Leica Video: Stedicam Merlin 2

[Archiver]

Advertisement (gone after registration)

The Merlin is a devil of a thing. We spent hours at work trying to balance it correctly with a Canon XF100 video camera, as well as with a 5D Mark II and various lenses. Nothing really worked to our full satisfaction.

 

When you get it right, or almost right, the footage has a quality that is entirely different from using a monopod as a stabilizer. I won't touch a steadicam now due to the hassles of balancing it with different lenses, and prefer to use a monopod and stabilized lenses, and if I have to 'free float' the camera, I put up with the jiggle of movement.

[Advertisement]

The Leica Q3 is available for pre-order at B&H Photo Video and Adorama

[pico]

Imagine blending in wearing a real camera stabilizing mount.

 

 

You probably have to be an athlete.

[Guest redge]

I finally found some time today to try my hand at balancing an M240 with a 35mm pre-ASPH Summicron-M.

 

I read the Merlin manual and watched the accompanying DVD. After playing with the device for a few minutes, I also decided to see what each adjustment does in practice. This turned out to be really important to understanding the device. There are four rough adjustments and another four fine adjustments, and I believe that it is important to understand what each does and how they interrelate. It is well worth taking each of the fine adjustments through its full range just to see, and understand, the effect.

 

Having read the manual, having watched the DVD and having spent about half an hour learning hands-on how the adjustments work, it took me a little over an hour to get to what I think is pretty close to proper balance. The camera is level but I think that it is a bit too sensitive. The so-called drop test suggests that I may be very slightly bottom heavy. In the short time that I spent today, I was not able to correct for this to my satisfaction.

 

I am thinking that it might be helpful if the camera weighed a bit more. At just under 2 lbs, inertia may be an issue. Tomorrow, I'm having another look at the multifunction grip, which would add weight, but even if I don't buy it, I may try a heavier lens, and I will certainly continue to work with the 35mm Summicron. I am very close to stability, just not quite as solid as I would like.

 

I was very encouraged today and I'm pretty convinced that this can be made to work. The footage from post #6 in this thread makes that pretty clear, although I can see that getting there is going to take some work.

 

It is pretty amazing to walk around a room with an M while watching an image in Live View that is not far off from a tripod/dolly image. It's kind of like magic.