Tiffen debues new lightweight arm and vest for the Steadicam Merlin at CES.

mikkowilson

mikkowilson

Steadi-Guru
Tiffen is showing off a brand new lightweight arm and vest system for the Steadicam Merlin at CES in Las Vegas this week.

merlin_arm_vest.jpg

Photo from Steadicam Operator Robert Starling.

There are more pictures here: http://www.lasvegassteadicam.com/merlin/

There has been no official news release from Tiffen yet, however the unit is beeing displayed on the show floor and has been reported on by Robert Starling on the Steadicamforum here: http://www.steadicamforum.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=4402

The arm is a smaller version of the Flyer arm (which is regarded as the best lightweight arm ever) and vest. The system features a standard adjustable socket block, and shares the famous tools-free Steadicam "Iso-elastic" design that makes the bigger arms from Steadicam increidbly smooth and responsive.

The arm lifts around 3-10lbs.

It has an amazing 28" boom range - that's almsot the same as the Flyer and G-series arms, and more than the Master/Ultra arm!

The arm-vest connections is by way of a standard socket block thats the same size [and compatible with] the Flyer's socket block.

It'll be possible to put other am posts on the arm to allow for use of other selds in adition to the Merlin (though I can't imagine why you'd want to, perhaps a light flyer sled..)

The vest is super lite weight and uses all velcro closures (no squeaky plastic clips!).



I think that this rig will prety much knock the ball out of the park as far as options for medium weight cameras like the DVX, HVX, and other similar sized DV and HDV cameras.

No doubt that the system will also be on display at NAB in April, if not sooner.

More updates from me as I hear them.

- Mikko
 
Ha! I knew that would be the first question!

I don't know what the price will be.


If I had to guess, I'd probabaly say somewhere around $1800-$2000 (Without Merlin). But that is a pure guess.


- Mikko
 
Wow, that's our next purchase right there. Hope it comes in close to Mikko's estimation. Anything less than $3k for the whole system would be incredible.

e
 
[SIZE=+0]Looks great, but for the price range wouldn't it still be preferable to get a rig that could handle more than just the camera's(hvx) weight?[/SIZE]

[SIZE=+0]Any guesses as to when this will be available?[/SIZE]
 
Man, this is really weird.
I just decided today that I should call Tiffen before I order the Indicam rig. Just thought I should double check to see if the Merlin vest might actually happen in the foreseeable future.
Then at work today, I incidentally came across several of Garrett Browns patents.
Now, I see this thread you just referenced over in the Hardware forum.
Mikko, does your flyer have a crystal ball?
Its like the planets have aligned or something.
This is really strange.
 
Thanks for sharing Mikko. 3-10 lbs you say? What does that mean for a HVX with adapter? Brevis for eg, which adds no more than 2lbs, minus rails and follow focus.

I can the centre the Brevis and HVX on the Merlin, but it's top heavy.
 
Unfortunatly the Arm will NOT increase the payload capacity of the Merlin. The camera can still only weigh up to 5.5lbs. That means a bare HVX without any on-camera accessories.

You can't really use any camera-35mm adapter combo on the Merlin, especially when you factor in the needs for remote Follow Focus too. The problems with using 35mm adapters for Steadicam shots has been discussed before here, as well as the solutions if that's the road you want to go down.

This arm just means that you don't have to use your own arm to carry the weight for longer shot with the larger cameras that Merlin can handle (like the DVX and HVX).

- Mikko
 
Sweet...

Sweet...

Wow, that's cool.
I did a shoot recently where I had to do a constant shot with a DVX and a wireless on the Merlin for 40 minutes. Next time I do that, I'm gonna wear a 1970's tennis headband because the sweat was rolling off my forehead.
This will change that.

However, this arm complicates our old dilemma of whether the Merlin can keep up if we move to HVX cams or add more accessories.

Keeping the whole rig light was the tradeoff for limiting the Merlin's payload capacity. With the importance of overall weight thus reduced, the Merlin's limitations might be more evident.

But who cares...it looks beautiful.

It appears the angled mounting post is designed so that the gimbal's front tab strikes the handle before the rig hits the arm. Am I right?

Cheers,
Michael

Michael Thomas
Monark Pictures
Santa Cruz, CA
 
You'll still have to wear a sweat band, but your arm won't fall off after a few shots. Most of the physical dollying movement effort (correct me if I am wrong mikko) still comes from your legs and lower back, but now the arm and shoulder are taken out of the picture. A bit less effort maybe, but the cool part is you can wear all day without fatiguing your shoulder-elbow-wrist joints.:) That alone is worth the price of admission, especially if it's at that price point.
 
Sorry Rush, I will correct you... but only because it's the Merlin we are talking about. :)

It is true that with a big Steadicam your legs do all of the work, and you lower back does a little too (not an issue after a bit of practice) - nothign ever hurts but you do get tired (if you are dooing it right).

