I'm shopping around for a serious macro tripod for mushroom photography
and have pretty much narrowed it down to either the Bogen/Manfrotto
3021PRO, the Gitzo Explorer G2220, or the Uni-Loc Minor 1600.

The Gitzo Explorer seems to be kind of the standard in macro
photography. The Bogen 3021PRO is $50 less and seems similar, but I've
heard vague reports that its not as versatile as the Gitzo Explorer and
hence more difficult to set up.

The Uni-Loc Minor is about $25 more than the Gitzo G2220, and features a
single-bolt setup similar to the Benbo Trekker. (Uni-Loc is supposed to
be much sturdier than Benbo, however.) The single bolt is supposed to be
awkward at first and requires you to study the instruction manual, but
is supposed to be a super-fast setup once you get the hang of it.
Uni-Loc has a "System 1700" tripod that's supposed to be even more
versatile, but at $65 more than the G2220, its starting to get out of my
price range.

Opinions on the above tripods and which would be best for field macro
work? In particular, what can I do (or do faster) with the more
expensive Gitzo or Uni-Loc models that I couldn't do with the Bogen?

Also, what do you recommend in terms of a tripod head for the above
tripods? I'm still not sure whether I want a pan head or a ball head -
I've heard differing recommendations for macro work. I am trying to set
up a macro system on a reasonable budget, so I find the expense of a
good ballhead somewhat distressing. What would be the problem with using
a simple Bogen 3262 (= Bogen 484) if I'm not going to have a lot of
weight on the tripod? Any recommendations for a decent ballhead for
under $150 (preferably under $100) would be greatly appreciated.

I should probably mention the camera setup, since that would determine
what kind of head I would use. Its a Canon Elan with a 90mm macro lens
and I may at some point use a Speedlite 420EX flash and softbox mounted
on an off-camera bracket with it.

Peter

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