(1) Page 96 of Tydings' "Nikon Guide", 1956.   The wooden tripod on the right is the one I am interested in.

Click for an enlargement of the tripod on the right.

(2) The same tripod on the left above appears again (the same bent rod crank!) on a late Nikon "F" lens, the 300 preset, page 58, "Camera 35" Dec / Jan 1960.

(3) The head of the 2inch Telescope, showing it is not the same tripod shown in the Tydings' book on the right or the left.

The tripod in the right top picture may have been supplied with the 500mm. I am looking for any other pictures of the 500 on a known tripod. It is my opinion that the tripod shown in the top two pictures may not be of Nikon origin, but I need your help to solve the mystery.

Bob Stevens, has a third tripod, not shown here (or it may be the one shown on the left in photo 1) that he believes may have been supplied by Nikon. His unit has screw holes that line up with the outside holes on the NIKKOR 500 tripod mount, so it does appear to belong with the lens, even if not of Nikon origin. I have heard of at least one other tripod with these holes.

The Stevens' tripod is, however, umarked, and very few Nikon items this large were sold without NK markings. (The illuminator is currently the only major item that has been pointed out to me, but it is a tiny plastic device)