What do you mean? There never were mountain men in Chicago. And even Capone's public relations crew used a brand called Thompson instead.
What do you mean? There never were mountain men in Chicago. And even Capone's public relations crew used a brand called Thompson instead.
I had one...must have lent it out because I have not seen it for years. The geared head was nice, too, but there so many knobs and such on the dang 'pod it was tough to carry over a shoulder any significant distance. Which I did anyway...until I got the Ries A100/250.
But I got the Majestic at a yard sale for 25 bucks. I had to take the bent rod out of the gear head and bash it with a hammer to straighten it, but it worked fine after that.
"Landscapes exist in the material world yet soar in the realms of the spirit..." Tsung Ping, 5th Century China
Wynn Bullock combined both, here using a Ries tripod with a Majestic head: https://www.flickr.com/photos/johnlegweak/4161509897
I first saw this photograph many years ago, pre-internet, in the book The Photographer's Eye, John Szarkowski, Museum of Modern Art, New York.
I remember the story was that the Majestic tripod was originally made by a Chicago company called (I think) Modern Builders whose main product was scaffolding.
David
I've seen pictures of literal scaffolding being built to support giant frontier cameras. Every different location, another scaffold. A carpentry crew accompanied the photographer, and given some of the prairie locations, they must have brought along their own lumber too.
Your experience is not unique. I'm aware of discussions via personal message and e-mail, involving credible people, about delays, communication and construction. People are reluctant to say anything in posts. Some of the posts in this thread show why. I purchased a tripod from Ries some months ago. The tripod was the last of a set that Ries was selling at a premium and had reason to take particular care of. I knew that the tripod was already made, photos suggested that construction was sound, and all Ries had to do was ship it. I'm happy with the tripod, less happy with the explanation that I was given for a delay in shipping, but the delay was minor. I would not have ordered a tripod from scratch.
Last edited by r.e.; 13-Nov-2023 at 11:23. Reason: grammar
Arca-Swiss 8x10/4x5 | Mamiya 6x7 | Leica 35mm | Blackmagic Ultra HD Video
Sound Devices audio recorder, Schoeps & DPA mikes
Mac Studio/Eizo with Capture One, Final Cut, DaVinci Resolve, Logic
I have ordered a tripod head from Ries. It was paid mid December. I have heard nothing from them, except an autoreply confirming the payment. No delivering confirmation. I have tried to contact them via their home page, mail and by phone without getting in touch with them. Have you similar experience with their service level? - or any idea on how to get in touch with them
br
Svein
There are several threads addressing quality issues, a newer production facility and generally poor service over the last year. I suggest you continue to call them.
Everything slows down in December all kinds of places due to holidays and the shipping crunch. As formerly a buyer for an active company, I refused to order or ship anything past the first week of December due to all the seasonal temporary parcel service workers and temp truck drivers with all their chaos and theft. And Ries might actually need to make what you ordered; they don't necessarily have a surplus of that item on the shelf already. But if you sent your payment by mail, it is important to double check that it reached them. I never send payments by mail after the middle of December either - too much risk of loss in the Holiday crunch.
Arca-Swiss 8x10/4x5 | Mamiya 6x7 | Leica 35mm | Blackmagic Ultra HD Video
Sound Devices audio recorder, Schoeps & DPA mikes
Mac Studio/Eizo with Capture One, Final Cut, DaVinci Resolve, Logic
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