Alright, so I just picked up a Canon HV20, and now I'm looking at picking up my first stabilizer system. Friend has a Glidecam 2000 and swears by it, but admits he's never fooled around with a Merlin. Given the cost differential ($369 vs. $800), I'd like to know the difference before I spend more of my cash on this gear.

With a heavier camera than the HV20, you would notice a substantial difference in terms of overall payload with the GC over the Merlin. But with a light camera, the nuances of balance and accuracy of the gimbal become more important. Making tiny adjustments in the top stage is a critical task, and the GC does not offer the ability to do this compared to the Merlin.

Can you do the same kind of movements with the Merlin / Glidecam? Or are does one do better than the other in some kind of movements.

You should be able to do the same movements. The Merlin fits the HV20 better in philosophy as the stores smaller. So, your kit is much more portable.

//I have a GC2k.

I'm thinking that tilts and rolls i.e. extended dutch shots would be easier with the Glidecam but for smooth flight the Merlin would be just as good and easier on the arm. If you plan on a larger camera and eventually will go with a vest and arm, both company's offer good solutions.

Tery
Indicam

I own a Merlin but had a chance to try a Glidecam 2000 extensively on a job recently with surprisingly good results. Written up my experiences on the blog at:

Robin Schmidt, Director, Editor and DSLR mentalist – GLIDECAM 2000 vs STEADICAM MERLIN – WHICH ONE TO BUY? (http://www.elskid.com/blog/?p=1687)

Hope that helps

Robin
Robin Schmidt, Director, Editor and DSLR mentalist (http://www.elskid.com/blog)