what's the difference between the markins Q10 and M10 ballheads?
is the Q just a new version? any physical differences?
Also are markins ballheads generally better than RRS ballheads?
Q10 later generation revised to be a bit lighter. minor cosmetic changes to the knob end cap.
and that is a matter of opinion. i own 2 RRS heads and 1 M10. i've had all mine long enough to no longer care to argue the minor things. the M10 is a BU for the others.
pretty simple if you like the classic high top design go with Markins. if you like a lower profile design go with RRS.
there are of course other ones such as:
Arca Swiss
Photo Clam
Sunway
I can second the sentiments above. I used to own an M10, now have a Q10 and RRS BH-40. The differences between the M10 and Q10 are minute. The BH-40 is an acquired taste. The low profile takes some getting used to.
As with tripods, best to try before you buy if you can as ergonomics can make the difference. I've used Markins, Linhof and Arca-Swiss and they are all very good. My personal favorite is the Arca-Swiss Z1 but all of the designs I've used are tall designs. I think there's something in the low profile RRS designs as the ball is closer to the tripod base so the center of gravity is lower.
