For a long time I have been an advocate of Ries tripods for LF and ULF. But they are undeniably heavy. Even just walking with my 5x7 field camera and a Ries J100, that tripod wore me down quickly despite being a "smaller" Ries, and I began to regret bringing it. And as far as the A100, it is a beast when it comes to operating anywhere beyond the rear bumper of my car.
Interesting that this thread popped up this afternoon in my 'new posts' list as I received just now the FLM CP38-L4 II that I ordered a few weeks back. It is an impressive bit of kit and looks as though it will be a valuable addition to my collection of tripods. I ordered it to essentially replace my Ries A100 as it allows use of a 100mm half-ball. And since my main use of the A100 is to support my 12x20 camera, that half-ball can act as a leveling head since for that format I'm most concerned with a level horizon and no fancy moves.
I do also have a Gitzo G1548 Mk2 which I have used in the past mostly with a Sinar Norma (5x7 and 8x10). That Gitzo is a fine tripod, but the FLM will probably relegate it to the closet for now. I am impressed with the fit and finish of the FLM as well as its functionality. And Ari, the North American distributor for FLM and who is a member here, is great to work with. If you have questions, he's the guy to contact.
I look forward to working more with the CP 38 later this week and can report more on it then. I'm not familiar with FLM's other offerings, but I'm confident that they're every bit as nice as the CP 38.
Good luck in your search. If you can get away with just one tripod, you're doing much better than the rest of us!
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