Which tripod head?

[arthurking83]

One thing I've noticed with heads, is that it's not so much about whether will you ever need ot come close tot he rated capacity of the head, but that with the higher rated capacity heads, you get an infinitely more rigid coupling to the tripod.

If it comes down to a matter of price, always go for the most expensive model that you can afford.

Haven't checked the price differences between a Q3 and a Q10, but if it's only $100, then in the future and especially having a 70-200/2.8 already then the better candidate would be a Q10 with the higher weight rating!
The size of the ball itself if quite critical in how rigid the set up is going to be(when you need it most!)

(OK, so I got curious! )
The pricing of Markins' products seems to be similar to RRS, and having just checked, I'd say definitely go with the larger ballhead for only $60 more!!

Markins seem to be of the traditional style design, more upright and taller than some of the variants in ballhead design.

For that kind of money, you should also look at the RRS product range too. It's a lower sleeker design(which I prefer now).

It all depends on your most favoured photography genre too. If you do landscapes and some faster action stuff, like birds/sports/etc where shutter speeds are usually high, then any head will suffice.

If you think you will ever get into a photography genre where mirror slap will cause IQ issues, or you need to hang the camera out a long way out from the COG of the tripod and the slightest trace of vibration is then magnified many times over, then you will ultimately want a larger ballhead(as large as you can afford).

[KeeFy]

I have to agree with arthur on that. Unless you have the need to go light, go for the bigger ballhead for a mini hit in the cash department.

[arnica]

Just a quick question regarding L brackets. These are used so you can mount your camera body vertically to allow you to shoot vertical pictures. My question is: If I use a L bracket, does the same bracket allow me to mount the body of the camera the traditional way (landscape)?

[rodw]

Just a quick question regarding L brackets. These are used so you can mount your camera body vertically to allow you to shoot vertical pictures. My question is: If I use a L bracket, does the same bracket allow me to mount the body of the camera the traditional way (landscape)?

Yes, see here http://www.nikonians.org/html/resour...wiss_b1_6.html

[davidd]

Yes, the brackets allows quick switching between vertical (portrait) and horizontal (landscape) orientation. I leave mine on my camera all the time.

[arnica]

My purchases arrived today.

I ended up getting:

Markins L plate
Markins Q10Q head.

Much lighter than my manfrotto gear, and yes .. it looks so pretty ... it's like polished glass!

[Cage]

Congrats on getting your new kit Phil. Wish I could have got a dedicated 'L' plate for my camera but had to settle for a non-twist camera plate.
It's not really too much of a hassle as the Q10 is pretty easy to drop into portrait mode.

Enjoy your new gear mate.

Cheers

Kevin