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Product Description
From the Manufacturer
The Steadicam Merlin offers light, agile, and seamless shooting for today's videographer. Ultra-light and ultra-compact, the Merlin allows you to keep up with the action more easily than ever. Designed by Garrett Brown, the inventor of the original Steadicam JR, the Merlin is the next generation hand held Steadicam system.
This stabilization system is about half the weight and four times as stable as the JR. Yet, it can move almost as smoothly as the big $60,000 rigs used in Hollywood.
 The Steadicam Merlin is designed to give you smooth, dynamic shots. Take a closer look at its functions. |
The Merlin let's you "fly" wherever the scene takes you -- up and down steps, indoors and outside, through crowds -- almost anywhere, with precise, elegant control and ease. Its quick release mount lets you instantly swap camera connections between your Merlin and any tripod. Merlin's design significantly reduces fatigue. It's so lightweight, it weighs less than a can of soda. With a compact DV, balanced and ready to go, the Merlin weighs about two pounds. Its rigid construction permits longer focal lengths than ever imaginable with a hand-held stabilizer. Merlin's unique dual extended weight system greatly increases inertial stability. And its counterbalancing weight can be precisely adjusted to balance cameras from 0.5 to five pounds.
The new patent-pending "Folding-Caliper" hinge allows instant fold-up, perfect for shoulder-mounted shooting, and just as quickly, returns precisely for hand-held camera work. Whether you're an independent camera professional or running the corporate AV department; a wedding and event videographer or real estate agent; enthusiast or film student, the Steadicam Merlin is right for you.
What's in the Box
Steadicam Merlin, base unit, removable dovetail plate, one start weight, six middle weights, two end weights, camera mounting screw, locating pin, and accessory mounting tripod plate.
Product Description
Steadicam Merlin Stabilizing System let's you "fly" wherever the scene takes you--up and down steps, indoors and outside, through crowds--almost anywhere, with precise, elegant control and ease.
Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
38 of 38 people found the following review helpful
The merlin is very very smooth, and I was able to set it up in about 2 hours out of the box, to the point where I was able to use it to get short shots that looked very fluid. I am still learning how to get longer shots. The technique is actually very time consuming to learn, and is quite tricky. The merlin is a great tool for making good smooth shots, but it won't do it for you. There is a large element of skill that must to be mastered to get consistently good shots. It is not really second nature. Shots require much more planning, and spontaneous shooting doesn't work as well. I have found that it takes a lot of concentration on the steadicam function, and that I am less able to pay attention to what I am shooting. All in all I think its a great tool, and does a great job. It is a bit more difficult to use than I expected, but learnable with time and patience.
30 of 31 people found the following review helpful
By Chris
Amazon Verified Purchase
The Steadicam Merlin is crazy, even insultingly expensive! It is not easy at all to set up, in fact it is a nightmare! BUT, if you are gifted at the art of physics, and have incredible patience, you will finally achieve some type of "Zen" with this thing and make it work for you. But, you'd better practice, practice, and practice. It is not just another way to hold a camera, it is an instrument that must be learned by way of practice. Did I mention practice yet? Set up, the key to know when you have it configured right on your camera is in the manual on page 25, "a properly trimmed Merlin can be panned and tilted with almost no effort on the Guide." This is how you know it is properly balanced. It will pan and tilt with almost no effort of pushing or pulling. It moves easily. You can be balanced and it still will not work, you have to be "properly balanced". The video that comes with the Merlin is ok, like a grade "C+" but falls way short to properly train us. The manual is the same. Manual and video are rough guides to how this thing works. The only way to learn is to spend time with it over and over again. What to expect for customer service? I emailed them because I thought my locating pin fell out and I thought I lost it. They told me to call the parts phone number and have my credit card ready. For $900 bucks you would think they would would send one out and thank me again for spending so much money on this tool from hell. But, atlas, once you have achieved or "earned" your Zen status with the Steadicam Merlin, the results are very good and will put the edge on your videos that will show you are a professional video magician.
30 of 32 people found the following review helpful
By P. Bloom
Yes it's true, and I've tried them all. This is the one to get, no question. It takes a little bit of setting up initially, but once done for your camera once it's only fine adjustments after that.
It does take a huge amount of practice to make the most of it, to really get those beautiful smooth moves, but with this piece of kit you can do it. It's incredibly small, light (unless like me you are using a Sony Z1, which is heavy and needs all the counterbalance weights) so get your arms strong, especially your wrists and you will be fine!
I can only manage a few minutes at a time until I ache, but it's my first week with it, i expect i will have a tennis players serving arm within a few months!
It does take a huge amount of practice to make the most of it, to really get those beautiful smooth moves, but with this piece of kit you can do it. It's incredibly small, light (unless like me you are using a Sony Z1, which is heavy and needs all the counterbalance weights) so get your arms strong, especially your wrists and you will be fine!
I can only manage a few minutes at a time until I ache, but it's my first week with it, i expect i will have a tennis players serving arm within a few months!
Most Recent Customer Reviews
4.0 out of 5 stars
Great Product for amateur/ semi-pro videographers.
I bought this product, like most people, because I was on a budget. Like many of the people commented before, it is very difficult to learn to use. Read more
Published 15 months ago by Curzpemmel
5.0 out of 5 stars
An exceptional instrument
I bought this in 2009 and have been using it for a few years. It is high-time I reviewed it. I have been using this with a Canon Vixia HFS10 plus attached wide-angle lens. Read more
Published 18 months ago by T Payne
1.0 out of 5 stars
$$
This steadycam is ridiculous. Too much money for a piece of metal. just use a pvc pipe with some sand in it for small camera work, and breathe better for better muscle control for... Read more
Published 20 months ago by theguff
5.0 out of 5 stars
Awesome Product
Everyone was right. Best steadicam out there, definitely need some time and practice with it, but a great investment. Read more
Published 20 months ago by Vega
4.0 out of 5 stars
Great Item
Recommend buying it....it's easy and stable....And handed me at the right time....I really love this product....I gave this 4 stars
Published 21 months ago by FAWAZ ALQAHTANI
5.0 out of 5 stars
Not as difficult as some reviews indicate
I have to say that I was excited to get the Tiffen Steadicam. After receiving it, I would definitely recommend viewing the instructional video. Read more
Published 22 months ago by Marcus S Williams
5.0 out of 5 stars
Steadicam Merlin for Sony HDR-CX560V
I love the Steadicam Merlin. Very high quality materials, perfect fitment on all parts, and comes with a great dvd tutorial. Read more
Published on May 16, 2011 by George Wey
5.0 out of 5 stars
Delivers the image.
It'll take some playing around to master it but right out of the box without even opening the manual I was able to get smoother pictures than handheld and that's big!
Published on January 29, 2011 by Duncan James
4.0 out of 5 stars
Steadicam Merlin with Canon T1i
It took some work to mount my Canon T1i to the Merlin because if I followed the directions, I would have had to remove the mounting plate just to change the battery. Read more
Published on July 21, 2010 by Steven Medwin
5.0 out of 5 stars
LOVE IT for the 5DMKII! (with video)
First off, this thing was HARD to balance. It took two days of trial and error for me to get it right. But when I did? BAM! It was amazing. Read more
Published on December 27, 2009 by Bobby Earle
