Shigenori Fujimoto | Markins Ball Head


Theme
Natural scenery photography (ballhead)
Photographer
Shigenori Fujimoto
Date
December 2013/September 2015
Location
Alaska
Device
Markins
Canon
EOS 6D, EOS 600D
EF100-400mm F4.5-5.6L IS USM
Manfrotto
190CX3
Review
~ December 2013 ~

My passion for photography began after moving to the nature-rich environment of Alaska. Everything I saw felt fresh and new: not only the auroras but also the wildlife, mountains, glaciers, salmon, city sunsets, and even Eskimo dances. This overwhelming desire to capture these sights through photography was the starting point.

Particularly captivated by aurora photography, I decided to invest in a full-frame camera. At the same time, I began to take an interest in tripods and ball heads, which I hadn't paid much attention to before.

The reason was that, in temperatures below -20°C, I often found myself struggling with malfunctioning ball heads while a friend next to me smoothly operated theirs and captured images with ease. After much deliberation, I ultimately chose Markins.

When I acquire new equipment, I always want to test it out, so I decided to check if it would perform well in extreme cold. Conveniently, a cold snap arrived, so when temperatures dropped below -20°C, I mounted the ball head on a tripod and left it outside for half a day.
Left outside for half a day in -20°C
That morning, the temperature was extremely low, with the dew point close, and a thin mist hung in the air.

On such days, equipment is in the worst possible environment, with frost sticking to it. Turning the main knob on the ball head that had been left outside, I found that while it felt slightly heavier than indoors, the movements of the Markins ball head remained unchanged. The ball released from pressure yet retained its position under the weight of the camera without shifting angles.

Compared to other ball heads I had used, the smoothness of its movements was astonishing.

The next day, I visited Merrill Field Airport, a small airfield in central Anchorage primarily used by light aircraft.

This airfield has many small flight schools, and incidentally, I am also one of their students.

The temperature that day was also below -20°C.

I had never used a tripod for capturing moving subjects before, but eager to test Markins, I set out to capture scenes of the airfield in midwinter. While searching for photogenic subjects, I suddenly heard the engine of a bush plane beginning its landing. Turning quickly, I framed the shot and managed to take two quick photos with autofocus.

Without a tripod, these shots likely would have been blurred, but the images came out crystal clear, capturing the distinctive large tires of the bush plane (designed for rough terrain).

It was a fleeting moment, but I believe the smooth operation of the Markins ball head allowed me to capture this image.


~ September 2015 ~

Late last night, I received a message from a friend that the aurora was visible from the city. I took a drive to the outskirts and captured some shots.
With the moderate temperatures above freezing at this time of year, the shoot was quite comfortable.
Markins ball heads are incredibly easy to handle, and I can no longer imagine using anything else.

This is a report of my first aurora capture before winter begins.

アラスカ アンカレッジ
アラスカ アンカレッジ
アラスカ オーロラ撮影



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