Tripod ID
Aug 9, 2017 10:59:38 #
I purchased 4 of these tripods from a pawn shop for $17 each, 3 of them were new in the box, one had been removed for display. I can't seem to find any information on them. Does anyone have any information on the company or these tripods? The legs articulate to 3 different angles; the height fully extended is around 7 feet, and the construction is really heavy duty.
Aug 9, 2017 11:13:33 #
digitalexplr
Loc: Central Missouri
Looks like a deal of a tripod for $17 bucks! Can't seem to find anything Tri-Lite either!
Aug 9, 2017 11:29:20 #
The 9001-1001 appears to be the ISO designation which screams "made in China". This tripod is sold on ebay for about $60 so you've got a good deal. Personally, I think the tripod is one of the most important pieces of photography equipment and I don't scrimp so personally I would not be trying to use something like this...but then again if it works, it works...
Aug 9, 2017 11:41:31 #
Aug 9, 2017 11:42:51 #
DaveC1 wrote:
I purchased 4 of these tripods from a pawn shop for $17 each, 3 of them were new in the box, one had been removed for display. I can't seem to find any information on them. Does anyone have any information on the company or these tripods? The legs articulate to 3 different angles; the height fully extended is around 7 feet, and the construction is really heavy duty.
I believe it was made by Tru-Lite Research Laboratories W-K Manufacturing Co, a now defunct US company.
Aug 9, 2017 12:01:17 #
Diverhank wrote:
The 9001-1001 appears to be the ISO designation which screams "made in China". This tripod is sold on ebay for about $60 so you've got a good deal. Personally, I think the tripod is one of the most important pieces of photography equipment and I don't scrimp so personally I would not be trying to use something like this...but then again if it works, it works...
I agree with you. The gentleman selling these things on Ebay is based only a stones throw from my location. So I suspect they are all from the same source.
As to the quality I would not be afraid to mount a large view camera on it. And my son immediately demanded I give him one of them which he now uses instead of his expensive Silk tripod. When the EBay listing says "Military Grade" I can believe it.
Aug 9, 2017 12:02:29 #
DaveC1 wrote:
I purchased 4 of these tripods from a pawn shop for $17 each, 3 of them were new in the box, one had been removed for display. I can't seem to find any information on them. Does anyone have any information on the company or these tripods? The legs articulate to 3 different angles; the height fully extended is around 7 feet, and the construction is really heavy duty.
These were made by Beike in China a few years ago and sold under many brand names, anyone wanting to buy a quantity of them could have their name applied for a fee. They actually weren't a "terrible" tripod for the money, but made better light stands than tripods. Their weakest point was the leg locks, a common failure point and replacement parts were never available to the public. They are pretty much a throw-away tripod because of that, if and when they fail. The Tri-Lite name was already registered to two other companies in the US so the importer using that name had to drop it right away.
These were also sold under the name OPTEKA, and STX PRO (several sizes), amongst many others.
At the price you got them for they may be a good tripod to just leave in your vehicle when having one there would be better than no tripod at all. Google STX PRO 82, I think you will see its identical to your units and still sold under that name.
Aug 9, 2017 12:18:22 #
If I Google Tru-Lite Research laboratories I can find them listed in a number of Google Books listings in Popular Photography Magazines from the late 1940s and early 1950s. I'm not sure this is the same concern.
Aug 9, 2017 13:00:22 #
MT Shooter wrote:
These were made by Beike in China a few years ago ... (show quote)
That makes sense, in looking at the Beike images on Google there are enough similar features to believe them to be the source. Although this model seems to no longer be in production.
Aug 10, 2017 05:53:14 #
Aug 10, 2017 05:54:31 #
Just a bit of comedy my friend, "you either live in a very short house, or that is one, tall, tripod"!
Aug 10, 2017 06:11:19 #
Aug 10, 2017 08:33:00 #
Inexpensive Speedlite stands. Not sure I would put a few thousand worth of camera gear on top of it though...
Best,
Todd Ferguson
Best,
Todd Ferguson
Aug 10, 2017 08:37:03 #
Tet68survivor wrote:
Just a bit of comedy my friend, "you either live in a very short house, or that is one, tall, tripod"!
No, the tripod is around 7' tall.
Aug 10, 2017 08:55:56 #
Just as an observation, all of the "made in Chinia" dissing on this thread reminds me of the "made in Japan" sentiments found in the US in the late 1940s well into the late 1960s.
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