screw knob vs lever-release

<p >I am looking to pickup, among other things, a Really Right Stuff clamp. But I am a little confused as to whether I should be picking up one with a screw knob or with a lever-release clamp. I read what they had to say on the RRS website and it appears that the only real advantage in the screw knob over the lever-release is cost and weight. Is this correct or are there other things I should be considered? </p>

<p >If it mater I will be using a D90 with an L plate. The only lens I currently have is 1 17-55mm (well I have a 50mm 1.8 too, but don’t use it all that much). </p>

<p>I have one with the knobs and until I read your email I had forgotten that levers were an option. Translation: screw knobs work great for me.</p>

<p>I suspect it is a matter of preference to some extend. I guess I must have felt that the screw-in knob created a greater sense of security. In any case, it is very quick to operate.</p>

<p>Dan</p>

<p>Some people worry that a lever release might open accidentally, but properly matched plates and clamps are quite secure. Therein lies a potential problem, though - different manufacturers' plates may be outside the tolerance for the lever release mechanism. You will want to stay with one manufacturer, and I can vouch for the Really Right Stuff products. The screw clamp doesn't have this problem, but I have found that occasionally when I am not loooking, I start to turn the wrong knob and open the clamp. Bottom line: the lever is much more convenient and just as secure in the field.</p>

<p>I have always used the screw locks and will stick with them - if it ain't broken....</p>

<p>I never had an accident and I want to keep it that way:-)</p>

<p>RRS lever clamps are not adjustable. Since the fit is critical, they may not work with other makes of plates. Screw clamps are intrinsically self-adjusting and work with practically any plate. Lever clamps can't be easily disassembled for cleaning either. My brother got sand in his in Portugal, and couldn't close it. The latest RRS screw knobs can't unscrew and fall off accidently.</p>

<p>I have both kinds, and prefer the screw-type clamps. It only takes 1/4 turn to loosen or tighten them. The lever clamps take less space and are thinner than the clamp itself. That works well where you don't have much room, as on a flash bracket or nodal point slide.</p>

<p>I am rather fond of screws</p>

 

<p >Thanks for the responses everyone. It sounds like I would be fine with either one as long as I used the same manufacture for the clamp and plate (which I am). But in the end I decided to go the screw knob route. </p>

<p>I don't know about RRS, byt the Arca Swiss lever clamp is a masterpiece: the lever has a security device which works effortlessly yet is impossible to open accidentally and the clamp's width is adjustable w/o any tools so you can fit all kinds of "Arca Swiss compatible" mounting plates with a varied degree of Arca Swiss compatibilty.</p>

<p>After time most things will loosen up and with a screw type you only have to snug it down a little more and all's tight again? Unless there's an adjustable lever type that eventual course of remedy doesn't exist? </p>

<p>Tension of the Arca-Swiss Lever Clamp on the new Z1 head is adjustable.</p>

<p>There is no credible risk of an RRS lever clamp being accidently released. When closed, the lever is protected by the lens*. It is very tight with an over-center effect and lays flat against the head. It is much easier to accidently loosen a screw knob when fiddling with the controls on a ball head.</p>

<p>* The lever or screw clamp should be used with the controls facing foward (under the lens). That way it doesn't poke you in the chin and is kinda' protected by the lens from careless operation. Always hold the camera with one hand when making adjustments of any kind to the head. Be consistent! You are less likely to make mistakes under stress if the operation is embedded in your fingertips (works for music, too).</p>

<p>That is exactly whay happens when a quality device is purchased: Over time the operation of the device becomes so consistent and automatic that it could be used in total darkness. I would have a difficult time using a different head from my Arca Swiss B1 after having used it for so long.</p>