Today’s mystery Maker’s Mark

[Michael GilliganParticipant @michaelgilligan61133]

[Michael GilliganParticipant @michaelgilligan61133]

This strange little monogram is on the underside of the top-plate on a rather good [but as yet unidentified] ball-head for a camera tripod.

The plate is die-cast light alloy, and the mark is approximately 5mm overall diameter … As this is the only 'branding' on the whole item, it may at least give me a Country of Origin with which to start my search.

Any ideas, please …

MichaelG.

[Grindstone CowboyParticipant @grindstonecowboy]

Couldn't possibly be an early Manfrotto logo, could it? (Just guessing).

Rob

[Martin King 2Participant @martinking2]

Michael.

+1 for Manfrotto, rings a definite bell with me!

Martin

[Michael GilliganParticipant @michaelgilligan61133]

Posted by Grindstone Cowboy on 07/09/2021 16:19:40:

Couldn't possibly be an early Manfrotto logo, could it? (Just guessing).

Rob

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Thanks for the suggestion, Rob

The head doesn’t look like any Manfrotto product I have ever seen, and is significantly lighter than most … but your guess is logical enough.

MichaelG.

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P.S. __ The body is painted green, and the top-plate grey … and the locking lever is Bakelite or similar.

[Michael GilliganParticipant @michaelgilligan61133]

**LINK**

Manfrotto Logo

With the eye of faith, I suppose they might be related.

MichaelG.

[Michael GilliganParticipant @michaelgilligan61133]

A quick snapshot :

.

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MichaelG.

[Grindstone CowboyParticipant @grindstonecowboy]

With the eye of faith, I suppose they might be related.

MichaelG.

Even though I suggested it, I can't summon enough faith to think it's the same now.

I didn't realise Manfrotto only started in the 1960s, your logo looks a bit earlier than that to me.

Rob

[Grindstone CowboyParticipant @grindstonecowboy]

And looking again, could it represent EW (or WE)? Or EVV?

Intriguing…

Rob

[Bob StevensonParticipant @bobstevenson13909]

I think this might be for 'Meopta' the Czech maker.

[Ex contributorParticipant @mgnbuk]

I think this might be for 'Meopta' the Czech maker.

Michael's logo is different to any of those that Meopta list in their history :

Meopta logos

Can't recall seeing anything like that before & it is nothing like my more recent Manfrotto model.

Nigel B.

[Dave HalfordParticipant @davehalford22513]

It does look a bit Eastern Block style

[Michael GilliganParticipant @michaelgilligan61133]

… I wonder if it could have been made for the Zeiss Jens ‘Werra” camera : These were available in a rather fetching Olive Green trim.

MichaelG.

[Roderick JenkinsParticipant @roderickjenkins93242]

I thought the shape of that locking handle looked familiar:

It is paired with a Linhof tripod that my parents had, probably from the early '60s.

Stay well,

Rod

[Michael GilliganParticipant @michaelgilligan61133]

Excellent, Rod … Many thanks !!

Funily enough, my first instinct was Linhof … but I couldn’t find a model with such simple lines.

That’s made my day

MichaelG.

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Edit: __ and yours reveals the maker as Schiansky

Edit: __ now I know that ^^^ they are surprisingly easy to find:

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/184887232455

Edited By Michael Gilligan on 07/09/2021 23:19:43

[Grindstone CowboyParticipant @grindstonecowboy]

Good result!

Rob

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