sooo I totally feel u on this. I spent years trying to save money on cheap tripods and honestly... I just ended up with blurry night shots and a lot of frustration. The R6 with a battery grip is a pretty beefy setup, especially when you've got the Canon RF 24-105mm f/4L IS USM attached. I had issues with some "pro" travel tripods that were way too flimsy and not as good as expected when the wind picked up... especially for those long exposures you mentioned. For your $400-$600 budget, here are the best solutions I've found: 1. Leofoto LS-324C Carbon Fiber Tripod with LH-40 Ball Head - This thing is seriously stable. It doesnt have a center column, which might seem annoying at first, but it actually makes it way more rigid for those long-exposure night shots. It’s basically rock solid and fits your budget perfectly.
2. Benro Mach3 2 Series Carbon Fiber Tripod (TMA28C) - This is a classic workhorse. Its carbon fiber, so its light for hiking, but the legs are thick enough that they wont flex under the R6 + grip weight. I've used this on 10-mile hikes and it’s a lifesaver. Basically, you want to look for something with a decent leg diameter. Anything too thin and that battery grip is gonna cause "micro-shake" during your shots. Carbon fiber is highkey worth the extra cash cuz it damps vibrations way faster than aluminum ever could. Anyway, dont forget a good L-bracket... cheers!

Stumbled upon this discussion and I totally agree with the above! Buying cheap tripods is basically a tax on photographers lol. Ngl, even though I'm still learning the ropes, I've noticed that for long exposures with a gripped R6, you realy need to focus on leg diameter for vibration dampening. If the legs are too thin, even a light breeze will ruin those sharp landscape shots because the battery grip makes the whole thing top-heavy. Since you're hiking, I would suggest looking into these:
1. Leofoto LS-324C Ranger Series Carbon Fiber Tripod with LH-40 Ball Head - this is great because it has no center column, so its way more stable for low-angle shots.
2. Sirui AM-284 Carbon Fiber Tripod with K-20X Ball Head - very lightweight but still has a high load capacity for your beefy setup. I think the Leofoto might be the winner for ur budget? It's sturdy enough for the R6 but wont break your back on a trail. Just be careful with the twist locks in sand... I've heard they can be a bit finicky if you dont clean them. Good luck!!

Building on the earlier suggestion about weight vs stability, I totally agree that the battery grip changes the center of gravity significantly. I learned that the hard way when a gust of wind caught my R6 on a flimsy travel tripod near a cliff... my heart stopped for a second. Since then, I wont trust anything that feels even slightly thin. Basically, the thread consensus is to skip the budget stuff and go for beefy carbon fiber legs. I've been very satisfied with the Vanguard VEO 3+ 263CB Carbon Fiber Tripod. It handles the weight of the R6 and the 24-105mm easily, and the multi-angle column is actually way more stable than I expected for those low landscape shots. If you want something even more rugged for outdoor work, the Sirui ST-224 Waterproof Carbon Fiber Tripod is a great alternative to the Benro or Feisol mentioned earlier. Its weather sealing is a lifesaver if you're hiking in damp or dusty conditions. No complaints here, both fit well within that $400-600 range and feel much safer than the budget sticks I used to use.

+1 to what was said earlier! Buying cheap is definitely a trap. Adding my two cents, since youre hauling a gripped R6, you basically gotta look at the load capacity vs weight. I might suggest looking at the Feisol Tournament CT-3442 Rapid Carbon Fiber Tripod. It's literally like 2.5 lbs which is great for hikes, but it handles like 55 lbs! I think it fits right in ur budget around $450ish without a head. Tbh, I'm still kinda new to all these technical specs, but I've heard the stability on these is insane for the weight. Another solid choice could be the Sirui W-2204 Waterproof Carbon Fiber Tripod. It's built like a tank and handles water/sand well if ur doing coastal landscapes. Just make sure to pair them with a good ball head like the Sirui K-30X Ball Head. Anyway, definitely dont skimp on the legs now that you have that nice L-series glass!! gl

Same boat, watching this