It's well worth checking out the Surui Carbon fibre range on ebay. They do a range of sizes so should be something that suits. Well made and good value from the couple I've seen.
Taking price out of the equation for a second, there is quite a bit more to tripod choice than meets the eye. The most compact tripods usually have short leg sections so that they fold down neatly. So that they offer a reasonable working height, they have several leg sections (and indeed sometimes a high centre column), anything up to six and each of those leg sections gets progressively smaller in diameter so you have less stability from thinner legs and all those joints but the advantage is a much smaller pack down size. Conversely the most stable tripods have big thick, long legs and only 2 or three sections. And then there is everything in between. Carbon fibre is lighter than Aluminium but more expensive. It's better at dealing with resonant vibration but heavy tripods are often inherently more sturdy, especially if it's windy.
Then there are the myriad of head options! Ball heads are quick to adjust but hard to be 100% accurate with. Geared heads are heavy and expensive but offer the ultimate in precision. In between there are myriad of three way type options.
QR plates are often dependent on the head manufacturer but more and more offer an arca type plate connection which is as close as you'll see to an industry standard and many accessories such as L brackets or lens feet use this system so it's worth thinking about.
FWIW, I have a big heavy but earthquake proof Gitzo with a gitzo ballhead and a featherweight 3 legged thing with a ballhead. I bought both used for less than £300, there are some good bargains to be had.