Customer Reviews

Tiffen Steadicam Merlin

5 star:		(9)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

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.

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!

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.

Sure, the glidecam is a couple hundred bucks cheaper, but if your camera is in the proper weight category, why not get the stabilization system from the people who wrote the book?

Granted, I never had much luck with Steadicam's previous handheld systems such as the JR or the DV, but they really nailed it this time with a unit that is simple, light, and infinitely adjustable for your needs.

The system of counterweights, arm and gimbal adjustments really gives you a great amount of control in finding the perfect balance for your camera and its mounted accessories. The gimbal is one of the finest designs for camera stabilization and is the core of what makes the merlin. All your hand shakes are absorbed and it allows the camera to be independent of what the rest of your body is doing.

The Good:
- The easiest to set up of the Steadicam handheld models
- the easiest to adjust on the fly with trim rotators
- The smoothest of the handheld systems
- Eliminates all shakes from hand movements.
- Floats all walking and running shots

The So-So:
- Without the arm and vest, there is still the up and down movement from walking
- With larger handheld cameras such as the DVX-100, the amount of counterweights necessary make the unit a little heavier than comfy. So shooting an all day event kills the wrists
- I wish there was an easier way to hold the unit when it's not in use
- The unit requires such balance precision that you will need to constantly adjust the trim as minute changes occur within your camera setup, such as tiny shifts in how your mic wires sit and I bet even the running of the tape from beginning to end.

Despite all my complaints, it beats the competition with its results.

I got this used and in good condition i spent a week trying to balance the thing. and finally decided its not worth it and am reselling it.

It would be a great product and all but i just for the life of me coudnt get it balanced right. If you are interested in this product i STRONGLY suggest you find someone else who has it first who can show you have to use it and set it up before getting it. it is NOT something you can just pick up and use it takes a LOT of time. some people can get it right away but most others it takes a long time to get right.

at least the creator Garret Brown was helpful. I really wish i could have gotten this to work...it would have great.. but i decided to make the very difficult decision of selling it back rather then risk spending more money or time to figure out how to balance it.

one thought though i hear the lesser priced systems are even harder to set up... so if you have the time and perhaps know someone who has one too maybe it wont be so bad.

i do know for the money this is the only product of its kind to do the job.. it just requires the skill which apparently i dont have yet..

I've owned this Steadicam for about two months and used it almost every day with my Canon HF100.

This is a beautifully made and cleverly designed product that works amazingly well. It's expensive, but when you see the beautiful machine work and finishes you'll understand why it costs what it does. It's truly a professional piece of gear. BUT, don't expect to take it out of the box and use it right away with good results. It takes some time, patience and commitment to become proficient.

The initial setup took me a couple of hours the first time. But once I understood the basic principles, I was able to rebalance the camera with different accessories quite easily, usually in about ten minutes or less. I wrote down the basic settings that worked for the various configurations (camera alone, camera with with shotgun mic, camera with wide angle adapter, camera with both, etc) and that helps a lot.

The major learning curve is learning how to make decent shots with it. The video and manual are quite good for a starting point. Then, it just takes time and practice. After about 5-6 hours of use I felt like I was really getting it. Now, I've got about 10 hours on it and I'm actually getting pretty good. The shots I'm making now are very usable. But each time I use it I get a little better so I know I have a ways to go before I'm really good.. It's actually been fun to learn it and not very frustrating.

So that's the biggest downside. It's not for someone who's casual about their video shooting or isn't willing or able to put in the necessary time and effort. Other cons: My arms get tired after about an hour or so of shooting. Also, forget about using it outside unless it's a very calm day. Even a slight breeze turns the camera and makes it almost uncontrollable.

Overall, I think this is a great product for the right person.

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. I use it with the 5D Mark II tied with the 16-35L or the 24mm tilt shift. The results really are breathtaking. It took me a couple days to get down -- some people say it takes much longer but I think balancing is the trickiest part. When I realized I could use two thumbs on the gimbal thing, that's when my video started looking much better. I used it all over Thailand and Cambodia. Feel free to check out the video here...

[...]

Hope you like yours as much as I like mine! Just remember to not lose heart with the balancing. You'll get it. It took me a LONG time :)

Bobby Earle
[...]

I love the Steadicam Merlin. Very high quality materials, perfect fitment on all parts, and comes with a great dvd tutorial.

I use the Sony HDR-CX560V (1080p Flash Camcorder) with the Merlin and Sony NP-FV70 battery

Use hole "C" on the dovetail plate, (-5) on the spar distance gauge/folding hinge with one finish weight.

Use one starter weight and one finish weight for the bottom spar.

Use 1 or 2 "Z" turns out from all the way in. Depends how you like the balance.

Use "zero" on the when mounting the dovetail plate to stage. Then turn "fore and aft trim roller" (+1)

Hope this helps. Next cameras I put on will be the HDR-CX350V and the Canon T1i.

The Merlin take time to balance (<45min) and learn (1hour+).

