Steadicam Merlin vs. Glidecam HD series

J

jrod81

Veteran
Hey guys
I am looking to get either the Merlin or the HD2000 from Glidecam. Could someone tell me the better purchase for the money? I have no experience with any sort of steadicam so i know my work is cut out for me... what is the easier learning curve of these choices?
any other choices?
jared
 
If you've got the money, the Steadicam Merlin is a far superior unit. But the Glidecam is cheaper.

Try searching for "merlin" and "glidecam" and you'll find lots of discussions about the various Glidecam units and the Merlin, including comparisons.

- Mikko
 
Thats a pretty bold statement: i've seen some amazing shots with the Glidecam that are smooth like butter. They both have strength weakness and find out which one suits your needs.
 
They can both produce fantastic shots. But side by side, in both key features and operability (= speed on (or off) set), Merlin takes the cake.

It costs more for a reason; and if those reasons are important, then it's worth the extra money to you.

- Mikko
 
I have seen amazing shots with both. However, if you intend to go to or from a tripod and want to do it quickly, the Merlin is the choice.
BTW Mikko, your new avatar Rocks!
 
Last edited:
Save your money up for a Steadicam Flyer or Pilot with a 7" monitor and an AB battery mount.
 
well i can't get the 7d to work properly with my steadicam JR... i don't know if perhaps i am missing some weights or what, but something isn't balancing for me.
 
I have the glidecam 4000 pro with smooth shooter. It gives me amazing results.
 
The Glidecam HD sleds now have onboard quick adjustments on the fly. In my opinion that now narrows the differences between Glidecam and Steadicam units. If you want to pay for a name, go for Steadicam.

I'm a Steadicam op for 15 years now. On the big units(Master series, IIs, SKs,). Still rent those for heavier cameras but my personal rig is the X-10 with a 4000HD sled. No difference in shots compared to Steadicam.
 
I have used both the X-10 (w/ HD4000 and the older 4000 Pro) as well as the Pilot.

With the HD series sleds, the Glidecam product does now come much closer than ever before (and for hundreds less). However, I did notice that the arm on the Steadicam I used didn't "bounce" as much as the Glidecam...the X-10 arm does what it's supposed to do, but it just seemed to bounce up and down at the elbow a bit more...looked kind of ridiculous :)

There are other differences, like the adjustable gimble on the Steadicam, the wiring capabilities for camera and monitor power and the slightly simpler counterbalance system...I guess the decision to make is whether or not that matters.

The Glidecam X-10 includes a bunch of additional weight plates that you can place on the camera stage for situations where you are using an underweight camera rig (in general, 8-10 lbs is the sweet spot for the X-10 arm). So even if you're using an HD2000, you can get the weight of the vest+sled combo balanced properly.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top