Merlin Arm/Vest shipping... at DVinfo.net

Christopher Witz · August 2nd, 2007, 12:43 PM

I've talked to Tiffen/Steaducam and they say they started shipping the vest/arm/gimble last week. But calling B&H and Calumet they say 4 weeks....

I have a project I've been bumping start date on till I can get one.

Anyone know of one on the shelves somewhere that I can purchase ASAP?

Thanks in advance!

edit....
Frank Rush from Tiffen hooked my up with Kenny Christler at Showcase in Atlanta and they're shipping me one today!
All I can say is that both Tiffen/Steadicam and Showcase are MOST AWESOME!

Christopher Witz · August 7th, 2007, 06:04 AM

Unpacked and assembled the Merlin Vest/Arm last night... Very well made... you can tell this is one of those things that will last forever. Looks like I have serial number 8.

I flew around the house till 1AM... had "The Shining" flashbacks!

Actualy... the only problem I had was I was afriad to wake the kids with all the velcro noise... Hey Charles, can you ask Zach Braff where I can get that silent velcro his High School buddy invented? hehe.

Now.. hopefully the xdcam ex will fly on it ok... as the Z1 seems to quite well.

Peter Chung · August 7th, 2007, 06:18 AM

Sweet! Be sure to share some footage taken with your new rig! ... maybe some shots of one of your kids riding around on a tricycle ;)

Nick Tsamandanis · August 7th, 2007, 06:30 AM

does the new gimble really make it more stable?

Christopher Witz · August 7th, 2007, 11:43 AM

can't tell... Yet... I'll know more after tonight

Tom Wills · August 7th, 2007, 01:26 PM

Trust me, it'll fly a bigger camera beautifully. The Merlin itself will be the deciding factor, the Arm will do it with no question. I've been running around my house with a 14 pound sled+camera combination on it, and it flies like a dream. (Homebuilt sled and Panasonic DVC-60 with shotgun mic).

Byron Huskey · August 8th, 2007, 07:38 AM

By the way, B&H now has the Merlin on their website! (although the item is back ordered, sigh...)

Christopher Witz · August 9th, 2007, 08:01 AM

ok... I've had about 4 hours with it and I'm pretty happy! Now if only it wasn't 4000 degrees outside I'd go shoot something not client related.

I think I'm going to add the extra weights that came with the vest.... and some more weight to the z1 and see if it makes it even better.

One thing cool... I had an old haliburton case lay'n round and the foam inserts from the box fit perfectly... so the arm and vest fit in the case... I might look like a smuggler carrying it around tough.

Glenn Gipson · August 9th, 2007, 04:05 PM

Does the Arm and Vest make for a sort of "night-and-day" difference between the merlin having the arm and vest and NOT having it? Are your shots smoother with the arm and vest? Or does the Arm and Vest simply mean that you can run the Merlin for longer periods, but not necessarily smoother?

Mikko Wilson · August 9th, 2007, 04:12 PM

The arm and vest take the strain of the rig, this has 2 benefits:

1) You can in deed operate for longer. Whiel the Merlin in hand can get tiring, it's nothing on the vest!

2) Because you don't have to worry about supporting the Merlin, you can focus 100% of your concentration into the shot, this generally leads to improved shots as you arn't worrying about how to hold it, only how to move it.

- Mikko

Christopher Witz · August 9th, 2007, 06:15 PM

definitly makes a did... Now I can actually zoom in a little more and not shoot everything at full wide... Without the vest/arm, I'd get a little shaken after a minute or two... The z1 was pushing the limits weight wise.... Now I'm tempted to load everything I can in the thing.... Sony led light, wireless reciever.... Beer coozie.... Toilet paper holder... Kidding

Hopefully the xdcam ex will work well with this setup...

Armando Serrano · August 12th, 2007, 08:15 PM

Anyone knows where I may be able to order the system to be delivered to me by this Thursday?

This coming Friday I'm off to Laguna Seca (Mazda Raceway) in Northern California as a support crewman on two 935's. We are participating in the Monterey Historics (Vintage Auto Racing) and will have the opportunity to take some incredible video footage. This annual event is normally well televised on "Speed-Vision" each year.

Anyway, any input on who may have taken delivery will be great. Thanks!

Christopher Witz · August 13th, 2007, 06:39 PM

call tiffen and ask for frank rush... he knows exactly where product is.