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. I ended up mounting a Manfrotto RC2 Quick Release tripod adaptor to the Steadicam and the corresponding plate to the camera. This elevated the camera higher than normal so it took some time to get the balance and trim correct. But now it is very easy to remove the camera to change batteries. All in all this is a great device but it does take some practice to learn how to use it. Here is an example of what I've been able to shoot after a month of use <[...]>. Keep in mind this is a new skill to learn and the satisfaction of learning is the great quality of the video that you can shoot.

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. Recently I started using it with a Nikon D7000 as well. Most of my experience is with the Canon.

Let me start by saying this is neither a toy nor just a tool. It is an instrument. Like a violin, you would not expect to buy one on Amazon and start playing like Itzhak Perlman. Similarly, if you expect to take a Merlin Steadicam out of the box, latch your camera on it and have professional grade results...you will be sorely disappointed. That said, if you have basic skills in videography, decent hand-to-eye coordination and persistence...professional-grade results are achievable. Given the way these results are achieved (with precision balance on an exceptionally well-designed gimbal), I really can't imagine how this would happen with a cheaper variation. Some of the Steadicams out there sell for under $100. Take a good look at just the gimbal mechanism of the Merlin and you will see that manufacturing this one part probably costs more than $100. There is a reason it is so expensive.

Aside from the fact that it actually works, the other beautiful thing about the Merlin is that it is very compact. I took it all over Europe and Russia for a month and filmed a great deal. When it is collapsed, it fits neatly in my camera bag with just the back end sticking out a little bit (see pictures). This is important because you don't want to draw too much attention to yourself with expensive-looking electronics overseas (and in this case, it really is expensive equipment). When I took it out and opened it up, it kept the pre-configured balance flawlessly. Also important - you don't want to be fussing over your expensive electronic equipment when you want to capture a spontaneous moment or when potential thieves are on the prowl. On the few occasions when the balance was slightly off, the adjustments were very easy and quick to make.

When I was first starting out with this, admittedly, the balancing part was a task. It took a great deal of practice. I watched the video and followed the instructions. At one point, I even contacted their customer support. Tiffen has a group dedicated to the Steadicam and the person I worked with helped me tremendously both by e-mail and on the phone. One of the things I learned was that you really need to use two hands to operate the Merlin. If you try to do it like they show in the instructional videos (where they use one hand) your results may be less impressive. Also, the "recipes" for balancing are somewhat misleading. There is no one right way to do it. For example, there are different holes on the mounting plate which theoretically correspond with your specific camera. Along with using those holes, you should use a specific counter weight and arc angle. The rep at Tiffen confirmed that this is just one of almost an infinite combination of configurations that would work equally well. So if you buy this, don't feel frustrated if the "recipe" for your camera isn't working well. Think of that recipe more as a starting point and then you can experiment to find a better match for your equipment. For example, since I was traveling with this, I wanted it to be as tight and light as possible. So I reduced the arc angle to the bare minimum to give it a "lower profile" and reduced counter weights to the bare minimum. I then compensated by changing which mounting holes I used and where I positioned it on the stage. If what I am writing doesn't make much sense, that's because you have to see this and use it to understand. So read this again if you actually buy it.

I am including some pictures of it open, collapsed and in the camera bag in case you also have the same idea I do about traveling with it. I also modified my mounting plate (again, see picture) slightly so that I could leave it permanently mounted on the plate. This way, I could still open and close the memory card door on my camera without removing the mounting plate. This is important because removing the mounting plate potentially requires tools. Again, this will make more sense if you buy the Merlin and look at it.

Although I have very positive feeling about the Merlin, there are limitations to any small gimbal-based Steadicam which I was not aware of before purchasing it. Even the tiniest bit of wind will make your otherwise steady video swing. And when the camera faces forward and you walk forward or back, the camera stays relatively steady. But if the camera faces forward and you walk sideways to get a panning shot, the resultant swinging action will be far more pronounced. This has to do with weight distribution of the camera and the method by which your hands steady the gimbal. Also, unless you plan to buy more mounting plates, it is not very quick and easy to change between cameras. If I wanted to shoot with both my Canon and Nikon, I'd need to bring a flat head AND Philips screw driver with me to swap out the position of the mounting screws. And if you are only using one camera but you have extra batteries of different sizes, this will be a balancing headache as well. If at all possible, you will want all your spare batteries to be the same exact dimension and weight. Lastly, the mounting system is secure and reliable, but there is more play between the mount and the camera than I would have liked. Remember that ANY play will change the balance and this could affect your results. So I actually placed some electrical tape on the mounting plate and on the underside of the camera to create a little bit more resistance and friction (see picture). This did help prevent slippage.

IN CONCLUSION: For small cameras, I am not aware of any other Steadicam on the market that even comes close the Merlin in terms of reproducible and exceptional results. Yes, the Merlin is expensive, but that's because it is made in small quantities in Los Angeles by experts in the field and using high-precision parts that are designed to last. So relative to what it is, I think the price is fair. The Merlin is very compact and light considering what it does. Lastly, it is important to remember this is a precision instrument and it takes dedication and practice to master it - like all instruments.