Steadicam Merlin / Canon XH-A1 Initial Test

[DGrieux]

What a friendly crowd. You wouldn't be able to take similar shots in the UK. Half of the people would call the police while the other half would shout at you "You pervert"!

[hotgypsylips]

Lots of artifacts and noisew? is it the compresion or the image of the cam is that bad?

[AlkimyDeal]

Cheese music, nice shots but i can achieve the same quality using my Cam Caddie SCorpion. It only put me back $38 and it's helped me capture some amazingly smooth shots.

[meiklejohntheuesr]

This is amazing

[Kroniik63]

Thats good quality... Is that a Pro-Fesh camera?

[maverickrap]

what lens did you use in this footage? no lens?

[alphawolf619]

Just got a Merlin Steady Cam, I use the canon xha1s on it and it's working well. Took about 2 hours too go through all the balancing and mounting. I have never used a steadying system and at first it felt really uncontrolled/loose but now with some practice I am convinced that in a short amount of time I will be capable of similar shots. Breaking Bad baby!!

[FroeFilms]

That had to be kinda awkward for the people that were being filmed

[WalterSobchak1985]

I agree - totally misleading, this is one mean device to configure and get the feel for. To put it crudely - it ain't the fuckin' fisherprice of steadicams!

Either get a steadicam JR, the real deal, or forget about it. Even starting out with a multirig pro would be better than the merlin. As a newbie this thing drove me fucking nuts - met a professional videographer and he had'nt much luck either. She's a cruel mistress this bitch :)

[phockuahole]

@WalterSobchak1985 that's cuz you're a retard. any monkey with basic coordination can handle a merlin

[WalterSobchak1985]

Thats a really nice comment. How about this for a response "fuck you, you absolute fucking cunt "!?

Do lemme know. Fuckwad.

[35westst]

I have that Merlin. It took about a month of fooling around with it, and then it sort of clicked in place. You just sort of get the feel for it, then you can take those smooth pictures. I can do the same, and am an old man but not at once as this fellow claims, no matter how young and agile you are.

[35westst]

Cut it out. There is no way a person who has never used a device like that before who could take such pictures "right out of the box" as you claim. It takes MUCH practice. Obviously you are an experienced cameraman. The average person cannot expect to get such results at once, takes weeks of practice. Your presentation is misleading.

[retrokid23]

lol why are you so negative? hahahh

[kussummak]

I agree. This misleads people and causes them to be frustrated when they first get the device.

[neosin06]

@35westst you'd think he would at least been able to output the video to the youtube format lol. Yes, this is much edited, but yes you can get this from the camera out of the box, but i can also do the same lol for youtube with my handycam also my xha1 is great but this could of been done on anything...

[napper2009]

Brilliant shooting.

Fluid is the word that comes to mind!

See him relish those steps, regard him floating along....

What a gratuitous, buoyant display of unremitting and steady unfluctuating gorgeousness.

My unequivocal congratulations on your purchase.

[umarsharif3512]

Amazing Smooth Video!

Great Song, whats it called?

[childofcinema]

amazing so 35 mm so look.

[stormfeldt]

hejsa. kanon video. tænker på køb af merlin, men er lidt dyr. er den alle pengene hver?

[wacharinov]

colourful exellent awesome

[TrevTrevClimb]

That is clean! Thank you for the demonstration!

[lankan11]

Hey what were the specs you used for the merlin setup?

thank you

[mioumiou321]

EXCELLENT !!!!!!!!!!!!

[Phase1Inc]

love that jam. great footage.

[wawawawhatyousay]

Did you shoot that at 24fps or 30fps?

[MagezticStewdioz720]

A little shake at the end...maybe a small trim tilt back could have avoided it...still a nice operation and footage. One Love/Peace-M.S.

[MagezticStewdioz720]

Nice footage, U are experienced right? We have the Steadicam Merlin and unless

U just have a Natural Gift with cameras your footage was very nice for just 3hrs of operation. Much Success...We Love the Merlin. One Love/Peace-M.S.

[craigmazzali]

this video looks like crap. Do you have another link of it in HD?

[marcolaboria]

VERY WELL DONE.

I have a XH-A1 too, it's great!

I want to buy a good steadicam and I was looking around.

Wich is yours? It's the handheld?

Can you tell me the exact model and accesories to shot this video?

I'd really appreciate it. Thanks!

