Most people often underestimate the amount of money they need to spend on support equipment. I will tell you I have about 10kUSD invested in my current support equipment. And I have lost probably 2kUSD trying to get it right. It comes down to your needs and purchasing what fits your needs. Equipment I have used has ranged from 35mm film slrs and 35mm/apsc digital SLRs with up to 600mm lenses, 6x7 and 6x9 film rangefinders, Pentax 67, Pentax 645, Pentax 645D with up to 600mm lens. Equipment ranging from macro focusing rails to long lens support to gyros for aerial photography.
I have four tripods which all serve a specific purpose. A Gitzo series 0 carbon, Gitzo series 4 aluminum, Really Right Stuff series 3 carbon (weight of a series 3 from gitzo with support capabilities close to a series 5 carbon from Gitzo), and Berlebach wooden tripod (16lbs weight and 95lbs load capacity). I have been through other Gitzo (including the explorer series) and Manffroto tripods all of which I sold at a loss.
Tripod heads I use are Arca Swiss D4, Arca Swiss Z2, and Really Right Stuff BH 25. All of these have a specific purpose of use. Tripod heads I have sitting around that never really get use are Kirk BH1 and full Wimberly head; sold a Kirk BH3 at a loss.
Massive fan of geared heads for landscapes. I just upgraded and chose an Arca Swiss due to a lot of complaints about load capacity, durability, etc. with the manfroto 405; not to mention the retarded non arca clamp thingy. The D4 was a good compromise between the Arca Swiss cube and the Manfrotto 405. And I am happy to say this was my first entry into geared heads and I made the right choice finally. Never go back to the standard ball head again. The precision framing it allows with no fuss is a dream.
Words of advice. Don't skimp on what you need. Extra money is better spent from the start than later. Support equipment losses value very fast, you won't come close to recovering the investment minus wear and tear. Don't underestimate maximum height. I find myself setting up at the edge of cliffs often with one or two legs fully extended and still bending over with a tripod that has a maximum height of 68". Don't under estimate load capacity; that number is a generic number which often does not compare across brands. If you are operating even at 75% of the maximum load capacity you will be sacrificing ISO to gain shutter speed to get non blurry images. Don't under estimate your tripod heads. Good tripod heads make a wold of difference. Don't under estimate how much money you are going to spend on various accessories, clamps, plates, lens support, etc., etc... But choose this stuff carefully. Thank about everything you could potentially need and how to choose clamps, rails etc. for multiple purposes. I have about 5 clamps laying around that never get used (@ 100USD each that is 500USD with a resale value of probably 100USD so I keep them for eventual use) and multiple plates and other odds and ends.
Originally posted by mikeSF depends of course what YOU are shooting, but i've had a few different types and now prefer a heavier metal tripod, not carbon. when shooting in strong wind or partially submerged in moving water doing long exposures, why risk movement from a light tripod? I hike often and have never been on a hike where i felt my tripod was just too darn heavy. I also moved from a ball and pistol grip to a 3-way head (Manfrotto 329RC4) which is awesome.
good luck in the search
Partially agree; but that can be overcome by using weights. I carry a bagish thing used as a sink for camping that I can fill with rocks/sand/ or even water to hang underneath. Remember though that his improves support greatly but takes away from load capacity.