thanks mikko.

i managed for the first time in a month to get vibration free walking shots. very exciting!

That's great news Phil! :)

- Mikko

is the drifting up and down as i walk straight a balancing or operating issue?

After using the merlin with the a1 for the past few days, putting the z1 back on is a bit of shock. That's one heavy camera. i bought the accessory plate for it so I can use a radio mic with the camera. Nice idea that plate.

I have spent 12 years as a cameraman, doing news and docos, although i have directed steadicam operators have never done it myself. It's always been handheld and tripods so this is all new to me. I have realised as much use as the cookbook and instructions are, you have to understand how the balancing effects the movement and why. Until you understand the "why" you are just guessing if you make any changes to the camera, wide angles, filters, different batteries, and especially the accessory bracket with the z1. I find myself thinking back to my school Physics class! Makes my head hurt!

is the drifting up and down as i walk straight a balancing or operating issue?
Can you explain what you mean in more detail? Is the camera tilting or the whole sled bobbing up and down? Does it show in the shot or is it something the camera is just dooing?


I agree that it is very important to understand all the adjustments of the Merlin. I don't use the cookbook anymore and I can balance a camera from scratch in about 3 minutes. The cookbook is a great place to start and get you going, but after that it's important to experiment to discover how each adjustment affects the system. The wost thing that can come from experimenting is an out of balance camera, so definatly worth a go!

- Mikko

When walking the whole camera looks like it is on a boat at sea. The camera tilit drifts up and down. It very much shows in the shot. Like i am tilting it up and down

Try trimming your Z to give a slower drop time, try almost 2 seconds.
- Mikko

will try! thanks. you are up up very late or you are in Finland!

the a1 is working beautifully, still not worked out how to go from walking up/down stairs to carrying on straight. I trim to make it point in the right direction but then of course when i reach a flat surface it still points that way.

now the z1. it STILL VIBRATES when moving! the g-platz is there and solidly touching the lens barrel, everything should work but it still vibrates. it looks like it is solid. i just don't get it!

Sorry I cant help you phil, i am trying to get to grips with the merlin too with a sony pd 170 on top. I have a few clips put together and would like the experts to tell me where i am going wrong and where am i going right.

This is the link and it is 29 mb in size. http://www.v-i-cstudio.com/Show.html

The rest of the site is still work in progress. Still a lot to learn about the camera and the web.

ps dont worry about the picture it was from other footage of a parade that i shoot also with the merlin. Again, windy lots of people about "not easy" If you want I can put this clip up as well. Looking forward to your comments and be honest as this is how i like to learn.

Hi Robert

I watched your clips, you are certainly getting there! It really takes so much practice, in a month I have improved so much, I even have managed to shoot some stuff which is going out on Sky this week...

It is so hard in the wind isn't it. Is your spirit level dead on, it does seem to have a tendancy to lop to one side. I found that you really need the spirit level to be absolutely dead on.

With regards to vibration on the z1...cured it. I stripped the camera down by taking the lens hood off (although i did put a red eye wide angle adaptor on which weighs just a little more than a standard 72mm filter) and put a small battery on. Put some more gaffer tape on the camera before putting the dovetail plate on the balanced the camera. Dovetail was at the cookbook setting place but I balanced at 0 with some trimming so I could get the gplatz to hit the lens barrel for that extra stability. It seemed to work.

It is such a shame that I can't use my fish eye or a proper wide angle adaptor with the z1 because of the weight issue. I wonder as the gimble is removable and replacable Tiffen might bring out a new one that can take an extra pound or two!!! In the meantime for anything fancy, like the century .3x fish eye, and for a lot less grief...and pain, I will mostly be using my a1e. The picture quality is so close to the z1's with good light that once graded you won't know any different. It is astonishing that such a tiny camera can create such lovely pictures, even in DVCAM mode. It's a shame that inside the cmos chip struggles.

Phil,
Sometimes the best way to find a vibration is to indeed strip down a camera and rebuild. All opeartors face that sometimes at all levels of Steadicam. Good to hear you got the problem solved.


Robert,
You show notable improvement even over the duration of your clip. Maybe the party went late and 'fun' enoguh to help you steady the shot!

