Everything you wanted to know about the Steadicam Merlin...

[Ralph Schoberth]

Originally Posted by Mikko Wilson

And yes, you do want to get the gimbal directly under the CG of the camera.


- Mikko

If cameras cg and the gimbal not aligned does that mean the merlin isn't dynamic balanced?

[Mikko Wilson]

Dynamic balance refers to how the rig acts when you pan. If when you pan at a mederate speed, the rig stays level (doesn't tilt or roll on it's own) then you are in dynamic balance.

Watch the Steadicam Pilot video here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S3PgqKF6ugY
Dynamic Blance is discussed starting at 6:40


- Mikko

[Ralph Schoberth]

Ah thx i see. But what happens if cg and gimbal not in the same place?
Any bad things happens?

[Mikko Wilson]

If the rig isn't correctly balanced, it will simply hang with the camera at some undesired angle.

- Mikko

[Eugene Presley]

I'm selling my Merlin (used it twice) because of upgrading to the Pilot. Please check the 'private classifieds' if intererested!

[Steve Blalock]

My Merlin appears to be balanced correctly, but it drifts when I hold it still. Does anyone have a suggestion, please? The drop time appears about right and I can move my Merlin laterally without any resulting pendulum effect, but it drifts when I hold it still.

When I hold my Merlin still without touching the guide, it starts to rock very slightly fore and aft, and also side to side. It rolls a little, too, and it drifts on the z-axis. Does anyone have a suggestion, please? My camera is light, only 1 lb. 3 oz. with its smaller battery and all accessories, and 1 lb. 5 oz. with its larger battery and all accessories. Thanks in advance to everyone who has a suggestion.

[Charles Papert]

I find that under 3lbs or so, the Merlin will tend to do that as there is so little mass to the whole rig. If you have a way to mount more weight on it, see if that helps things.

[Jimmy Conway]

I'm having trouble balancing the merlin when I added a HVL-20DW2 to my Sony FX1. I've tried trimming and moving the dovetail plate but the top just seems to want constantly flop to one side. Do I need to add more weights on the bottom? If anybody has it balanced with this please let me know what settings they used or point me in the right direction to getting this balanced. Thanks in advance.

[Christopher Witz]

yes... you will need to add more weight.

The accessory plate really helps as well, you can add batts or wireless receivers to it for more weight.

to be honest though... I never put a light on my cam when flying. The footage always looks like a POV shot to me.

[Matt Trubac]

Hi...

I recently purchased a used Merlin and Vest/Arm rig. I have been through the setup portion of the manual and DVD for the merlin, but have a few questions.

The lower spar, even with the locking knobs tightened has a bit of play to it. It will wiggle up and down a bit. Is this normal?

When I fold my merlin into travel mode, the lower spar will hit into the stage. I saw some discussion about this earlier in the thread. Some said that it was normal, others said it was not. Has there been a final verdict on this? Applying a small amount of force to the lower spar does cause it to slide down and catch in the groove under the stage.

I have been trying to balance an XH-A1 with the 970 battery, lcd out, tape in camera, and lens cover off. I try to trim the fore-aft and side to side balance. I hold the camera level and let go. It seems fairly well balanced but the camera wants to rotate (pan) around toward me, and as it does this it begins to fall to the side ever so slightly. Is this a sign of any out of whack adjustment?

I am also wondering if the 45 degree arm post that the merlin sits upon is supposed to rotate? Mine is tight, but it seems like it should rotate. Reading through Charles' review of the system it sounds like it should rotate. I will try loosening the bolt underneath with an allen wrench...

thanks for any insight,
matt

[Matt Trubac]

well I have been re reading the directions. I tightened up the locking knobs a bit tighter which got rid of the movement in the lower spar.

i took a look at the pilot video posted earlier, and it would seem I have a dynamic balance problem with the pan and tip problem. Is the best way to adjust this by making adjustments to the positioning of the dovetail plate on the stage?

I am still wondering about the lower spar when folding into travel mode, and the tightness of the arm post. I loosened the post a bit with an allen wrench. How tight should it be... or is it more of a user preference? Should it rotate freely, or require a bit of force?

[Tsu Terao]

How are you Merlinites using your guide hand?
If you have your thumb and index on the guide (or thumb/index/middle), where are the other fingers?
Are they touching the support hand's fingers?
Is your guide pinky under the handle?
Or do your guide fingers not touch anything except the guide?
Are your fingers on the guide all the time, or do you sometimes disconnect?

[Mikko Wilson]

I normally have the other fingers of my guide hand helping support the rig, or at least touching the support hand to "lock" my hands together.

- Mikko

[Matthew Cecil]

Had my Merlin for two hours today, and the metal gimbal already broke. I'm using it with a Sony HVR-A1U, so it's not exactly a heavy camera. For the 20 minutes that I had a balanced camera, it was great. One of those puny little silver things that connects the two gimbal pieces snapped while I was flying straight and level.

The good news is Tiffen's support has already sent me a replacement. That's impressive technical support by any measure.

[Buba Kastorski]

I used to fly merlin handheld with FX1 and A1 lately, and I got really comfortable with it, I can re-setup merlin for the WA or oncamera light , or large battery very fast and get a perfect balance, I mean perfect, but that's handheld;
Now, I've got merlin arm and vest , and I've got EX1, and that's where things got complicated;
Before my main concern was weight of the camera, now it's inertia, I can't get rid of pendulum effect, as soon as Increase drop time the cam. goes completely out of the balance;
I understand that going from handheld to a full rig makes a big difference and takes a lot of practice, but I'm really thinking of getting a pilot sled;
Chris Witzke says that EX1 on merlin works nicely for him, not for me :-(

I need 90 seconds to get perfect balance with A1 on merlin, I can't even get close to that with EX1 for the last 4 days.
Chris? Mikko? Any advise?
Many thanks!