Handheld Stabilizers ?

Z

zone6

Active member
Curious what stabilizer HVX shooters are using?

Anyone using the Merlin ... with an FS100?

Need a stabilizer that will hold my HVX, FS100, wireless mic, focus, focus / zoom control, etc. Is all this possible with a handheld stabilizer, or am I dreaming?

:dankk2:
 
Unfortunaly that's far too much weight for any handheld stabilizer. You just can't hold up that much weight with your arm when using a stabilizer.

Look into a vest mounted system like the Steadicam Flyer.

- Mikko
 
Sorry, don't mean all the stuff together but at least my FS100. Was told the Merlin works with the HVX. Just wondering if anyone here is using it succesfully?
 
Merlin works very well with the HVX200 and a small battery but forget the FS100.
 
There's a guy I found on ebay who makes a great shoulder mount called the cb105, if thats what you are looking for. It's $50 (plus $8 for an additional weight) and when i use it i can hold the hvx up with 2 fingers and operate it freely. It's not the most complicated rig, but it certainly works well. His ebay username is " rlg64 ". He doesn't have any for sale via ebay right now, but if you call him, he'll make one for you. He's a metal guy, so he can fabricate anything.

He works out of a back room in north hollywood but he was very proffessional with me. His info: Rodney Griest 818-915-3521

I don't work for Rodney or anything like that, but I like his product alot, and the price is a steal for the quality.

PJ Gaynard
Renaissance Filmmaker
LA / All-world
310-743-2953
 
Zone6, get a 4gig card and use it on your stabilizer. It will cut down the weight dramatically from the FS100. Most steadicam shots are not long at all and a 4gig card have enough recording time to do a couple of shots. I use the Glidecam 4000Pro. I am planning on getting the vest and arm. I also heard some guys on the homebuiltstabilizer site modifying their Glidecam by installing another spring. The result is a smoother shot.
 
Ernest - I don't have a stabilizer yet. I'm trying to learn which one I should buy. How does the Glidecam compare to the Merlin? Does it hold more weight?
 
PJ - I'm looking for a handheld stabilizer that I can also use on a vest at some point. Either the Glidecam or Merlin. I'd like to use the Merlin if it will support the weight of the HVX & FS100. I was told by a guy on the Merlin cookbook site (or something like that) that they make an adapter for the Merlin to hold the FS100.

Thanks!
 
This was posted on Tiffen's website:

Weight range: 3 lb to 10 lb
Arm Travel: 28 inches
Vest Mounting Block
Adjustments: No tools required
Works with: Steadicam Merlin or Steadicam JR
​

Should I take this to mean that a merlin with vest will support a camera up to 10 pounds??
 
for mlove -

what vest are you refering to on Tiffen's website. Do you have a link? Did you read this info related to the HVX?
 
zone6

On the Merlin page of Tiffen's website is a link to info on the vest.


http://www.tiffen.com/merlinarmvest.html


Steadicam%20Merlin%20Arm%20Vest.jpg
 
Zone6, I haven't tested the Merlin. What I can tell you is that the only complaint I ever had with the Glidecam 400Pro was that it gets tiresome without a vest or arm. It took me about a week to learn to balance it. My first couple of times on a shoot, it took about an hour. Once I got good in balancing, it only took 15 minutes to get a good balance. I would suggest going to a store that you can try both and decide for yourself. I think the amount of weight you want to balance is a bit much for these kind of stabilizers. That was the reason why it makes sense to use a P2 card (you can even rent them) instead of the FS100.

Also when we shoot with a stabilizer we either record dialog separate from the camera or do ADR in post. That also eliminates mounting a receiver to the rig to record dialog. There is no way around eliminating a remote focus/zoom. That must be rigged to the camera.
 
Ok, lots of questions, so I'll answer breifly...

The Merlin is a much better rig than the Glidecam. It's lighter, more compact, generally much more convenient and comfterble to use. It also costs more than the Glidecam.

The Glidecam 4000 can be balanced to hold more weight than the Merlin. However when this is done, it becomes very heavy and hard to hold for very long.

The FS100 is much too heavy for the Merlin. I'm not sure if you could get it balanced on the GC4000, if it can, it will be very very heavy to carry. Precise operating would be dificult.

There are vest systems available for both the Merlin (just annouced, will be shipping soon), and the Glidecam (the Smooth Shooter).

A vest & arm system replaces your arm to support the hand-held unit (the "sled"). It does not effect teh maximum load of the handheld unit. So a Merlin, even on an arm, can only hold 5.5lb of camera weight and 1.5lb of accessories below. Not sure on the maximum load of the Glidecam 4k on the SS, but it is more than the Merlin.

The Merlin vest will smoke the Smooth Shooter. The Smooth Shooter is a 1-section arm and is relativly limeted, it will work for basic walking shots, but running and more complex moves become dificult. The Merlin Arm & Vest is a 2-section Iso-Elastic arm that provides much more freedom and operates just as any larger ("full size") Steadicam.


- Mikko
 
I use the hvx200 with the merlin. I can trim it in seconds. You should have a small battery and one p2 card in the slot. Lens hood. Lcd hood. Nothing more. No problem. The FS-100 would be too much and probably mess you up as its drive rotational spin might offset balance.

You also have to remember that steadicam shots are not 1 hour long. watch a movie even long steadicam shots are rarely over a couple of minutes. i'm thinking the longest have been Boogie nights, the player, good fellas. But most are short. Do your shot rest your arm and if thats not working for you then wait and get the arm for the merlin which I think will be fantastic. But I still feel even with the arm and the FS-100 the rotational spin of the drive will cause you slight problems.
 
Anyone ever think of using an Anton Bauer pouch style setup to mount the battery below as a weight and take it off the camera all together?
 
mico said:
You also have to remember that steadicam shots are not 1 hour long. watch a movie even long steadicam shots are rarely over a couple of minutes. i'm thinking the longest have been Boogie nights, the player, good fellas.
Click to expand...

The movie "Russian Arc" (Alexander Sokurow) was shot in 96 minutes in one take and without any cuts whatsoever! D.P.: TILMAN BÜTTNER (2km with a 33kg Steadycam!). Just amazing. Recorded in high definition video directly to disk and, then, edited and printed on 35 mm.
 
for_mlove said:
Anyone ever think of using an Anton Bauer pouch style setup to mount the battery below as a weight and take it off the camera all together?
Click to expand...
Take a look at any Steadicam in action and you'll see the batteries mounted at the bottom of the rig.

This is one of the very principles that form the foundation of a good stabilizer - the redistribution of the camera's weight. This moves the center of gravity from inside the camera to a point several inches below where it can be manipulated by the operator.


mico said:
You also have to remember that steadicam shots are not 1 hour long. watch a movie even long steadicam shots are rarely over a couple of minutes. i'm thinking the longest have been Boogie nights, the player, good fellas. But most are short.
Click to expand...
This has more to do with the technical capabilities of the film equipment rather than the abilities of the operator. Operators at live events often wear the rig for 2 hours at a time or more. A standard 400' 35mm magazine is only about 4min of footage. When necessary, a 1000' mag will be used which will provide about 11min of footage.

While great shots, "Boogie Nights" and "Goodfellas" clock in at roughly 3 minutes each. The film "Elephant" includes multiple shots of 5 and 6 minutes. "Cradle Will Rock" opens with a 6 minute take. The opening of "Bonfire of the Vanities" is 5 min. The opening of "Snake Eyes" is over 7 minutes, but it includes hidden edits.
 
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