Actually, my main advice would be for you to try and lighten up your gimble, controlling (aiming) hand some more. You only really need to actually touch/press on the gimble when you need to make a steering correction like a pan or a tilt. Once you are just moving without needing to change the angle of the camera, you should almost let go, just resting your fingertips lightly on the guide ring so that you can feel any stray movements before they happen.

And the other piece of advice I have is to relax as much as possible when shooting. It's hard to concentrate and relax at the same time, but at the end of the clip, (seriously) as teh evening went on, I could tell you where more relaxed and that showed in your shots.

- Mikko

Phil, you have found the most practical solution - fly with the lighter cam and leave the heavier one for the tripod.

Thanks phil for your comments and yes it was hard to get the spirit level just right. My biggest problem is having to correct it every time you rest it in between shots, what a pain.

Thanks mikko that is great advice. I thought i held the gimble to hard an as for stray movements, that advice I will work on and of course relax. Didn't finish till twelve. Thats not to bad, but late for a camera man.

Hi

i need help!

the screw/clamp on the dovetail plate that you use to take the camera on and off the steadicam has come loose and come off. No matter what I do i cant get it back on. Could anyone help me please? If need be how could i get a new screw/clamp? i would rather not of course!!

thanks

Phil,
The dovetail clamp has prety short threads due to the thickness of the dovetail itself.
There should be a small nut embeded in the dovetail for the bolt to mate with.
Align all the parts of the clamp so that the flat side points inwards so that it will clamp onto the stage. Then carefully align the screw and give it another try. it Shoudl go in prety simply.

I don't have my Merlin on hand, but I will check when I get home tonight.
For now, here's a couple of pictures to show alignment...


- Mikko

thanks mikko.

i think somehow the thread on the screw itself has gone, that's why it isn't gripping

Phil,
You'd probabaly best contact Steadicam customer support (www.steadicam.com). It could be a waranty issue.

- Mikko

Is it too risky to use 5.5 to 6 pounds on a Merlin?

I am very close to buying a Merlin and I am trying to plan ahead with my setup for next year's weddings.

Does anyone use this much weight without worry?

Yeah, unfortuanly once you go over the limit, you go over the limit.

What camera are you planning on using, and with what accessories?

- Mikko

I am using the PD170 with a wireless mic, and a shotgun mic, with NP F970 battery. I have a lot of options but haven't figured anything out.

I use a heavy mic clamp so I can rotate the shotgun mic. I could change this. I never use the viewfinder, so this can be removed.

I also use a vx2100 as a balcony cam. The pd170 could become the balcony cam if necessary and the 2100 could go on the Merlin.

That may be an easy solution.

Is there a certain weight to aim for besides the lowest?

I am impressed with the Merlin.

Hi Richard,

I use a Merlin with a VX2100. The two work excellently together, but the VX has to be stripped down to the bare camera and a small battery. (You could never continuously hold on to both for 7 or 8 hours, so no sense carrying the extra weight of a 970 battery. Every ounce counts.)

Altho they say the Merlin is about the weight of a soda can, there's not much emphasis on the fact a lot more weight has to be added to the Merlin to get it to balance properly, about 1.5 lbs for the VX, I think it is.

Get a 5-lb bag of sugar (which is at least a pound less than a VX2100 riding on a Merlin properly balanced), and walk around holding it in your hand for 10 minutes. No cheating – just one hand, not both, or switching hands (altho it is possible to switch and/or do 2 hands between scenes, but you don't want to do that when doing a take.) Anyway, that'll give you an idea of what you have to look forward to w/a Merlin & heavy camera.

Practicing for at least a half-hour every day builds muscle & skill – a lot of both is needed to be proficient.

Anyway, the device is really neat, works perfectly within the advertised limits, and I'm glad I got it. Of course, my right arm now look's like Popeye's, but that's another story. ;)

I've been practicing with two 3lbs weights in one hand and weighing my 170 with different accessories.

I feel comfortable with the weight.

My best idea is to have a balcony cam, a tripod cam in the front, and a merlin cam. I don't know if I can pull this off with just two cams and the accessories.

