Manfrotto Fig Rig at DVinfo.net

Graeme Coutts · October 16th, 2009, 09:25 AM

I have been looking for a reasonably priced stabilization system for a while now but with exchange rate and import duties the Merlin is a little too pricey for my liking.

Has anyone out there had any experience with the Manfrotto Fig Rig and if so I would like a show of hands as to Yay or Nay! I use a XHA1S by the way....

Thanks

Graeme

Perrone Ford · October 16th, 2009, 09:31 AM

I have a Fig Rig, REALLY like it, but am able to live within it's parameters. Your camera will be very heavy to hand hold on the fig, but at least it gives you two hands instead of one like the Merlin.

And make no mistake, it is a stabilizer, NOT a steadicam.

Richard Gooderick · October 16th, 2009, 04:23 PM

For instance I recently used it to shoot a play in three takes. Using the Fig Rig I could get angles and framing that would have taken forever to set up with a tripod.

But what it was doing here was completely different from a steadicam, like a Merlin.

I have both. They are completely different beasts.

Scott E. Brown · October 17th, 2009, 11:58 AM

I have no personal experience with it - but I have a friend in Burundi Africa who is using it with his Sony EX1 and likes it. He said it isn't perfect, and certainly isn't a Steadicam - but for the environment he is in it works great.

October 16th, 2009, 09:25 AM	#1
Graeme Coutts New Boot Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: East London, South Africa Posts: 8	Manfrotto Fig Rig I have been looking for a reasonably priced stabilization system for a while now but with exchange rate and import duties the Merlin is a little too pricey for my liking. Has anyone out there had any experience with the Manfrotto Fig Rig and if so I would like a show of hands as to Yay or Nay! I use a XHA1S by the way.... Thanks Graeme

October 16th, 2009, 09:31 AM	#2
Perrone Ford Inner Circle Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Tallahassee, FL Posts: 4,100	I have a Fig Rig, REALLY like it, but am able to live within it's parameters. Your camera will be very heavy to hand hold on the fig, but at least it gives you two hands instead of one like the Merlin. And make no mistake, it is a stabilizer, NOT a steadicam. __________________ DVX100, PMW-EX1, Canon 550D, FigRig, Dell Octocore, Avid MC4/5, MB Looks, RedCineX, Matrox MX02 mini, GTech RAID, Edirol R-4, Senn. G2 Evo, Countryman, Moles and Lowels.

October 16th, 2009, 04:23 PM	#3
Richard Gooderick Major Player Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: London, UK Posts: 795	For instance I recently used it to shoot a play in three takes. Using the Fig Rig I could get angles and framing that would have taken forever to set up with a tripod. But what it was doing here was completely different from a steadicam, like a Merlin. I have both. They are completely different beasts. __________________ http://www.gooderick.com

October 17th, 2009, 11:58 AM	#4
Scott E. Brown New Boot Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: Boring, OR, USA Posts: 13	I have no personal experience with it - but I have a friend in Burundi Africa who is using it with his Sony EX1 and likes it. He said it isn't perfect, and certainly isn't a Steadicam - but for the environment he is in it works great.