[djshoot42]

hello thank for

can you tell me if it's a merlin jr

thank

[texasXdoom]

Song is gay.

[fantasmalorange]

hey texasXdoom, you're fucking cool. i want to be just like you.

[the09project]

Everyone has they're own style and the Xha1 molds to every one of them.

[jjho8]

How is the quality of the Merlin, the small gimbal looks quite fragile. I'm really considering buying this, but how much better is it than $389 glidecam 400 pro? I just want to make sure i make a good purchase. Thanks.

[BR177]

this is intense I loved it

[bRainsfaCtory]

I loved the way you used the steadycam. Now, what's it cost? I also have a XH-A1 and my steady is a tripod! heh!

[Dutchley]

Very nice. Good Steadicam work. I'm considering this camera for Christmas.

[smanettonipuntonet]

Outstanding video. if that was your first time with the Merlin, you're already great!

I downloaded the HQ version too. it deserves to be viewed.

[shanebarber]

...and I really like the random looks - "WTF is that thing?!" It made for some great moments, like the stepping stone girl in the coat and "Peace!" dude. It could be an existential music video for this song.

[shanebarber]

Astounding to me... I just found out that this thing exists. I love that walking around with a decent camera and a Merlin tempered with a cool song could pass for art.

[fkd247]

Could u put this on vimeo in hd?

[ImpagliazzoBR]

Put it on vimeo and put a link here to it.

Thx

[Noobslayer001]

Look in the description. He has a link there.

[adrianpro70]

wow man that's amazing!!!!

[martinezmedia]

Great footy. Can someone please tell me the name of the transition at 18-19 seconds. Also where do I get this for Final Cut

[unusuallyquickloris]

That transition is just a "glow". You need to use motion in final cut and make 3 key frames across 10 frames.  key frame1 5 frames before the cut, key frame 3 5 frames after the cut. ON THE CUT, fire up your gain/setup in procamp on that spot. Thats what I do to achieve that effect.

[trxmedia]

that transition name varies from editing software to other editing software, but on mine, it's called "fade through white". I use vegas for my regular size projects (not on youtube), and I use iMovie for my small projects (on youtube).

[Schizophrenik7]

Why are there no shots of running scenes. Would love to see this merlin in action in movies

[DOBM]

Simply excellent! An interesting piece of film and great matching music. Well done you!

[infrenis]

i have 4 days trying to use it with a sony its a good part but very dificult to set ut.

[celtenator]

Bloody well done!

[ziryab92]

nice dude...as a beginner, you operated the steadicam merlin pretty well.

I have seen this video so many times and only now I recognized that this was shot in Tivoli, Copenhagen...I am danish so, hehe...

[merumontanus]

Rslv, there have been reports from XHA1 users indicating that the Merlin may not be able to take any extra weight on a stock XHA1, such as a mic or a larger battery- that you'll never attain full balance with such a heavy camera. Have you found this to be true in your experience?

[merumontanus]

Ha... just realized this has been discussed before here.

[adamisthereinventer]

yep, wicked, i want the merlin how much is that thing.

[rspaulding]

$800 USD

[adamisthereinventer]

From what i see here it looks worth it.

[zebrahannen]

Year i agree.. But mabey it just the camera guy.

[893097011]

wow that was cool. After watching this I felt as if i was gliding around different places. (lol no walking for me) But yeah, after watching this i notice that location really helps for a film to be well done...even a short one .

[wardak007]

hallo. i have a quistion. yesterday i bought xh a1 but i dont know how to use 2 microphones in xlr. please can someone help me?

[bestamerica]

what is wrong with 2 black bars on this video screen..

look like this..

=====

=====

[0tuco0]

"what is wrong with 2 black bars on this video screen.."

It's called letter box. It is one way of converting your footage shot in 16:9 wide screen to YouTube's 4:3

[bestamerica]

thank for explain

[xpreshun]

you think you can post a how to balance your merlin on a canon xh a1 video?

[snassiri]

Nice job. I think I'll be getting this package soon.

The download you linked has excellent color saturation. Was that modified in post or does the camera record color that good on its own?

[rslv]

The XH-A1 is capable of producing great colors if you adjust the cameras color gain setting.

Only a slight S-Curve adjustment was added in post.

