Any experience with Markins head

I’m interested in getting a Markins head for their simplicity, but have not seen them in person. How much of a size difference is there between the Traveler and M20? Would the Traveler serve on a compact travel tripod as well as a Series 2? Does the M20 work well with a Sidekick gimbal?

have you compared the specifications of the two?

Q10 Traveler

1. Weight 0.83 lbs (375 g)
   
2. Height 3.50 in (89 mm)
   
3. Housing Diameter 1.89 in (48 mm)
   
4. Panning Base Diameter 1.97 in (50 mm)
   
5. Ball Diameter 1.50 in (38 mm)
   

1. Weight 1.2 lbs (555 g)
   
2. Height 4.02 in (102 mm)
   
3. Housing Diameter 2.28 in (58 mm)
   
4. Panning Base Diameter 2.68 in (68 mm)
   
5. Ball Diameter 1.89 in (48 mm)
   

• weight lowest /size smallest vs. demonstrated ability to sturdily support FL up to 300mm
  
• does your tripod fold its legs back (for shorter folded length for packing), and would larger panning base interfere
  

You can rent a Markins head and try it out. https://www.lensrental​s.com …y-ballhead-w-knob-release

That was how I found out I didn't like them. (The panning base doesn't lock tightly)

I have used three Markins heads; all were Q3 models, i.e. the smaller models. They were beautifully made and finished, essentially copies of the Arca-Swiss B1/Z1 tripod heads, and all the rage on this forum some years ago. But they were flawed; they all locked up in cold weather and you can't take them to a beach. The manual actually tells you not to use the ballhead on a beach! Plus, as John notes above you can't lock the panning. Why? Because the panning lock knob (and the manual actually calls it a "lock" knob) actually was designed as a brake and not a lock. The rationale was the transmission of vibration, a topic that Markins seems obsessed with. There are plenty of simple to operate ballheads out there that are more robust.

I've been using a Markins M10 for over a decade now and It's been good to me. I don't know if I'd buy another one now, but only because there seem to be so many more options today. Never had issues with it freezing up and I've used it everywhere. Pan lock works fine for me as well.

Don't know if they've changed since then

This is worth reading: https://www.dpreview.c​om …ans-top-ball-heads-tested

I had an early Kirk BH-1 ballhead, very similar to the Markins or Arca-Swiss designs. It was excellent except for some shift during main control lockdown. It was great in cold weather, smooth and rock solid; it served me well for 11+ years.

I moved to the Arca-Swiss Z1 for supposedly better smoothness and less shifting during lockdown. It was also strong and smooth with good tension controls, but it turned out to not handle cold weather very well.

I now have an FLM CB-48F which is by far the best ballhead I've ever used. It is strong, smooth, precise (almost no shift during lockdown, making my macro photography much easier), and it handles the cold well. All three have a solidly locking panning base.

The Markins I rented was strong too. All of them have pretty much the same controls with slightly different layouts... main knob, tension, panning base. I just didn't like the pan knob on the Markins. One of the things I found with the Markins was if you apply enough tension on the ball to keep a DSLR and medium lens tight while still able to adjust it (without touching the controls, just moving the camera), the pan base would tend to break free and turn. That just wasn't going to work for me.

I have friends who own the RRS BH-55 and Acratech GP heads; they are strong and simple to use too.

One last plug for FLM... the precision comes from finer threads (more turns to tighten or loosen), and that applies to the panning knob too. That allows fine control to make it a brake like the Markins, but you can still lock it tight as needed. The additional turns haven't slowed me down in real world use.

Colorblinded wrote in post #18802331
I've been using a Markins M10 for over a decade now and It's been good to me.

The M10 and M20 didn't exhibit the same issues as the smaller Q3 and Q3T, at least they didn't during the time period I used Markins tripod heads.

Thanks for the replies. I ordered the Markins Traveler, but was second guessing before it arrives. I specifically needed to improve the head on a Mefoto Carbon Roadtrip with inverting legs. I have Sirui, Gitzo, Induro an Manfrotto heads that don’t work on such a compact tripod, so wondered if I can reduce the number altogether. After watching some videos, I see the Markins M20 is too big and I confused it with the size of the Sirui K-20X. There’s no correlation.

Markins has not updated their marketing in several years, so maybe the “Traveler” is not so compact afterall. Haven’t heard of a slipping pan lock issue with the Q3i Traveler, but will test it to be sure.

sawsedge wrote in post #18802375
...

I now have an FLM CB-48F which is by far the best ballhead I've ever used. It is strong, smooth, precise (almost no shift during lockdown, making my macro photography much easier), and it handles the cold well. All three have a solidly locking panning base.

...

Agreed, the FLM is my best head without question. (I think mine is one size up)

I've got the M20, I think at this point having sold anything older off, the Markins is my longest owned head, about 12-15 years.

I use is often with a Sidekick, mounting a 500mm f/4L IS (8 pounds) and 1D body with no issues at all. It was the first head I owned that really worked well with the sidekick.

I've had my M20 on the beach dozens of times, locally, and abroad, and a 3 week trip through dusty Namibia and Botswana in the peek of the dry season, rattling around in the back of the backie collecting dust and sand. I don't understand what the no beach claims are about.

I think the beach and sand issue applies to most heads, but some are easier to service than others. I have taken apart Manfrotto heads, but consider them more mechanical than precision instruments like other brands. The Markins should be an upgrade, but I don’t want to admit it is on the path to spending more $.

CyberDyneSystems wrote in post #18802648
I've had my M20 on the beach dozens of times, locally, and abroad, and a 3 week trip through dusty Namibia and Botswana in the peek of the dry season, rattling around in the back of the backie collecting dust and sand. I don't understand what the no beach claims are about.

Jake, this may be an issue with the smaller heads but maybe not the larger models. See #4 under section heading Notes below the text of this post. Here, they simply tell you to "not subject the unit to dust, dirt or sand". After section heading Adjusting Torque Limit Dial there is a section containing cleaning instructions for the use of WD40 for the removal of dust, dirt or sand from the ball.

A couple of years after buying my first Markins I bought my second and eventually sold that on too. However I did keep a paper copy of the instructions manual which I now can't find. They were more specific about avoiding beach sand, and the new instruction was to send the ballhead back to Markins for a maintenance repair if beach sand got onto the ball. This was when I finally decided that I needed a small ballhead that could deal with poor weather and rough terrain.

M20 owner here, too. Had for roughly 8 years now and quite happy with it. I use with kit up to the 5D4 + 100-400 +1.4TC with no issues of sag, etc.

It does have some amount of sand in it by now, but this only annoys due to the 'feel' when manipulating it; has not affected actual performance in any, meaningful way.

I will say this, I got mine when it was one of the better bargains.

Now a Sirui K30 will pretty much match it at a lower price.
The Markins certainly has a nicer "feel" and oozes quality. The Sirui probably don't have quite as high Q.C. ... but for the best bang for your buck, I'd say Sirui.

A Markins is more of a lifetime head.

... and then there are those amazing F.L.M. heads.

I use a K30X for most studio work along with an Induro equivalent. Had the K40X but it was overkill. My Gitzo and Manfrottos are not arca compatible so I use them for video or behind the scenes. I could have saved money with a K10X or K20X for travel, but was drawn to the Markins with a lever. Sirui did not seem like much of an upgrade to the Mefoto. Still think I’ll like the Markins, but adding a lever to a small Sirui would have been much less.

I will check out FLM.