As steadycam shots are usually not that long, I don't mind leaving the grip off. The only difference with your setup is that I have two weights instead of three and one finishing weight as counterbalance. By the way, thanks very much Vladimir, you saved me a lot of time! I am sorry to say that I gave up on balancing this combination and went with the Glidecam HD instead. I was able to mount a Bogen quickrelease plate and get a reasonable balance.
The Merlin is all but impossible with this camera and even if you do get it balanced, it is very susceptable to wind. I could never get the combination to "calm down" and stop wandering about. I can do this with an XHA1. In fact I prefer using the Merlin with the XHA1 rather than the Glidecam which tends to be heavier and require more muscle!
April 13th, , AM Richard Gooderick. I have only used my Merlin and 5D together once and they worked fine. In wind would be a different matter. Don't think that would be a good idea.
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Buyer's Guides. Thread Tools. April 7th, , AM. April 8th, , AM. Thanks Vladimir! I found this helpful. April 8th, , PM. Thank you Simone! January 15th, , AM. January 15th, , PM. January 16th, , PM. April 12th, , AM. Problems balancing the 5dmarkii for the merlin steadicam Hi there, I just got the Merlin Steadicam and have been having a heck of a time trying to balance it.
Merlin balancing I am sorry to say that I gave up on balancing this combination and went with the Glidecam HD instead. April 13th, , AM. DV Info Net also encourages you to support local businesses and buy from an authorized dealer in your neighborhood.
Although fairly cost-prohibitive to purchase for casual shooting, a number of camera and video suppliers rent them on a daily basis. If you've never used one, it may pay to rent one for a day to get a feel for how it works to keep the camera motion smooth and fluid when shooting on the fly.
The actual Steadicam Merlin itself weighs only 13 oz, less than a can of soda, but once you add the correct counterweights to balance the camera, it could approach 2 lbs. Because the official camera weight limit for use with a Merlin Steadicam is just under 5 lbs. More than 5 lbs. Adjust the arc size of the arm which is the distance between the camera platform and the end weights of the arm and then begin adding finish or tapered weights to the bottom of the arm until the camera attains a horizontal orientation.
Tiffen, the filter manufacturer that markets the Merlin Steadicam, has a site called the Merlin Cookbook www. Once the camera is attached and balanced, it's best to shoot some practice footage to get a feel for the entire apparatus while moving around with the camera.
Holding the grip in one hand and the other hand lightly holding the gimbal underneath the camera platform with your index finger and thumb to control trim, slowly pan and swing the camera in an arc from side to side.
This is definitely a new experience for still photographers who have spent considerable time learning how to keep a handheld camera stable. With a little practice, you can even run, jump, or run down stairs and the gimbal absorbs all your body's abrupt movements, keeping the camera action steady and the resulting video smooth. One thing to keep in mind when using a precise instrument such as the Merlin Steadicam is that any changes you make to the camera, even as slight as adding or removing a filter or lens hood, necessitates a balance readjustment.
The Merlin allows you to perform micro adjustments to the camera's balance by use of two rolling adjusters on the bottom of the camera plate. More substantial changes, such as changing a lens or adding a light or shotgun microphone to the camera's hot shoe, may require repositioning the camera on the mounting plate. Fortunately, the camera mounting area has numbered markings, allowing the user to annotate various setup options for custom situations where the weight of the camera has changed from the preceding setup.
You need to assess how much video shooting you plan to do before considering purchasing this tool. The high cost and a steep learning curve send many aspiring videographers to the Internet, where a variety of lower-cost performance options and do-it-yourself projects abound.
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