The Tripod Apocalypse - with TLT

I note these days that everything is an apocalypse. It doesn't matter whether you are selling books, television programs, or politicians - every presentation has an apocalypse in it. Even bibles seem to feature one - I guess it gets the younger generation interested in religion. I wonder if there are vampires and zombies in there somewhere?

Well, we here at Camera Electronic are not behind the times - we are behind a number of other things, mind...We have decided to stock a range of tripods for the modern apocalyse photographer - the Three Legged Things.

That is the real name - Three Legged Things. They are marketed by an English firm, based upon the design of a French firm that was taken over by an Italian firm. I believe they are actually manufactured by a Chinese firm. Thus the actual tripods are quite good, even filtered through some pretty strained marketing.

You see, the English firm has decided to name the products after rock stars. I have the " Brian " on the editorial desk right now - I think there is an " Eric " dowstairs. Presumably somewhere there are Johns, Pauls, and Ringos....The old wooden one made form ukeleles is the " George " and you can puzzle over that at your leisure.

The tripods look a great deal like folding travel tripods from G---o, but fitted with Arca-style heads and release plate systems up the top. They are of the twist-lock leg variety and the one here on the desk is a good light carbon fibre type. The startling part is where the makers have elected to turn a coloured anodizer loose on the parts - the triangular metal yoke for the legs as well as the column platform are gold colour, while the ballhead lock knob and the quick-release plate is bronze colour. I passed another tripod on the shop floor that had blue and red.

They are being sold with a tough little cylindrical tripod case - rendered indiscreet by a label that declares that it comes from Stagsden and  that it is equipped or cursed with chicken lips. No, readers, I am not making this up. My imagination is not up to this level of invention - I merely report.

Love them or hate them they are good products as such. They should go some of the way to satisfying the constant request for tiny tripods to support vast lenses and cameras. If you set one up at the next camera club  nude-macro-landscape night you WILL be noticed.