Hankwt Loc: kingsville ontario

I have read some interesting things about the Markins ballheads , however here on UHH they are rarely mentioned. Does anyone here have expierience with these Im looking at the Q 20 model I have read how it is adjustable to a "Sweet Spot" that actually allows easy movement without actually locking the mechanism. they run about $390.00 On another forum ( that sounds like Nikonian 72's name ) ( notice i didnt really mention its name ) they speak very highly of this ball head Matched with the Gitzo brand of tripods. Thoughts people ????

sbesaw Loc: Boston

I looked closely at the Markins and the Acratech GV2. After trying both i liked the action on the Acratech better, it has a great Gimbal action and is machined out of aircraft aluminum. $369.95 with Quick Release Leveling clamp and the Detent pin. Just personal preference as I believe that both are excellent products. Since you have already checked out the Markins you can check out the Acratech here. I have compared lots of Ball Heads and have two Acratech's and the new Vanguard self leveling Head and an old Manfrotto 496 RC2 (which I need to get onto eBaY) As nice as the Vanguard is with the self leveling feature it doesn't hold a candle to the build quality of the Acratech's.

http://acratech.net/product.php?productid=9&cat=1&page=1

Festina Lente Loc: Florida & Missouri

The Canadian made Markins products (tripods, brackets, ball heads, etc.) are very professional. I own a Markins Q-Ball M20 and it is great.

But I have since developed a preference for RRS (Really Right Stuff) which I find better made to tighter and more consistent tolerances.

To some the difference between markins, ACRA Swiss and RSS are distinctions without a difference.

That may be debatable, but all three are first rate ball heads. RRS is made in the USA and has a stellar customer service policy. But you will not go wrong with any of theses three professional level ball heads.

Hankwt Loc: kingsville ontario

The Canadian made Markins products (tripods, brackets, ball heads, etc.) are very professional. I own a Markins Q-Ball M20 and it is great.

But I have since developed a preference for RRS (Really Right Stuff) which I find better made to tighter and more consistent tolerances.

To some the difference between markins, ACRA Swiss and RSS are distinctions without a difference.

That may be debatable, but all three are first rate ball heads. RRS is made in the USA and has a stellar customer service policy. But you will not go wrong with any of theses three professional level ball heads.[/quote]

Festina besides the tighter tolerances ( which i know alot about as a former machinist /tool & die guy ) what makes the RRS ballhead better - any specific features ??

Festina Lente Loc: Florida & Missouri

The adjustments are superior, accurate and unique. And the large knob on the BH55 is, well, it just works and feels right. The synthetic ball is very durable and smooth yet locks tightly.
It's a solid masterpiece of machining.

Hankwt Loc: kingsville ontario

[Festina.
besides the tighter tolerances ( which i know alot about as a former machinist /tool & die guy ) what makes the RRS ballhead better - any specific features ??[/quote] The adjustments are superior, accurate and unique. And the large knob on the BH55 is, well, it just works and feels right. The synthetic ball is very durable and smooth yet locks tightly.
It's a solid masterpiece of machining.[/quote]

Aw masterpieces bring me back to my days on the CNC mill !!! ok then for tripod do you prefer gitzo or RRS

Croce Loc: Earth

Aw masterpieces bring me back to my days on the CNC mill !!! ok then for tripod do you prefer gitzo or RRS[/quote]

I have had the M-10 and now have an M-20 which I have had for about 3 years. They are great and their service is fantastic. They are a good company. The owners name is Steve.

Hankwt Loc: kingsville ontario

Croce i dont seem to see those models listed

Croce Loc: Earth

You know Hank I think maybe they changed from M designations to Q. Here is a link to the Markins sight.

www.markins.com/2.0/eng/products/ballheads/m20.html

sbesaw Loc: Boston

You'll notice on the Acratech Design that the Ball is more open. According to all the reviews as well as my personal experience that results in a design that is easier to clean and provides a design less likely to trap dirt and grit. The knobs on the Ball Head are also rubberized providing better grip and comfort in all weather conditions. I do believe that Markins makes a great Ball Head as I have mentioned and I have also played with the RRS. I do feel that the Acratech has been quickly discarded from this conversation and warrants a look. I say that with no financial interest but based on the fact that I have had hands on with all heads mentioned. That doesn't make my opinion right for anyone except me but it does make it more objective in that I have played with the M20, RRS BH-55 LR, Vanguard BBH 200 and several Manfrotto's. I find that Acratech delivers the best quality and functionality for the price. http://acratech.net/index.php

Acratech ballheads are precision C.N.C. (computer numerically controlled) machined. All components are machined from solid stock and all structural components are machined from aircraft quality 6061-T6 aluminum. All threaded fasteners are machined from stainless steels and all bearing surfaces are machined from a special copolymer similar to Teflon. Their ballheads have a very solid and substantial feel. All Acratech products are fully guaranteed for 10 years to the original purchaser. This covers all manufacturing and material defects.