[tarkstar]

I have the same set up , but I just find it all so heavy!! I can only film for about 30 seconds then have to rest , did you have the arm and vest? nice footage

[tarkstar]

also could you tell me your merlin settings ? thanks

[rslv]

I use the following setup for XH-A1 with stock battery (BP950G)

Front weights: 1 Mid, 1 Finish

Lower weights: 5 Mid, 1 Finish

Arc: 13.5"

Mounting hole: I

Stage Mark: -1

Visible rings on guide (Z): 4

Gezornenplatz resting between focus and zoom ring on lens barrel.

[rslv]

Just the stock Merlin. If you're serious about using the Merlin I'd suggest working out (arms, core, shoulders) I can shoot for about 5 min. before the mic starts picking up my moaning.

[fsj2101]

Oh no! I'm a 130 lb girl hoping to work with this apparatus, and I'm not particularly muscular either... this isn't going to work for me, is it.

[0tuco0]

"Oh no! I'm a 130 lb girl... this isn't going to work for me, is it."

If you have a XH-A1, I'm afraid so. Even a strong person will fatigue with this camera. It takes virtually all the supplied Merlin weights to balance it.

But the good news is you can buy your way out of this problem. Purchase the Merlin vest and arm to support it. Ouch, it's expen$ive too.

[Mohwar]

wow that is impressive, not a single shake

[ameridat]

Outstanding footage and great job with the Merlin. From the minimal amount of bob (bounce) I'd have guessed it to have been shot on a flyer or other high-end model. Very impressive!

[reporterpedro]

Steadicam merlin is realy great! i have one and i'm realy happy with the results :)

[corjenks]

Wow, that's beautiful footage! What a perfect place to shoot with the Merlin! I also posted a Merlin demo on my first day with it, and it's amazing how quick the learning curve is. What an awesome piece of gear, and in the right hands, magic happens!

[joensenhenrik]

Where in cphg did you fetch the Merlin? and what price?

[rslv]

I bought mine from Adorama, NY. Only one retailer in Denmark to my knowledge - and their price is ridiculously high.

[iwasbornindudley]

very impressive.

[ImpagliazzoBR]

Another question: just the merlin itself or arm+vest?

[rslv]

Just the stock Merlin (plastic gimbal - the Merlin now ships with a metal gimbal)

[ImpagliazzoBR]

Awesome!

Was it you operating? Practice and I wanna see future works!

Now tell me something, where were you? Where's that place? It's beautiful...

[rslv]

Yes, that was me operating. I'll try to record and upload some more when spring arrives.

This video was recorded in Tivoli Garden, Copenhagen, Denmark.

[bloodmoney]

Denmark? I'm so gonna go to Denmark on this coming spring. That looks like a Paradise Garden!

[Maz1989]

did u have a invisibilty cloak on or somthing? nobody is looking at u

[Shrrgnien]

I don't agree.. Look at 1:38

But welll.. i have to admit, almost nobody looks at the camera with a steadicam

[rslv]

I do get a few comments and "look mom"-reations, but generally the XH-A1 / Merlin combo is quite discrete considering the beautiful imagery it's capable of producing.

[taylornz]

nice. what's the music?

[versataal]

wow!! amazing!!

[TheConfusionists]

Very impressive considering this is an out of the box demo. Damn I miss summer though.

[stevespielberg]

Looks pretty good.

[HaZzarDious]

Awsome. Thanks for this

[greentreedigital]

Hi RSLV,

Great footage.

Have you used the Merlin/XHA1 with a direct to HD device like a Firestore? I have read that it would work if you mounted the Firestore drive down below on the lower part of the Merlin. Also are the new Merlins now al equipped with the metal gimbal? BHphoto says Merlin Camera Stabilizing System - with Metal Gimbal. Sounds like the Metal Gimbal is now on by default.

[rslv]

Haven't used FS or similar.

Google "merlin accessory plate".

Metal gimbal is indeed standard now, but make sure before buying - retailers may try to get rid of old stock.

[greentreedigital]

Thanks for the response, bought one from BH with the accessory plate... works like a charm! I use the FS instead of the weights.

[saayeh]

That's some pretty badass music for footage of old, fat people walking around Six Flags!

[garbageman82]

Great Job! I love the footage. :)

[Gipnet]

Well Done!

[mastersgta1]

That was very impressive, but isn't XH-A1 over 5 pounds fully loaded? Did you add more weight or it was still ok with camera slightly over 5 pounds? I have a merlin but I've never tried mounting a heavy camera on it.

