Steadicam Merlin?

[Bob Harotunian]

I saw this stabilizer briefly being displayed at the Consumer Electronics show. It looked pretty slick but is a little over priced. Anyone have any experience with this device?

http://www.steadicam.com/handheldmerlin.html

[J. Stephen McDonald]

Originally Posted by Bob Harotunian

I saw this stabilizer briefly being displayed at the Consumer Electronics show. It looked pretty slick but is a little over priced. Anyone have any experience with this device?

http://www.steadicam.com/handheldmerlin.html

Yes, it does look very slick. For specialized use and to have a lightweight and easily-handled rig, I'd bet that it would be very good. It probably would take a lot of practice and a precise balance adjustment, to make it work at its best. Some people would take right to such a mount, while others might never feel comfortable with it. It's not the sort of thing you could try out and immediately decide if you liked it. Only after using it for some time, could you likely make an accurate judgement about its performance in your hands. Although Garrett Brown designed it, we don't all have his touch in using such things.

They could probably sell 5 times as many of them, if they priced it at half of what they're asking. You could expect that some of those who bought it, would never learn to use it well and after a year, you might be able to buy it used at a bargain price.

There's an incongruity in the specs on its weight. It states in the text that it weighs 2 lbs., but below, it lists it as weighing only 12 oz. I imagine that the 2 lb. figure is the correct one. I'm not sure where a viewscreen would be attached or would you just use the one on the camera?