Bynx, For the record, I was talking about the Manfrotto 324RC2 Joystick Head for $120. The sturdy Velbon tripod I have been using for the last two years is $99 on sale in Vancouver. That being said, when I could afford it I put the Manfrotto 327RC2 Joystick heavy duty Magnesium head (supports 5.5Kg.) on the Velbon Tripod. This combination is very stable and strong enough to easily support my 50D with just about any imaginable lens on it. The largest I have used so far is the 400 f5.6L and it was like a rock, for added stability I hang my gearbag underneath (without the Body and one lens, it weighs just under 5Kgs.)
The only reason I might consider changing from this combination, would be to get Carbon Fiber legs for it, for the weight factor alone, as I take this setup with me when i travel. However, it is going to have to cost me a lot in baggage fees before I do this as I am not a huge fan of carbon fiber. From years of Yacht racing I can tell you that carbon Fiber has two drawbacks, vibration transference and while it is strong it is also brittle if it is struck by anything against the bias. I have seen my luggage after some trips and wondered if a Carbon fiber tripod would survive that abuse.
On one particular boat I raced on we carried 6 carbon fiber Spinnaker poles. When they broke the got chucked overboard (Ouch, big$$$$ and Huge Carbon Fiber Footprint. Yes pun intended.) Anyway when money is not a concern the weight advantage over an Aluminum pole was huge. Me like so many though, work and live Paycheck to Paycheck and I can't afford to chuck stuff away. My apologies I digress.