Thanks for toning it down some, Johnny. Luis is cool. So are Rieses.

I'll be curious to (hopefully) see the "3-section mega-tripod" mentioned if all works out well with the Berlin. Except for the weight, my Ries is a good all-around pod for a variety of terrain (I use up to 11x14). If I could easily afford a second pod, this would be an excellent deal...it would not have the versatility of the Ries, but losing 10 pounds would be nice at times. Just got back from the eastside of the Sierras, using mostly the 11x14 and a few images with the 8x10. While I did have a lot of level-ground set-ups, the extra height just comes in so handy on sloped ground or on soft ground where one loses 6 inches in height jamming the legs into the ground.

At 6'3", I have accidentally set the 11x14 up too high with the Ries, but for most people the Berlin should be tall enough.