Thanks!

[rslv]

The XH-A1 is no problem for the Merlin - it even handles the HVX200 which is heavier.

[marketmd]

For the HVX200 or anything over 5 lbs one should upgrade the gimbal to the metal version ($160).

[thewesleychan]

Amazing demonstration. Nice work! I've found the Merlin for sale online through Amazon and BHphoto..but where did you find the metal gimbal? Can you buy that upgrade by itself? Thanks again.

[zenmachinefilms]

Answering a question - There are cheaper steadicam units, but the bottom end ones have a weaker gimble, making them harder to pan or hover without much more practice.

I should note that the Steadytracker uses a non-orthadox gimble, making it (IMO) superior to other sub $400 steadicam units, and it is easier to use out of the box then all of them, or the Merlin, but it won't get the same smooth panning that the Merlin will.

[zenmachinefilms]

Having used the Merlin, and the A1, this was great to see.

For those interested in buying the shooter is correct. The Merlin takes a while to set-up and trim to perfectly balance it, but once you do, it works extremely well.

[driftrap]

hi again, still loving the video, just watched the higher res version, good stuff! Just a shame the picture was so small =( or maybe its just my pc... anyways, I'm thinking of renting this one for a short, do you think that would be a good idea? Would love to have a 1.85:1 ratio on the short. Does the a1 have any "guide bars" or something like that when your filming? and is it easy to learn how to use?

[rslv]

The XH-A1 does have a bit of a learning curve. Using the factory preset the image is quite dull - it requires some tweaking/custom presets.

The XH-A1 has several options for guide bars, among those is 1.85:1.

There are great forums dedicated to the A1 on both dvinfodotnet and dvxuserdotcom if you seek more information about this camera.

[hudstone420]

hey bro this video is hyptnotizing i'm loving this shit

i'm about to get me one of those !!

[italovalerio]

good!, come in to Youtube High Definition Group and join us. youtube /group/highdefinition

[ponolei]

Very nice job. Smooth and steady, I was quite impressed with the fluidity of the shots and the music was great too. What group was that?

[rslv]

Thank you. The track is "The Way I Love You" by Aqua Bassino - available online at beatportdotcom.

[Alfredtrek88]

I really liked the video, it was nicely shot. I am about to buy a Canon XH A1 thoug and I was wondering if you could provide any info on the settings you used to film the video? Also, is there really no cheaper Steadicams? I just searched for the Merlin and its quite expensive, saw it going for $700 at Amazon. :(

[rslv]

I used a custom preset called "-3dB Clean", shot PAL SD 16x9 25f 1/50.

There are cheaper alternatives made by other companies, but they do not perform as well as the Merlin.

Good luck with the A1 - you will love it.

[DanielKucharski]

wicked quality

[redjeans1979]

This is a great demo.

Did you test out any other rigs before settling on the merlin?

Thanks again for the demo.

I think I'm sold!

[driftrap]

wow, great shot, lovely place to film, and i was impressed by the camera as well! it distinguished (imo at least, would love to see this is full res though), between the different shades of green in the garden at around 3:15! great vid, 5 stars

[rslv]

Thank you. There's a download link in the description to a version with considerably better quality (Youtube compression just kills videos with this much motion) if you want to see it.

[sireland21]

Thank you so much for posting this. I have a Canon XH A1 as well and am interested in a Merlin and my main concern was with the camera's weight (4.5 pounds) on the Merlin with a maxium weight of 5 pounds. I've used my Canon on the Steadicam JR before and my camera was really too heavy for it. I feel more comfortable about the investment now. Thanks!

Steph

[cccprsfsr]

wow merlin thing works well

[XjjdX]

Very cool. This video has a dream-sequence feel to it.

I also like how the XH-A1 / Steadicam combination didn't attract a lot of attention in public. I decided to get the A1 instead of the JVC GYHD-110, because that camera seemed like it would turn a lot heads.

Now I'll consider geting a Merlin as well... thanks!

[rslv]

Glad you liked the video.

I guess it is as discrete as a good rig can be - but it still turns a few heads and I receive quite a lot of comments and questions when using it.

[joeyg123]

Still got some nice steadicam shots though......i am interested in getting a merlin for myself, does it take much setting up?

[rslv]

Initial setup can be a bit tricky, but the DVD/manual is quite good. From there on it's just fine-tuning, which you get quite fast at with practice.