YC Onion Tako Nano Hands-on: A One-Kilo Monopod That Doubles as a Light Stand

by Alexandra ThompsonApril 27^th, 2026

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At NAB 2026, YC Onion’s Hannah Han walked us through the recently released Tako Nano, a sub-one-kilogram carbon fiber monopod that extends to 172cm (5.6 ft) and converts into a freestanding light stand via a detachable pedal base. The professional configuration bundles the FX50 fluid head with a push-button horizontal-to-vertical flip, positioning the kit as a compact all-in-one support solution for hybrid shooters.

The Tako Nano officially launched shortly before NAB, and we covered the full technical breakdown and pricing in our release article. At the Las Vegas booth, Hannah walked us through the hands-on experience and highlighted a handful of details that land better in person than on a spec sheet. If you want broader context on the company, we’ve previously looked at the YC Onion Pineta Pro monopod (the larger sibling to the Tako Nano), the Tako carbon fiber tripod from IBC 2024, and the Cedar CB7 counterbalanced fluid head.

Hands-on at the booth

Positioning-wise, the Tako Nano is the travel-friendly option next to the Pineta Pro. As Hannah put it, the Pineta Pro is “bigger, heavier, and longer when you are traveling,” while the Tako Nano is pitched at shooters who are “often outside shooting” and need something that’s easy to grab and go. According to YC Onion’s website, the monopod leg payload is 8kg (11 lbs). The body uses one-handed height adjustment, which Hannah demonstrated by flipping a lever near the top of the shaft and sliding the tube up and down in a single fluid motion. The telescopic section extends continuously until the final stage, which unscrews manually to reach the full 172cm (5.6 ft) maximum height. Below the main tube, a concealed set of legs deploys from the pedal base to give the monopod freestanding support, and a foot-operated angle-adjust lets you widen the stance without bending down.

At under 1kg (2.2 lb) for the monopod alone (head not included), the Tako Nano sits in the weight bracket where it can realistically live in a backpack rather than on a dedicated support cart. That’s the use case Hannah kept coming back to at the booth: documentary, hiking, travel, and small-kit shoots where you might not have room for a tripod but still want something better than handheld.

The FX50 fluid head and vertical flip

The FX50 video head, offered as part of the professional bundle, was the piece Hannah seemed most excited to demonstrate. A push-button mechanism on the side releases the plate mount and lets the head flip from horizontal to vertical orientation without swapping plates, which is increasingly relevant for creators shooting social-first vertical video alongside traditional landscape work. Hannah confirmed this is a new feature on the FX50 rather than a carryover from prior YC Onion heads.

It’s a proper fluid head with pan-and-tilt drag, not a friction-based design, and in hand, the movement was smooth with noticeable resistance. The head integrates a built-in L-bracket to facilitate the horizontal-to-vertical switch, and it sits on a standard Arca-Swiss interface at the bottom of the shaft.

From monopod to light stand via a detachable base

One of the more distinctive ideas in the Tako Nano system is the convertible pedal base. The bottom of the monopod shaft sits on an Arca-Swiss plate, so the tube detaches from the pedal legs in seconds. YC Onion sells a telescopic leg set that transforms the base into a compact light stand for small LED panels or on-location practicals. Hannah walked us through the workflow at the booth: detach the tube, clip the telescopic legs onto the pedal, mount a light on the included accessory mount, and you’re left with a freestanding stand. It’s a genuinely useful dual-purpose design for solo shooters who don’t want to carry a dedicated stand for every small light.

Price and availability

The Tako Nano is available now directly from the YC Onion website, with shipping from CN, US, and EU warehouses. The base monopod is $119, the monopod bundled with the BC26 ball head is $139, and the monopod with the FX50 fluid head is $169. The full professional kit, which includes the monopod alongside the FX50, BC26, and light stand accessories, is $212. Individual accessories (pedal base, telescopic light stand legs, heads, AQR38 quick-release plate) are also sold separately for users building up the system incrementally.

Does a sub-one-kilo monopod that doubles as a light stand fit the way you pack for location work? Don’t hesitate to let us know in the comments below!