Many tripod heads come with a quick release plate which lets you quickly detach the camera from the tripod to take handheld shots without having to unscrew it. The camera is attached to the quick release plate rather than the tripod head itself.
With the Manfrotto head shown below, you slide the front edge of the plate under a projecting lip and then the back edge is clamped down by the sprung lever on the left. Other systems may use parallel grooves where you slide in the quick release plate from one side.
Quick release plates are very convenient once the camera is mounted, but fixing the camera to the plate can be fiddly in the first place. If you’re using a simple ball head, a quick release plate may prove an unnecessary complication. Ball heads are easy to ’spin’ when they’re slackened off, so screwing on/unscrewing the camera only takes a few moments anyway.
Quick release plates are useful with three-way or pan-and-tilt heads, though. These don’t ’spin’ in the same way as ball heads, and the camera has to be attached using a knurled screw on the underside of the mounting plate. Quick release systems are a much more convenient alternative.
See also: Manfrotto UK website | Tripod basics | Ball (and socket) head | Three-way head
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