STEADICAM/FLYCAM for GH1

terra1

terra1

Well-known member
anyone got a STEADICAM?

i've been checking out video examples and i have to say i'm hooked!

when i upgraded to the GH1 from a DVX100 a year ago i was amazed and delighted by the benefit of manual SLR lenses, it gave a vastly more CINEMATIC result to shooting, shallow depth of field, smoother look & motion, all the stuff id dreamed of as a child :smile:

seeing the possibilities of that i then got into anamorphic shooting and again i fell in love and added another layer of the much desired CINEMATIC feel & look.

i feel steadicam shots can really sell the CINEMATIC look, plus the lack of smooth shots in my shooting has annoyed me for ages.

anyone been using them? any info? bits & bobs about them?
 
well user experiences i guess, the main 2 in my price range is the tiffen merlin and the flycam 6000.

obviously they can be used independently from a vest and arm, i was wondering without the vest and arm can you still get a silky smooth shot (i know practice makes a difference)

id like to get a sled/arm/vest but i think id be buying the sled 1st, is the arm and vest necessary? or can steady shots with just the sled give me what i want?

i have no experiences with steadicams so thought id ask anyone on here.

thanks mikko
 
the arm and vest does not help with stabilization in that sense, it just removes the weight and pressure from your arm and transfers it to your core. when you're trying to hold up a 7lb+ camera thats going to be required :D

the GH1 is super light and would work perfect with just the steadicam merlin (no arm/vest needed). It's highly unlikely you're going to be doing steadicam shots that go over 1-3 minutes max.

merlin vs flycam... both will achieve the same thing but the merlin (imho) is way better for a GH1 and its not ugly and bulky like the flycam 6000. :)
 
The Merlin's design is far above the others in ergonomics for handheld operating.

The Steadicam's arm is really there just to take the weight for the rig so you can focus on control; however you can get perfectly smooth shots handheld with either setup.
In fact, there are a few situations where you can get smoother shots with a handheld rig!

That said .. how much does your camera setup weigh? That will be a key part of choosing a suitable stabilizer.
Also; don't forget to consider what you are going to do about focus control.

- Mikko
 
This video helped me a lot setting up the Merlin for a NEXVG10, and he uses a GH1 so its perfect for you =) The included DVD is helpful but i found this guys tutorial much better:


But, I bet Mikko can help you a lot better. Maybe, one day he will do a purchasable online class to show us some of his tricks, hint hint :)
 
vagarob ahhh so the arm/vest is more for preventing fatigue for long shooting periods, yeah the GH1 is nice and light so no arm/vest on my shopping list, yeah the merlin looks good to me :smile: thanks for the knowledge friend.

mikkowilson the camera setup wouldn't run much heavier than the GH1 body with 14-140 kit lens, all my other lenses are probably the same as the kit in weight, i should check out the maximum load the merlin can take and get my scales out.

as for focus control... i was a bit worried about that, planned to keep the camera to a large aperture number and just have the focus set for the shot, roughly have the camera the same distance from the target throughout, i know this will limit the shots i can get but feel the ones i can get with a merlin outweigh those i cant :o)

thanks for the posts guys, i knew there was more to flying than just the jumping :smile: will be fun trying to learn how to use the thing, i hear its way harder than it looks :smile:
 
Don't laugh, but I get along just fine with my Hague Mini! There are even people shooting features with it. I guess it depends on how important 'professionalism' is to you. The results can't be the reason for spending big bucks on a steadycam that will only have to stabilize a GH-1 + lens. But heck, what do I know...
 
hahaaaaa Pharao it actually crossed my mind to get a hague one but i know i could make a better one with the same parts he has bashed together, i still might depending how my funds are :smile:

i wasn't laughing at you i was laughing with you :smile: hey man if you can get the shots you hope for its a winner especially at that price!

http://www.cameragrip.co.uk/acatalog/Stabibilizers___Steadycams.html

now i know the arm/vest is more to prevent fatigue (altho i would think they would help steady a little too) i might just try make a merlin type one, if i do il make it a tutorial :smile:
 
sorry to jump on board but im also considering the steadicam merlin for a GH1 (or 60D, whichever I choose to use more frequently) and also my new 2nd cam which will probably be a HMC 150.

I know the set up would need adjusting and weights changing etc but would the merlin also work for this camera? I'd assume so as all of the photos I see have it with a much heavier (FX1 or similar) on top of it.

I do a lot of weddings and currently carry a tripod everywhere which is such a pain. If I were to use the steadicam for ALL shots (except static stuff like ceremony & speeches) do you think I would really hurt my already troublesome back? If I got the arm & vest could I take my hands off of the steadicam and almost feel no weight? Especially if I'm using a light camera?

Lots of research to do but would appreciate any thoughts
 
The Merlin will have no problem flying a HMC150 (provided you don't put a large amount of accessories on it).

If you hurt your back doing Steadicam, it's because you are doing it wrong. You should stand with normal (correct) posture when operating and it don't be an issue. The arm and vest defiantly take the weight of the camera of your arm.

- Mikko
 
thanks Mikko.

Do you think I would get back ache if I didnt buy the arm and vest? I'm not talking about doing long videos with it, but if I film for a minute, stop for 30 secs, film for a minute, stop for 30 secs etc for about an hour.. do you think this is too much?

Can you set it up so there is a quick release to take you camera and tripod plate off of the merlin, or does their own plate attach directly to the camera? if it goes via a tripod plate (it might be better as I could transfer it to tripod quicker)
 
Your back shouldn't ache either way; if it does; you need to correct your posture.

The Merlin uses a quick release plate to mount the camera to the Merlin. There's a separate plate that matches the Merlin's top-stage that you can get and mount on your tripod so that the camera (on the Merlin camera plate) quick-releases back and forth between the Merlin and tripod.

- Mikko
 
thanks very much mikko. Is the seperate plate that I need just another tripod plate for whatever tripod head I use or is it a specific item so I'll have merlin plate, this plate you mention AND manfrotto tripod plate at the bottom?
 
mikko, i can see you're obviously big on the steadicam thing but as I dont even really know if I'll use this method much, I was thinking of buying a cheapie like the Hague MMC first to get used to it and then upgrade if I find that I like the shots, but they're a bit shaky... do you think thats a good idea or should I leap right into the merlin? I know that this will probably be too small for use with the HMC150 but I can wait to see whether I use it before upgrading to something that can take heavier cameras as well as smoother shots?
 
fantastic, thanks very much for your help, its much appreciated.
Just need to decide between the two and make the leap!
 
I have used both the merlin, and the Wondlan Ares, I prefer the Ares because it absorbes shock, so you can run full speed with it and it stays smooth. Of course it takes practice, but that goes without saying. And it cheaper than the Merlin, the build quality I find is better n the Ares as well.
 
ive heard its quite heavy? Is it heavier than the merlin? Weight is an issue for me thats why I'm not sure if I should try the Hague MMC first. I just wish you could use the Hague with heavier cams like the HMC150
 
Hi. I have the Merlin steadicam to which I mount my GH1. To work properly, it must be balanced perfectly: and it's hard to balance perfectly. As far as weight, it's not heavy at all -- just heavy enough so that your arm acts like a shock absorber (counteracting the movement). The gimbal isolates the camera from jitter and also keeps it (the camera) "square".

All in all, I'd say it works for me but it can be frustratingly difficult at times. Also, it's useless if the wind is blowing. As for the quick-disconnect, I have the Manfrotto fluid head monopod. It's very easy to go back and forth. Camera, steadicam, and monopod are all very compact and easy to carry around anywhere (I made custom bags).
 
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