If you look at the top of the legs there is another catch that you lift to allow the legs to splay. You can take the centre column out and put it in upside down if you want then your camera can go right down to the ground.

I think mine’s an old model now, but it looks like it’s about the same as a 283 with the RSH-12 ball head.

The legs splay right out. Easy.

Ah, and I left my crystal ball at home (or rather I didn’t read every post :? ). FWIW I don’t know anyone who has ever used the tilt option on their tripod.

Just to put a spanner in the works I have a Redsnapper tripod with a ball head, it’s very good – stable, easy to adjust, good customer service and comes with a carry bag. Have a look here[/url]

He looks lovely, but be cautious please. He looks just like the dog that jumped up and bit me in the face a couple of years ago. I’m a bit careful around Shepherds now…

*cough* email in profile please iDave *cough*

The company I work for has adopted a local hospice as our nominated charity. All well and good, but they keep hassling everyone to donate goods / buy raffle tickets / pay to get the boss “out of jail” etc. I have no problem giving to charity on my own terms, but I hate being hassled to give by anyone, and particularly hate being hassled by my employer.

A better ending than the young lad in America who drove his dad’s M5 off the end of the runway outside Travolta’s house.M5 crash.

I wouldn’t admit having feet like that, unfortunately there are photographs of me riding my Whyte, so I can’t deny it. I rode a Heckler one day and got rid of the bike faster that that poor sod’s feet will mend :-)

Far too many examples I could list, but an early one was getting in the back of a Police car thinking it was a taxi, aged 17 and very drunk.

Part of my job involves sending electronic components (drives, HMI’s etc) out for repair. The repairers will always insist on replacing all “aged” components on the boards as they don’t want the boards returning to them three months later under warranty when a capacitor dies. If you’re not happy with the cost you could try arguing it, but to be honest from what we pay for our jobs it looks like your cost is very fair. There’s no reason why your amp shouldn’t last for another 15 years now, so it looks the the real problem is that you weren’t properly informed about what would be done. I guess that you might have to chalk that down to experience and enjoy listening to your music again :-)

I thought I’d heard Madison had dropped Commencal ? Bad luck OP, but with the amount of people I know who have had trouble with Specialized bikes (mainly shock bushes dying very quickly) I wouldn’t go for one of those.

double posting. and it wasn’t that funny the first time.

Just call the cops back,
Say they don’t need to worry as you’ve just shot the scrote with the stolen parts.
See how quickly they turn up then.

This will work. Guaranteed.

I don’t understand the fuss – they sound like a Canadian version of the Levellers to me. I don’t like the Levellers either. Each to their own though.

grass or astroturf ?

Boardman bikes are great but unfortunately they don’t do the hybrid in XL, so if you’re over 6ft they are too small – hence the Cannondale :-)

I use a Cannondale Bad Boy 8 (Alfine hub so no claggy mech through the winter). Crud catcher on the downtube, rear seat post mounted mudguard, sorted.

I live near Treuddyn, drop me an email (my address in in my profile).

The Wire is probably one of the few things that has lived up to all the hype surrounding it.

Well worth watching IMO

I agree – up there with West Wing & Hill St Blues.

I had thought about getting a Trout conversion on my Arc and either using that as a helmet light and buying a bar mount or vice versa. It’ll cost me about £250 to end up with a Seca 700, I can’t help thinking there may be better ways to get reliable, usable lights for less.

Me too.

I have family in Kitsilano, nice part of town.

Bit of sea fishing from time to time, and a bit of fly chucking over the summer. Can’t beat fresh caught mackerel or trout.

daddy, or chips ?

I got my shooting glasses reglazed by Specsavers with single vision clear lenses for £30. Most of the online opticians offer the service as well.

It’s a grower. If you choose to play it at your poncey middle class dinner parties that’s up to you.

Call VW Customer Care and ask ? 0800 0833 920

I agreed to take over the excavation with the inspector yesterday – it’s entirely in my garden, not even on the path. I think they are taking the piss. I had an operation last week and I’m not in a position to be able to dig it out myself at the moment. The blokes who filled the hole in were puzzled too.

I realized it was an April Fool when TJ offered to put someone up for free ;-)

Your auction says collection only, it doesn’t say he can’t arrange for someone else to collect it for him. Why not pack the thing and let him arrange for it to be collected ?

How do you know nobody was hurt ? I’d be very surprised if the car driver lived.

I’m 46, I traded my heroes for ghosts a long time ago.

buying a better camera won’t make you a better photographer, knowledge and experience will

I dunno if I agree with this, I went from a nikon collpix5100 to a nikon d50 and some of my pics on the slr are ace, and I really have no skill, the camera and lense are bloody amazing.

I’ll expand on my original point. Buying a better camera won’t make you a better photographer in the same way that buying a better bike won’t make you a better rider – it’ll help you progress, but unless your skill develops you won’t improve. Your Coolpix 5100 was capable of great images, just search Flickr and see – you are more interested in using the D50 and it is technically better than the compact, but although it is capable of taking images which are superior, it is your skill that makes the difference. Oh, any just to be pedantic, there’s only one e in lens :-)

I’d suggest finding someone close to you with a basic Nikon (D40 is an excellent choice) and a basic Canon and having a play to see which feels “right” in your hands. MPB[/url] are very good, you can buy from them in confidence. However, there are many good photographs taken on compact cameras and I’d suggest having a look on the “Talk Basics” section of the forums on talkphotography.co.uk – buying a better camera won’t make you a better photographer, knowledge and experience will :-)

Nobody’s suggested Todmorden yet then ?

If I lose motivation I watch The Collective. I can’t ride like them, but it reminds me how much I enjoy it.

Plenty of people have.

All food for thought, thanks. On reflection I think I’ll stop worrying and ride my bike as it is.