I have owned and evaluated many tripods over time. I feel the most suitable tripods for serious landscape photography are full-size tripods with manageable weight for field use and moderate hiking. Height (with head and camera attached and center column down) should be as close to eye level as possible to avoid slouching. My preference is a tripod that weighs, sans head, not much more than 4-pounds and (for my 6-foot stature) is at least 53-inches tall with the center column down.
Carbon Fiber Versus Metal
Regardless your tolerance for carrying weight, I strongly recommend you consider only a carbon fiber tripod. Pound for pound, you get more tripod utility and better vibration resistance than aluminum or multi-alloy tripods. Granted there is a cost penalty, but over time I’m confident you will never regret it. When I had switched to a carbon tripod (along with a magnesium head), I reduced my tripod load by 40%.
Leg Styles
I recommend legs that spread apart individually (as opposed to a center-column brace) or you will go nuts trying to use it on uneven terrain. An additional convenience is spring-loaded leg-angle detents. I don’t recommend a geared center-column that, in my experience, is more a hindrance than a convenience. I also prefer three versus four leg-sections for better stability and fewer leg locks to fuss with.
Finally, there is the question of twist-locks versus snap-locks. I always have used snap-locks because I found the rotating legs in twist-lock tripods made engaging the locks awkward and frustrating. That has now been remedied where most manufacturers are changing over to non-rotating legs. After testing many of these newer designs, I now feel twist-locks are more ergonomic than snap-locks.
Tripod Recommendations
My longtime tripod was the Manfrotto 055CXPRO3 (since replaced by the MT056CX-PRO3). It features a snap lock system that, in my opinion, is best in class. The center column can also be positioned horizontally for macro or ground-level shots. My only criticism is the weight of the newer model increased by 0.8 pounds. Despite the weight increase, I feel this is one of the best tripod values for both landscape and general photography.

Manfrotto’s MT055CXPRO3
Twist Lock
Arthritic problems with my hands have made using snap-locks somewhat uncomfortable. This forced me to abandon my cherished Manfrotto tripod for a twist-lock style. High-end carbon fiber twist-lock tripods are available from Really Right Stuff and Gitzo. For those where money is no object, I feel an ideal choice is the Gitzo GT2532 Mountaineer Series 2. This tripod is 3.7-pounds and 54.3-inches tall with the center column down. It uses O-rings on the leg locks to seal out dust and dirt, and the lower portion of the center column is easily removed for ground-level shooting.
Despite my attraction for the Gitzo, I had to reconcile with my buying philosophy, and that is to spend a premium only on what makes a better image. That led me to consider some of the Asian manufacturers that have made a substantial foray into the photo market. I was specifically attracted to Benro’s Mach3 and Induro’s nearly identical Stealth series. These tripods are sometimes described as Gitzo clones; but regardless their design inspiration, there is no arguing that they are well-made with performance to match. While the Gitzo may exhibit a bit more refinement, it’s hard to justify its 150% price premium. The Benro Mach3 and Induro Stealth are offered in varieties of height, weight, and number of leg sections to suit almost any need.

Benro TMA37C Series 3 Mach3: This replaced my Manfrotto and the superb leg-lock operation convinced me this is better than a snap-lock system.
Over the years I have owned all varieties of tripod heads: pan, geared, and ball heads, each with distinct advantages and disadvantages.
Pan/Tilt Heads
I find pan/tilt heads (or pan heads for short) are cumbersome at rapidly framing a composition. Maneuvering the camera isn’t as natural as a ball head and when finally positioned, I then have to lock each axis. To make the job easier, I do not use the handles to position the camera. Instead, I unlock all three axes and grasp the camera to maneuver the head (ball head style) and then lock the handles. On the positive side, once initially positioned, pan heads are convenient for fine-tuning the composition since each axis adjusts independently.
Manfrotto MHXPRO-3W pan head
I have shied away from pan heads over the years, but recently a new model from Manfrotto intrigued me to buy it. The movements are very smooth and it has a compact form factor. The handles retract to further shrink the size and are even usable in the retracted position. The pitch and swing axes have friction adjustments that allow you to set the freedom of movement — a very nice feature. The only negative is the weight. At 2.2 pounds, it is 1-pound heavier than my current ball head; and the difference is noticeable. Nevertheless, I would rate this as one of the better pan heads I have ever owned or tested.

