p.1 #1 · Quick Release Clamp: Lever Release or Screw Knob Release?
I'm getting ready to finally purchase a nice tripod and ball head. I'm looking at the RRS line. I will probably be going with the TVC-24L and one of the BH-40 ball heads.
The question is which version of the BH-40 to go with? I haven't used either kind, so I don't know what I would prefer in terms of a Lever Release vs the Screw Knob release.
Any advantages or disadvantages to one over the other?
p.1 #2 · Quick Release Clamp: Lever Release or Screw Knob Release?
Much of a muchness - personal preference. But you'll probably find most people prefer the screw knobs. I have just moved from Manfrotto's awful RC2 and RC4 system to arca-swiss clamps with knobs. What a relief! I much prefer the feel of a screw knob tightening down on a plate than the flip and snap of a lever.
p.1 #3 · Quick Release Clamp: Lever Release or Screw Knob Release?
I use both lever and screw clamps, on my Arca-Swiss (A-S) camera brackets and lens plates.
The lever release is a lot faster to attach and release than the screw mount. Don't get me wrong - you can release the screw and "roll" your hand/thumb pad over a screw knob release, and it's fast, but the lever is faster (if you can find the lever, that is).
I use lever release clamps on my large-lens monopod heads, so that I can drop the pod and go to handheld shooting, when the subject (usually a stupid bird) gets close, and so I want to quickly transition to handheld shooting. I also have a lever clamp on my "studio" tripiod head (410 geared), because it's a "frequent flyer" (i.e mount/dismount'er).
OTOH, the screw clamp is slower to open and close (for mount and dismount), but it lets you do fine adjustments without "unlocking" the plate that's in the QR base. This is very useful for shooting with a macro focus rail, and for getting a delicate adjustment for heavy lens balance, when you add an Extender, or remove one.
I use a mix of RRS and Hejnar clamps, rails, and plates. They play well together. I also have screw clamps from Wimberley and Kirk, which work very well with my RRS and Hejnar plates/brackets.
What lens and camera are you planning to use on this new system?
p.1 #4 · Quick Release Clamp: Lever Release or Screw Knob Release?
Thanks for the responses. This will be used with a D800e (still dont have it but that's the plan...currently have a D700). Biggest lens I have is the 70-200 VRII.
p.1 #5 · Quick Release Clamp: Lever Release or Screw Knob Release?
You may want to consider the BH-55 Ballhead instead. Your longest lens now is the 70-200mm but that may change in the future and you will regret not getting it now. I have the BH-55 with the lever release and I love it. Never had any problem and it locks down real tight.
p.1 #6 · Quick Release Clamp: Lever Release or Screw Knob Release?
I have both the BH-55 and the BH-40, and I much prefer the BH-55. The locking lever on the BH-40 can hit the underside of the locking plate depending on how the ball head is angled, this is not a problem with the knurled knob of the BH-55.
I do prefer the screw clamp for heavy lenses, but for most use the lever is my choice.
p.1 #7 · Quick Release Clamp: Lever Release or Screw Knob Release?
I have a BH55 on my TVC33 for long lenses
I interchange a BH30 and BH40 on my TQC14
all clamps have lever locks since it came out.
when it comes to heavy lenses it is so much easier to tell
when the mount is properly engaged when trying to throw the clamp closed
the knob gives no real visual or tactile feed back compared to the lever.
Jan 10, 2014 at 12:08 AM
Lars Johnsson Offline • • • • • • • Upload & Sell: Off
p.1 #8 · Quick Release Clamp: Lever Release or Screw Knob Release?
I have 3-4 of each. And use both kinds all the time. Both works very good and are very safe to use. If I had to choose only one kind I would probably go for the screw knob. I prefer that one with my 800mm lens. I olso prefer screw knobs with my Gimbal head. For all normal sized lenses it doesn't matter.
p.1 #9 · Quick Release Clamp: Lever Release or Screw Knob Release?
Rob Tomlin wrote:
I'm getting ready to finally purchase a nice tripod and ball head. I'm looking at the RRS line. I will probably be going with the TVC-24L and one of the BH-40 ball heads.
The question is which version of the BH-40 to go with? I haven't used either kind, so I don't know what I would prefer in terms of a Lever Release vs the Screw Knob release.
Any advantages or disadvantages to one over the other?
Thanks for any insight.
http://www.reallyrightstuff.com/s.nl/sc.26/category.568/.f
I use screw knob and 2nd the comment about being slow to open/close. It does make me feel like the gear, especially heavy, is more secure by actually tightening a screw. When I need to change lens quickly, I don't open it all the way and when inserting the new lens, many times I struggle to properly orient the plate to the clamp.
p.1 #10 · Quick Release Clamp: Lever Release or Screw Knob Release?
