3-legged support: buying a tripod and head

This will be my next purchase. I want something light (3 lbs), good (sturdy and can support my 10D with its heaviest lens, the 200 F2.8), and cheap (<$200). It turns out that light and good never come cheap. Sigh.

Light Tripod	Velbon Chaser EFL-4	Bogen Manfrotto 3001	Velbon Carmagne 630 or 640	Gitzo Mountaineer 1228
Type	Aluminum	Aluminum	Carbon Fiber	Carbon Fiber
Price (new)	$80	$90	$300	$400
Price (used)	-	$70	-	$350

As for ballheads, the light (~1 lb) and good ones that make the list are all a couple hundred dollars.

Light Ballhead	Kirk BH-3	Acratech Ultimate Ballhead	Markins M10
Price (new)	$240	$280	$320
Price (used)	$190	$240	-

And don't forget the plates. Only the Kirk BH-3 comes with a generic one. You might want to get a camera-specific one.

QR plates	Kirk	Acratech	Really Right Stuff	Arca Swiss
Price (new)	$55	$40	$55	$50
Price (used)	$40	$30	$40	$35

Right now, my options are

• spending a heck of a lot of money for "the one"--something great that I would probably never upgrade again ($600 for Hakuba/Velbon Carmagne 630 CF legs, and an Acratech Ultimate ballhead). If I were rich, I would go for the fancy Gitzo Mountaineer CF legs.
  
• going cheaper on the legs and getting the lightest coolest ballhead ($400 for Velbon EFL-4 AL legs, and the Acratech Ultimate ballhead)
  
• going really cheap, but facing the possibility of upgrading in a couple months down the road ($100 for the Velbon EFL-4 and some cheap head)

Some useful links

• I highly recommend this article on tripods http://www.bythom.com/support.htm. It has convincing arguments on why one shouldn't cheap out on tripods.
  
• A comparison of light and affordable tripod legs http://members.bellatlantic.net/~vze2gkrc/Tripod-Test.html
  
• Modified Velbon Carmagne 630 by Arca
  
• Velbon Carmagne 630 review
  
• Review of Velbon EFL-4 cheap light-weight tripod
  
• Acratech Ultimate Ballhead
  
• Really Right Stuff Quick Release Plates
  
• Kirk Enterprises Ballheads
  
• Markins Ballheads
  
• Nikonian.org's Pro Photo Shop sells Markins