Dating a Ries tripod

[francis schanberger]

I know I am setting myself up for a joke with the title of the thread.

How would one go about determining the age of a Ries large format tripod? Would the head or leg model numbers be a clue or perhaps the finish of the wood or cast components?

I have one that was made in Hollywood, CA but am unsure of when the company moved to Washington state.

-francis schanberger

[Walter Calahan]

Always make sure the Ries is over 18-years old. 21 if you want to go out for drinks.

Why not call Ries, or send them an e-mail? I've always found them responsive.

http://www.riestripod.com/

But if it is 70 years old, the year they started making them, perhaps going beyond dating and starting a family is out of the question. HA!

[Robert Hall]

He must like the tall "model" types.

[tim atherton]

I think it's an Ries in my Avatar - but as you can see, it's got a date...

(I also think it's illegal in some states?)

[Jack Flesher]

Ahhhhhhhhhhhhh.... Long legs............. Gotta love em.

:D,

[Jim Rice]

I never noticed the tripod, Tim

[Greg Miller]

I wooun't worry so much about the age of the tripod - just be sure it comes with a ball head ;)

[Frank Petronio]

Who's got wood for a Ries these days?

[John Kasaian]

Who's got wood for a Ries these days?
Ries does, and the cast parts too. I have a pre A-100 made in Hollywood and they've supplied replacement parts. Fast service.

[chris jordan]

I dunno guys, those old Reis's are a bit limited for my taste. I tend to go for the more lightweight Gitzo's that have the legs that open up to much wider angles. I like to throw mine in the back seat of the car, although sometimes on the big table in the studio is a good place too, so long as the feet aren't too muddy. Then out comes the old 8x10 and away we go. The bellows have started to sag a bit lately, but the old Rodenstock is as sharp as ever...

[ZoneIII]

Someone mentioned that you should be sure to get a ball head for a Ries tripod. I hope that was meant as a joke. If not, that person clearly doesn't shoot large format nor have they ever used a Ries head. I have used just about every type of head available and nothing comes close to the performance of a Ries double tilt head for large format photography. I have them on both of my Ries tripods. With large format, you always want to level the different planes separately. Suggesting a ball head for large format is downright silly and this is, after all, a large format forum. I have to suspect that the person who suggested that has only read books about large format photography but has never actually done it. A ball head?????!!!!!!

As for Gitzo's, I have owned them and just about every other type of tripod at one time or another. Gitzos are O.K. for small format photography but nothing touches a Ries for large format photography, in my opinion, and I have used them exclusively for years now. Nothing ever goes wrong with them. They are virtually 100% dependable and when things are locked down, they stay LOCKED down. Gitzos are toys compared to Ries tripods and I don't miss my Gitzos one at all. I have seen many shaky and wobbly Gitzos over the years but I have never seen a shaky or wobbly Ries. Gitzos are way over-priced for what you get and they are not nearly as solid for large format shooting as a Ries.

[Greg Miller]

Someone mentioned that you should be sure to get a ball head for a Ries tripod. I hope that was meant as a joke.

It was in fact a joke. Note the winking smiley face immediatley after the statement.

[naturephoto1]

As for Gitzo's, I have owned them and just about every other type of tripod at one time or another. Gitzos are O.K. for small format photography but nothing touches a Ries for large format photography, in my opinion, and I have used them exclusively for years now. Nothing ever goes wrong with them. They are virtually 100% dependable and when things are locked down, they stay LOCKED down. Gitzos are toys compared to Ries tripods and I don't miss my Gitzos one at all. I have seen many shaky and wobbly Gitzos over the years but I have never seen a shaky or wobbly Ries. Gitzos are way over-priced for what you get and they are not nearly as solid for large format shooting as a Ries.

I wouldn't say that Gitzos are toys versus a Ries. I have a Ries H100 which I purchased to use with my Linhof Technikardan 45S. I hardly use it. I do however use my Gitzo Carbon Fiber Tripods for most of my work. You have to know how to use the Carbon Fiber Tripods with some care as well as working with Ball heads at least up to 4 X 5. Below is a photo that I took in Rocky Mountain National Park with my Linhof Technikardan 45S and a Nikon 500mm T ED lens on the original 3 1/2 lb Gitzo 1228 Carbon Fiber Tripod with an Arca B1 Ball. The photo was taken on Fujichrome Provia 100 at f32 at 1/8 sec between gusts of wind in 1996. It was fairly windy and I needed to time when I took the exposure. I needed f32 even with rear tilts to maintain focus from about 1/4 mile to the moon. Exposure any longer than 1/8 of the second and the moon would have moved on the film. The image is so sharp that you can see the cones on the conifers from about 1/4 miles away in the 24" copy and as I recall even make out the needles on the conifers in the 50" copy. The 50" copy (digitally output) is almost as sharp as the 24" long copy. This image has been used at Photoplus by Bogen/Gitzo and is in the Corporate offices of Bogen in Ramsey, NJ. Bogen was amazed by the image.

