Yuta Murakami | Markins Ball Head
Theme
Railway photography (mainly situations where a tripod should be used)
Photographer
Yuta Murakami
Date
October-November 2018
Location
JR Iiyama Line (Nagano) JR Kyudai Main Line (Oita) JR Nagasaki Main Line (Saga) JR Takayama Main Line (Gifu)
Device
Markins
Canon
EOS R
RF24-105mm F4 L IS USM
EF70-200mm F2.8L IS III USM
EF100-400mm F4.5-5.6L IS II USM
RF24-105mm F4 L IS USM
EF70-200mm F2.8L IS III USM
EF100-400mm F4.5-5.6L IS II USM
Manfrotto
MT290XTA3
Review
Yuta Murakami
Born in Tokyo in 1987. Graduated from the Department of Photography at Nihon University College of Art. Since 2017, has been a freelance railway photographer, presenting works on the theme of "people, railways, and life." During high school, participated in the "Photography Koshien" held every summer in Higashikawa, Kamikawa-gun, Hokkaido.
Secretary-General of the Japan Railway Photographers Association (JRPS)
Lecturer at Canon EOS Academy Tokyo
Secretary-General of the Japan Railway Photographers Association (JRPS)
Lecturer at Canon EOS Academy Tokyo
- Publications -
- Complete Guide to Railway Jobs Petit Tetsu Books (Kotsu Shimbunsha)
- Easy Mini Canon EOS 80D Basic & Advanced Photography Guide (Gijutsuhyoronsha, co-author)
- Photo exhibitions -
- 2016 "Connecting Journeys" Canon Open Gallery 2 (Shinagawa)
To be honest, I've always used a 3-way head, so I had a strange resistance to using a ball head, and I hadn't used it until now.
The main reason is the difficulty of fine adjustment. Ball heads loosen all directions at once when you loosen the knob, which was very stressful when you wanted to make subtle adjustments.
However, the Markins was different. Due to the structure of a ball head, it is natural that all directions will loosen when you loosen the knob, but if you adjust the amount of loosening, the ``stickiness'' works, so you can make subtle adjustments freely.
On the other hand, it is also comfortable to completely loosen the knob to make it free, hold the camera while deciding the composition ``I want to shoot like this!'', and then put your hand on the knob and the feeling of it ``clicking'' to stop it from there.
My genre of photography is more of a snapshot type, so the functionality of the ball head, which allows you to quickly fix the camera while ``I want to shoot like this!'' when using a tripod, really allows me to work with a tripod ``free''.
I hadn't used the quick shoe before, but I was impressed by its rigidity and smooth operation, which is incomparable to the quick shoe I tried out some time ago.
Also, when it comes to quick shoes, I used to feel it was troublesome to use them with tripods other than the quick shoe, but this quick shoe is different. There is a screw hole on the plate on the camera (lens) side, so there is no problem using it with a normal tripod head.
Especially in the coming cold season, my fingers get numb, and it is a bit difficult to secure the camera using the screws on a normal tripod head when wearing gloves. I am looking forward to seeing how the quick shoe feels in cases like this.
The main reason is the difficulty of fine adjustment. Ball heads loosen all directions at once when you loosen the knob, which was very stressful when you wanted to make subtle adjustments.
However, the Markins was different. Due to the structure of a ball head, it is natural that all directions will loosen when you loosen the knob, but if you adjust the amount of loosening, the ``stickiness'' works, so you can make subtle adjustments freely.
On the other hand, it is also comfortable to completely loosen the knob to make it free, hold the camera while deciding the composition ``I want to shoot like this!'', and then put your hand on the knob and the feeling of it ``clicking'' to stop it from there.
My genre of photography is more of a snapshot type, so the functionality of the ball head, which allows you to quickly fix the camera while ``I want to shoot like this!'' when using a tripod, really allows me to work with a tripod ``free''.
I hadn't used the quick shoe before, but I was impressed by its rigidity and smooth operation, which is incomparable to the quick shoe I tried out some time ago.
Also, when it comes to quick shoes, I used to feel it was troublesome to use them with tripods other than the quick shoe, but this quick shoe is different. There is a screw hole on the plate on the camera (lens) side, so there is no problem using it with a normal tripod head.
Especially in the coming cold season, my fingers get numb, and it is a bit difficult to secure the camera using the screws on a normal tripod head when wearing gloves. I am looking forward to seeing how the quick shoe feels in cases like this.
I'm also grateful that there is no pan rod. Depending on the angle you set, the pan rod can get in the way and make it difficult to look through the viewfinder, or if you place multiple cameras close together (when there is not enough space to stand), the pan rod can hit them, but with a ball head, there are no such worries.
It is also highly portable when traveling by train, and I'm also happy that the tripod itself takes up less space. (I bought a new compact tripod)
Large and sturdy equipment is certainly reliable, and there are times when you need such equipment for work. However, recently I have been wondering whether that equipment is always okay.
Even with cameras, mirrorless cameras have become mainstream and efforts are being made to make them lighter and more compact, but there are many moments that can be aimed for because of their mobility. Rather, for me, it is often in such moments that the seeds of the work I want are found, so I choose my equipment carefully according to the situation and my shooting style.
When it comes to railway photography, you need to maintain the composition until the train arrives, and when taking night shots, a tripod is essential. However, this tripod also greatly reduces mobility. That's why I use this head in combination with a compact tripod. The ball head is much smarter than the bulky 3-way head, and the more you carry it around, the more you'll feel the difference.
It may seem simple to sum it up in the words "quickly and smoothly fixes," but in fact, it is this Markins that realizes these basic operations at a high level.
This head allows you to experience the comfort of "handheld shooting" and the effect of a tripod at the same time.
It is also highly portable when traveling by train, and I'm also happy that the tripod itself takes up less space. (I bought a new compact tripod)
Large and sturdy equipment is certainly reliable, and there are times when you need such equipment for work. However, recently I have been wondering whether that equipment is always okay.
Even with cameras, mirrorless cameras have become mainstream and efforts are being made to make them lighter and more compact, but there are many moments that can be aimed for because of their mobility. Rather, for me, it is often in such moments that the seeds of the work I want are found, so I choose my equipment carefully according to the situation and my shooting style.
When it comes to railway photography, you need to maintain the composition until the train arrives, and when taking night shots, a tripod is essential. However, this tripod also greatly reduces mobility. That's why I use this head in combination with a compact tripod. The ball head is much smarter than the bulky 3-way head, and the more you carry it around, the more you'll feel the difference.
It may seem simple to sum it up in the words "quickly and smoothly fixes," but in fact, it is this Markins that realizes these basic operations at a high level.
This head allows you to experience the comfort of "handheld shooting" and the effect of a tripod at the same time.
■ Night comes
Canon EOS R / RF24-105mm F4 L IS USMF8 1/4 s ISO125
■ Pushing aside the trees
Canon EOS R / EF70-200mm F2.8L IS III USMF2.8 1/800 s ISO800
■ Oranges lining the train window
Canon EOS R / RF24-105mm F4 L IS USMF9 1/1000 s ISO800
■ Mirror Image
Canon EOS R / RF24-105mm F4 L IS USMF5.6 1/20 s ISO400
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