Imi, long time no see indeed
Yes, you can turn the pivot function off as well as the automatic presser foot lift. I'm not sure what you mean by the "Clunk", as mine lowers very smoothly, both from the button or the presser foot. In any case, you can turn that off and use the lever if you want to.
The increments for the needle are 0.1mm
4.5 mm is the middle position, and you can adjust 4.5 mm to the left and 4.5mm to the right (from 0 to 9 mm).