Is there any chance that a Merlin 2 will come out that supports 6 lbs?

Both the VX2100 and the PD170 will fly just great on the Merlin.
Do you need a shogun on the camera? With so many cameras, it might make sense to have your shotgun on a fixed, not moving, camera.

You can use your Radio Mic receiver as useful counterweight (and cut-down on counter-weight needed) by using the Merlin Accessory Plate (http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/controller/home?O=Search&A=details&Q=&sku=445745&is=REG)

Note that practicing with weights, though helpful for building arm strength, isn't an accurate representation of how it feels to hold a stabilizer.


Switching between Merlin & tripod is very fast thanks to the built in quick-release plate. (Though you taking accessories off the accessory plate might slow things down by a bit [not much] depending on how it's all attached.)


I haven't heard anything of a Merlin 2, and really, you don't want to be carrying more than 5.5lb cameras anyway, it starts to get too heavy.

- Mikko

Thank you everybody. You all are great help. Mikko thank you very much for taking the time and helping.

I am buying at the end of this week, so I can have practice for the next wedding season.

Is the accessory plate something really worth buying? It looks like something a monkey could build - or is it a little more sophisticated?

It's probably easier/cheaper to buy because you'd have to find a tap with the right threads.

I know it took Jim (the developer) quite some time to find a material both light and strong enough that would also grip the threads so as not to spin around when loaded. A too heavy plate would begin to reduce from the usable payload - the production plate weighs exactly the same as 1 regular Merlin weight.

- Mikko

Lots of good info here.

When I had finally gotten comfortable with the idea of essentially paying $800 for a stick (!) I found out it costs 50% more in Europe. Argh!

My plan is to use the Merlin with an XH-A1 and I am really psyched about learning this craft.

Anyone know a US dealer willing to ship it with "Value: $95" on the customs declaration? >_<

Edit: The only dealer in Denmark actually charged $1590 for a Merlin. These people have no shame. I could fly to New York and pick one up at B&H and it would still be cheaper.

I was wondering how you switch between tripod and Merlin. I'm planning on buying the Manfrotto 055DB with the 128RC videohead. If I plan to buy the Merlin (later this year perhaps), will I be able to (quickly) switch between the to (without screwing / unscrewing)?

It has a quick release plate for the tripod.

It has a quick release plate for the tripod.

This is a image of the head I'm getting: http://www.manfrotto.com/webdav/site/manfrotto/shared/_images/Manfrotto/product_images/zoom/128RC.jpg. So the (supplied) quick release plate of the Merlin will fit onto this head? Does anyone have a picture of how the process works (I'm trying to visualize it).

Another question: can you film upside down (for low-to-the-ground shots), like the Glidecam 2000. I think it should be no problem, just asking.

Wilfred:

It's a very clever setup actually. For 30 years the Steadicam systems have involved a plate that screws into the bottom of the camera, which is then mounted onto the stabilizer via a clamp on the top of the rig. With the Merlin, the plate that mounts onto the rig contains the clamping mechanism, so that a simple block is mounted onto the tripod and the camera is then dropped onto the block and locked down via a lever on the plate. The block has a 1/4"-20 thread just like the base of the camera, so you simply screw it to your head's quick release plate or the head itself just like you are mounting a camera. It's very easy and quick to work with.

The Merlin is not designed to work upside down, but in normal mode you can achieve shots of less than a foot off the ground assuming you can actually find a way to operate that low.

I got my Merlin yesterday. Fantastic instruction DVD.

Probably a dumb question - but am I right in thinking the stage won't turn if I rotate the grip - I have to use the guide to do this?

Also - although I think I've got my Z1 pretty much in balance, when I pick the rig up it initally pans slightly to the left - doesn't tilt - spirit level remains central. Is this normal-ish?

I found the online spreadhseet much more accurate than the cookbook settings for the Z1. I can actually use one weight less using that calculation.

Great product.

Ian

Probably a dumb question - but am I right in thinking the stage won't turn if I rotate the grip - I have to use the guide to do this?

Yup, that's the idea! The camera's angular roatation is isolated from the grip by the gimble.