A quick comment on the "speed" issue. I did a quick informal test once with two RRS clamps. I could mount a camera with the screw style in about 5 seconds. (It goes really fast because you aren't fully unscrewing the clamp. You just loosen it and slide the camera on or off one end.) The lever style took about 3 seconds. What slightly annoyed me about the lever is that the closing action generates a bit of a torsion on the clamp. So if the ball isn't fully tight, it may rotate a bit. Now one could argue that the ball should be tight first, but with a screw clamp this is not required and it is perfectly acceptable to mount the camera first and then adjust and tighten the ball afterward. I do that all the time. I'm sure I could have gotten used to the twisting, but I went with the screw clamp. An extra 2 seconds is not an issue and I like the perception of security that comes with the screw clamp.
p.1 #11 · Quick Release Clamp: Lever Release or Screw Knob Release?
Lars Johnsson wrote:
I have 3-4 of each. And use both kinds all the time. Both works very good and are very safe to use. If I had to choose only one kind I would probably go for the screw knob.
Same here, I also prefer the screw knob type but both are reliable. I mostly use film cameras and have plates from many different manufacturers and for a long time only used the screw clamps because adjusting the lever clamps to be secure with different plates seemed like a real pain. RRS now have two 60mm wide clamps that auto-adjust to different widths and I have two of them and they work really well.
If you get the BH-40 ballhead buy the version with the B2-AS-II clamp as that clamp has the self-adjusting feature. If you also get the RRS TVC-24L AFAIK you won't have a problem with the locking knob or the clamp lever fouling the base as the TVC-24L has a small raised platform on the base that's 53mm in diameter. I believe the function of the platform is to deal with these very issues. I personally don't use RRS heads or tripods and this is all interpretation of their catalog on my part; you need to confirm it with RRS.
p.1 #12 · Quick Release Clamp: Lever Release or Screw Knob Release?
I have a recent BH40 w/ B2-40-LR it has full function on both my RRS and recently purchased D610 Kirk L bracket and I do believe that if you call they have gone over to the SA design in these too.
p.1 #13 · Quick Release Clamp: Lever Release or Screw Knob Release?
sjms wrote:
I do believe that if you call they have gone over to the SA design in these too.
Well that's good to know if correct. However the B2-40-LR clamp page on their new web site still has the red text that warns you to use only RRS or Wimberley plates with it.
p.1 #15 · Quick Release Clamp: Lever Release or Screw Knob Release?
The only plate that I currently have is for the cheap Manfrotto tripod that I've been using, so that will be sold along with the tripod. So for me personally, the potential for the Lever Release not working with other brands of plates probably isn't much of an issue.
p.1 #16 · Quick Release Clamp: Lever Release or Screw Knob Release?
sjms wrote:
it is so much easier to tell
when the mount is properly engaged when trying to throw the clamp closed
the knob gives no real visual or tactile feed back compared to the lever.
I fully agree with sjms. I find the lever clamps safer in that they are very positive in their locking movement and cannot be closed if the camera or lens plate is not properly aligned.
I once had a screw clamp tightly close on a camera L plate at an angle. Thinking the camera was secure I went to adjust the ball head and the camera fell to the ground. Fortunately the lens hood hit first and the body came to rest on soft dirt, but lesson learned. Lever clamps only ever since for me.
Mike K
p.1 #17 · Quick Release Clamp: Lever Release or Screw Knob Release?
wayne194 wrote:
You may want to consider the BH-55 Ballhead instead. Your longest lens now is the 70-200mm but that may change in the future and you will regret not getting it now. I have the BH-55 with the lever release and I love it. Never had any problem and it looks down real tight.
p.1 #18 · Quick Release Clamp: Lever Release or Screw Knob Release?
wayne194 wrote:
You may want to consider the BH-55 Ballhead instead. Your longest lens now is the 70-200mm but that may change in the future and you will regret not getting it now. I have the BH-55 with the lever release and I love it. Never had any problem and it looks down real tight.
Wayne
I doubt that I will ever get a lens bigger/heavier than the 70-200mm. If I ever get something with longer reach, it would probably be something like the 80-400, which is only slightly bigger than the 70-200mm.
Would the BH-55 be a bit of overkill? With the money I will be spending price really isn't an issue since the difference between the BH-40 and BH-55 is probably only about $60.
p.1 #19 · Quick Release Clamp: Lever Release or Screw Knob Release?
I was reading up on the differences between the B2-AS-II and the B2-40-LR, and regarding the II the RRS website says:
" A note about choosing the BH-40 LR II ballhead: The clamp that comes installed on this ballhead is our full-size B2 AS II clamp. This clamp is larger than the clamp that comes installed on the BH-40 LR ballhead. If the diameter of your tripod platform is larger than the base diameter of the ballhead (2.1"/53mm) you will experience clearance issues when using the drop notch; you will not have full use of the drop notch because the clamp will hit the tripod before reaching 90-degrees. The larger B2 AS II clamp cannot freely clear wider platforms because the head itself has such a low profile. This is not an issue if you only use L-plates, but we strongly urge you to choose the BH-40 LR ballhead instead of the BH-40 LR II ballhead if you use conventional body plates. "
So if the B2-40-LR now has the SA feature, what would be the advantage to going with the B2 AS II clamp? I.e., what is the advantage of the longer clamp jaw length?
