I must be in the minority but I think the low contrast, low saturation treatment suits this image best; so I prefer the original version. I agree that the the muddy foreground is a bit distracting though.

Sounds a bit like one of these Cullmann products
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Cullmann-Table-Shoulder-Pod-Support-in-Good-Condition-...

I bought one as a shoulder-pod. Build quality only average but works ok as a shoulder-pod. Very flimsy in table tripod mode, only really suitable for a compact IMO. I paid about £10, which is about what it is worth.

Great stuff. Love them all.

I bought a lovely old Gitzo 'giant' tripod and it came with this head, which I am never going to use as it is too big for a DSLR. It is old and well used but these things are pretty much indestructible so it would still be very useful to someone who needs it. The only thing it is missing is the camera fixing bolt but I imagine large format users would already have those.

I would like £25 plus p&p for 'old big head'.

The first image shows a camera on it to give an idea of the size. The plate measures 17cmx10cm. No, you do not get the camera and lens included for your £25 but I will throw in the Pringles cap that the head is standing on if you really insist

[/quote] - there are a lot of diverging and strong opinions on QR plates [/quote]I'm not sure why that should be. In my drawer full of tripod heads (sad, I know) I have a number of different types of QR plates - 4 types of Manfrotto, 2 or 3 Gitzo designs and an Arca Swiss. They all do the job perfectly adequately for all except the longest lenses, where you need a long plate to get the balance right on the gimbal, as someone already said. Levers may be a bit quicker and screw fittings may give an impression of added security but I've never known any of them give way if used correctly. If you can get a cork faced plate, so much the better. My personal favourite is the Manfrotto RC4 because of the larger surface area but frankly any of them would be ok.

This little gadget looks as though it might suit your purpose
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/331096617666?ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1...
Slightly larger than the Zigview but still small enough. Unlike the Zigview which has to be slotted over the camera viewfinder this connects to the HDMI socket so you can fix it wherever you like. Has focus peaking as well, if I'm reading the blurb correctly. I've no experience of it so can't vouch for it's quality.

I have one of these http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/2013-Zigview-ZigView-SC-V100B-Digital-Viewfinder-/2009... which is a good idea spoilt by a poor quality screen (and, no I did not pay that huge price for it). It can do other things as well but I only use it to avoid getting my knees in the mud, or for holding the camera above other peoples' heads

What I would like is a 17-70 constant f2.8 W/R lens. This would cover for 80% of my photography so I would be prepared to pay good money for a quality item. I have a Sigma 17-70 and the Pentax 17-70 which are optically fine but an upgrade in build quality and constant f2.8 would be a winner for me.

What, all of them? The whole gamut from 'steam in the landscape' to close ups of valve gear???

No, it's not just you. I mucked around with it for about 10 minutes before I could get it to work. After pressing 'save' a dialogue box appears in the middle asking you to 'note changes'. Put your name in that then it should allow you to save.