Also - although I think I've got my Z1 pretty much in balance, when I pick the rig up it initally pans slightly to the left - doesn't tilt - spirit level remains central. Is this normal-ish?

There are many little "quirks" to Steadicam, what you describe is probably not a problem.

- Mikko

Hmmm...so far my Merlin footage is OK under certain conditions. For example, if I am doing a very short movement, with objects passing by the foreground, the footage is good. But when I actually walk with my merlin, and there are no objects moving past the foreground, there is a subtle bounciness to the footage. The drop time on my camera is fine, but I still can't master long smooth moving shots with it. Does this mean that I am not walking right with it? Am I not holding the gimbal properly? Thanks.

Walk as if your balancing books on your head.....

The rain in spain stays on the plane... da plane, da plane...

also like wlaking with a martini in your hand.

I digress..... must walk level and slowly or a least keep the cam at one constant height from the ground.

Is there such a thing as "too slow of a drop time?" Or is the slowest drop time always the best drop time? Thanks.

The best drop time depends on the needs of the shot.

Slower drop time simply means that the rig gives you less "feedback" as it tries to hang level less.

A faster droptime that makes the rig hang level harder is good for slower more delicate moves.
A slower droptime is better for shots with lots of acceleration (including deceleration and turning), so fast changes in speed, hard starts or stops, and vehical shots (where you can be accelerating for many tens of secconds).

Other that that, it's simply preferance.

- Mikko

Hello,

Had my first run with the Merlin/Z1 today and I'm really excited, seeing alot of potential. Felt pretty good about my operating results, too: running, stairclimbing, walking up ot a window on the third floor, sticking my camera out and panning, tilting!
But... especially when walking/running I'm seeing some artifacts that remind me of the HDV problems people talked about when the Z1 came out (long GOP-compression problems, never noticed it. Uptill now?). The movement is smooth but the playback is awkward, slightly jittery. Could this be due to bad balancing on the Merlin? The camera, stripped except for the NP970, balances very well on the Merlin. Maybe the Gesornenplatz-issue as was discussed here? I just tightened it a little more against the camera and will test tomorrow.

Love to shoot with this beauty, if only watch my camera 'fly' so gracefully!

thanks,

Wolf

Update: woke up this morning, set my Z1 on the Merlin and it was totally offbalance??!! Hangs forward. Which leads to my next question: according to the Cookbook, I have to set the Dovetail on the stage at position '5'. There is no 5 on the Stage but I assume I should fit the Dovetail as much forward on the Stage as possible.
To get my Z1 balanced, I tried trimming forward and backward as much as possible, but the camera kept hanging forward whatever I tried. (Trimming forward was better than trimming backward, which I didn't expect...)Then I adjusted the lower spar, making the Arc size smaller and that helped. I was able to get the camera level. Don't understand because I read that for the Z1 the Arc has to be as wide as possible for it to work...
I also noticed that the camera has become more wobbly sideways than yesterday, most likely because it's now less bottomheavy, is this right? On the plus side: the Gesornenplatz seems to have taken care of 'jitters' when moving.

Wolf,
Gald to hear you are enjoying your Merlin.

As to the change in balance; it sounds like something on the camera has changed. Perhaps you took a tape out, or used a lighter battery this morning.
It's amazing how precise the Merlin is.

Though this experimenting with settings and learning to balance is agood thing. It's an important skill to understand how to balance it - not just to know how to balance it.

Keep experimenting, and have fun flying!

- Mikko

Thanks for your response, Mikko. As far as the balancing problem was concerned: no changes to the camera whatsoever. I must have attached the dovetail differently to the stage, but I couldn't figure out what I did...
Finally I attached the plate all the way to the front of the stage, even a little over the edge, which didn't seem right, but it worked, even though I had to tighten the arc to make it work...
Really curious to hear (see?!) how other Z1 owners manage. Therefore the question about the stagenumber (5). Can someone who is very satisfied about the balance of his Merlin/Z1 provide some CU pics of the Dovetail/Stage connection? Would be greatly appreciated!

