Yukihiro Fukuda | Markins BV-HEAD

I prioritize time spent in the field above all else. This is because I believe that dedicating significant time in the field reveals the true behaviors of wildlife. Shooting locations span domestically and internationally, covering mountains, seas, and rivers—anywhere with animals I love is fair game.

However, accessing wildlife habitats is often challenging, requiring traversal of unmarked paths. One constant issue is the weight of equipment. A camera bag and tripod typically form the core of the load, but there’s a limit to what I can carry on my own. My basic principle is to use a tripod whenever possible, even with lenses equipped with powerful image stabilization, so a flimsy tripod is unusable. For video shooting, a video head is indispensable. Unfortunately, there’s no head that seamlessly supports both still photography and video, so during restricted shoots, I end up choosing a video head. This adds weight, with the video head and tripod combined nearing 8 kilograms.

This time, I used the Markins Q20iQ-BK lever-release ball head equipped with the BV-HEAD. By attaching the BV-HEAD to the Q20iQ-BK, it functions as a pan-tilt head. This innovative head eliminates sideways tilting with super-telephoto lenses and is a groundbreaking concept.

Ball heads are smaller and lighter compared to three-way heads, but I was always concerned about sideways tilting when loosening the knobs while using super-telephoto lenses. The addition of the BV-HEAD eliminated tilting and greatly improved operability, which truly impressed me during actual use.

Testing was done while photographing small birds in snowy conditions. Despite the small size of the knobs, there were no operational issues even with winter gloves. The lever-release mechanism securely holds the equipment with simple operation, a much-appreciated feature in harsh winter conditions.

Particularly noteworthy is the powerful friction control, which keeps the equipment perfectly still in the desired position, even when releasing hands from the camera body. It provides a feeling similar to the counterbalance of expensive video heads. With other ball heads, equipment often couldn’t stay in place no matter how tight the knobs were, and over-tightening made fine adjustments impossible. However, the Q20iQ-BK allows for free composition adjustments without such issues.

As a video head, the smooth panning is exceptional and easy to use. While video shooting with super-telephoto lenses often involves fixed shots, panning is frequently used to track birds flying horizontally. This head is an excellent choice for video shooting as well.

Despite these capabilities, the weight is under 800 grams. The combined weight with the tripod is less than 4 kilograms, half the previous weight. This reduction allows for better mobility in the forest and makes room for additional lenses or camera bodies. The benefits of lightweight gear are immeasurable.

The Q20iQ-BK lever-release ball head can also be used alone without the BV-HEAD, functioning as a standard ball head. While even lighter, it is designed to handle super-telephoto lenses, making it versatile for general use. Currently, I am conducting automatic photography of Japanese badgers in the mountains. My custom-made soundproof and waterproof case includes special transparent glass, a large battery for extended operation, a Wi-Fi router, and its battery, weighing nearly 10 kg. The lever-release mechanism was extremely convenient for attaching and detaching the heavy case.

Tilting this case significantly upward and making fine adjustments to the composition afterward was previously impossible with any head I used. However, the Q20iQ-BK makes this feasible, a revolutionary capability that can only be fully appreciated through use. By using the BV-HEAD Set, a lightweight tripod system can be built while providing robust support for any scene.