Steadicam Jr vs Merlin at DVinfo.net

Jackie Morton · May 6th, 2009, 09:22 PM

The latter is selling for 4x the price on eBay - is there really much of a difference between the two?

Andrew Dean · May 7th, 2009, 01:06 AM

quite a bit, really. The merlin weighs much less, is smaller, and is metal instead of plastic. The merlin can be used with an arm and vest, which makes it more versatile. Some of the jr. models had monitors built in, which allowed you to look down to the ground as you walked... but then, you can do that with most flip out monitors on camcorders.

But, having owned both, I cant really recommend either. While you can get amazing shots with them, it takes far far more practice than people ever want to think. My merlin almost never comes out of the package. If you shoot a ton with a small camera and are committed to regular practice, then the merlin is a heck of a bargain for the shots provided.

I think the money spent to move from a merlin up to the newer full steadicams designed for small cameras is a good investment. Handheld stabilizers often end up back shelf curios where a proper vested stabilizer is a powerful tool. Thats my opinion anyways.

Of course, proper vested steadicams also take tons and tons of practice and training, but its less strain on your wrist.

May 6th, 2009, 09:22 PM	#1
Jackie Morton Regular Crew Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Buffalo, USA Posts: 63	Steadicam Jr vs Merlin The latter is selling for 4x the price on eBay - is there really much of a difference between the two?

May 7th, 2009, 01:06 AM	#2
Andrew Dean Major Player Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: Motukarara, New Zealand Posts: 475	quite a bit, really. The merlin weighs much less, is smaller, and is metal instead of plastic. The merlin can be used with an arm and vest, which makes it more versatile. Some of the jr. models had monitors built in, which allowed you to look down to the ground as you walked... but then, you can do that with most flip out monitors on camcorders. But, having owned both, I cant really recommend either. While you can get amazing shots with them, it takes far far more practice than people ever want to think. My merlin almost never comes out of the package. If you shoot a ton with a small camera and are committed to regular practice, then the merlin is a heck of a bargain for the shots provided. I think the money spent to move from a merlin up to the newer full steadicams designed for small cameras is a good investment. Handheld stabilizers often end up back shelf curios where a proper vested stabilizer is a powerful tool. Thats my opinion anyways. Of course, proper vested steadicams also take tons and tons of practice and training, but its less strain on your wrist.