Royal Pocket Travel Rangefinder Camera Tripod

Royal Pocket Travel Rangefinder Tripod

$38.00 CAD
$38.00 CAD

WHAT CONDITION THE CONDITION IS IN: 88-Day Confirmed Operation Warranty. This rangefinder camera tripod is in near perfect condition. It works and is a well crafted travel support. Keep scrolling for the full story or skip to the one picture (it was a nice day and we decided to go shoot instead).

The Royal travel tripod is a pocket-sized artifact of Japan's postwar reinvention, born somewhere between 1955 and 1965 in a factory that probably never put its own name on anything, staffed by craftsmen at places like Aida Seiki or Chuo Seiki who understood that anonymity was just another form of precision.

It wears its "Hammered Grey" enamel like a good suit. With a die-cast head and chrome-over-brass legs that telescope outward in seven friction-fit sections, the whole thing unfolds like a radio antenna with ambitions.

The single knob turns counter-clockwise and both pan and tilt release at once, a design decision that's elegantly impatient. At 24.5 centimetres folded, it slips into a coat pocket beside your Leica without complaint. It extends to nearly four feet of perfectly adequate stillness, and asks only one thing in return: that you pull from the thickest section first, or the shims will remember your impatience long after you've forgotten the shot.

It won't stop mirror slap. It won't outlast a stiff wind. Carry it for the rangefinder it was made for and forgive it for the things it cannot do.

Technical Specifications
  • Origin & Era: Made in Japan, circa 1955 to 1965 (postwar precision export era).
  • Materials & Finish: Cast aluminum alloy head with a durable hammered grey enamel finish; 7-section chrome-plated drawn brass legs.
  • Leg Construction: 7-section telescoping friction-fit tubes (draw-tube antenna design) using internal phosphor-bronze friction shims without external leg locks.
  • Dimensions: 24.5 cm (9.6 in) folded length; extends to roughly 116 cm (45.7 in / ~3.8 ft) at maximum height.
  • Weight & Payload: Weighs approx. 410 g (14.5 oz); holds up to 1.0 to 1.5 kg (2.2 to 3.3 lbs).
  • Head & Controls: Integrated 2-way pan/tilt head with a 90-degree portrait drop slot; single knurled knob turns counter-clockwise to unlock pan and tilt at the same time.
  • Thread Fitting: Standard 1/4"-20 male mounting stud for universal compatibility with vintage and modern gear.
  • Operational Rule: Pull the thickest upper tube first when extending and collapse the thinnest lower tube first when closing to protect the internal friction shims.
  • Best Application: Optimized for vintage 35mm rangefinders (Leica, Canon, Contax) and lightweight folding roll-film cameras rather than heavy SLRs.