disjecta
Lucky Duck
I just replaced my Glidecam setup with a Merlin and all I can say is wow.
The attention to detail in everything from the packaging right down to the precision engineering of this device is inspiring. This is a company who cares about their customers and wants to enable them as best they can.
While I struggled to balance the Glidecam to the point where it was basically impractical for me to use it, the Merlin, once it's set up, is good to go everytime bar a few minor adjustments.
The design is beautiful. The DVD is packed with useful information and techniques. The carrying case is exquisite.
The fact that one of the main techniques is to control the Merlin with two hands (both taking some of the weight of the Merlin and camera) means less fatigue. The one-handed method (regarding absorbing weight) of the Glidecam made it very difficult to operate with pain in both my wrist and back.
The Merlin is much lighter than the Glidecam, making it more desireable to use more frequently. It folds down into a tiny size that is lighter and smaller than my monopod!
It took me about 15 minutes tops to balance the XHA1 perfectly. It's very important that you read the manual along with watching the video for a complete understanding. The user's cookbook settings on the Tiffen site were right on and made the whole thing very easy.
The only reason that I can see why anyone would have trouble balancing the XHA1 is that they don't completely understand the concept of balance with these kinds of stabilizing devices. All I can say is read and re-read the manual, watch the DVD a bunch of times and you will eventually get it. In particular, make sure you measure the arc size accurately. You can see by the diagram in the manual exactly where you should be measuring from and to.
I'm off on a camping trip with my wife for the weekend so I'll try to get some shots and post later.
All in all I am thrilled with my purchase. Again, I'm blown away with the quality and ease of use. I'd recommend this unit to anyone.
The attention to detail in everything from the packaging right down to the precision engineering of this device is inspiring. This is a company who cares about their customers and wants to enable them as best they can.
While I struggled to balance the Glidecam to the point where it was basically impractical for me to use it, the Merlin, once it's set up, is good to go everytime bar a few minor adjustments.
The design is beautiful. The DVD is packed with useful information and techniques. The carrying case is exquisite.
The fact that one of the main techniques is to control the Merlin with two hands (both taking some of the weight of the Merlin and camera) means less fatigue. The one-handed method (regarding absorbing weight) of the Glidecam made it very difficult to operate with pain in both my wrist and back.
The Merlin is much lighter than the Glidecam, making it more desireable to use more frequently. It folds down into a tiny size that is lighter and smaller than my monopod!
It took me about 15 minutes tops to balance the XHA1 perfectly. It's very important that you read the manual along with watching the video for a complete understanding. The user's cookbook settings on the Tiffen site were right on and made the whole thing very easy.
The only reason that I can see why anyone would have trouble balancing the XHA1 is that they don't completely understand the concept of balance with these kinds of stabilizing devices. All I can say is read and re-read the manual, watch the DVD a bunch of times and you will eventually get it. In particular, make sure you measure the arc size accurately. You can see by the diagram in the manual exactly where you should be measuring from and to.
I'm off on a camping trip with my wife for the weekend so I'll try to get some shots and post later.
All in all I am thrilled with my purchase. Again, I'm blown away with the quality and ease of use. I'd recommend this unit to anyone.