Armando Serrano · August 13th, 2007, 07:15 PM

[QUOTE=edit....
Frank Rush from Tiffen hooked my up with Kenny Christler at Showcase in Atlanta and they're shipping me one today!
All I can say is that both Tiffen/Steadicam and Showcase are MOST AWESOME![/QUOTE]

Hi Chris!

If you don't mind me asking the total of the Arm/Vest and do you by chance know if they had anymore?

Also...
How did the "test" session go that night? Now wondering if I'm lucky enough to get the arm/vest system by this Friday morning, that I will be competent enough to learn how to use the thing in less than 6-hours. (Sure! ...and we also went to the moon and back in two-days). : (

Looking forward to reading your "review". ; )

Thanks again Chris!

PS: I called Shocase too late today...

Christopher Witz · August 14th, 2007, 06:05 AM

If your already fimiliar with using a merlin then the vest/arm will be easy.... It took me less than half an hour to put it together, put it on, change the gimble to the new one, and adjust the knobs on the arm to get the camera floating right.... I probably have about 12 hours flying on it by now and getting pretty good.... much better than just the merlin alone....

To tell you the truth... the only trouble I'm having is all the people looking at me like I'm some weirdo puppet master.... I actually had to edit out audio of people saying " look at that... what is it.... what's he doing... "

Like I said... Frank Rush at tiffen is the man to talk to... he know where every steadycam product in the world. Kenny at Showcase told me that the one I bought showed up that morning.... only one he had.... serial number 8. These things must be hand made cause they're just trickling out to venders.

August 2nd, 2007, 12:43 PM	#1
Christopher Witz Major Player Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Louisville, KY Posts: 591	Merlin Arm/Vest shipping... I've talked to Tiffen/Steaducam and they say they started shipping the vest/arm/gimble last week. But calling B&H and Calumet they say 4 weeks.... I have a project I've been bumping start date on till I can get one. Anyone know of one on the shelves somewhere that I can purchase ASAP? Thanks in advance! edit.... Frank Rush from Tiffen hooked my up with Kenny Christler at Showcase in Atlanta and they're shipping me one today! All I can say is that both Tiffen/Steadicam and Showcase are MOST AWESOME! Last edited by Christopher Witz; August 2nd, 2007 at 01:32 PM.

August 7th, 2007, 06:04 AM	#2
Christopher Witz Major Player Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Louisville, KY Posts: 591	Unpacked and assembled the Merlin Vest/Arm last night... Very well made... you can tell this is one of those things that will last forever. Looks like I have serial number 8. I flew around the house till 1AM... had "The Shining" flashbacks! Actualy... the only problem I had was I was afriad to wake the kids with all the velcro noise... Hey Charles, can you ask Zach Braff where I can get that silent velcro his High School buddy invented? hehe. Now.. hopefully the xdcam ex will fly on it ok... as the Z1 seems to quite well. Last edited by Christopher Witz; August 7th, 2007 at 06:06 AM. Reason: kant shpell

August 7th, 2007, 06:30 AM	#4
Nick Tsamandanis Major Player Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: Adelaide, South Australia Posts: 318	does the new gimble really make it more stable? __________________ Nick

August 8th, 2007, 07:38 AM	#7
Byron Huskey Regular Crew Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: Kansas City, MO Posts: 64	By the way, B&H now has the Merlin on their website! (although the item is back ordered, sigh...) __________________ Byron Huskey Rhapsodist Productions "Film as dream, film as music. No art passes our conscience in the way film does, and goes directly to our feelings, deep down into the dark rooms of our souls." - Ingmar Bergman

August 9th, 2007, 04:12 PM	#10
Mikko Wilson Major Player Join Date: Jul 2004 Location: Juneau, Alaska, USA Posts: 624	The arm and vest take the strain of the rig, this has 2 benefits: 1) You can in deed operate for longer. Whiel the Merlin in hand can get tiring, it's nothing on the vest! 2) Because you don't have to worry about supporting the Merlin, you can focus 100% of your concentration into the shot, this generally leads to improved shots as you arn't worrying about how to hold it, only how to move it. - Mikko __________________ Mikko Wilson - Steadicam Owner / Operator - Juneau, Alaska, USA +1 (907) 321-8387 - mikkowilson@hotmail.com - www.mikkowilson.com

August 7th, 2007, 06:18 AM	#3
Peter Chung Major Player Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Kansas City, MO USA Posts: 220	Sweet! Be sure to share some footage taken with your new rig! ... maybe some shots of one of your kids riding around on a tricycle ;)

August 7th, 2007, 11:43 AM	#5
Christopher Witz Major Player Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Louisville, KY Posts: 591	can't tell... Yet... I'll know more after tonight

August 7th, 2007, 01:26 PM	#6
Tom Wills Major Player Join Date: May 2005 Location: Philadelphia, PA Posts: 326	Trust me, it'll fly a bigger camera beautifully. The Merlin itself will be the deciding factor, the Arm will do it with no question. I've been running around my house with a 14 pound sled+camera combination on it, and it flies like a dream. (Homebuilt sled and Panasonic DVC-60 with shotgun mic).

