I recently bought the Benro C2682 and would readily recommend the aluminum version A2682 which retails for $204. Check out my review in this subforum from this weekend.
I can't recommend the 700DX. I have two, one was purchased ~15 years ago, the other is half that age. The old beater has proven utterly bombproof, even surviving a tumble off the cliffs of Bryce NP. The more recent model has twice failed due to the nylon sleeves and bushings cracking as I extended the legs. After the first event I took great pains to be extra gentle, yet the tripod still managed to break in the same manner, sending springs, spacers and fractured plastic flying. Hum.... it seems Slik has started sourcing components from an inferior source. I paid to have it repaired the first time, but requested a freebie the second time around, since it's - IMO - a clear quality failure. They declined, so I made my own bushings out of kapton tape...
FWIW, no more SLIK for me, ever.
p.s.
Assuming it doesn't explode upon deployment, the 700DX a big sturdy thing that supports everything up to, and including, my 4x5 with ease.