Took him out for a spin yesterday again but didn't count on the wind, which was quite strong. No way to keep that thing steady when the wind blows- I was back in within 10 minutes...

The Gesornenplatz definitely works like a charm!

Yeah, wind is the #1 enemy of all Steadicam - even the big $60,000 rigs have problems with it.


You shouldn't need to move the dovetail plate off the stage. Using the stage mark in the cookbook should work for you, unless you have some strange accessories on the camera.
If you run out of slide room on the stage (go past mark 5), unscrew the dovetail plate from the camera and re-mount it using a different hole (so essentially "slide" the camera on the dovetail plate!)

When positioning the Z1 on the stage, it helps to observe how the G-platz lines up. Position the camera so that the G-platz screw presses on the little flat area under the lens, then use the fore-aft trim roller to get you balanced as it won't actually move the camera to the stage but rather just moves the gimble to the center of gravity.

Unfortunaly I don't have a Z1 available to check the settings on my Merlin, but the ones listed in the cookbook should work - I helped write them.


- Mikko

Hi Mikko,

I have no idea what's going on: I changed nothing on the camera- it's just the Z1 with a tape in it and the same large battery I used the first time, when I was succesfull...

I'll start from scratch again. I feel like a real fool because it must be something simple, arghhh!!

Wish another Z1/Merlin user could send me some pictures...

Will report back. Thanks,

Wolf

Back again. I don't know why it took me so long to realize it was the arc size that made the difference. Well, actually I do know: because the arc size was fine the first time I used the Merlin. And I also remember opening up the arc as wide as possible for the Z1, so there was not much room to play with.
Changing the arc size was the last thing I tried after setting up from scratch, and it turned out there was more arc than I expected.

Now I can go back to practicing to become a steadicam operator again, a much more enjoyable experience than balancing the Merlin...

One more question, Mikko, and a rather silly one. I received a large black steadicam bag in addition to the neat small one. I guess it's for the (folded) Merlin with the camera attached to it. But the foam cutout shape does not fit the shape of the folded Merlin very well. Is that your (or anyone elses) experience as well?

BTW, is there any place I can see some of the stuff you shot with the Merlin, I'm curious.

happy shooting,

Wolf

I think that large bag was the one supplied with the JR, so the cutout was for that particular piece of gear. Tiffen needs to make one specifically for the Merlin, true enough. Once you have it built there's really no reason to have to break it back down to fit the original case.

I think that large bag was the one supplied with the JR, so the cutout was for that particular piece of gear. Tiffen needs to make one specifically for the Merlin, true enough. Once you have it built there's really no reason to have to break it back down to fit the original case.

They gave me a bag that belongs to another model??!! That is really cheap!

There is also a larger bag for the Merlin.

It's designed to hold the Merlin folder underneath the camera. - So you would need to lay maerlin flat [stage up] (instead of on it's side) in the cutout in the bottom of the bag.

- Mikko

There is also a larger bag for the Merlin.

It's designed to hold the Merlin folder underneath the camera. - So you would need to lay maerlin flat [stage up] (instead of on it's side) in the cutout in the bottom of the bag.

- Mikko

Mikko, that is exactly the bag I'm referring to. It was shipped with the Merlin -in addition to the small bag- so I assumed it was built for the Merlin.(now why would I assume such a thing...) As it turns out, Tiffen apparently had a bunch of bags leftover from the JR and distributed them as Merlin bags... That would have worked, if they had taken the effort to change the interior foam cutout.

Wolf

Hey,

I'm very close to finally buying the Merlin, but have some questions:

Why is the price on the Tiffen site 850$ and on the other sites 800$ ?
Is the Merlin Arm&Vest option ready and shipping?

Traditionally manufacturers post list prices and dealers post their own price, which is their cost plus markup. Manufacturers don't want to be in competition with their dealers so they usually don't show any discounts.

The arm and vest are scheduled to ship in August.

I am flying a DVC 80 on my Merlin. I am wondering if anyone has used the accessory plate that attaches to the bottom of the arm? One thing I sorely miss is my Sony UWP wireless receiver when shooting with the Merlin. I know that a plate is available but has anyone used it? Does it work?