Guys. In your many years taking pictures. Using and buying tripods/monopods...is there really any good reason to opt for the expensive Gitzo tripods? Over lets say a Induro, Manfrotto carbon models....etc.?? It seems the big name photographers like Art Wolfe swear by them. That or they get heavy sponsorship from Gitzo. :)

I'm looking for a tripod I can carry on trips. Light as possible and compact as possible. The Gitzo Traveller series sounds like it fits the bill on paper. But they run $650 USD and up. While a comparable Induro carbon tripod under $300 USD. Less than half the cost. Is there something in the way Gitzo's are made to justify their seemingly inflated cost?

Plan to use the tripod for landscape work, macro and portrait. Locally and abroad in locales like India, Morocco...etc.

Thanks.

the beauty of the carbon fiber is their light weight.the lighter the t pod the greater the chance you will religously carry it with your slr at all times.:|

scooptdoo wrote:
I definitely plan to buy a carbon fiber. The question is which brand? As I said. I'm looking for the lightest possible and compact. And it has to be able to support 10 pounds. Heaviest lens will be the Nikon 70-200 f/2.8 VR I'll later be getting. Most likely anyway. Or it's replacement. As they said the current version is designed more for DX bodies (great for my D300...not so great if I buy a D700 FX body)...but I digress...

Recommendations any one? :)