There are sooooooo many tripods out there! How do you pick the right one? Well, I can't answer that for you. Sorry, I don't know your needs or the type of photography you do which would require a different tripod. I can, however, recommend a few things (I do teach all about tripods in my Photo Outings class at Durham Tech. College). First, I recommend going with latches as opposed to any other style. With latches, you know whether or not your tripod is stable. Avoid the ones that are supposed to lock with just one twist.  Also, make sure that what ever tripod you get it will hold the weight of your heaviest set up.

There are two general types of tripods.  The first are tripod bodies alone were you can pick the tripod head separately  to go with it. The second is tripod combo's where most do not interchange head and body. They are usually less expensive. Always try to buy a head that has two "Quick Release Plates". Often, it is hard to replace the quick release plate once lost. Avoid buying a tripod that has a plastic head. After freeze/thaws the plastic gets brittle and can drop your camera. Try to find a tripod that has a hook at the bottom. It allows you to stake the tripod to the ground or hang your camera bag on the hook. This helps to stabilize the tripod in the wind. Finally, for those very cold days of shooting, it helps to find a tripod with a foam grip. Grabbing a very cold metal leg is not much fun.  For more on tripods, try my Photo Outings Class!