I think it's more of a storefront for display. I have 2 heads I bought years ago and I bought them from Korea via ebay. They're not particularly pretty, but they are the smoothest and strongest heads I have ever used.
i still have my Q10. haven't used it in quite awhile. the only real reason i keep it is because of its unique color (something i do not normally do). i have a RRS lever lock on it. i purchased mine direct from Markins around 2005. had to have it repaired in 2007 due to damage from heat. the repair service was up outside of Toronto back then. they had never seen the color i had and offered me a new one. couldn't do it. i moved on.
I love the Q20i, though I don't use it anymore due to virus. I bought it with the lever lock, but then replaced it with the quickscrew or whatever Markins calls a normal clamp. I also have the BVL22 or whatever that makes it into a semi-gimbal.
I also have the Q3 traveler tripod version, which I got for use with a traveler tripod. That didn't work out and I keep it as a extra head with the RRS/Kirk QR system. There may be better or at least equal options if you don't need the small 2" base diameter and strong ball.
The Markins balls are really smooth, like the Arca-Swiss in the old days or even more so. Some people have issues at low temperatures, but my Q20i was just fine at freezing temperatures and a bit below.
EB-1 wrote:
I also have the Q3 traveler tripod version, which I got for use with a traveler tripod. That didn't work out and I keep it as a extra head with the RRS/Kirk QR system. There may be better or at least equal options if you don't need the small 2" base diameter and strong ball.
EBH
What didn't you like about the Q3 - why didn't it work out?
I have 3 RRS tripods for different load capacities. I also have the RRS BH-30 for lightweight loads and RRS PG-02 LLR gimbal head for working with 600mm f/4. However for the normal landscapes with medium & heavy lenses, I prefer the Markins Q20i as it has the right amount of smoothness / load capacity / weight. It sits between the BH-40 and BH-55 in terms of weight - and I might have considered a BH-48 (with a 48mm diameter ball) if it existed but there isn't one. I have used the Q20i with 300mm f/2.8 VR II (usually for portraits, including selfies via self timer) as well as with 600mm f/4 (mostly test shots). I also found the attachment Q24i useful, especially.
I highly recommend the quick turn knob for Markins - I had a failure with the lever release once on a Q20i head (which they did repair for free but I did not trust the Markins lever release after that).
I had bought my first Markins Q20i a long time ago and after the lever release failure I had tried to replace the lever release quick shoe with a quick turn knob by myself. But I was not careful and not used the right hex key and striped the head of the screw which attached the quick shoe to the ball head. I used the ball head for several years after that (with the lever release) but finally decided to get a new ball head last year. Deciding between Markins, RRS (BH-40/BH-55), FLM, etc. I decided to get Markins Q20i again.
I was able to order it from B&H last year, but now I do not see Q20i available from B&H. So my post does not address the availability question but does give a strong recommendation to the Q20i.
EB-1 wrote:
I also have the Q3 traveler tripod version, which I got for use with a traveler tripod. That didn't work out and I keep it as a extra head with the RRS/Kirk QR system. There may be better or at least equal options if you don't need the small 2" base diameter and strong ball.
EBH
Irving wrote:
What didn't you like about the Q3 - why didn't it work out?
I have no issues with Q3i-Tr ball head mechanically. It is strong, but naturally a 38mm ball is not as smooth as the 48mm ball in my Q20i. Now you can stop or continue reading boring details.
The Q3-Tr is a smaller head than I prefer, but I was constrained by the 2" diameter to fit within the raised lip on the RRS A-S QR plate. (The normal version of the Q3i is suggested if not using a traveler tripod.) I used it in the scenario of swapping with a full-sized gimbal head when using short lenses (16-35, 24-70, etc.) rather than 500/4 and 100-400. A larger head and A-S QR plate would have been more weight that I didn't want. I also had some plans to buy a travel tripod which never materialized.
Eventually I decided that the Wimberley M-8 Perpendicular Plate on a full gimbal was sufficient for shooting short lenses occasionally since the tripod has a leveling base.
I use the q3 (not tr version) as a hiking ball head on a FEISOL CT-3442. Tripod 2.4lb and 56" tall. This is all scenic or on occasion macro work. Biggest lens is 180mm macro. Works well. There is not enough difference between q10 and q20 to justify the smaller head. Mostly use q20 or arca z1
Flowernut wrote:
I use the q3 (not tr version) as a hiking ball head on a FEISOL CT-3442. Tripod 2.4lb and 56" tall. This is all scenic or on occasion macro work. Biggest lens is 180mm macro. Works well. There is not enough difference between q10 and q20 to justify the smaller head. Mostly use q20 or arca z1
I never understood the Q10i either. The ball is 44mm vs 48mm and there is only a small difference in weight (492 vs. 550g).
Flowernut wrote:
Seems to talk mainly about problems with Markins US distributor. My one time experience with ordering directly from Markins Korea was good.
I have had my Markins for many years, and at the time bought it from Markins US. I just wanted to note that as a brand, this confusion with who you are dealing with and inability to get answers is something to be aware of if you are not careful. Fred was the one who initiated the post I linked regarding his problems with them.
I love the product so am not happy to see this development. And in my opinion they are way better in use than the BH-55 which has gotten so much love. I bought one two years ago, and sold it within 6 months. It was very heavy, and not as smooth to operate as the Markins.
I bought my Q3 and later Q20 off eBay from a Korean seller around 10-12 years ago. I'm not aware of a US distributor then or now. Since I never needed any repair work done, the potential warranty issue never happened. Markins heads are so superior in strength and fluidity to any other head I've ever tried that the warranty risk is worth taking. The AS Monoball used to be my gold standard, now it is the Q20. RRS can't compare in any way other than pretty. They are pretty.
