The Markins Ballheads
by J. Ramón Palacios

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CONCLUSION

The Markins_ballheads are affordable and very high quality alternatives for a professional ballhead. We can highly recommend them. I now have two and we are currently selling them at the Nikonians Pro Shop.

My oldest grandson, helping me to show how easy it is to operate it

These are just a small sample of comments made by Nikonians, owners of a Markins:
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I just received my special order Markins M10 from the Nikonians ProShop.... I opened the box and my jaw hit the floor. This may sound petty to some, but most of you will know the feeling. This thing is STUNNING. Really, truly, a thing of beauty.... use with my D200 I have had has been silky smooth all around. The "sweet spot" is really nice--to be able to set the tension knob so that you can still reposition the camera without loosening the knob. Wow, just wow.... this Markins ball head really seems to be in another league! JRP and others here have stated this, and now I am a believer! I can't recommend Markins enough!! Keegan Uhl, USA
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Thank you very much for your detailed and practical hints on the Markins M20
ballhead which convinced me - though unusual for me - ordering the M20 even
without holding it in my hands. I am satisfied with the fact that it was the
right decision.
The workmanship of the Markins ballhead is simply phenomenal. The ball glides
smoothly and gives a convenient and safe feeling operating the head.
Both plates (PG-50 / P65L) fit perfectly into the clamp and are hold firmly.
I was surprised by the simple use of the Friction Control. Just turn the control
knob until your equipment holds save and turn the limit dial as far as it will
go - done!
Camera and lens are fixed now by turning the control knob just a little bit.
This is very helpful, especially when you have several camera / lens combinations.
No more fumbling.
The Markins system from my point of view cannot be recommended enough. Thank you for providing such an outstanding product.
Best regards, Hermann, Nikonian in Germany
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I have to share my recent experience trekking the beautiful sites of Kauai with my new M10 ballhead. My setup, similar to many Nikonians by now: Gitzo 1228, TB-20, Markins M10.... All I can say is it was worth every penny, and I'll be happy for a very long time. The M10 was a joy to use I have to admit that for a while I thought the praise for Markins was a bit of a band-wagon effect with Nikonians, but now I'm convinced, converted and very happy. Thanks again to all for your advice!! Kevin, Nikonian in California USA
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Thank you Nikonians. I would like to say a big thank you for all your help in getting the right tripod and head setup for my D70. I am now the proud owner of a Gitzo 1227 CF tripod, a Markins M10 Ball head, and a Kirk L bracket. I am very impressed with the quality and performance of all these products. If it were not for you guys and gals then I might have bought the totally wrong thing. Thanks for all your help.
Andy, Nikonian in the UK
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The Markins head was delivered today. I must tell you that this head surely does seem like a winner. It is every bit as well made as my Arca Swiss ball and the controls and the smoothness is second to none. I might have mentioned that I sold a Kirk BH3 ball in anticipation of the Markins M10 and I am not disappointed. I think the Kirk heads are second rate compared to Arca Swiss and now the Markins. Markins is infinitely "silkier" in its ball movement and panning movement than the Kirk and I prefer the tension control inside of the main knob Arca Swiss style.

The Kirk balls have a third knob for friction control and frankly, it is either loose or tight - very hard to get it "just right" and even if you do, with the separate third knob, it seldom stays "right" for very long. It sure does look like it will hold my F5 + 70-200/2.8 with a TC without even breathing hard. I'll bet the M20 will give the AS head a run for its money. It sure does look like a winner. Looking forward to seeing what else Markins has up its corporate sleeve... Eric, a US Nikonian
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I just recently purchased a Markins M20 for use with my 300mm f/4 lens and my 2x tc and I just love it. David, a US Nikonian
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Received my M20 today (the mailman missed me on Saturday). The Ball Head is simply out of this world.... I haven't taken a single picture with my D70 mounted on it but I have already fallen in love with the M20 :-)

I had heard about your fast delivery from everyone on Nikonians, so in the end it was not a surprise. What did impress me a lot, however, was your response to my e-mail. I sincerely appreciate your time and efforts to address my concern in a prompt and personal manner, that too on a Saturday!

I would also like to say thanks to everyone at Nikonians. You are a great resource for all the amatuers like me, as well as the pros. I started out to get some cheap tripod for my D70, and I ended up getting M20-NQS, RRS QR clamp, RRS L-bracket, on a Feisol 3401 tripod. I must admit that Nikonians has all the credit for helping me make my decision. Great job guys!!! Wish you all a very Happy Thanksgiving!
Best Regards, Shailesh, Nikonian in India
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I have recently put the Markins M10 ballhead into service. It is the first true ballhead I have used and all I can say at this point is it is s-m-o-o-t-h. Appears to be a well-designed and well-executed piece of craftsmanship. 
Frank, Nikonian in Houston, Texas USA
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Well I have FINALLY got my ball-head.  It is pretty smooth and slick, and Mr. Mah so kindly sent me the new M10 instead of the M1-PQ head I ordered. Best of all, it is light and will complement perfectly the carbon-fibre Gitzo I intend to buy next year. Jin, Nikonian in the UK
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The more I use my Markins head, the more I appreciate the quality and thoughtful design. It's super strong while being super light. I can put enough tension on the ball to keep the load from flopping, but still move the head with precision. And the round ball means that I can leave the tension set (using the inset tension adjustment dial) with no risk of lockup. BJNicholls, Nikonian in Utah, USA
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After using this head for a week in Utah and Arizona, I can say it is well worth the price. It is light weight but sturdy as a rock, and when mounted to a Gitzo Carbon Fiber tripod, it is like carrying nothing. f5fstop, Nikonian in the USA
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I've received my Ballhead yesterday and wooow... What a beautiful piece of technology! I'm really impressed and I can't describe the feeling you have just by touching this thing. Thank you very much.
Marc Segalla
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The M10 is one elegant piece of equipment, and it's easy and fun to use.
Sean, Nikonian in the USA
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This is to let you know that I received the ball head with camera plate in good order at the beginning of the week. Initially I was very surprised and to be honest a little sceptical about the size of the ball head ..... it's so small!!
But now that I've used extensively during the past days I must admit that it's a joy to work with. Totally accurate and rock solid! and of course,....very, VERY light!!!
Bram, Nikonian in Belgium
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The ballhead works like a dream - really nice piece of equipment!
Thank you for your assistance, Anders Nielsen, Denmark
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There are plenty more of these comments, in the hundreds now; the owners all seem to be as satisfied with their purchase as we are.

For a technical datasheet and Users Guide pdf file for Markins ballheads, click here 

For an extensive user report on the M10, check Marsel van Oosten's whitepaper here (pdf file, 17 pages, 1.5Mb)
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