Sturdy build, light, high quality tripod with quality bag

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.

An okay tripod, but nothing fantastic. It will work for most light users, but don't expect this to last very long after repeated uses. Some components you'd expect to be metal like the plate are plastic.

Though I made the mistake of carrying too much gear on my 180km Haute Route hike from Mt. Blanc to the Matterhorn, I don't regret for a moment carrying this full-size tripod because it was so light easy to use. It was simple to stow on the outside of my pack, could pop off in a second and then set up in seconds and get a great shot on the go. It's sturdy and survived bashing into a few boulders. Everything is really adjustable and locks down solidly. Very happy with the purchase and can highly recommend. There's really nothing I don't like about it.

Does what it claims

Very compact tripod lightweight and durable strong tripod very happy with it great carry bag waterproof very well made

An amazing piece of kit. So versatile and great value too.

Great tripod for the money - I've been really quite impressed with the build quality and stability. If you are on the fence about this vs a cheaper one, don't cheap out and just buy this. A quality tripod you'll keep for many decades - however, a cheap one you'll be looking to replace.Buy once, cry once.

I have used this tripod about 10 times in the last week and it is awesome! I need a steady tripod for layers in photoshop and this one allows me to change Sutter speed between shots with little movement. I am very happy with this purchase!!

Great features on a tripod at a reasonable cost. Very lightweight but does suffer a little at full extension with a bit of wind ( as most light weight stuff would) Great features and ball head clamp works with my L bracket fine. Only gripes would be the bottom feet fall off easily and no spike attachments. Also mine has an issue with the screw mount on the centre column for the ball head. It isn't level and means it will give a slight arc when doing a Pano when tripod is level. I should be able to work around it but can't expect everything to be perfect for the price. All round great lightweight option for photographers.