Andoer Monopod Tilt Head, Tripod Head with Quick Release Plate

It is reassuringly solid but slightly heavier than I expected. In fairness, reducing the weight would be difficult.It is nicely made with only VERY minor imperfections which are very easy to ignore at this price. It is plenty strong enough for any normal camera/lens combination and any spotting scope. You can pay many times this price for very similar big-brand versions but I can see no point in spending any more - except vanity.The Arca-Swiss head is standard size and interchangeable with all my similar devices. The clamp needs to be slightly tighter than I an used to but I think that may be uneven paint thickness. It definitely improved after a few uses but I am still at the stage where I feel the need to double check that it is tight enough. Be assured though, the normal plate-security feature operates effectively even if you don't tighten it properly.I have some other Andoer products which were also impressive value for money. They have lasted well and still operate smoothly and securely. I have no doubt this tilt-head will as well and I thoroughly recommend it - unless you really want to spend 10 times the price for the same thing with a big-brand name on it.

A tilt head is essentially a clamp that swivels on a base with a female screw thread. Simple and straightforward, it's the sort of thing that a model engineer could make in his workshop. So why can you find them for a couple of hundred pounds and more? It isn't as if there are development costs for manufacturers to try and claw back. At the other end of the scale is this Andoer model.The question was, should I risk mounting a D850 with a 150-600mm lens on a twenty quid head, after all, it's a heavy combo?! It seemed like folly until I remembered that I had previously been quite happy to mount it on a Manfrotto tilt head - and these retail for only a few pounds more. So bearing in mind what I said about it being merely a clamp, I decided that for twenty quid it was worth trying.It arrived today, so my first impressions are as follows: It seems solid. The paint finish is rather thick and clogged up the thread when screwing it onto my monopod, although this did clear on the second attempt. I wonder if the casting is a bit 'rougher' than it would be on more expensive models, and a thicker paint coat has the effect of smoothing the finish? No evidence to support that of course, it was just a thought. It has been a dry day so I took it for a walk around my local nature reserve to try it out. Sufficient to say, it works! It certainly isn't 100% perfect though. The tilt action can't be locked tightly enough to stop my camera and lens combination moving under their weight, but it may well be fine with lighter kit. Compared with my Manfrotto 234RC the screw knob for the tilt is much smaller, so there isn't the same leverage. Personally, I can live with this since on a monopod I never normally locked it solid anyway, as a little movement allows easier adjustment whilst still providing support. It does though mean that I must always take the camera off when walking from one position to another to avoid the risk of it moving unexpectedly and getting damaged - or indeed, causing damage. The upshot of that is that the head will be regularly checked over when it's in use for potential cracks or damage. I'm not expecting anything that dramatic, but only time can prove it one way or the other.My only real criticism is the 50mm Arca-Swiss plate supplied with the head. The screw seems very flimsy, and the wire loop to fix it by hand is just that. Wire! It's a spare - for use only in emergencies...The bottom line is that the (often) far more expensive heads will undoubtedly clamp everything better, and may also give you a more prestigious name to show. If anyone comments on the brand though, suggest they look at your photos instead..!

Item arrived quickly, I’m very impressed with the performance and quality so much so I’ve bought extra quick release plates

I am looking to reduce the weight that I am carrying around so have started using a monopod and wanted a tilt head. This looks the part and the arca swiss grip locks tightly onto my lens foot. Unfortunately the tilt locking knob cannot be tightened enough to stop the camera and lens moving up and down. If you don't want to carry the camera on the monopod it may not matter and at this price it is good value, but I do and don't want any movement. So I'm returning it.

I happened to order an Andoer quick release adapter plate at the same time as this, and the quality of the tilt head is terrible by comparison - I will definitely be returning it.1) The box it arrived in was damaged, and for a ball head, not a tilt head, with no Andoer branding.2) The logo is stretched compared to the adapter plate, and there is no model name or number on the item. ...knockoff?3) The clamp tilts badly when tightened against the plate, because the guide slots for the locating pins are too big. The adapter plate clamp does have this issue at all, it is manufactured to much tighter tolerances all-round, and appears machined rather than cast.4) It doesn't come with a 3/8 to 1/4 adapter, but fortunately the adapter plate did - as you can see in the final image, it sticks out because there is no counterbore in the tilt head, which means you won't get as much friction or clamping between the head and (in my case) monopod, because your only clamping surface is actually to the tiny thread adapter. On top of that, it will have to carry all loads through the joint, rather than remaining under a consistent tensile load, so is *much* more likely to come loose or break.5) Even after quite a bit of wiggling back and forth to try and run it in, the tilt movement is juddering and stiff, not at all 'smooth' as described.Overall, really disappointing, given the generally positive reviews I read before buying.

Recently I started to move away from all manfrotto plates to arca swiss and replacing the head to my (manfrotto) monopod was the final act. My regret is that I didn't do this sooner. Now I have L brackets for the cameras and all my tripods are equipped with arca swiss plates.