Why do you have to use a particular order? I certainly don't with the 1471.
Neil
Ah, I've been playing some more and here's what I don't like...
When I want to open the monopod I like to loosen all three rings, extend the monopod to the correct length then tighten the rings. With the Gitzo I can grab hold of all the rings and loosen them all at the same time, then tighten them in any order.
With the Feisol, if I rotate all the rings at once only the top one loosens. I then have to extend the top section and tighten the top ring before I can loosen the middle ring, extend the middle section, tighten the middle ring, loosen the bottom ring, extend the bottom section and tighten the bottom ring. And each ring has to be tightened very tight, otherwise the lower section rotates when you try to loosen another ring.
When it's time to collapse the monopod, with the Gitzo I loosen the three rings in any order (top first is easiest), collape all the sections, grab all three rings at once and tighten them in one go. With the Feisol, if I want to avoid the loosen, collapse, tighten, repeat twice rigmarole, I have to loosen the rings in the order bottom, middle, top then collape the monopod and tighten the rings in the order top, middle, bottom.
It doesn't sound like much but, out in the field, the Gitzo requires no thought to use at different lengths and can be easily adjusted, without looking, in seconds. The Feisol takes a bit more thought and takes significantly longer to adjust its length.