All of their ballhead models share many features including: they all weigh less than 1lb. (.45 kg), they all have an open structure, etc. The main difference between the Ultimate ballhead and the other models is the range of motion. The Ultimate ballhead has most of its range of motion on the front side of the ballhead, this is desirable for close-up photography and other types of photography where the camera is pointing down and forward, but to be able to tip your camera up and back will require that you first rotate the Ultimate Ballhead 180 degrees. The GP and GV2 models allow a range of motion similar to, but greater than most conventional ballheads and will be instantly familiar to most photographers.

The GP and GV2 ballheads also have a fully adjustable, separate friction control whereas with the Ultimate ballhead, the friction is controlled by how far the main control knob is loosened.

Another difference between their ballhead models is what additional features they include. Their Ultimate ballhead is a basic ballhead, the GV2 ballhead also adds the functionality of a Gimbal head and the GP ballhead not only works as a ballhead and a Gimbal head but also works as a leveling head for stiched panoramics. The GP-s ballhead is identical to the GP ballhead but it has a smaller diameter base so it can be used with smaller travel tripods.

You can see more about the different models and features in our video here http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R0K_QVrV_-M

The above 5 paragraphs taken from Acratech's website. Good Luck

Festina Lente Loc: Florida & Missouri

The Markins Q-Ball M20 is still offered on their website. I bought one two years ago.

Croce Loc: Earth

The Acratech Ultimate Ballhead, was my first ballhead. It is a piece of sculpture and I thought quite beautiful. I was immediately disappointed with the amount of downward tilt I could achieve with it. Secondly it was very prone to creep. One day when it was but a few months old, I was shooting at Canyonlands with a Canon 1Ds MKII and 28-135 (less than 1/2 it's stated weight capacity) mounted on the Acratech and it was mounted on a solid Manfrotto tripod which I had placed stradling an iron fence. When I was through shooting I lifted the whole rig up high to clear the fence and the Acratech broke sending half the ballhead and the camera and lens crashing down on my head. (Really) I buckled and fell, the rig with me. Fortunately aside from a lump and some pain all survived. I found the Acratech had separated at it's panning base where it is attached to its ball part. It was held by a wave like springy washer which came out of its retention groove. I called Acratech and they told me to return it. I did and they promptly and cheerfully sent me a replacement. Upon receipt of the replacement, I inspected it, repacked it and sold it. That is when I bought the Markins M-10. Enough of the pretty Acratech for me. The Markins has a very easy to use and very effective friction control adjustment which is seperated but incorporated into its main knob. It is a very good ballhead. I also have the M-20 which is the same but of greater weight bearing capacity. I just looked it up. I bought the M-10 on 3/21/05 and the M-20 on 4/02/06. Very happy with my Markins.

Festina Lente Loc: Florida & Missouri

That's a good story and a sad experience Croce. I've never had a ball head break, but I can easily see how that might happen.

I had one of those $69 forgot-the-name ball heads ruin my 70-300mm F/1.4 Sigma lens. I loosened the adjustment knob slightly so I could adjust where the camera was pointing. The lens suddenly and unexpectedly fell to its lowest position with a crash. Amazingly everything survived the sudden jolt except my Sigma -- the auto focus never worked again.

That was my first real-world lesson into the seemingly subtle but important differences between ball heads.

The Markins and RRS are solid, precision made, with full contact with a large ball. Friction adjustments are easy. And a third knob that locks the minimum amount of friction you want for any given set-up is a safety feature I have learned I am not willing to do without.

AcraTech is a clever line of quirky and well engineered equipment. They are clearly in the high-end professional level of ball heads along with Kirk, RRS and Markins. I've used Acratech ball heads but do not own any. I like them, but they do not work for me as well as some others. My main concern is friction adjustment. The point between adjustable friction and locked is far too small. They tend to seize and suddenly release versus offering a smooth and consistent frictional resistance.

But that trait is inherent in the AcraTech design as so little of the ball is available for friction contact with the head. The two features driving AcraTech's design approach (range of motion and the claim that dirt cannot foul the ball) need to trade-off ball contact area in exchange for them.

This trade-off works. But not well enough for me. Silky smooth easily adjusted movement without any creep is what I've learned to appreciate and enjoy.

But alas, they work well for many folks, including professionals and are decidedly attention-getting in their design. They are also relatively expensive (but not as expensive as some others), so those who appreciate the additional features and flexibility they offer, tend to be vested in liking them (aren't we all!!)

But I sometimes envy AcraTech's less than 1 pound in weight design criteria when lugging around my 3 or 4 pound RRS or Markin heads.

Bottom-line, nothing is perfect and there is no universal one-size-fits-all ball head design or anything else for that matter.
That is why we have these discussions, so we can try to buy an ever better one.

sbesaw Loc: Boston

Wow, Terrible story and as it happened to you I will now be wary. Thanks for bringing this to my attention. I do own the Ultimate as one of my two Acratech's and will pay close attention to this potential weak spot. Great input

Croce Loc: Earth

Sbesaw, fortunately when the rig broke it was only about 8 inches above my head but still had an awful impact. I'm guessing but I think total weight of what hit me was about 5 lbs but ... It was 5 pounds of hard metal.