August 9th, 2007, 08:01 AM	#8
Christopher Witz Major Player Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Louisville, KY Posts: 591	ok... I've had about 4 hours with it and I'm pretty happy! Now if only it wasn't 4000 degrees outside I'd go shoot something not client related. I think I'm going to add the extra weights that came with the vest.... and some more weight to the z1 and see if it makes it even better. One thing cool... I had an old haliburton case lay'n round and the foam inserts from the box fit perfectly... so the arm and vest fit in the case... I might look like a smuggler carrying it around tough.

August 9th, 2007, 04:05 PM	#9
Glenn Gipson Major Player Join Date: Jan 2003 Location: Plainfield, New Jersey Posts: 927	Does the Arm and Vest make for a sort of "night-and-day" difference between the merlin having the arm and vest and NOT having it? Are your shots smoother with the arm and vest? Or does the Arm and Vest simply mean that you can run the Merlin for longer periods, but not necessarily smoother?

August 9th, 2007, 06:15 PM	#11
Christopher Witz Major Player Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Louisville, KY Posts: 591	definitly makes a did... Now I can actually zoom in a little more and not shoot everything at full wide... Without the vest/arm, I'd get a little shaken after a minute or two... The z1 was pushing the limits weight wise.... Now I'm tempted to load everything I can in the thing.... Sony led light, wireless reciever.... Beer coozie.... Toilet paper holder... Kidding Hopefully the xdcam ex will work well with this setup...

August 12th, 2007, 08:15 PM	#12
Armando Serrano Regular Crew Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Long Beach, CA Posts: 30	A need the vest/arm and Merlin by this Thursday... Anyone knows where I may be able to order the system to be delivered to me by this Thursday? This coming Friday I'm off to Laguna Seca (Mazda Raceway) in Northern California as a support crewman on two 935's. We are participating in the Monterey Historics (Vintage Auto Racing) and will have the opportunity to take some incredible video footage. This annual event is normally well televised on "Speed-Vision" each year. Anyway, any input on who may have taken delivery will be great. Thanks!

August 13th, 2007, 06:39 PM	#13
Christopher Witz Major Player Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Louisville, KY Posts: 591	call tiffen and ask for frank rush... he knows exactly where product is.

August 13th, 2007, 07:15 PM	#14
Armando Serrano Regular Crew Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Long Beach, CA Posts: 30	[QUOTE=edit.... Frank Rush from Tiffen hooked my up with Kenny Christler at Showcase in Atlanta and they're shipping me one today! All I can say is that both Tiffen/Steadicam and Showcase are MOST AWESOME![/QUOTE] Hi Chris! If you don't mind me asking the total of the Arm/Vest and do you by chance know if they had anymore? Also... How did the "test" session go that night? Now wondering if I'm lucky enough to get the arm/vest system by this Friday morning, that I will be competent enough to learn how to use the thing in less than 6-hours. (Sure! ...and we also went to the moon and back in two-days). : ( Looking forward to reading your "review". ; ) Thanks again Chris! PS: I called Shocase too late today...

August 14th, 2007, 06:05 AM	#15
Christopher Witz Major Player Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Louisville, KY Posts: 591	If your already fimiliar with using a merlin then the vest/arm will be easy.... It took me less than half an hour to put it together, put it on, change the gimble to the new one, and adjust the knobs on the arm to get the camera floating right.... I probably have about 12 hours flying on it by now and getting pretty good.... much better than just the merlin alone.... To tell you the truth... the only trouble I'm having is all the people looking at me like I'm some weirdo puppet master.... I actually had to edit out audio of people saying " look at that... what is it.... what's he doing... " Like I said... Frank Rush at tiffen is the man to talk to... he know where every steadycam product in the world. Kenny at Showcase told me that the one I bought showed up that morning.... only one he had.... serial number 8. These things must be hand made cause they're just trickling out to venders.