Bogen 3221W with a custom head (3030 would be my next choice). The legs have a foam rubber padding on the upper third section. Good for cold weather grip and all around dent resitiance. This model comes with a strap so you can sling it over your shoulder (another plus of the rubber pads). When I bought my setup the tripod itself was around 190$ US. That was about 4 years ago. I haven't priced them or similar models since. Light tripods may be good for carrying around, but a good hefty one will ALWAYS be more stable and motionless. the 3221W , for me, is not too heavy and not too light. I use it for everything from 35mm - 4x5 in all conditions. O.K. I'm done sounding like a bogen salesrep. Don't ignore other models though. You are doing the right thing. This is definately a purchase that needs to be researched. Working with a bad tripod is hell.