Hirokazu Nagane | Markins Ball Head

When you think of train photography, you probably think of "train formation photography" that focuses on the train, but that's not all. "Train landscape photography," which combines beautiful scenery with the moment when a train runs, is also a popular theme. As a train lover, both are fun photography themes, but now I mainly take the latter, train landscape photography, as my life's work. There is no greater joy than when the "moment" of the scenery's fleeting brilliance and the moment when a train runs through it combine.

Train photography can be divided into handheld and tripod types. The handheld type aims to capture as many shutter opportunities as possible while following the train, while the tripod type aims to take a shot with a perfect composition. I like to pay attention to the framing down to the smallest detail, so of course I use a tripod. However, in places where tripods are not allowed or in situations where I have to follow proper photography etiquette, I naturally shoot handheld.

I always pay attention to the details of my framing, so a 3-way head was essential for me. When I shoot my own work, I have never even considered using a ball head (I only use it when it is necessary for work). The reason is that with a ball head, when you loosen the knob to make a fine adjustment in a certain direction, the head moves significantly, and you have to start framing again from scratch. In fact, I didn't trust ball heads in the first place, so I only owned cheap ball heads.

One day, I heard that many landscape photographers are using Markins ball heads recently. I couldn't help but wonder why landscape photographers, who require precise framing, use ball heads instead of 3-way heads. "It's impossible!" was my honest impression.

Then, with a kind smile, the up-and-coming landscape photographer Nakanishi Toshiki said to me, "Just give it a try!" If you look at Nakanishi's work, you can see that he is a genius who not only does delicate and precise framing, but also freely manipulates fleeting moments of light. When he recommended it, even I, who am a "be wary" type, felt like giving it a try.

The moment I used it, my belief in tripod heads was completely overturned. I was shocked and thought, "What is this tripod head?!" It stops exactly where I want it to be. And even if I let go of it, it doesn't move at all, maintaining the framing perfectly. In addition, the limit dial allows you to adjust the resistance of the ball to your liking, so even if you loosen the knob to make a slight correction to the composition, it doesn't move much, and you can make fine adjustments faster than with a 3-way tripod. This tripod head can be summed up in one word: "impressive."

Quick shoes were also one of the items I avoided. It was expensive to have to buy a plate for each lens, and if you own multiple tripods, they were not compatible with each other. Also, although I had tried several types, I was left with the impression that they were surprisingly difficult to attach and remove smoothly, and I wondered why they would bother to make it difficult to use by adding a plate. However, this would also overturn my belief.

I chose the knob shoe type, but it can be attached and detached quickly. Also, since it is compatible with Arca Swiss, it can be used with Arca Swiss-compatible plates from other companies. And this shooting took place during the snowy season when my hands were shaking, so this quick shoe really helped me.

It's true that when my hands were numb and I couldn't move the way I wanted, I always had trouble attaching it to a regular screw-type tripod head, which was frustrating. Also, it was cold and I couldn't put any strength into it, so it was difficult to secure the camera firmly. Furthermore, if I was wearing cold weather gloves, I had the problem of not being able to turn the screws in the first place. All of these problems were solved at once. Compared to other companies' quick shoes, this Markins is really easy to use. Also, the L-shaped plate is compatible with many models, and it goes without saying that it is very convenient for vertical shooting with lenses that do not have a tripod mount.

I've been a railway photographer for 22 years. Until now, I was a believer in screw-type 3-way heads and had never even considered using a free-angle head, but when I encountered this Markins, my thoughts about heads changed completely. Now, I've become so used to using the Markins free-angle head that I hesitate to use a 3-way head. It's really a laughing matter to me.

This work was taken on the JR San'in Line, which is scheduled to be abolished on March 31, 2018. It was taken in early January and is the last winter scene of the San'in Line. Heavy snow fell and the line was suspended within about two days, and as of February 1, the entire line has not yet been restored. With less than two months until the line is abolished, I would like to travel on the San'in Line again with the Markins head.