If you have to choose: crane or steadicam Merlin ?

LuckyStudio 13

LuckyStudio 13

The Tapeless One
I know that they each have their own functionality and usage but i do not have money to buy or build both.

Which should be my first purchase ? Is a crane more versatile than a stabilizer ?
 
Dxmetal said:
I know that they each have their own functionality and usage but i do not have money to buy or build both.

Which should be my first purchase ? Is a crane more versatile than a stabilizer ?
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A stabilizer would be much more versatile and give you more uses in a more compact and portable frame. I would definitely get a stabilizer first. The merlin is out of my price range but not off my wish list! For that price you could probably get both a lower end stedicam and a crane.
 
Well it completely depends on what your trying to do. A crane is designed for low and high shots, while the Steadicam usually works more at ground level closer to the people. It's sort of like apples and oranges.
 
MatthewC said:
Well it completely depends on what your trying to do. A crane is designed for low and high shots, while the Steadicam usually works more at ground level closer to the people. It's sort of like apples and oranges.
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No reason the crane can't be parallel to the ground. :) And on a dolly...you could get some steadicam-ish shots with it.

Some practice required. :)

After all, that's how they used to do it, right?
 
i'd definitely go crane.

You don't know how many times I've wanted a crane shot. It can be used for so many applications too. You can do a high angle, low angle, sweeping, close up to long shot, etc...
 
I was looking at the Merlin and heard very good reviews, but then I was drawn to the steddiepod which I have to say is great, easier to balance than the glidecam 2000 and so much more versatile, you can get static shots from about 8' high, you can use it as a doggy cam, I took it camping for a week it was great, the shots I was able to pull off were insane, I took it on boat rides, filming wakeboarding, I got shots off waterfalls from perspectives not possible handheld or with any other stabilizer, its just very versatile, its great.

Look into it.

http://www.ezprompter.com/products/steddiepod.html
 
without a gimble in a balancing device, like the glidecam and merlin, you cannot truly have a stabilizer in its true definition. When your arm is directly attached to the steddipod, its realy up to the user and his practice to achieve th eperfectly balanced shot, where as a glidecam or merlin does it properly and with much more ease as the whole point of a gimble is to relieve the system of any arm and body influence, i.e. bumping up and down when you walk....
 
Eventually you're going to want both, so for now, I would suggest that if you're doing films, get a crane. If you're doing run and gun documentaries or in your face action stuff, get a Steadicam-like system of some sort.
 
If you decide on a crane, I would recommend the Skycrane Jr. I have had very good results with it so far. Bob at Skycrane is a pleasure to work with as well. I've heard great things about the Kessler as well.
 
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