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Sawako Minami | Markins Ball Head

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Theme

Photographing the extreme cold of eastern Hokkaido

Photographer

Sawako Minami

Date

January 2022

Location

Hokkaido

Device

Markins

Q10i-BK Ballhead
PS-A92 + LS-A92 L-Plate SET
LS-20 Lens Foot

Sony

α7R IV
FE 16-35mm F2.8 GM
FE 24-105mm F4 G OSS
FE 100-400mm F4.5-5.6 GM OSS

Gitzo

GT3532

Review

Sawako Minami

Born in Wakayama Prefecture, currently living in Tokyo. Graduated from Keio University.

2010

While working as an English interpreter in a wide range of fields including meetings, business negotiations, exhibitions and attendance, she also began taking photographs as she wanted to take pictures of the roses in her garden.

2014

She also began shooting medium format film in order to learn the color expression required for RAW development using digital cameras.

2015

Since that year, she has been fascinated by Iceland and has frequently visited the country to take photographs.

2019

Held a photo exhibition "ICELAND: Drama at the End" at Fujifilm Photo Salon Tokyo in Tokyo Midtown. Traveling exhibition to Osaka and Nagoya.

"Traveling with a Camera in Iceland" (Fukei Shashin Shuppan) was published at the same time (both were supported by the Embassy of Iceland in Japan and sponsored by Icelandair).

Currently continues to photograph the natural beauty of Hokkaido, particularly the eastern part of the country, which has been a source of fascination since the beginning of photography.

Member of the Japan Professional Photographers Society (JPS)

- Photo Collection -

"Traveling Iceland with a Camera" Landscape Photography Publishing

- Photo Exhibition -

"ICELAND: Drama at the End of the World" Fujifilm Photo Salon Tokyo, Osaka, Nagoya

URL : www.sawakominami.com

My relationship with Markins began when I was photographing Iceland in 2015. When I was photographing Iceland with the Canon EOS 5D Mark IV I was using at the time, I was looking for equipment that would allow me to shoot stress-free even in harsh shooting conditions, and that's when I came across Markins.

Thanks to this, I was able to take photos of the Northern Lights and the ice at Diamond Beach, and I think I was able to hold a photo exhibition and publish a book. After that, I was able to organize a photography tour to Iceland, and I introduced that in the Markins field report "On a Winter Photography Tour to Iceland."

I have been using Markins ever since. This time, I purchased the Sony α7R IV, which I had been wanting to try, along with the L-plate set (PS-A92 + LS-A92) for the camera and the lens foot (LS-20) for the telephoto lens (SEL100400GM).

Markins' L-plate is smart and sturdy without being too bulky. It is smooth to hold the camera vertically and allows you to continue shooting without changing the vertical axis. It is also easy to replace the battery and SD card with the L-plate attached.

However, I had some difficulty replacing the tripod mount of the telephoto lens with the Markins lens foot. I had to replace the original tripod mount, but it was so tight that I couldn't remove it. I'm not a weak woman, but I ended up having to ask the camera store for help. But it was worth the trouble, as it's simpler and more secure than using a plate on the original tripod mount.

The trick to attaching and detaching the tripod mount (lens foot) is to pull (push) it in little by little while shaking it left and right.

Well, this time I travelled from Akan to Teshikaga to Tokachi in the bitter cold in search of wintery scenery, but when taking pictures of the ice I often had to take pictures in a low position, or on ice where the footing was poor.

With temperatures below -15 degrees Celsius, my body was already stiff and it took a lot more effort to operate the equipment than usual, but I am grateful that the Markins ball head and L-plate enabled me to shoot without any stress.

Also, when taking pictures of ice bubbles, the tripod legs need to be spread wide apart (lol) and the camera needs to be pointed diagonally downwards, which would be difficult without a ball head. Moreover, in this position, the camera could be smoothly attached to the ball head even when changing from horizontal to vertical. This can be attributed to the fact that the ball head and plate were unified to Markins.

And when I use a telephoto lens, my ball head for medium format (Q10i-BK) is stable enough. Of course, I use the lens foot to fix it to the center of gravity, but by moving the knob slightly, it stops exactly when I move to the composition I had decided on, so I think I was able to compose and shoot without worrying about subject blur.

Furthermore, when shooting handheld, the grip and hold are good when the L-plate is attached, so I was able to enjoy shooting without being bothered by the plate being attached.

Lastly, I saw many people using Markins ball heads at the shooting locations in eastern Hokkaido this time. I realized that this is because it is an item that can be trusted even in harsh environments.