I'll add another good option to the list, though I can't speak negatively of any of the others because the only tripod I've used in my limited experience is the Dolica Proline Reversible tripod.

I think it's a fairly compact tripod at under 13 inches when folded down, but it extends up to about 55 inches while weighing only 2.5 pounds. Some features I appreciate are:

• it has a fully articulating ball head and a quick release plate

• one of the legs is detachable and can be connected to the removable center arm to create a mono pole.

• you can pull out and reverse the center arm so that it hangs down between the three legs if you want to get a shot close to the ground using solid support of the tripod

• it's reasonably well constructed with solid legs and quality rubber footings. Doesn't feel cheap despite being just $65.