Originally Posted by bob williams
Probably not when you consider the legs and the head by themselves. But adding 3 or 4 pounds to an already heavy pack does make a big difference in my experience.
I had an aluminum rig for a year before I got a carbon-fiber setup and the difference is like night and day. My heaviest lens is the 70-200/2.8IS, which is certainly heavy but nothing compared to long lenses. So the 500 you spoke of - that's a separate consideration, and you'll need a gimbal head for that baby, and some serious sticks to support it. In fact I'm sure its case is heavier than the 70-200!
But for tele zooms and shorter, you may be surprised how much of a difference 3 pounds can make when you're carrying everything around all day. You didn't say what type of shooting you do, so maybe you're not hiking with your equipment very often. But if you are, I would make the jump to carbon-fiber and never look back. Your back will thank you years down the line...
I got a low-end Manfrotto setup - 488RC2 head and 190CXPro4 sticks - and I'm pretty happy with it. I don't get any bothersome vibration and almost zero slippage, even with the 70-200/2.8IS. The head is fairly cheap - if I had the budget at the time I would've gone for one of Manfrotto's hydraulic rigs (or Gitzo) - those things really lock down your shot. But the 488RC2 is a very good under-$150 head.
If you plan to use a tripod do yourself a favor and get the very best setup you can afford. Even my "low-end" rig is a pleasure to work with, and a very big difference from the alum stuff I was using before.
Good luck on the search - let us know what you decide!
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