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Archive 2013 · Markins new BV Head

  
 
Lars Johnsson
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p.2 #1 · p.2 #1 · Markins new BV Head


EB-1 wrote:
A Sidekick approximates a gimbal in that the load is balanced when the knob is loosened. I'm sure that Markins setup will hold a long tele well when tightened, but will one be able to let go of the camera when the ball is loose?

EBH


You can only have one knob loosened with the Sidekick. With a full Gimbal every knob (even the quick-release for the lens-plate) can be loose if you have it in perfect balance. With a full Gimbal (and also the Markins) you work with the gravity. with a sidekick you work against it.



Mar 09, 2013 at 10:55 PM
mpmendenhall
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p.2 #2 · p.2 #2 · Markins new BV Head


EB-1 wrote:
I also don't see how that replaces a gimbal. With the single axis of rotation, it seems more like a monopod head.


You get 2 axes of rotation, with the second from the ballhead panning base; same as with a gimbal. However, you don't get the balance advantage of a gimbal (this setup is still top-heavy, so it will try to tip more in the direction you have it tilted).



Mar 09, 2013 at 11:12 PM
Sven Jeppesen
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p.2 #3 · p.2 #3 · Markins new BV Head


mpmendenhall wrote:
You get 2 axes of rotation, with the second from the ballhead panning base; same as with a gimbal. However, you don't get the balance advantage of a gimbal (this setup is still top-heavy, so it will try to tip more in the direction you have it tilted).


+1

to me it looks like a very innovative, clever and small solution for long lenses.



Mar 09, 2013 at 11:29 PM
mpmendenhall
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p.2 #4 · p.2 #4 · Markins new BV Head


sjms wrote:
I hope that the drilled portion is not just a hole but that it contains a bearing insert.


I can't tell from available pictures, but it's possible that the mounting pin that goes into the drilled hole can also rotate in its sleeve on the attachment side --- perhaps there is a proper bearing or bushing in the attachment, while the drilled hole is just a hole (with respect to which the pin stays stationary, sliding against the rotating sleeve on the attachment). In any case, so long as the tripod starts fairly level, most of the weight will be riding on the ball itself, with only small-angle force components on the pin and ball-stem/drop-slot preventing side-to-side tipping.



Mar 09, 2013 at 11:57 PM
sjms
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p.2 #5 · p.2 #5 · Markins new BV Head


I would want a supporting structure a bit more robust then just the anodized aluminum alloy as the pin is round and looks to have no locking key to prevent rotation there would be said rotation on the pin itself. over time this possibly would start to remove the anodization and slowly work its way into the alloy itself. most of the weight is not all of the weight and in the end aluminum is softer then steel.

right now we all are doing a lot of assuming. we should wait and see the final finished results as this implementation should be coming out as a standard in the 10i and 20i series head (this design though makes the components non-interchangeable between models).



Mar 10, 2013 at 06:34 AM
godfather
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p.2 #6 · p.2 #6 · Markins new BV Head


sjms wrote:
here is a simple switch: how much is it worth? its got lots of plastic and multiple circuit paths. it is machine manufactured for the most part. it is a small item. I can say that there are more then a few thousand out in the wild.


I'll take a stab... I'm guessing that this plastic part is found in an aircraft panel (might be an electrical panel in a maintenance hatch, something that is lightweight but not cycled thousands of times). I'm sure its TSO'd (or whatever you call it in the industry) and most likely made in the US to keep quality control standards in check. I'm going to say ~$300 ish if a few thousand were purchased for new construction but probably more like ~$1k if one or two replacements were needed for maintenance. How did I do...within a few thousand?



Mar 10, 2013 at 07:38 AM
sjms
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p.2 #7 · p.2 #7 · Markins new BV Head


actually it is a high cycle item as its base design is used as a standard on all of the overhead independent push type button switches in a 777 flight deck. so in reality some are beaten to death some are hardly touched. I do believe on a 10 or more pack (and there are config differences for indication) they go out at approx $475 per unit. depending on your situation and who has it and how bad you need it they can insanely high if it means you getting your machine and people out of places you'd normally not like to stay in.
63 of these switches overhead and 3 on the center console.

yes it carries the lovely FAA-PMA seal of expensiveness and reliability

an "A" for even being in the ballpark. with our fleet (22) now averaging 10-14 years of age now we do change them out on a as needed basis which is quite low but consistent. they are also used on one other aircraft at this time.

they are the easiest switch to change out of any aircraft I have work on at about 10 sec.

Edited on Mar 10, 2013 at 05:25 PM · View previous versions



Mar 10, 2013 at 08:03 AM
EB-1
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p.2 #8 · p.2 #8 · Markins new BV Head


Lars Johnsson wrote:
You can only have one knob loosened with the Sidekick. With a full Gimbal every knob (even the quick-release for the lens-plate) can be loose if you have it in perfect balance. With a full Gimbal (and also the Markins) you work with the gravity. with a sidekick you work against it.



That's what I thought, although you can have three axes loose with a Sidekick if you include the lens ring and panning base. (The problem with the Sidekick is that the force is at a 90° angle to the foot. I feel that it is fine up to a 300/2.8, but I prefer the full Wimberly for larger lenses.)

To me full Wimberly>Sidekick>>Markins BV as a gimbal, but I only have used the first two.

