1) Should the Markins M10 pan base be locked or unlocked when shot?
2) The affect of additional weight hung from the G1228
3) Relative performance of the relatively massive G1410 vs the tiny G1228.
Camera body was D200. The G1228 was shot with all 4 legs fully extended. The G1410 was shot at about the same height- about 50" to the base plate. The G1410 had no weight hung from it; I never bother to add weight to this 8.5LB leg set and have no convenient hook or apron.
My results were so bizarre that I sat on these images for almost 6 months. After seeing an independent test by Zane Paxton with similar results, I decided to publish these images showing the much maligned 4 section G1228 clobbering the G1410. I want to stress, though, that I have never seen this with any other lens. For example, the same configuration with a Nikkor 300 F/4 AFS with Kirk Replacement collar (approximately same size/weight/focal length) achieved the expected results- the G1410 performed very well and the G1228 not so well.
These images show that in some cases the M10 pan lock should be left UNlocked- completely loose. That is counterintuitive. In some configurations, for example with the G1410, there is little or no difference, but in many situations the loose pan lock is clearly superior, especially with the G1228. I have yet to see a test where a tight pan lock outperformed a loose pan lock.
Adding weight to the G1228 made little or no difference in this controlled indoor test. In windy conditions it certainly helps. I've shot the G1228 in winds that would topple a light payload when no weight is attached, so this can also be a gear safety issue.
