Everything you wanted to know about the Steadicam Merlin...

mikkowilson

mikkowilson

Steadi-Guru
Ok, slightly misleading title, the answers arn't here (yet) but I'm calling out for questions!

What questions does everyone have about the Merlin?

Any problems you owners have? Or things that you are curious about?
What about those of you looking at getting one.. What do you want to know bout it, or Steadicam in general?

I'll do my best to answer any questions you have. I'll be taking a good look at the Merlin at NAB and talking with Garrett about it. I'd like to hear some of your thoughts too.


- Mikko
 
I've had ours several weeks, and have put a lot of hrs on it with a DVX100 on the top. I shot several days here at the office, and spent a couple of weeks in India taping some stuff, among them 4 day long seminars, 6 session around 1 hr per session. I feel I'm pretty good with it now, and can make it do what I want, don't really have any complaints other than the gimbal and bearing assembly. It feels to already have more slop on it than when new, and I just don't think the plastic pieces hold and support those little bearings very well. I think a stainless piece with press fit bearings (or c clip) would have been more robust. I'm sure it was a cost/weight issue, but if you gotta replace the gimbal often...

In terms of image gathered, I'd give it a 9 out of 10. In terms of build quality, I'd give it a 7/10
 
Ill shoot some more soon.. got a few other things on my plate right now. I have an issue with it... I still havent talked with GB about it because too busy, whens NAB mikko? If your catching up with him, maybe I can shoot you some shots and you can ask him while your there, if not no probs I will send him an email and arrange a time to discuss it.
 
NAB is in just over 2 weeks, but I'm gonna be out for a bit before that so I'm trying to get people's questions together now to pass onto big G.

(yes this is a bump)

No one else has anything unsure about the Merlin? I *know* there are more of you out there with one... what do you think? easy as pie, or having trouble with something?

- Mikko
 
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OK Mikko, I just havent had time to reproduce the problem I had but Ill try for tomorrow morning so I can get it to you ASAP so you can see my point.

THe other thing is lately I havent had a lot of time to practice with my merlin, but one issue I keep having is with balance. If you remember my initial footage had the side to side movement - well I have been able to remove that through practice. But I still get a slight up and down motion like an up and down sway (row boating you mentioned) so I am just wondering if theres a tip to get this better under control. TO prevent it seems to mean more contact so over control, Just so you know I have tried removing adding weights, seems when I go one down from recommended I am a bit top heavy and one up a bit bottom heavy. The recommended generally passes all the set up tests. I just still cant full control this and would like some advice.
 
Hey Mikko,
Just pulled my out of the case and started setting it up. I have not dialed this thing in and see it is going to need a lot of tweaking. It is also pretty heavy with the weights and DVX (and large DVX user Batts). The cook book settings need more explanation. With the cookbook it says 1 finish weight for the front and Garrett said 1 mid and 1 finish. I still am not sure what "Z" stands for (gimble?) or even Vertical cg dist.? (2.2"). I am not sure if I want to take this thing to Africa and run around with it. A little disappointed.

Any help would be great.

Thanks,
FD
 
Good point Fat Daddy. The Cookbook does say

PANASONIC DVX-100A

1 Finish 4 Mid 1 Finish

Then Garret says on the video

1 mid 1 start 4 mid 1 finish

This was a little confusing first time. But as he balanced it easily on DVD I went with that.

I will say that each component is explained one by one. Z is the part just above gimble: start position is one turn anti clockwise from top.. the next turn it gets stuck (explained in manual) so -4 means four more anti clockwise turns. The vertical CG distance is distance from dovetail to top of lower weights as explained by Garrett on DVD.

It is also pretty heavy with the weights and DVX (and large DVX user Batts).
Click to expand...
You want to try one of the competitors products. The GLidecam 4000 weighs Weighs 2.2 pounds without counterbalance disks. Stedicam merlin weighs in at 12.8 ozs.

Sorry dont mean this to sound like a defence of the Merlin. Just stating what I found.
 
Thanks ncje. I still need to spend time with it. It wobbles a good bit for me now. I will keep tweaking. I wonder if this will be okay with a wide angle adapter (like the centuary .6) or too heavy?

Thanks for the help.
FD
 
I think the cam weight would be ok with that adapter. Find the centre of balance with your finger (like Garrett on the DVD) and use that as your start point. Ive used mine with a G2 reciever on the hotshoe. No probs.
 
Hi guys,
Sorry the late reaply, I'm away tralveing at the moment.

Yeah there is a little discepency there for what combinations are sugested for the DVX. - This is simply beacuse tehre is actually more then one way to get the syetem in balance!

Garrett's setup will be a little heavier - and sligntly more stable - then the lighter setup listed in the cookbook, which I belive lists the lightests setups that work.

My sugestion: Try both! Find which of the 2 sugested setups works best for you.

All the seetings provided are sugestions of where to start that shoudl get you balanced and going. But they can all be tweaked to personal taste.
Ncje: Instead of adding wieghts, which is a big change, thry jsut adjusting "Z" and see what that does, the change will be more sumble, and then adjusting arc size will be a medium adjustment before you go to changing weights - which have a large effect on the. A few Z's oen way or another and a little more controlling grip when accelerating and you should get that tilting under control too :)

And yes, a Wide Angle adapter shoudl cause no problems for the Merlin, thoguh of course you'll have to adjust ballance acoringly. The Slightly heavier DVXuser battery will oofset for aft, so the cmaera whodul still be abotu right, just open teh arc a little to correct teh drop time and then move the camera back a little with the stage roller and you shodul be all set.

- Mikko
 
What do you guys think about the .7 wide from centuary? I will also be running the 5600 dvx batteries (starting to get heavy). For the dvx, do you run the arc almost all the way wide (13.25" seems to be almost full wide on the arc). I am also getting easy sway when using. is this just me?

THanks for any help.
 
The Wide angle should work fine, even with the DVXuser Battery.

...Hey Jarred, will you have any DVXuser batteries on you at NAB? I'd love to borrow one to balance on the Merlin.

Opening the arc allows you to use less weights - The system is only maxed out once all the weights are on *and* the arc is at full - as with the HVX.

- Mikko
 
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