Sanford
20-Jul-2018, 15:04
Way back in March I made an impulse buy of a nice Chamonix 8x10 camera. I have a big old Bogen tripod that can easily mount a small building, and hold it steady, but it just isn’t suitable for use in the field, so I started looking around for another option. I quickly found a nice looking used Ries J100 tripod, and bought it for deep discount because one of the legs wouldn’t lock securely. Having a background in machining, and being a tinkerer, I figured that I could probably fix it. While it was in transit I went to the Ries website and purchased a J250 head for a fairly hefty sum. I flinched, but didn’t balk, because it has an important job to carry out.
In about a week or so my "new" tripod arrived. It was in like new condition, and I couldn’t wait to get it straightened out and put it to work. After some examination I determined that I could not repair it because the bores on the leg locks were oversized and the screws could not tighten them enough to lock them. Two of these pivots would need to be replaced. Luckily, Ries offered to repair the tripod if I would ship it to them. So, of course, I did just that.
Then began the waiting game. Three weeks or so after my tripod was delivered to Ries, I gave them a call. Debby assured me that the tripod was repaired, and offered to send it back to me. I told her to hold onto it until the head was ready, so that they could combine shipping. I wasn’t going to be able to use the tripod without the head after all. After 8 weeks, and 3 or 4 phone calls, the tripod and head arrived. Now I could take my camera out into the field and put it to work! Except that I couldn’t. The screw that was supposed to mount my camera wouldn’t screw into the Chamonix. I removed the assembly and was dismayed to see that the threads were not fully formed, they resembled an acme thread. With some experimentation, I discovered that the screw would work with some of my cameras, and not with others. It seemed that the minor diameter of the threads was at the high end of tolererances. Plus the fit and finish of the assembly was decidedly second rate.
After an email to Debby, and a 10 day wait, I was informed that a new screw was on it’s way to me. Yesterday an new screw assembly arrive by the post. I was back in business, just in time for the weekend too! Not so fast, there big guy. The assembly didn’t screw onto the head. I looked closely and found that the brass nut had not been deburred and had some schmutz that needed to be gently removed with a razor knife in order for the starting thread to be receptive to assembly. As I was happily attaching it, the whole assembly, powered by a spring, flew into 4 pieces, several of which went into deep hiding. I think a drink is in order here. After hunting down the spring and the screw’s collar (really, why are this screw and collar two parts?) I was able to kinda put it together and attach it to the tripod. I will drill and tap the collar on the screw for a set screw, and all will be fine. I will have a really nice tripod and head.
The upshot of this is that it has taken me more than 10 weeks from the time my payment for the tripod head was accepted to have a functioning tripod. I worked as a machinist for 6 years, running an ancient swiss lathe, various mills, and a couple of different wire EDM machines. I know what good machining looks like, and I know what is involved in getting good parts off of sometimes cantankerous machines. I cannot in good conscience recommend that anyone spend the money on a Ries tripod these days. I purchased my tripod based upon the multitude of glowing reviews that can be found on the web, almost without looking for them. I believe that the company is resting on those laurels. They certainly are not putting out a product that merits that kind of praise, if my experience is any kind of indication.
In about a week or so my "new" tripod arrived. It was in like new condition, and I couldn’t wait to get it straightened out and put it to work. After some examination I determined that I could not repair it because the bores on the leg locks were oversized and the screws could not tighten them enough to lock them. Two of these pivots would need to be replaced. Luckily, Ries offered to repair the tripod if I would ship it to them. So, of course, I did just that.
Then began the waiting game. Three weeks or so after my tripod was delivered to Ries, I gave them a call. Debby assured me that the tripod was repaired, and offered to send it back to me. I told her to hold onto it until the head was ready, so that they could combine shipping. I wasn’t going to be able to use the tripod without the head after all. After 8 weeks, and 3 or 4 phone calls, the tripod and head arrived. Now I could take my camera out into the field and put it to work! Except that I couldn’t. The screw that was supposed to mount my camera wouldn’t screw into the Chamonix. I removed the assembly and was dismayed to see that the threads were not fully formed, they resembled an acme thread. With some experimentation, I discovered that the screw would work with some of my cameras, and not with others. It seemed that the minor diameter of the threads was at the high end of tolererances. Plus the fit and finish of the assembly was decidedly second rate.
After an email to Debby, and a 10 day wait, I was informed that a new screw was on it’s way to me. Yesterday an new screw assembly arrive by the post. I was back in business, just in time for the weekend too! Not so fast, there big guy. The assembly didn’t screw onto the head. I looked closely and found that the brass nut had not been deburred and had some schmutz that needed to be gently removed with a razor knife in order for the starting thread to be receptive to assembly. As I was happily attaching it, the whole assembly, powered by a spring, flew into 4 pieces, several of which went into deep hiding. I think a drink is in order here. After hunting down the spring and the screw’s collar (really, why are this screw and collar two parts?) I was able to kinda put it together and attach it to the tripod. I will drill and tap the collar on the screw for a set screw, and all will be fine. I will have a really nice tripod and head.
The upshot of this is that it has taken me more than 10 weeks from the time my payment for the tripod head was accepted to have a functioning tripod. I worked as a machinist for 6 years, running an ancient swiss lathe, various mills, and a couple of different wire EDM machines. I know what good machining looks like, and I know what is involved in getting good parts off of sometimes cantankerous machines. I cannot in good conscience recommend that anyone spend the money on a Ries tripod these days. I purchased my tripod based upon the multitude of glowing reviews that can be found on the web, almost without looking for them. I believe that the company is resting on those laurels. They certainly are not putting out a product that merits that kind of praise, if my experience is any kind of indication.