Steadicam Merlin, Arm & Vest - with HVX200

Excellent first effort!

You have one of the same things to work on as I do though (I'm a new Pilot owner). I call it "rocking the boat" - the tendency of the rig to rock gently side to side, which is most visible by watching vertical lines like wall boundaries and doorways as they roll back and forth like you're on a ship at sea. But it is interesting to note how much the eye is distracted from it by the subject (in this case the woman walking). If I weren't so hyper-aware of it from my own practicing so far I probably wouldn't even have noticed it.

For the reverse shots - did you walk backwards or shoot "Don Juan" style (walking forward with the camera reversed, shooting back over your shoulder)?

I sure wish my first attempts had looked that good!

Steadicammer's credo: "Practice, practice, practice!"
 
I have worked with both styles. But the "Don Juan" styles with the Merlin is not easy. Yes, that fluctuate comes from the rapid drop-down setting of 2 seconds. I have 4-5 seconds to increase and now it is better.
 
cocoa_magazin said:
Yes, that fluctuate comes from the rapid drop-down setting of 2 seconds. I have 4-5 seconds to increase and now it is better.
Click to expand...

Interesting...I started out with the recommended three seconds, and then tried less, which was worse, so I went back to three again. I'll try 4 or so and see whether it's better still. Thanks.
 
Your building quite a setup there!
Awesome for a first attempt!

Any wideangle on the HVX or just cropping?
Did you mask the LCD for shooting?
 
cool, was it just the camera on the merlin? (thinking of weight limit)

I'm looking for a stabilizer, hvx and letus, rods, and lense, is about 11-13 pounds.

- Derrick
 
That's Steadicam Flyer territory, strictly speaking, but my Pilot seems to have a good deal of carrying capacity to spare with the bare HVX and battery. I'll have everything on your list in a short while and will be able to let you know if the Pilot can handle it reasonably.

Spec-wise, the Pilot maxes at 10 lbs and the upgraded Merlin w/vest arm at 7. But I had to crank my Pilot arm spring back *hugely* to accomodate the HVX though, which is what gives me reason to believe it might accomodate the rest of the kit you describe.
 
Ted Spencer said:
You have one of the same things to work on as I do though (I'm a new Pilot owner). I call it "rocking the boat" - the tendency of the rig to rock gently side to side, which is most visible by watching vertical lines like wall boundaries and doorways as they roll back and forth like you're on a ship at sea. But it is interesting to note how much the eye is distracted from it by the subject (in this case the woman walking). If I weren't so hyper-aware of it from my own practicing so far I probably wouldn't even have noticed it.
Click to expand...

Thanks for posting this, Michael. I've actually been getting impatient with my progress because of that drift effect Ted mentions... I think controlling that really comes down to watching your momentum, and by extension your acceleration/deceleration. It seems to be one of the most difficult and important steadicam techniques... I remember catching The Shining on TV a while ago and realizing just how much of that drift is in the maze scene at the end... and yes, it's amazing how much the subject distracts you from that...

I've just got the Merlin by itself, and it takes an unbelievable amount of effort to minimize the drift with the HVX. I've found that keeping my core and arms as rigid as possible, and the grip vertical at all times, as well as always considering where I need to slow down/speed up to maintain the frame, are the things that I constantly think about. I'm pretty fit, and I've got to admit that 3 or 4 shots is about all I can handle without a short break to stretch. Though I think the HVX really pushes the limit of what you can control on the Merlin, and I'm sure the arm/vest would be a wise investment if I had the money. Anyway, thanks for sharing...
 
One thing I've found very helpful for smooth start-ups (from a standstill) when walking forward is to set myself initially with one foot in front, with my weight equally on it and the back foot. Then when I start walking there is much less tendency to pitch forward. Works very well for me that way.
 
Derrick_SA said:
cool, was it just the camera on the merlin? (thinking of weight limit)

I'm looking for a stabilizer, hvx and letus, rods, and lense, is about 11-13 pounds.

- Derrick
Click to expand...

If you want to stick to non changing focus type shots, then you could get the glidecam 4000 pro and smooth shooter.

im running a canon xh A1, letus extreme, 24mm lens, cinevate rails, weighing in at around 11 pounds, and i know i could push the weight even more.
 
One trick to smooth starts & stops is to remember that if the rig is stopped, you should be too.
So, when you start, move the rig first, then right away start after it (and catch up to it). And again when stopping, stop yourself first, and then bring the rig to a controlled stop.
You have to plan a little for this extra movement of the sled sometimes, but it doesn't have to be much. If you watch a pro operator, it can almost seem as if they are starting and stopping with the rig, but they are in fact just slightly out of sync with it to let it's movement hide any start & stop bumps.


Also, when you stop, it's best to stop with your weight on one foot. That way you can - once the rig is moving again - take your first step to catch up with the rig before having to shift your weight to move again.

- Mikko
 
PaPa said:
If you want to stick to non changing focus type shots, then you could get the glidecam 4000 pro and smooth shooter.

im running a canon xh A1, letus extreme, 24mm lens, cinevate rails, weighing in at around 11 pounds, and i know i could push the weight even more.
Click to expand...

This must be very heavy holding it in one hand. Or is there an arm and vest for the glidecam as well ?
 
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