EBH



Mar 10, 2013 at 09:39 AM
binary visions
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p.2 #9 · p.2 #9 · Markins new BV Head


I hate crow.

Markins Order Confirmation
<snip>
Order Details

Product Name Unit Price Qty Subtotal
BV-10 & Q10i Combo $649.99 1 $649.99
UPS Standard Shipping: $0.00
Total (USD): $649.99


I just couldn't pass on the utility of it. No way I can carry a gimbal most places I travel, and it will also suffice for a monopod head. I needed a Q10 anyway. So this will be my travel/light lens (e.g. 300mm f/4, 80-400mm range) setup. If/when I move into the 500mm f/4 territory, I'll look at a full Wimberly.



Apr 01, 2013 at 02:46 PM
binary visions
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p.2 #10 · p.2 #10 · Markins new BV Head


Updates:

- The hole is NOT drilled all the way through to the ball. Any dirt/crap that collects in there will stay in the little "well" drilled in the side of housing, and will not affect the operation of the ball head.

- There is a bearing that the set pin sits in. While there is no key that prevents the pin from turning, and no bearing on the ball head housing, even the tiniest bit of pressure (my finger resting on it) stops the pin from turning. Perfect? No, but it looks like the bearing is actually shouldering the load and no rotation of the pin is happening.



Apr 10, 2013 at 10:54 AM
sjms
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p.2 #11 · p.2 #11 · Markins new BV Head


surprisingly less complete then I would have expected from them.


Apr 11, 2013 at 09:15 AM
PetKal
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p.2 #12 · p.2 #12 · Markins new BV Head


Recently I needed a straightforward tilt feature for my monopod mounted long lenses such as 800L.
(Until then, I had my lenses always mounted rigidly on monopods.....just a QR clamp).

The first reaction was to go the safe route and order the popular RRS MH-01.
Then I decided to experiment a bit first.

I checked the specs of the new Markins head, but didn't like the look of that pin, nor the price. Besides, I am not a ball-head user anyways, thus much of the functionality of the Markins ballhead would be wasted on me.

In the end, I got the Kirk monopod head a couple of weeks ago for something like $190 (new). So far it has worked OK, therefore I am not sure if I'd need anything else beside it.



Apr 11, 2013 at 01:03 PM
Lasse Eriksson
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p.2 #13 · p.2 #13 · Markins new BV Head


That's a cool head. With a little bit lower price I would be interested


Apr 13, 2013 at 02:40 AM
binary visions
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p.2 #14 · p.2 #14 · Markins new BV Head


sjms wrote:
surprisingly less complete then I would have expected from them.


They'd have to pretty substantially rework the whole head to fit a bearing in there, I imagine that would make the cost even more expensive. I would have liked to see them implement some kind of star pattern on the pin/head that would hold the pin still (heck, they probably could have used a standard torx pattern and not had to create anything new), but given that, thus far, I've not seen it rotate unless there was nothing on the head, we'll see over time what happens.

Still, given its purpose for me, it's pretty good. I get a ball head, quasi-gimbal, and tilting monopod head all in one package. I don't think I could ask for a better traveling head if I'm not taking a dedicated "photography trip."



Apr 13, 2013 at 07:29 AM
sjms
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p.2 #15 · p.2 #15 · Markins new BV Head


not a simple sleeve bearing. if they can drill a hole in it they can place a bearing surface in it.


Apr 13, 2013 at 07:38 PM
binary visions
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p.2 #16 · p.2 #16 · Markins new BV Head


Very true. Well, since nobody else here seems to have bought one, I'll update as I use it more. It'll be accompanying me to Africa in a couple months as well.


Apr 13, 2013 at 07:45 PM
Chardonnay57
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p.2 #17 · p.2 #17 · Markins new BV Head


Have you had a chance to try out your new markin's ballhead? What are your thoughts. Does it adequately replace a sidekick?


Apr 22, 2013 at 04:04 PM
maihu
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p.2 #18 · p.2 #18 · Markins new BV Head


Really cool, but costs a lot too.


Apr 22, 2013 at 10:45 PM
nugeny
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p.2 #19 · p.2 #19 · Markins new BV Head


Is there a U-tube demo out there?


Apr 27, 2013 at 12:25 AM
binary visions
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p.2 #20 · p.2 #20 · Markins new BV Head


Chardonnay57 wrote:
Have you had a chance to try out your new markin's ballhead? What are your thoughts. Does it adequately replace a sidekick?


I haven't used the new attachment plate much yet, just haven't brought the tripod out a lot in the past month. From what little I've played with it, it's really excellent - I bought a long-ish plate to swap between my long lenses and it lets me find a nice centerpoint.

The sidekick mounts the lens in a different way - with this, if I loosen everything and let the lens go, obviously it will start to tilt forward and probably fling my gear off the top of the tripod. The Sidekick won't do that since it's not balanced on a tilting point. However, the Sidekick is a pound and a half and much larger so it's a tradeoff.

I've been getting comfortable with my new gear - I kind of ended up with a lot of new pieces at once, so I am trying to keep things simple as I get comfortable with each item. I've settled in with my new 80-400mm + D7100, though, so my next step is to start using a TC on the lens which is going to require more stability and I'll be bringing the tripod out.



Apr 28, 2013 at 06:40 AM
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