Markins M10/M20 Ball Head Review
by Darrell Young

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How Do I Make the Tensioning System Work, or How Do I Find the Sweet Spot?

It is a very simple system requiring only a thumb. Huh? That's right, you do need to have at least one thumb to use a Markins M series ball head. Well, If you have no thumbs, you could simply use a fingernail to set a special "friction limit control dial" (tension lock) on the side of the "progressive friction control knob" (main tension knob).

After you select your camera and lens combo for your shooting session, you'll mount the camera on the ball head. Then, just like with a cheaper ball head, you'll then hold your camera with one hand, and tighten the tension knob with the other. The only difference is that you do not set the tension knob so tightly that the camera cannot move. You only tighten it up enough so that the camera does not flop over in any direction. Then you turn the little tension limit control dial with your thumb clockwise until it stops. At this point, your camera will move to any position the ball head allows, without creeping or flopping around.

When you are done with a shot, you don't have to do anything except move the camera to a new position for the next spot. You've got the sweet spot set for that camera lens combo. That's all there is to it!

One nice thing about the tension lock that also takes away a measure of aggravation is that, once you have it set, you cannot loosen the ball head enough to make the camera flop over. You can loosen it enough to let it creep under its own weight, but not flop with catastrophic results. This is a marvelous protection for your expensive camera and lens, and takes away the most difficult part of using a ball head. No more too loose settings. With the Markins you now have an accident-free ball head.

Later, if you decide to use a bigger camera body, or a much heavier lens, you may need to readjust the tension ball and lock. First you'll use your thumb to release the lock in a counterclockwise direction until it is flush agiant the main friction knob plate. Then you'll reset the tension on the main friction or tension knob to match the weight of the new camera lens combo; once you found there is no creeping but you can move your camera, again you turn with your finger the friction limit dial in clockwise until it stops. Another sweet spot located!

This is a really simple system of adjustments. It takes all of two minutes to learn how to use. I cannot begin to tell you how much time it saves, and how much faster and safely you can use your camera with this Markins Q-Ball head.