Photographers fight about tripods all the time.
;- )
Most of what are sold as "tripods" are just three-legged tripod-shaped approximations. You do indeed get what you pay for. Here's an axiom:
Cheap, light, sturdy: pick any two.
Gitzo is the gold standard, and will give you reliable support that will last forever. They're also expensive, especially in carbon fiber. A used aluminum Gitzo can be a good choice, since you get all the quality at a lower price.
Manfrotto (owned by the same parent company as Gitzo) makes several good quality tripods in the $100 range. They're not as elegant as Gitzo, but they're tough, well-made, and will last forever. The 190 series (formerly known as 3001/3205) is a good starting point for a fairly lightweight set of legs. For something a bit more robust (you'll really start to see the difference at focal lengths over 100mm, and at shutter speeds between 1s and 1/30s), the 055 series (formerly known as 3021/3221) is very solid. A used 3021/3221 can easily be had for under a hundred bucks, and if it hasn't been abused, it should last a long time.
In any of these, pay attention to tube size, not weight ratings. The latter are pretty meaningless -- it doesn't take much to "hold" 20 pounds or more, while actually stabilizing it is another matter altogether. Gitzo rates their legs by both weight and focal length, which is a much better indicator of the tripod's torsional stability. What Gitzo calls a series 1 has 24mm upper legs, which is comparable to a Manfrotto 3001/190. Gitzo says that's appropriate for up to 100-150mm or so -- beyond that, you start having problems at difficult shutter speeds (especially around the worst mirror-slap zone, at about 1/10s). Series 2 is 28mm (equiv. to Manfrotto 3021/055), and reliable up to ~200mm. For 300mm and above, Gitzo series 3 (32mm) or above is really necessary, and by then you're making a more serious purchase that should happen after you've got more experience and know what you need.
For a basic all-around tripod for general use that balances between compact size and good stability, something in the series 2 range is usually the best place to start. That means a Manfrotto 3021/3221/055, or a used Gitzo 1220 (aluminum) or 1228 (cf). Gitzo's more recent models use an updated numbering scheme, but those will probably be cost prohibitive (2541 for cf, 2340 for aluminum).
There are a host of Chinese copies of Gitzo and Manfrotto (Benro, Induro, Dynatran, etc. -- they all come out of the same factory), but once again, you get what you pay for. If you like fake Spydercos from China, buy one and take your chances -- but otherwise, stick with Gitzo and Manfrotto, and you can be confident of your choice.
This will give you sticker shock, but you should read it anyway:
http://bythom.com/support.htm
