I bought this tripod around 3 years ago and it's served me very well. I'm in the process of getting a second set of equipment, and I went in my order history and ordered the exact same product again, expecting the same quality I got the first time.I was disappointed to find that the tripod head is no longer metal. I believe it was originally constructed some some sort of painted aluminum alloy. Now it's cheap plastic. It's not even premium feeling plastic, it's a rough textured plastic that you usually see used in garden pegs or other plastics made from low-grade recycled plastics. I'm disappointed.It seems like only the tripod head is different. Now, this tripod is more expensive than other ones on the market. I actually purchased a less expensive one first to find that it's of lower quality than the one I own. Then, I went and purchased the EXACT same product as the one I own to find that it's been made using cheaper parts.You can buy all fluid all metal tripod heads from Amazon, but then it adds to the cost and you have to essentially throw the plastic one away. I would be willing to pay 15 more dollars for a good quality head. Now I have to return this product and keep searching for a good tripod again.I've attached pictures for reference. I have done my best to try to capture the difference between the metal and plastic parts side by side. Take a look.