Just how bad is a Gitzo?

Greg,

Thanks for the help. It looks like I'll go with the 1325.

Can't help chipping in a comment about the leg rotation issue on Gitzos -

I've been using a 1348 (this is a 4-segment model with no center post) for a few years now and have adopted a scheme which all but eliminates this problem for me. I tighten the thickest segment the tightest, nearly as hard as I can turn the thing, the next one moderately firmly, and the thinnest one relatively loosely. When expanding for use, I start with the thinnest segments and work up as needed, tightening each expanded segment the same way as when collapsing it. The only times I have any leg rotation problems is if I was sloppy the last time I tightened things up.

The drawback is that what I'm doing doesn't get me the most stable configuration (unless I'm expanding all the segments), since the thin segments are less stable than the thicker ones, in other words, I'm always using the weakest links in the system.