HPX250: Steadicam Merlin and HPX250

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benjamin.shearn

New member
I'm about to shoot a documentary on underground dance music in Europe. I'm locked into using the 250. I'd love solid steadicam movement/mobility and Merlin seems the best, most portable option. Problem is without the vest and arm upgrade, the Merlin itself only supports 5 lbs. The 250 is 5.5 lbs, and I'll have a mic and light attached.

I probably can't afford the upgrade, so my question is: Does anyone have tips on how I can make the Merlin work with the 250? I haven't tested it yet, so perhaps I can update this in a couple days. I looked up the HPX 200 settings at merlincookbook.com, but does anyone have tips for how to compensate for that extra weight?

Perhaps it's about semi-supporting the Merlin with a free hand? I'm not going for steadicam perfection here, just slightly steadier more flowing images, SOMEthing better than handheld.

Thanks!
 
Does it have to be a Merlin? I'm trying my 250's out with my Glidecam HD4000, which I've used fine with a slightly smaller camera and which will accommodate the weight of the 250 pretty easily. Still needs a vest though for any long term operation.
 
re: Steadicam Merlin and HPX250

Neil Richards said:
Does it have to be a Merlin? I'm trying my 250's out with my Glidecam HD4000, which I've used fine with a slightly smaller camera and which will accommodate the weight of the 250 pretty easily. Still needs a vest though for any long term operation.
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To be honest, I can get the Merlin for free/cheap, which is one of the main reasons I ask. So if there's ANY outside-the-merlincookbook.com box way to set the Merlin to support the extra weight... that's ideal... for me.

For discerning others tho, I'm definitely interested in the right steadicam for the 250 for future projects. Do you feel like the glidecamHD4000 is the best choice for the 250? Definitively? Do you feel it's any easier to learn/troubleshoot than other steadicam/stabilizers? Or is it the same learning curve as most steadicams?
 
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I doubt the merlin can handle the 250. It will fall over sideways. If it does you need a LOT of counter-balance-weight and a LOT of muscles to do any shots longer than 10 seconds.
 
You'll NEED a vest and arm with the 250. Unless you have muscles like no other. You could go for a couple of minutes though, if you work on it. But with a mic and light, that's a lot of wieght.
 
JohnnyD said:
You'll NEED a vest and arm with the 250. Unless you have muscles like no other. You could go for a couple of minutes though, if you work on it. But with a mic and light, that's a lot of wieght.
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Thanks guys, pretty much what I figured. I'll check back when I've tried the Merlin out, but I'm not expecting many revelations...

In the meantime does anyone have recommendations for steadicam/stabilizers for the 250, that can travel easily...?
 
I'm not sure I could definitively state that the Glidecam HD4000 is the best stabiliser for the 250, it happens to be the one I own and the 250 is within it's weight range. I like it, it's well made, inexpensive and upgradeable. Setting it up takes a bit of time but it's quite straightforward, the instructions that come with it are very detailed so if you haven't done it before they explain everything very well. For such a small outlay in terms of money it makes a huge difference to the quality of shots you can take (much like a jib can) but as I said before for any reasonable time shooting you'll need a vest to carry the weight.

It comes apart easily if you want to pack it down for travel or it could go in it's own bag fully assembled - I'm just looking at options for this at the moment.

In the end it comes down to your budget and personal preference. I have no doubt the top end Steadicam rigs are far better but you rightly pay for their quality. I like the fact I can get the HD4000 and a basic vest which will cover 95% of my shooting for less than $2k and it will carry every camera I own - for anything else I can hire.
 
Just to put a fine point on this thread: As predicted using the Merlin was next to impossible, I took pains to counterweight as much as possible and it's, in a word, impossible. You feel it as soon as it's fastened, the balance is simply not there... I don't even think the strongest person alive could maintain a shot for more than 10-20 seconds. I got MUCH smoother shots weighting a monopod with lead and gaffers tape. se lave...
 
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