I've used a Uniloc 1600 for about 7 years and I've yet to find anything as versatile. It is well made and only costs £100 new. I recently disassembled it to clean out dirt and oil the mechanism and it now works like new.
The Uniloc 1600 Major and Benbo 1 are sturdier versions of the same thing. They are surprisingly cheap when you compare them to the competition. But they are not that light. The 1600 is 2.4Kg which is heavy compared to CF tripods. The only disadvantage is that you must be careful to hold the camera (or remove it) when loosening the central lock as the central column and all three legs will be free to move.
There's no reason why you can't put a Manfrotto head on a Uniloc. It uses a standard 1/4" thread.
If you don't need the versatility of the Uniloc/Benbo, then I guess a Manfrotto/Gitzo or whatever would be best. Gitzo is the brand that seems to be favoured by the big names.
But if you want conventional, you could check out Benro who make Gitzo clones, or rip-offs depending on your point of view. I can't comment on the build quality. They are sold in the UK by various places including Microglobe. Reckon on about £200.
Leif
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