Rich

[Greg Miller]

Someone mentioned that you should be sure to get a ball head for a Ries tripod. I hope that was meant as a joke. If not, that person clearly doesn't shoot large format nor have they ever used a Ries head. I have used just about every type of head available and nothing comes close to the performance of a Ries double tilt head for large format photography. I have them on both of my Ries tripods. With large format, you always want to level the different planes separately. Suggesting a ball head for large format is downright silly and this is, after all, a large format forum. I have to suspect that the person who suggested that has only read books about large format photography but has never actually done it. A ball head?????!!!!!!

As for Gitzo's, I have owned them and just about every other type of tripod at one time or another. Gitzos are O.K. for small format photography but nothing touches a Ries for large format photography, in my opinion, and I have used them exclusively for years now. Nothing ever goes wrong with them. They are virtually 100% dependable and when things are locked down, they stay LOCKED down. Gitzos are toys compared to Ries tripods and I don't miss my Gitzos one at all. I have seen many shaky and wobbly Gitzos over the years but I have never seen a shaky or wobbly Ries. Gitzos are way over-priced for what you get and they are not nearly as solid for large format shooting as a Ries.



Like most things in photography, everything is a compromise and the right tools for one situation are the wrong tools for another situation.

The Ries tripod and head combination you discuss likely weighs in at at least 13 lbs. A Gitzo CF tripod and an Arca Swiss B1 ball head (a combo many successful working pros use) weigh in at about 6 lbs. Do you do long hikes with your Ries kit? I'll take your Ries kit if you are offering it to me but I don't think I will take it for a long walk.

[Jim Noel]

Francis,
I have owned several Ries over the years. I don't know of any way to tell the year of mfg of the ones made in Hollywood. The good thing is, you have a stronger, lighter tripod than the current ones.
By the way, you should head to SD and see our new facilities at Grossmont.
Jim

[Greg Miller]

As for Gitzo's, I have owned them and just about every other type of tripod at one time or another. Gitzos are O.K. for small format photography but nothing touches a Ries for large format photography, in my opinion, and I have used them exclusively for years now. Nothing ever goes wrong with them. They are virtually 100% dependable and when things are locked down, they stay LOCKED down. Gitzos are toys compared to Ries tripods and I don't miss my Gitzos one at all. I have seen many shaky and wobbly Gitzos over the years but I have never seen a shaky or wobbly Ries. Gitzos are way over-priced for what you get and they are not nearly as solid for large format shooting as a Ries.



A quote from John Sexton's latest newsletter/email:

"I’ve owned a number of different tripods over the years, aluminum, wood, and more recently carbon fiber. Wood tripods are amazing in their ability to take abuse and keep on going. Wood tripods don’t meet my own personal needs because, even when closed, they are longer than I like to carry. Since 1994 I’ve been using the Gitzo carbon fiber tripods."

[Vaughn]

I do miss my Gitzo 300 studex with the #2 Gitzo ballhead -- it was perfect for my 4x5 and 5x7. But it ran off with some thief in the night. Broke my heart....

Now I have a Ries w/ their double tilt head for my 8x10, and we have gone on many long long walks together. I have learned to lean on it when traveling over boulder fields and the like...not many pods double as a mountain climbing tool! And when hiking thru the snow with it this past week in Yosemite, it was not like holding a cold fish in one's hand. And being 6'3", it is nice having a pod one can stand up straight to and look into the eyes.

Vaughn

[butler239]

Hey, this is an old post but im hoping someone could help me out.

I have the 6th ries tripod ever made, in pretty good shape for being for being 70 years old. i got it confirmed from ries.

just wondering how much i should sell it for? i havent got a clue what it could be worth and there is no info on the net.

Any help would be great thanks,

Sean

[Vaughn]

Guys, you are getting excited about a two legged beast with a long third leg...

[John Kasaian]

Hey, this is an old post but im hoping someone could help me out.

I have the 6th ries tripod ever made, in pretty good shape for being for being 70 years old. i got it confirmed from ries.

just wondering how much i should sell it for? i havent got a clue what it could be worth and there is no info on the net.

Any help would be great thanks,

Sean
Why not use it? Deardorffs look fetching on a Ries!:D