However the lighter rigs like the Flyer and the Merlin on it's arm as so light that there shoudl never really be any discomfort. After a long time in the Flyer non stop, youc an get a little tired if you have a larger camera on there. However the Merlin is just *so* light, that you should never get tired at all with it on the arm.

Imagine carying, oh I don't know, nothing but a bottle of soda in a small backpack. You'd get sleepy before your legs got tired. Same for the Merlin on the arm.


I agree that the original limiting factor for the Merlin is how much you can carry. For that reason there has been no reason to make the rig any heavier duty. But now that there is an arm to carry the sled, the weak point moves from the opertor's arm to the Merlin sled, specifically the gimble.

The Merlin's main strength, in adition to it's price, is still it's small size and nimbleness. There are shots that Merlin can do that no other Steadicam can. However, maybe there will eventually be a larger sled available for the Merlin arm. (I've hear nothing to that end though)
It is possible to modify the arm to carry the Flyer Sled.
Maybe a larger, stronger Merlin (like the Steadicam DV was to the JR) or perhaps a super lightweight version of the Flyer sled. That's anyone's guess.

- Mikko
 
Thanks Mikko for detailed explanation. That has been always the issue, as far as my experience has been and the people I've worked with: Holding even a 5 lb camera "away" from your body with one arm rather than supported on your body on both arms/elbows will get heavy after about 20 minutes of constant usage, and your arm will feel like it's about to come off (numb, tingling, aching...) Whoever wants to imagine this, if they've never done it, just hold a 5lb exercise weight away from your body, at waist level, with one hand, and see how long it can stay there. Even people who bench press their body weight have trouble suspending a weight like that. True, the weight of the merlin is almost negligible here. It's just the idea of any 5lb lead weight being held in suspension by one shoulder-elbow-wrist joint system rather than 2 sets of joint systems (one hand is supporting the device, the other is directing it). So yes, having used the Merlin, I would say its own weight is negligible compared to the existing weight of the camera+battery. And when you have to keep doing shots again and again, it really helps to have a sled system take the pressure off the arm joints so that you simply have to exert physical effort with your legs and lower back. I like effort and sweat. It's cool :)
 
Here it is from the horses mouth.... or whatever end you want

Here it is from the horses mouth.... or whatever end you want

Hi folks:

That would be me in the picture wearing the new Merlin arm and vest. I posted the original post on Steadicam Forums and made the announcement with full permission and intent from Steve Tiffen and Frank Rush of Steadicam.

The one photo of me showing the arm and vest was posted for the public; the link to the other photos was a private link only sent to four other people; Garrett and Frank being two of them. I didn't know the link was public until I saw all the referrals on my web site monitor. I was going to take the link down but since you were nice enough to give me credit AND the link to my Las Vegas Steadicam Operator web page I'll leave it up for now. No harm, no foul.... for now.

I've demoed the new Merlin arm and vest actually wearing it for a little over three hours total. Compared to my normal everyday Steadicam rig with a Varicam or equivalent on it, this little rig has ZERO fatigue factor.

I'll try to clear up as many questions as I can based on what I know but nothing is in stone on this yet.

They want to begin sales at NAB
The price could be around $2500 but could vary considerably so don't get your panties in a wad about it. For the quality of the shots, the manufacturing and the comfort compared to handholding the Merlin, it's easily worth $4000 and could very well sell for that. Again... TBD

The vest is thin and light enough to wear under a modified Tux or jacket if you wanted or needed.

It's really two rigs in one if you think about. Need a long take or extended period during an event; wear the whole rig. Need to run grab a quick shot; grab the Merlin by itself and go Merlin stand alone. Both modes better than handheld any day.


It had nothing to do with the Flyer rebates at the end of 2006 but that comment got a good laugh and eye rolling at dinner last night.

There may eventually be an external monitor of some sort with it. TBD.

The Steadicam Flyer is an awesome rig still and the sled is easier to fly in the long run IMHO or at least more controllable. On the other hand, it's more expensive too and really requires you to take a good Steadicam workshop from someone like Peter Abraham www.thesteadicamworkshops.com. You should take a workshop on the Merlin arm and vest too if you get one and they offer them. Steadicam workshops ROCK!

All the best!

Robert Starling
Steadicam Operator Las Vegas
http://www.LasVegasSteadicam.com
 
mikkowilson said:
It is possible to modify the arm to carry the Flyer Sled.
Click to expand...

I tried to fly the Steadicam Flyer on the new arm and vest the second day but in the current configuration it would not. The Flyer was set up with a XL1 and PowerCube battery so it was a bit too heavy.

Keep in mind these are preproduction units; only three of them as I understand it at the moment. I'm sure the engineers are working away on improvements and finalizing the manufacturing.

Thanks!

Robert Starling
Steadicam Operator Las Vegas
 
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