Yes but I guess that is always an issue with quality v price I think the main concern is how versatile it is and the weight I found the new Carbon ones were not that much lighter than the others I tried out. I would also suggest you consider a Monopod unless you need to mount the camera for landscapes or night shots I use this more often than my Manfrotto Classic for wildlife anyway I carry tape around to lash it to something solid

Danny O'Byrne  http://www.digitalartzone.co.uk/

"All the technique in the world doesn't compensate for the inability to notice" Eliott Erwitt