Markins M10/M20 Ball Head Review
by Darrell Young

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Which Markins Ball head Should I Consider Buying?

I use a Markins M10 ball head myself, because my biggest lens currently is the AF Nikkor 80-400mm VR. If you have a larger camera, like the D2X/D2Xs or newer, and use a big lens like the 300mm f/2.8 or larger Nikkor, you might want to consider the Markins M20 instead.

Markins M10 supporting a Nikon D2X with the 80-400mm AF VR Nikkor

It is not so much a matter of weight, since the M10 will support up to 88 pounds (40 kg), and I don't think many of us have a camera or lens that weighs that much. The problem is that the tension required for a very heavy camera lens combo makes it harder to find a sweet spot as smooth as with smaller lenses. The heavier weight of the large lenses causes such a tight tension to be set to prevent movement, that it is hard to move the camera as smoothly without loosening the knob.

From my experience with the D2X camera and the medium sized 80-400mm Nikkor, the M10 works just fine. If you are using anything smaller than a D2X, like a D200, D80 or comparable camera, and normal lenses, you will not need anything bigger than the M10. The only time I'd consider the M20 is if you have a D2X/H camera and a really big fast telephoto lens. Or, you might just like to own the M20 in case you ever buy a big lens and pro camera in the future. That is a consideration, because I can't imagine wearing out one of the Markins ball heads in a lifetime or two of use.

Camera and Lens Plates

Another feature of the Markins system that I really appreciate is the design of the camera and lens attachment plates.

Since the Markins heads have the rare "sweet spot" feature of the truly professional ball heads, you'll find yourself moving the camera around a lot. There is a little bit of torque involved in moving the camera, and so the plates are designed to wrap around the body to prevent any twist between the camera and the plate and the plates unscrewing themselves when you move the camera.

How often in the past have you moved your camera on another type of tripod head, and had the blasted plate turn on the bottom of the camera? Then you have to remove the camera from the tripod, and over-tighten the plate to keep it from coming loose again. This is not good for your camera, since all that extra tension of over-tightening the mounting plate is pulling against the threads in the camera's bottom side. It is only a matter of time until something breaks.

The Markins plates solve that problem by extending the plate with a lip or flange around the bottom of the camera in at least one, and often in two directions, so that they are securely fastened and will not rotate loose when moving the camera.

Using other ball heads, I have often left my plate on the bottom of the camera, but it was an aggravation because they were thick, and cause the camera to not sit on its bottom very well. That can't be avoided completely, but the Markins plates are much nicer in that respect. They are very thin plates, and fasten to the bottom of your camera or lens with an Allen head screw. They are very attractive looking, and blend in well with the camera body. If anything, they add to the coolness of the camera with their distinctive look.

Everything about the Markins ball head system speaks quality! When someone sees this ball head and camera plates, along with your Nikon and Nikkors, they'll know without a doubt that you are a serious photographer.