Steadicam Merlin in NC question

Kevin Wells

Kevin Wells

Well-known member
Hi all,

I have an upcoming shoot that I want to use the Steadicam Merlin on. I am located in Durham, NC, and am looking to rent one for a few days. I am wondering if anyone on the board has one of these and would be willing to rent it out for a few days? If so, please contact me via PM. Thank you.

- Kevin
 
Be sure to get your hands on one as soon as possible, just for a few mins, so that you understand how much practice this will take to get usable shots.

- Mikko
 
mikkowilson said:
Be sure to get your hands on one as soon as possible, just for a few mins, so that you understand how much practice this will take to get usable shots.

- Mikko
Click to expand...

i've never used one before. about how long does it take to get used to it?
 
Well, speaking from experience, i.e. brand new experience, you can get a merlin going using the cookbook presets. However, you will quickly discover the desire to get better than rudimentary results. This is where I discovered the need to take my time and think about the basics: i.e, center of gravity of the camera with respect to the mounting plate and its position over the gimbal; understanding how adjusting the lower spar increases/decreases bottom heaviness but also changes center of gravity fore/aft; weight on the front spar with respect to torsional stability; fine tuning the gimbal (fulcrum point) with respect to wieght distribution between top/bottom and its effect on drop time. All of it is available within the owners manual and online.
Once I started understanding the basic relationships I started getting repeatable results when adjusting the trim rollers--key point here!!. That is when I started going from basic results to good results. Now, I'm concentrating on body movement so that I can go from good results to great results.
Bought mine in April. The price hurt like hell but I've never once considered getting rid of it.
Patience, understanding and practice :thumbup:.
gco
 
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