Travel tripod dilemma - buy head or complete set?

[southernjessie]

I hope you folks can help me with some guidance please.

I have a Velbon Ultra Rexi L tripod which is great value for money and pretty light at 1.2kg. The only head I have is a Manfrotto 3-way panning head and I find that the combination of tripod and legs is still pretty bulky when going on holiday or walking around.

I was thinking of either:

1. Buying a small ball head like a Giottos or Sirui, which would be much more compact than the 3-way head

2. Investing in a carbon fibre travel tripod with a ball head that folds into the tripod itself so the whole thing is seamless, small and compact.

I would mostly use the tripod for landscapes on my travels and size and weight are certainly big factors.

My camera is a Nikon D600 and AF-S 18-35G lens (both camera and lens are lighter than my old D90 + 16-85 combination).

I won't be using any long zoom lenses as I try to go as light as possible. My budget can stretch to around £300-£400.

I really like the Velbon Ultra Rexi but wondering if a good carbon fibre tripod with folding ball head would make sense in the long run?

 

[Nod]

For travel I use a Giottos Vitruvian CF with its supplied head. I did swap the head for a Manfrotto to keep all the QR plates consistent across my kit but the Manfrotto head is heavier and bulkier than the Giottos one so is now on something else! It's used under a selection of kit including a D800 with assorted lenses including a 70-200 f/2.8 and has proved to be plenty sturdy enough even for long exposures (star trails).