Tripod Identification

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I purchased this tripod about a decade ago in NE Nebraska. I took it to a local camera shop in Fort Collins, Colorado and they thought it was a surveyors. I finally got around to looking for a transit and found an antique surveyors tripod website, emailed the administrator and he said it is a camera tripod. I would like to get a camera or transit that fits the mount but do not know where to begin since I have neither seen a camera or surveyor tripod in person. The tag states OMNIA Los Angeles.

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[Jody_S]

Modified telescope tripod is my guess.

[mike rosenlof]

To me, based only on the head design, it looks like for motion picture to me.

But what's the snake-like bit coming off the head? Does it do some kind of micro adjust? If so, then Jody's telescope idea gets a little more likely.

[photography]

To me, based only on the head design, it looks like for motion picture to me.

But what's the snake-like bit coming off the head? Does it do some kind of micro adjust? If so, then Jody's telescope idea gets a little more likely.

The cable is spun by the handle and I do not know what it originally attached to. There is a square "gear" inside the end of the cable.

[Two23]

I'm thinking early motion picture tripod, like from 1920s or earlier.


Kent in SD

[photography]

I'm thinking early motion picture tripod, like from 1920s or earlier.


Kent in SD

I never considered it to be a motion picture tripod! It would make an interesting display if I could afford the camera! I just perused Ebay and they are selling for thousands of dollars plus I have no idea what type of camera would fit the mount.

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I am having difficulty uploading the photos from my phone onto my computer.

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[Jim Andrada]

Hmmm.

It isn't unusual to see rotating cable drives for video in order to focus without physically touching the camera since you often have to re-focus while the camera is running and touching the lens to focus it will shake the whole thing - instead a cable runs from a handle attached to the same arm you'd use to pan/tilt the camera to a socket and gear that would drive the focus ring on a lens. Given the apparent size and shape of the platform and the age of the tripod itself it seems unlikely that it's a video unit, so I'd vote for it being for a movie camera.

[Jim Andrada]

Also the maker's tag said it was a Los Angeles company so that's another reason to think movie

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If I was to search for a movie camera, would it need to have a single threaded "bolt" that passed through the hole in the platform? The cameras that I see listed on Ebay do not show the mounting systems. Does anyone know of a website devoted to old movie cameras?

[Jim Andrada]

Can you let me know the dimensions of the platform? I can't tell from looking what size camera it might be for.

By the way, if you look at the lens in this listing you'll see a crank handle sticking out - if I had to guess, I'd say that you could remove the crank and attach something like the cable on your tripod instead of using the crank for focus. Of course you'd need to find out what kind of lens would have a drive compatible with the cable you have. Not sure how standardized they would have been at the time the tripod was made.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/ANGENIEUX-ZOOM-12-120MM-LENS-PL-MOUNT-ARRIFLEX-for-16mm-MOVIE-CAMERA-/272095350093?hash=item3f5a258d4d:g:b1UAAOSw~bFWMlGD

[B]y the way, you'd probably be looking for something like this

http://www.samdodge.com/html/bellhowell152/images/152_400_foot_mag2.jpg

[photography]

Can you let me know the dimensions of the platform? I can't tell from looking what size camera it might be for.

By the way, if you look at the lens in this listing you'll see a crank handle sticking out - if I had to guess, I'd say that you could remove the crank and attach something like the cable on your tripod instead of using the crank for focus. Of course you'd need to find out what kind of lens would have a drive compatible with the cable you have. Not sure how standardized they would have been at the time the tripod was made.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/ANGENIEUX-ZOOM-12-120MM-LENS-PL-MOUNT-ARRIFLEX-for-16mm-MOVIE-CAMERA-/272095350093?hash=item3f5a258d4d:g:b1UAAOSw~bFWMlGD

[B]y the way, you'd probably be looking for something like this

http://www.samdodge.com/html/bellhowell152/images/152_400_foot_mag2.jpg

The mount size is 3 3/8 x 4 5/8

The item on Ebay appears to me to be a just a lense, the camera with the tripod would look great in my house! Thanks!

[Jim Andrada]

I referenced the lens listing on the bay because the focus cable would be attached to the lens sort of where the crank is - it wouldn't attach to the camera. On my video cameras there are standard threaded holes in the lens itself where you can attach a gear drive that mates with the focus ring and the cable attaches to the gear drive unit so twisting the handle turns the focus ring on the lens. So if you wanted to use the cable on your tripod you'd have to find a lens with a compatible attachment point wither for the cable directly or for the geared drive unit that would attach to the cable.

If I get a chance tomorrow I'll set the camera up and post a couple of photos of how it works. It seems to me that this isn't really a LF topic, but for sake of completeness I'll try to do it.

Relative to LF however, I really like using a video tripod with my LF cameras as these tripods tend to be really quite solid and usually allow you to mount a leveling ball and cup to the tripod so the leveling point is below the pan/tilt head.This means that if you pan the camera a bit to adjust the composition it doesn't go out of level on you.

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Thanks to everyone for you help!

Does anyone know of a forum that deals in vintage movie camera equipment?