Love this tripod for going backpack hunting. I bought it from RentOutdoorGear.com because I got to try it first before buying. The leg locks are very secure and lock/unlock in 1/4 turn. They're sealed against dust and grit. The little LH-25 ball head is surprisingly smooth and allows me to pan/tilt with the single lever lock when I roll the ball over into the drop-slot.
One draw back is that you have to make sure the screw knob that locks the arca plate is pointed up or to the front/back when you're using the drop slot or you get interference with the legs hitting the knob when panning because the head is very low and compact. If it was 3 - 5 millimeters taller, there wouldn't be an issue, but that would probably add some weight. If you get contact when panning, just rotate the plate 90 degrees and you should have clearance.
The head has a single tension locking lever to control the ball and it surprisingly gives good control. It releases the panning action before the tilt which is perfect for glassing. The whole setup with the head is under 2 pounds which is crazy-light and it still works well for a 65mm spotting scope. I think you could run an 80mm scope off it, but it wouldn't be ideal. The next size up tripod would be a better choice with larger scopes.
The add-on center column is super lightweight, but I usually don't bring it along. Moving the ball head back and forth between the platform and the column is tedious and I don't usually mind raising the whole tripod when I'm using my binoculars. If using the center column is an important key feature to you, then I would get the LX-224 where the center column is built in... or buy another LH-25 head and keep it on the column at all times so you don't have to swap the head back and forth.
Really happy with this tripod overall. Great stability and function in an ultra-lightweight package that's built right with high end materials and excellent fit & finish quality. Rent Outdoor Gear was awesome to work with and helped me choose the perfect tripod for my needs. They credited 100% of my rental toward my purchase.