Tripod & Ballhead....lightest strongest

corndog cabernet wrote in post #17848070
According to their site some are, some aren't

Either way they're mighty proud of them

Just beware of old used items. Buy new, problem solved.

J-Blake wrote in post #17848151
Thanks guys. My plan is to transfer the Arca Swiss screw clamps I already own. I like the idea of lever clamps, but back when I bought the system I have they were not considered reliable. Maybe one day I'll anti up to the lever, but after I figure out the head and legs (if necessary).

Many have said the same, then they tried the RRS clamp. Just imagine the perfect clamp and how solid it would be..... well, that's the RRS clamp. Peace of mind when you lock it down.

From RRS' site:

Specifically…
NOTE: Starting in 2012, other Really Right Stuff lever-release clamps were redesigned to automatically adjust to accept all Arca-Swiss style plates except Arca-Swiss P0 Slidefix plates and plates made by Novoflex. However the B2-LLR-II has not been updated to this new design. We recommend using the B2-LR-II if you need a more compatible lever-release style clamp. Choose a screw-knob clamp if you have Novoflex plates.

Charlie wrote in post #17848517
Just beware of old used items. Buy new, problem solved.

Many have said the same, then they tried the RRS clamp. Just imagine the perfect clamp and how solid it would be..... well, that's the RRS clamp. Peace of mind when you lock it down.

Exactly. I got the RRS lever release and never looked back.

Things to consider:

It takes a bit of force to lock and unlock. You can feel how strong it is.

The lever wraps around a bit, and ends up either under the body or the lens, so it would be very very hard to catch it on anything. Even if you did, I can't imagine you'd catch and then continue with enough force to unlock. I'm 100% sure you would stop before it happened.

I have attempted to push my plates out of the clamp once locked. Even with my thinnest 12+ year old Kirk plate, I can't budge the plates. They are totally tight in the clamp.

RRS has excellent customer service.

sawsedge wrote in post #17849397
Exactly. I got the RRS lever release and never looked back.

Things to consider:

It takes a bit of force to lock and unlock. You can feel how strong it is.

The lever wraps around a bit, and ends up either under the body or the lens, so it would be very very hard to catch it on anything. Even if you did, I can't imagine you'd catch and then continue with enough force to unlock. I'm 100% sure you would stop before it happened.

I have attempted to push my plates out of the clamp once locked. Even with my thinnest 12+ year old Kirk plate, I can't budge the plates. They are totally tight in the clamp.

RRS has excellent customer service.

I second this post. I started out with screw clamps from both Kirk and RRS when I was upgrading my Manfrotto stuff from the RC2 quick release system to Arca Swiss. Since then, I saved up and bought an RRS tripod and monopod and both heads I'm using have the RRS leaver release clamps. I can't believe how nice they are. I also have an RRS gimbal set-up with a leaver release clamp... again, stellar.

It's hard to express how good the RRS equipment is. The ease of use and reliability is something one notices from the moment they open the box and set things up for the first time. In the field..... their equipment will put a smile on your face.

Thanks everyone for your recommendations, very helpful information. I bought a P0 which was delivered yesterday. Very impressed so far. I didn't realize that the knurled ring around the belly of the ballhead is the mechanism for locking/loosening it. I mistakenly thought it was the panning knob which is why I was concerned over it's ability to lock/loosen easily. It appears like a great design and I'm looking forward to taking it out.

Unfortunately, both of my Arca Swiss style clamps are having issues fitting, so I'm considering options. I won't bore you with the details (unless prompted), but neither currently owned clamp are easily working out. I haven't exhausted all options, but a second and final trip to the hardware store tonight will determine whether they will work. So, I'm now considering clamp options and figured I'd throw it out to the experts.

There are 11 lever clamps on the RRS site and their compare function doesn't allow me to list them side by side. Can anyone either recommend one or quickly explain the differences? My plates are standard Arca Swiss style. Besides RRS, are there any other worth considering?

some of the RRS have different ways of mounting, different sizes, ect. Long story short, I spoke with RRS (they have great service), and they recommended this model: B2-AS-II-M6

It's great. I removed the p0 clamp thread with a 7/16 socket, then used some vibratite with the M6 x 20mm screw. I'm not sure RRS provides the screw, cant recall exactly. If you go too long, you wont be able to move the head properly, too short, well too short

I honestly LOVE the head. It's so clean, doesnt snag on anything, and movements are great. Love the aspherical ball and its properties.