I have not used the really right stuff before. I have used the Arca Swiss ball heads when I shot with large lenses that weighed more than 10 lbs. (anything 300mm f2.8 or larger needs a good head) For most of you guys, any lens like a 300mm f4 or 400mm f5.6 requires a small ball head. Anything from a Bogen/Manfrotto are ok. The only thing I would suggest is go and put your largest lens on the head and try it out. What i look for is holding power when at an angle, and more importantly you want it to be fairly smooth so that you can have the ball head just tight enough to move it smoothly but it will hold when you stop moving the lens. Sometimes that deer moves and your head has to be able to move with it and remain stable. For small lenses like most of you have, any of these brands make ok small ball heads that work.
P.S. - I have never been a huge fan of light tripods like the carbon ones. In fact, I often would add sand bags to my metal tripods to further dampen vibrations. However, they do serve a purpose when you are hiking quite a ways in. I have seen some that have a bag that hangs under the center post of the tripod. When they get to where they want to go and begin shooting, they fill the bag with rocks to make their tripod extra sturdy. If you want tack sharp images, sometimes it's necessary. (also use mirror lockup when possible)
