I guess that a lot of us old timers have memories of the Tiltall.
Mine was a Leitz version that I bought used around 1967 for $25. The owner was moving back to Greece and selling off all of his photo gear. I remember just missing out on a mint Nikon F and105 f/2.5.
Anyway, I used that pod for over 25 years and it never failed me. I gave it to my daughter when she became interested in photography. She, in turn, gave it to a PJ friend who I believe is currently using it in Iraq.
I hadn't seen anyone using a Tiltall in years until a few months ago. While walking through Cerntral Park in NYC I came across a guy who was using one with a 4x5. A bit too light in my opinion but he swears by it.