Ditch the Screw: Why a Lever Quick Release Plate Transforms Your Ball Head
The Screw Plate Struggle: Why It’s Holding You Back
Picture this: You’re hiking to that epic sunset spot, tripod in tow, only to fumble with a tiny screw knob for agonizing minutes while golden hour slips away. Sound familiar? That’s the silent killer of outdoor photography: the stock screw plate on your ball head.
How much better could your shots be if setup took seconds, not minutes?
Enter the lever quick release: My next shoot? Locked and loaded in under 5 seconds, nailing crisp wildlife and landscape frames I’d only dreamed of.
You’re not stuck with that plate
I recently picked up two plates to replace the existing screw type Arca plates on two of my ball heads. Why replace them? To make the process of adding and removing my camera from the tripod faster. I’ve lost precious moments of opportunities because I was battling the screw on the plates. My old plates were like the unreliable friend who shows up late to every party. I’ve never liked the plate screw on ball heads because of the lack of speed they offer, and come winter, the cold temperatures make it even tougher, slower, and sometimes painful to turn the plate screw. RRS (Really Right Stuff) ball heads come with a quick-release lever lock, but if you don’t own a RRS ball head, you can add the convenience and ease of a quick-release lever lock to most any ball head, at minimal cost.
Many manufacturers make kits that make it easy to swap out a screw type plate with a lever plate on any ball head. For around $30, you can upgrade your ball head with a nice quick-release plate like the one pictured.
Above, the speed demon. A quick-release lever ball head plate.
How to upgrade your ball head in 3 steps
My Sunwayfoto XB-52 ball head has a #4 hex screw holding the original plate in. A 3/8″ drive ratchet with a #4 hex bit socket made it easier to remove the screw and the old plate. An Allen wrench would have made it more difficult to extract the screw. I’ve replaced a couple of plates so far, and these screws are often quite tight and difficult to loosen. Although the new plate came with a screw, I used the existing screw to mount the new plate.
Once the old plate is off, line up the notch under the new plate with the ridge on the top of the neck of the ball head. Screw it down nice and tight, and you’re done!
Pictured from left to right: original Arca plate, new Desmond DLR-60 quick-release lever lock Arca plate, Sunwayfoto X52 ball head with the new Desmond DLR-60 60mm quick-release lever lock Arca plate mounted on a Raubay Leveling Base, and a Benro carbon fiber tripod.
Lever Quick Release Benefits: Speed, Security, Simplicity
By replacing the screw with a quick-release lever, you gain a bunch of things.
- Faster swaps = more creative flow.
- Rock-solid security = no mid-shoot wobbles.
- Stability: Screw types are prone to slippage vs. a clamp-grip fortress.
What’s your biggest tripod gripe? Vote below: Slow setup, shaky holds, or something else?
Upgrading isn’t just about gear; it’s reclaiming your creative edge. Tried a quick-release lever lock plate? Drop your wins (or woes) in the comments.
And if this saved your next shoot, share it with a fellow shooter who’s still fighting with the screw.
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Gadgetmania (Part 2) – Silvana Della Camera Photography
© Silvana Della Camera
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Like you Silvana, I love to teach people, especially beginners, about photographing the night sky. Here’s my tripod gripe;
I sometimes loan a tripod to a student new to night photography when they show up with a $29 discount store special rated for 1/2 the weight of their camera. That might be ok for daylight photos, but long exposures require a rigid tripod. More often than not, while setting up students will try to unscrew the twist leg locks too much! I had to go scrambling on hands and knees past midnight at one of the historic turf churches in Iceland to find the bits of the Benro leg lock that had been lost in the grass, all while missing an amazing aurora dancing across thy sky. Jeepers people, 1/4 turn is all that’s usually necessary!!
Thanks for letting me get that off my shoulders…
Bruce
Ah yes, I’ve felt that as well! More times than I can count. Night photography is often the “aha” moment for people when they realize the tripod that was good enough when the sun is shining no longer cuts it.
I’ve made it a habit to set up my loaner up for my student. That way I can teach them not to overtighten the leg locks. It’s no fun hunting the parts that fall out in the dark.
I commiserate with your pain. Bruce, thanks for sharing!