls in the used department lately.

I have a star d version since 1972. It stil works great. I've seen the new version advertised at B&H and Porter's Camera Store.

TiltAll, you said? People have been attracted to them because of the Leica name. But let me save you the grief. These things were conceived in the age of the dinosaurs, no wonder that the maker went bankrupt and nobody wanted the tools. If you are the designer-brand kind that worships the Leica connection, and in addition you are a masochist by all means buy one. But if you really want to see how primitive these things are, look at a Benbo tripod.

Hi: I bought one of the original Marchioni Tiltalls back in the 1960s when I was a student at RIT. I dug it out again a couple of years ago when one of the small Slik tripods proved to be inadequate. I measured the center column diameter and found it to be same as one of the Gitzo sizes (1 1/4"). I bouight a short Gitzo column, filed to fit as necessary, and placed a Giottos large ball head on it. I use RRS clamps and plates and have been happy with the combination. I don't have need to raise the center column for my work.

Bob Tescione mogman@rpa.net