Manfrotto MHXPRO-3W Pan/Tilt Head
For many years I used a Manfrotto 410 geared head. My geared head was even more annoying than pan heads to rapidly frame a composition. That’s because you had to finger-turn a stiffly sprung release-knob to freely rotate an axis. But when using the gears to fine-tune a composition, it excelled over all others at making the smoothest and most precise adjustments. Best of all, you don’t need to lock a geared head into place, so you never see the image sag in the viewfinder like other heads after locking their controls. Plus, you never worry about an accidentally unlocked head swinging down and crashing the lens against the tripod.

Manfrotto 410 Geared Head: If you compulsively fine tune a composition until absolute perfection, then this is the head for you.
Manfrotto XPRO
Manfrotto introduced a newer geared head that resolved some of the complaints I had about the 410. It weights only 1.7 pounds and is less expensive. It uses levers to release each axis that are more ergonomic than the 410’s twist knobs. It also uses the smaller and more convenient 200PL quick-release rather than the 410’s oversized and clunky RC4 system. The downsides are the maximum load capacity is 8.8 pounds versus 11 pounds for the 410, and it’s made mostly with “Adapto,” which is Manfrotto’s fancy term for plastic. This may cause some susceptibility to wind and shutter vibration when using telephoto lenses.

Manfrotto XPRO Geared 3-Way Pan/Tilt Head
Benro GD3WH
Benro released a new geared head that looks remarkably like the Manfrotto 410. Its magnesium construction addresses the 410’s weight issue (0.8 pounds lighter) and is less expensive. It also uses an Arca compatible plate. The one negative is it uses the same axis release-knob system as the 410 except with thinner knobs that are even less finger-friendly.
I find ball heads are the best all-around choice because they are the most natural way to point a camera and frame a composition. Then, the position is conveniently locked with a single knob.
Ball heads tend to be a little more expensive than pan-tilt heads, but a high-quality ball head can be found for under $200 if you choose carefully. I particularly favor Manfrotto that I feel offers a good balance between pro-quality and consumer pricing. My current ball head is a Manfrotto MHXPRO-BHQ2 XPRO. It has magnesium construction, weights only 1.1 pounds, and supports 22 pounds. One aspect I particularly like is that a light twist of the locking lever fully locks the ball. Many traditional ball heads I’ve tested in the past required a firm over-twist to fully lock the ball.

Manfrotto MHXPRO-BHQ2 XPRO Ball Head with 200PL Quick-Release: This ball head has two bubble levels to cover all axes and the quick-release system works well. This ball head is an outstanding value for the price.
One critical aspect that is often overlooked is sagging or shifting of the head position after lockdown. This can make it frustrating to precisely frame a composition when using a telephoto lens. If you can try before you buy, I suggest you ask the store to mount a camera with a telephoto lens and make sure sagging or shifting isn’t a problem. Furthermore, the locking knob(s) should require only a short turn to achieve a positive lock.
Another consideration is the integral quick-release plate should have rubber instead of cork for a mounting pad. When the head is in the vertical (portrait) position, a heavy lens can pivot the camera around the mounting screw on a plate using cork. Finally, there should be an independent pan axis for taking panoramic shots.
Among the variety of quick-release systems, there is no “best” system, but there are certainly many bad ones. That’s why it’s important to try before you buy. However, when evaluating tripod heads, I would give extra points to Arca-Swiss compatible plates. Arca-Swiss plates are a robust system and an industry standard that allows using third-party plates, such as an L-bracket. Note that not all so-called “Arca-Swiss styled” plates are compatible. When buying generic Arca-Swiss plates or heads, check the user reviews for any complaints about compatibility.
An L-bracket allows you to more conveniently reposition the camera from landscape to portrait simply by remounting the camera. You do not have to rotate the head. This is an advantage in the portrait (vertical) position since it retains a straight-line vertical axis for optimum balance and panning, and you don’t lose viewfinder height. With the exception of the Manfrotto L-bracket, most L-brackets are Arca-Swiss compatible.
I had survived for years without an L-bracket, but finally broke down and bought one. Now I kick myself for not having done so years ago, The only downsides are a small weight penalty and they can be pricey if you buy a camera-specific bracket from Really Right Stuff or Kirt. Another drawback is the bracket can limit some movement of an articulating LCD screen. In any case, I highly recommend you consider these brackets.

Really Right Stuff L-Bracket: This is the bracket I use. Note the cutout to allow movement for an articulating LCD screen. Make sure your Arca-Swiss clamp spans the gap (at least 1.5 to 2 inches).