I’ve at all times had a love-hate relationship with monopods. To be truthful, principally hate. That is because of the very causes that YC Onion’s new carbon fibre Pineta monopod (buy here) addresses. Largely, it’s the truth that you have got a leg meeting comprised of a number of elements, and every must be unlocked and locked once more manually each time it’s essential to alter the peak. Finally, for me, they’re extra trouble than they’re value.
The YC Onion Pineta, then again, is a breeze to function compared. The reason being that it has only a single lever that locks and unlocks all leg segments concurrently. This makes for very fast and simple peak changes out within the area when it’s essential to reply shortly. We took a sneak peek on the aluminium Pineta at IBC 2022, however now they’re again with the carbon fibre model at NAB 2023, so we needed to cease by and have a look.
YC Onion Pineta – Quick!
The large benefit that the YC Onion Pineta presents over its rivals is its locking lever. There’s a single lever on the prime of the monopod that enables for fast and simple changes out within the area with only a single hand. Two are getting used right here as a result of there’s no digital camera mounted to the monopod. If there have been, you’d have the ability to hold your proper hand on the digital camera always and alter your peak shortly and simply along with your left.
It’s an issue that plagues 99% of monopods on the market. It’s why I solely personal one monopod. The Manfrotto Neotec 685B (which is unfortunately not obtainable) has been my monopod of alternative for at the very least the final fifteen years. For years, it was just about the one single-handed operation monopod available on the market. Now that the Neotec 685b isn’t any extra, it seems to be like YC Onion’s Pineta may now have the ability to declare that title.
Fast Launch All over the place
As with many monopods today, significantly video monopods, the Pineta includes a low-profile base with three toes. This lets you take a little bit of the load off in low-wind environments while you simply want to face the digital camera up and have your arms free. It additionally provides you a central level round which to pivot and transfer the monopod whereas filming, making for smoother pictures.
The Pineta attaches to an detaches from the bottom by the usage of a fast launch, letting you shortly flip it into only a single-point base monopod. There’s additionally one other fast launch on the prime of the monopod, which helps you to simply swap out totally different tripod heads as needed. Maybe you’ve acquired a number of heads for various digital camera rigs. There’s a 53cm extension part, too, with a fast launch on the highest and backside that permits you to lengthen the Pineta’s peak as much as round 2 metres at full size.
The modular quick-release design of the monopod permits for lots of performance, use circumstances and filming choices. When you simply want a tabletop stand, for instance, you possibly can mount your tripod head straight to the three-footed base with out the monopod in any respect. Or you need to use simply the extension when you solely want a bit little bit of a peak enhance and the closed-up monopod is just too lengthy. In fact, you’ve acquired the monopod itself, providing quite a lot of heights from 75cm as much as 145cm (plus the peak of the toes and head).
Most compatibility
The highest of the Pineta monopod sports activities a 3/8-16″ screw thread. This is identical thread discovered on a typical fluid head. This may sound like a little bit of a disappointment to these of you with tripod heads that characteristic a 1/4-20″ thread beneath, however haven’t any worry! That spring-loaded 3/8-16″ thread truly pushes all the way down to reveal a 1/4-20″ thread inside it. This gives compatibility for each 1/4-20″ and three/8-16″ tripod heads with out the necessity to fiddle with thread adapters.
Having the 1/4-20″ thread hidden away on prime of the monopod additionally means which you can screw different 1/4-20″ units onto the highest of it. Gadgets like gimbals. It might successfully be a very heavy rig to carry onto, particularly at full size with the extension put in, however it signifies that you are able to do these faux drone pictures with full-size mirrorless cameras and a gimbal to maintain issues regular.
I believe it may be time to retire my trustworthy previous Neotec 685B and decide certainly one of these up as an alternative!
Value and Availability
The YC Onion Pineta is accessible to pre-order now in a headless aluminium version for $239 and carbon fibre for $339, respectively. It’s additionally that can be purchased as a package with a fluid video head in aluminium for $299 and carbon fibre for $399. Delivery is predicted to start in June.
DIYP’s protection of NAB 2023 is sponsored by Sennheiser, Zhiyun, B&H, and SmallRig