Steadicam merlin

If you have one of the many popular lightweight camcorders and want to steadicam merlin smooth shots like the pros, steadicam merlin, then the new Steadicam Merlin 2 handheld stabilizer from Tiffen may be just what you need.

Review by David A. Tiffen's diminutive Steadicam Merlin was a pleasant surprise, both in delivery and performance. The zippered soft case and fitted foam neatly held the device, stainless steel balance weights, dovetail mounting plate, screws, manual, and instructional DVD. A certificate of authenticity personally signed by its designer, award winning Garret Brown, was included. The Merlin, sans cam and weights, was an impressive 13 ounces. It was something that you might find in a Sharper Image or Apple Store. The unit is approximately 14 inches fully extended, and has a folding and locking caliper hinge that separates the lower and upper spars.

Steadicam merlin

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Get help. Using this guide, I attached the HVX to the dovetail plate using camera alignment pin and the locating screw in the steadicam merlin hole.

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If you have one of the many popular lightweight camcorders and want to get smooth shots like the pros, then the new Steadicam Merlin 2 handheld stabilizer from Tiffen may be just what you need. The Merlin 2 comes in a very neatly configured foam lined, semi-soft shelled case. Even at first glance you can tell this is a quality product. All of the structural components are precisely machined aluminum and stainless steel. Plastic and rubberized parts are substantial and mate perfectly, and sparse but well-placed reference marks indicate this Steadicam means business. The standard package comes with a folded Merlin 2 rig, dovetail plate, one starting and two finishing two-ounce weights, six four-ounce middle weights, lens support bracket, assorted screws, tripod adapter plate and a DVD that closely follows the page setup and operation manual. The Merlin 2 is now more robust and better engineered. Tiffen cut the new dovetail plate from solid aluminum and included many mounting options. It now has stainless steel components and an oversized locking lever for added security when mounted on the base for the dovetail plate, known as the stage.

Steadicam merlin

It's hard to overstate the effect that Steadicam has had on camerawork. Football is given a new edge by cameras that can move around on the pitch without any of the traditional shaking that comes with shoulder-mounted cameras. Movies that use steadicam can get viewers closer to the action, and feel more involved, than almost any other type of camera operation.

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Tiffen advises against this procedure because it affects the overall rigidity and the precision milled nature of the Merlin. Even though the angle of our control hand changed, the practically friction-free gimbal helped keep us centered and smooth. Home Reviews Camera Support. They add a couple of large metal washers between the lower weights. David also moderates several forums on 2-pop. For cameras more than 2. But when fine tuning our balance we found we needed slightly less weight so we exchanged one four-ounce bottom weight with a two-ounce finishing weight. This camcorder weighs approximately 5. The Panasonic requires that all balance weights be used due to its top-heavy nature. The on line Cookbook contains Tiffen's suggestions on what weight, initial extension, and trim stage positions should be used. To keep the overall weight to a minimum, we extended the lower spar to its maximum position. Once we finished balancing the rig, we ran it through our standard Steadicam course used to train beginning professional Steadicam operators to test overall handling and performance.

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Home Reviews Camera Support. With lighter camcorders, the number of balance weights and the extension of the spars are modified accordingly. Like with the Target course, a little practice is all it took for the Merlin 2 to give us a graceful and fluid shot with no perceptible influence of the stairs. The fore and aft trim rollers are slightly larger with a machined gripping surface that makes it easier to roll with your thumb. Tiffen reminds users that most Steadicam commercial footage lasts less than two minutes. It consists of machined aluminum, brass and stainless steel. He diagnosed the problem as a faulty caliper hinge, and arranged to have the unit replaced by Tiffen. Both controls are well constructed, easy to use, and responsive. It is best suited for lighter cams. Tiffen notes at its web site that the Merlin has been successfully used with these cams, but with medium weight batteries and no accessories. For cameras more than 2. Finally, Tiffen reworked the grip to fit your hand better. There is, however a short guide on the DVD for experienced users.