Guest Post: YC Onion Pineta Pro Monopod with BF44 Bagel Ball Head

Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Victor Lim, and I am a Photographer and an author of smartphone photography books from StuckOnUrban Studio. 

Big thanks to TheSwanple for this guest post which I will be introducing a professional grade Monopod, the YC Onion Pineta Pro Carbon Fiber Monopod with the BF44 Bagel Ball Head. And, big thanks to Master D'Imaging for sending the Monopod over for me to test. 

I have been testing the Monopod and the BF44 Bagel Ball Head for 2 weeks. Here is why it's a workflow game-changer and let me simplify this with a one liner before I go into the detail. 

One Lever to deploy them, One Pedal to tilt them, and in the speed of the moment, zero time wasted.

This Monopod is packed with some game changing features that made it stands out among the others. The first main feature which is also the highlight is the One Step Release Lever for easy and quick deployment. If you have been fighting with slow deployment due to the release system, then this monopod is for you because the One-step Release lever is all it takes to extend the monopod to its full length. 

The second one is the Adjustment Damping on the BF44 ball head which allows for precision control even on a heavy lens that I am using. The fine tuning knob enables you to set the tightness of the ball head according to your shooting situation. This particular design is made especially to suit the most basic usage of a monopod, photography on the move. You will want the monopod to provide you with easy, quick and yet safe adjustment; The BF44 ball head does exactly that. 

Third feature which made it stands out is the Extended Legs with the Pedal Base that allows angle adjustments without requiring you to bend down to reach for the adjustment mechanism. I have used some pretty rigid monopod with extended legs system that made it almost useless. This one, I can easily use my feet to unlock the angle adjustment without even needing to look down. 

In addition, the attachment system between the monopod and the extended legs feel like they are one piece instead of two separate parts. It is really that stable and yet highly flexible to suit your usage.

The next feature is the Dual 360 Panoramic Rotation that offers total framing control without having to move the monopod itself. This particular feature is huge because the independent mount's rotation enables you to set a different panning angle you require, away from the ball head's base rotation. That's what I meant by total framing control. 

Other than the main highlighted features, you get a large 44mm ball with improved payload capacity that ensures your priced processions stay safe and stable on the monopod. This goes well with the heavy lens that I used from time to time. In fact, the whole setup is so stable that I found it safe to leave the camera plus my heavy lens mounted on the monopod totally hand's free. 

The flexibility in terms of deployment is also another added selling point. The 212mm length of the extended legs allow you to turn the monopod into a table top tripod with added stability compared to other monopod of similar setup. Together with the large 44mm ball head, these gave me so much stability that I almost do not need my tripod anymore. 

 

 

Here's another feature which most people thought they don't need until they realize it before accident happens; Locking controls on key parts of the monopod. There are Safely Locks on the monopod that allows you to lock down the Lever Release, Extended Legs' angle adjustment and the Extended legs / Monopod / Ball Head detachment locks. 

Before you check out the review reel, here's the full specification:

Pineta Pro Monopod (Carbon Fiber)

🔸 FEISO Release System: One-lever control for all 3 leg sections. Instant deployment.

🔸 Max Working Height: 162cm (with BF44 head).

🔸 Tube Diameter: Heavy-duty 39mm Carbon Fiber.

🔸 Pedal Base: 360° swivel with ±18° tilt and Auto-Rebounce to center.

🔸 Portability: 79cm folded; about weight 1.78kg.

🔸 Extended Legs: 212mm each side for better stability.

🔸 1/4" ARRI-style Mount

BF44 Bagel Ball Head

🔸 Dual 360° Panoramic Rotation: Independent base and top plate rotation for perfect panoramas.

🔸 Damping Control: Dedicated fine-tuning knob for precise friction adjustment.

🔸 Low Profile: 44mm ball diameter for a lower center of gravity and better stability.

🔸 Safe Payload: 5kg (11 lbs).

🔸 Dual Bubble Levels

🔸 Dual U-shaped openings

Let me give you 3 strengths and 2 weakness from a personal point of view to help you decide if this monopod is the one for you or not. 

3 Strengths

🔸 The One Step Release Lever: This is something you don't get from your cheap $20 monopod, not even a $100 one. 

🔸 The Adjustment Damping: This applies to the BF44 ball head and is something you don't get from a lot of ball heads.

🔸 The Extended Legs: The improved extended legs with a length 212mm on each leg, ensure absolute stability even on a heavy lens.

2 Weaknesses

🔸 The Weight: This is a heavy setup roughly about 1.7kg (ball head, monopod, extended legs) 

🔸 The Price: As of the time this post was written, this monopod with the ball head goes for $559 SGD / $440 USD (suggested retail price).

Here's a 3 mins summary reel on the YC Onion Pineta Pro Monopod with the BF44 Ball Head. Or you can catch that from here.

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For anyone interested, you can get yours from either the Main Distributer which is Master D'Imaging or the Retailers: Alan Photo, Riceball Photography or Sony Stores. 

Disclaimer: The YC Onion Pineta Pro Monopod with the BF44 Ball Head were sent over by Master D'Imaging for testing. All reviews are 100% honest and based on my personal experience. No monetary compensation of any kind was given or received for this review.