merlin, steady stick, spiderbrace

Charli

Charli

cool little "title"
If you buy the Merlin, is there any real need for the other two? I know one is
a stablizer the others are not. Or, if you bought the stick and the brace, do you
need the Merlin?

I'm trying to figure out if I need to just plunge right in and go expensive, or go
cheaper and experiment first. Any suggestions?

Charli
 
It all depends on what you want to do.

Merlin allows you to get dynamic moving shots.
Brace gives yoru handheld work a lot more stabilety, but not so mcuh for moving. it will help take fatigue though.
And the stick will take the wight off yrou shoulders a little and be basically a mobile monopod.

Each has it's own purpose. I think that the Stick and Brace are "either or" tyep items, but the Merlin is a category of it's own.

- Mikko
 
Merlin or Steadicam in general?

Yes to both. I like all cool ways to move the camera. But I also appricate the importance of the right way - most times this isn't Steadicam, which is why I always ask what the need is. Most poeple don't need one, but they are one hell of a cool tool for some creative shots onece everything else is sorted, and often they are *the* tool for the job. The Merlin is a really handy peice of kit that really does alow a LOT of options.

I guess the short answer is: Becuase Steadicam is a hell of a lot of fun.

- Mikko
 
I remember seeing some footage of yours with bikes....were you running in front of them or on another bike?
If that was Steadicam with the vest then...WOW!
 
Aah yes, the leading bikes shot in my reel ([plug] on my website listed below [/plug]). That was an interesting shot for many reasons.
It was shot with an XL1 *ducks* on the Steadicam Flyer in normal "soft mount" (I was wearing the vest, not hard-mounted) configuration. I was sat in a bike trailer facing backwards to get the shot. Picture here: http://mikko.n3.net/photos/flying/pages/this_was_a_BAD_idea.html
The extra intersting part is that right after that point where I cut out, we hit a tree stump with one of the wheels resulting in a rather impressive (and scary) crash that ended with me on my back holding the rig above me and beeing very happy I was wearing a helmet. The shot (up to the same point) made the final cut, and I expect it to remain in my reel for quite some time. :)

- Mikko
 
Wow, what a scary moment with the amount of gear you could have ruined.

I was climbing a log going up a waterfall and..........slipped when I got near the top and the "shot". I was holding my DVX in my right hand saved it by stretching out and bouncing off my chest. My 210 lbs then hit my 5 year old daughter knocked her into the water. I grabbed my daughter out of the waterfall(she was behind me with my son telling not to go near dad)
My DVX took a bit of the fall but just had to be turned off then back on.
 
How easy is it to FOCUS while using the Merlin? I'm considerng renting it for a shoot and this one point worries me, especially if shooting at 24P when the autofocus feature is a lot slower.
 
dailyrushes said:
How easy is it to FOCUS while using the Merlin? I'm considerng renting it for a shoot and this one point worries me, especially if shooting at 24P when the autofocus feature is a lot slower.
Click to expand...
you dont really.
Keep the shot wide, have your focus on auto if you want, but i suggest keeping to focus to manual between 85-93
 
I guess the short answer is: Becuase Steadicam is a hell of a lot of fun
Click to expand...

Yes the Merlin is not like the steadicam Mikko uses but I love pulling it out, everyone is amazed at what it does. Best purchase.... Fold up the arm, throw it on your shoulder fo more hand held looking shots with a little more stability (with your mattebox etc attached) and it does another job altogether. Fine piece of work.
 
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