Noriko Kita (Markins Ball Head)


Theme
A trip to Tohoku in search of autumn leaves
Photographer
Noriko Kita
Date
November 2020
Location
Oguni Town, Yamagata Prefecture
Device
Markins
Q10i-RD Ballhead
PLV80170 Universal L-Plate SET
PL-55 Lens Plate
OLYMPUS
OM-D E-M1 Mark III
M.ZUIKO DIGITAL ED 12-100mm F4.0 IS PRO
M.ZUIKO DIGITAL ED 40-150mm F2.8 PRO
M.ZUIKO DIGITAL ED 100-400mm F5.0-6.3 IS
GITZO
GT3532LS Systematic
Review
Photographer Noriko Kita
Noriko Kita
Lives in Tokyo. Graduated from Toyo Eiwa University. Studied under photographer Shoichi Maekawa. As an amateur, won consecutive annual awards in numerous camera magazine contests and began working as a freelance photographer in 2019. In the same year, published the photo book "MOMENT" (Bunichi Sogo Shuppan).
Member of the Photographic Society of Japan
- Photo Exhibition -
2019
"MOMENT"
 Fujifilm Photo Salon Tokyo/Osaka/Fukuoka/Nagoya/Sapporo
2020
"Shiori -four seasons-" Olympus Plaza Tokyo/Osaka

URL : www.norikokita.com
I went to Oguni-machi, Yamagata Prefecture, for the first time to shoot with a Markins ball head Q10i-RD attached to a tripod.
I had been interested in Markins because many photographers use them, but I had been using a heavy 3-way head for many years.
Even though cameras have become smaller and lighter, I thought that the balance would be poor if the head was left as it was, so I decided to introduce it this time.
My first impression when I attached it to a Gitzo tripod and held it was that it was lighter.
However, Markins ball heads are not only light, but also durable.
Also, when I think of ball heads, I imagine that the equipment would suddenly point down the moment the knob is loosened, making them difficult to use, but the Markins ball head allows me to make smooth fine adjustments to the framing without any shaking even when loosened, and I quickly got used to it because it is completely fixed by tightening it firmly.
First, before heading to the parking lot at Nukumihira, a beech forest located in Bandai-Asahi National Park, I took some photos of the scenery from a bridge along the way.
I attached the Markins general-purpose L-plate set PLV80170 to the Olympus OM-D E-M1 Mark III.
This L-plate is very thin and looks very smart with the camera.
■ Coloring the clear stream
OLYMPUS OM-D E-M1 Mark III / M.ZUIKO DIGITAL ED 12-100mm F4.0 IS PRO
F5.6 1/40 s ISO200
Examples of work by photographer Noriko Kita1

The wet autumn leaves on the trees after the rain and the clear color of the water in the valley were very beautiful.

The L-plate is a convenient way to switch to vertical orientation. You can instantly switch between vertical and horizontal orientation without changing the head settings, just by attaching and detaching the camera, and the optical axis remains the same.
This time, I brought along the telephoto lenses M.ZUIKO DIGITAL ED 40-150mm F2.8 PRO and M.ZUIKO DIGITAL ED 100-400mm F5.0 6.3 IS, and attached lens plates PL-55 to both tripod mounts.

I found these trees that are about to turn red in the parking lot at Nukumihira. I was fascinated by the already colored colors in the background as I took these photos.
■ Colorful Autumn
OLYMPUS OM-D E-M1 Mark III / M.ZUIKO DIGITAL ED 40-150mm F2.8 PRO
F4 1/80 s ISO200
Examples of work by photographer Noriko Kita2
After that, we finally started walking towards Nukumihira. We walked along a road wide enough for one car to pass for a while, then entered the forest.
The beech forest was wet with rain and was very fresh, and the autumn leaves were at their peak.
■ Beech Path
OLYMPUS OM-D E-M1 Mark III / M.ZUIKO DIGITAL ED 12-100mm F4.0 IS PRO
F5.6 1/20 s ISO200
Examples of work by photographer Noriko Kita 3
The forest is full of treasures, so I walked around looking around carefully to see them. My eyes naturally went to the ground and small things, and I discovered a scene of fallen leaves in a puddle.
When taking bird's-eye shots like this, I set up the tripod so that I could shoot from directly above the ground, but the U-shaped groove makes it easy to tilt the quick shoe deeply.
■ Falling
OLYMPUS OM-D E-M1 Mark III / M.ZUIKO DIGITAL ED 12-100mm F4.0 IS PRO
F8 1/30 s ISO200
Examples of work by photographer Noriko Kita 4

The beech leaves that have just fallen into the puddle come in a variety of colors, and the shine caused by the surface tension of the floating leaves is also beautifully depicted.

When I come across a cool tree shape in a beech forest, I often look up and take a photo, but unfortunately, it started to rain heavily halfway through, so I gave up and continued walking with my umbrella, when I found a beech tree growing with its roots spread out over a rock. I set up my tripod at a mid-angle and framed the image so that the beech roots, the main subject, filled the frame, with the atmosphere of the forest peeking through in the background. I am always amazed at the vitality of nature.
■ Grab a rock
OLYMPUS OM-D E-M1 Mark III / M.ZUIKO DIGITAL ED 12-100mm F4.0 IS PRO
F8 1/40 s ISO400
Examples of work by photographer Noriko Kita 5
After taking photos, I finally arrived at my destination, the end of the trail at Nukumihira!
Before I left the parking lot, a construction worker at the gate told me, "It was great that there was snow on the Iide mountain range yesterday!" So I was lucky to see the combination of the remaining snow on the mountain and the autumn leaves.
■ Overlooking the Iide mountain range
OLYMPUS OM-D E-M1 Mark III / M.ZUIKO DIGITAL ED 12-100mm F4.0 IS PRO
F8 1/100 s ISO200
Examples of work by photographer Noriko Kita 3
A few hours after being soothed by the forest, the rain gradually melted the snow that had been there moments before, and soon the mountains became invisible due to the mist.
In this way, thanks to the Markins, I was able to lose track of time and wander through the forest.
After actually using the Markins this time, I could see why so many photographers praise them so highly. Not only is it light, but it is also durable and easy to use, so it will likely be a good companion when shooting with a tripod.

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