Tripod Timeline

Modern tripods are the product of more than a century of engineering. This timeline follows the brands and breakthroughs that shaped the tripods and shooting rests sold today.

Early makers

• 1917: Arsène Gitzhoven founds Gitzo in France, first making cameras, shutters and film holder backs.
• 1950s: Gitzo adds tripods to its product range.
• Late 1960s: Italian photojournalist Lino Manfrotto begins designing and selling products under the Manfrotto name.
• 1976: Will Primos starts building turkey calls in Mississippi, the beginning of the company behind Trigger Stick shooting rests.

Carbon fiber and new designs

• 1992: Gitzo joins the Vinten group, today called Videndum, which also owns Manfrotto.
• 1994: Gitzo shows the first professional carbon fiber tripod and monopod at Photokina.
• 1999: Gitzo introduces the Mk2 aluminum range, removing rivets from the leg-to-shoulder joint.
• 2000: The Gitzo Explorer arrives with adjustable leg angles and an inclinable center column.
• 2004: The Gitzo Traveler folds its legs around the head, and a basalt series is introduced for vibration damping.

Shooting rests and the modern era

• 2006: BOGgear begins manufacturing monopods, bipods and tripods for shooting, photography and videography.
• 2009: Gitzo launches the Ocean line, with stainless steel castings and sealed leg locks for salt water.
• 2010: ISO 1222:2010 sets the current camera-mount thread standard, 1/4-20 UNC or 3/8-16 UNC.
• 2014: Battenfeld Technologies acquires BOGgear, announced in January.