amehta Loc: Boston

You are using excellent equipment, so it makes sense to support it well.

(1) When I was upgrading from my old Bogen tripod, I really wanted to get a Gitzo, but I was convinced by a knowledgeable salesperson not to. Since they are now owned by Manfrotto, he felt they were not quite as good, and they no longer had the lifetime warranty. That reduced the value, but the price had not really come down. Every Gitzo I picked up also seemed heavier than it needed to be. Looking at other options, I settled on Induro, and have been very happy with them.

(2) If you get a ball head, many have a panning feature which you would want so you can stitch landscape panoramics. I prefer the compactness of the ball head, so my last pan-tilt head sits in its box.

(3) I prefer the lighter weight of the carbon-fiber, and I believe they are also stiffer. But obviously they cost more.

(4) You didn't mention it, but the quick release plate would be a consideration if you ever get a larger lens. Your 70-200mm f/4 is about the largest lens you would have where you mount the camera, not the lens, on the tripod. If you want to be able to switch between mounting the camera and mounting a lens, the QR system is important. I like the Arca-Swiss compatible clamps/plates over the Manfrotto RC2 system (I have three of those plates sitting in the cabinet, since I've abandoned it). The lens or camera would twist on the RC2 plates, apparently because I didn't use pliers to tighten it. Being told I should have used pliers made me even more glad that I had switched to Arca-Swiss. :-)