Quote Originally Posted by HDNitehawk
with the one I have, the arm pivots and the legs can pose at any angle independitly.

The 190CXPRO4 has an adjustable center column (normal / 90° / reversed) so the camera can be to the side or suspended upside down to get it very close to the ground; the legs can be locked at independent angles (great for hillsides). Personally, I find the flip-locks on the Manfrotto legs faster to open/close than the twist-locks on the Gitzo.


Generically speaking, I prefer CF over aluminum for the lighter weight and better vibration damping, but also - especially at this time of year - the fact that CF has a much lower thermal transfer coefficient than carbon, which means the legs don't feel as cold when you're adjusting/carrying the tripod around outside.