Markins M20 or RRS BH-55?

[JeffKohn]

The one thing I dislike about RRS gear is those heavily knurled metal knobs. I don't even use an RRS ballhead anymore, but I do use the multi-row pano rig and that means something like 4 knobs that need to be tightened down to get everything secure. After a week of heavy use on one of my photo trips, the thumb/finger on the hand I use for tighteningg the stuff down is sore and sometimes torn up. Bad ergonomics on RRS's part. I much prefer the rubber-coated knobs on other gear.

[davewolfs]

Definitely the Markins.

1. It is a lot lighter.
2. I don't know if this applies to the BH-55 but I have owned the BH-40 and it was never smooth, the markins are incredibly smooth.

If you go with the Markins I highly recommend going with the RRS L clamp.

[ErikKaffehr]

Hi!

I still feel that there is a need for drop slots if we need to shot up or (horrible thought) upwards. My neck is not intended for shooting upwards but shooting downward I often do.

Regarding ball-head issue I'm most interested. I just made a small investment in a new tripod and my RRS BH40 doesn't really feel comfortable on it. I also have an Acratech but with screw type quick release. I sometimes mix up the QR-release knob and the pan knob which are very similar.

Best regards
Erik

I personally can't imagine using a tripod-mounted camera without an L-bracket, but to each his own I guess. It's not just about convenience, but also stability as you want to keep the center of mass over the head rather than hanging off to the side.

I've used a Markins M10 and RRS BH-55. Both are nice, but I don't use either anymore as I prefer a geared head on my larger tripods. I found the BH-55 especially well made, but not terribly smooth as the ball seems to have a bit of inertia. For my smallest/lightest tripod (for long hikes) I now use the new Arca-Swiss P1-S ballhead, which turns the traditional ballhead design upside down. It's compact, quite a bit lighter than the BH-55, and adjustment is very smooth. I also like the ring for tightening as opposed to the BH-55's knobs which tear your fingers up after a while.  The P1's design is well-suited to panos since the panning is built into the clamp above the ball. The only downside to this design is no drop-notch for shooting vertical, but that's what L-Brackets are for. :smile:

[pcox]

Hi folks -
So I ended up getting Gitzo 3541XLS legs and a RRS BH-55 (with the lever release). I also ended up getting L-plates for all the cameras and collared lenses.

I have to say that I love the legs, and I'm happy with the ballhead, especially the L-plates and quick-release system in general (despite my initial misgivings).

I have noticed that the knurled knobs on the RRS head are kind of tough on the hands, and might be a problem in very cold weather particularly. I've also noticed that with drag set on the head, it doesn't move nearly as smoothly as I had expected. Not a problem for me, as I prefer not to set drag and just loosen the ball instead.

I have noticed that when using heavy, non-collared lenses (like the Canon 24-70mm f/2. that the BH-55 does droop a little after tightening if the lens is pointed down. Not badly (maybe half a degree or so), but I would have expected no droop at all.

I don't know if the Markins would be different in these areas (drag smoothness and droopiness), but it's not enough of a problem for me to consider ordering an M-20 and possibly returning the BH-55 - I'm quite happy as-is.

Thanks for the feedback.

Cheers,
Peter

[davewolfs]

Hi folks -
So I ended up getting Gitzo 3541XLS legs and a RRS BH-55 (with the lever release). I also ended up getting L-plates for all the cameras and collared lenses.

I have to say that I love the legs, and I'm happy with the ballhead, especially the L-plates and quick-release system in general (despite my initial misgivings).

I have noticed that the knurled knobs on the RRS head are kind of tough on the hands, and might be a problem in very cold weather particularly. I've also noticed that with drag set on the head, it doesn't move nearly as smoothly as I had expected. Not a problem for me, as I prefer not to set drag and just loosen the ball instead.

I have noticed that when using heavy, non-collared lenses (like the Canon 24-70mm f/2. that the BH-55 does droop a little after tightening if the lens is pointed down. Not badly (maybe half a degree or so), but I would have expected no droop at all.

I don't know if the Markins would be different in these areas (drag smoothness and droopiness), but it's not enough of a problem for me to consider ordering an M-20 and possibly returning the BH-55 - I'm quite happy as-is.

Thanks for the feedback.

Cheers,
Peter

Markins would be different, my BH-40 drooped, my M10 does not. As for smoothness there is no comparison, I set the drag on my M10 and haven't touched it since.  My BH-40 needed to constantly be adjusted and always jerked.

[pcunite]

I am feeling left out... I use the Arca-Swiss Monoball Z1 sp. Just for curiosity's sake I have been looking around an the Markins M20 seems like a nice replacement mainly because I would like to have an index panning base. One think about the Arca-Swiss Z1 is that if you don't have the panning base locked it will jiggle. Is this normal?