Handheld stabilizer

I own the Flycam 5000, it's very effective but it can get heavy after twenty minutes or so (depending on your camera) which affects the steadiness of your shots as your arm gets more and more tired. Never tried the merlin 2.
 
Also, keep in mind not only your camera model & weight, but the lenses as well.

All handheld stabilisers have a max weight limit they can adjust for. A small cheap lightweight Optek might handle a T2i with stock 18-55 lens, for example, but popping on that 75-200 lens that also came with the camera will put it well over the max tolerance for balancing. A 5DII with no lens at all is too heavy all by itself. :o

Also (not knowing anything about your gear), some lenses will just plain be too large in diameter to be seated. We ran into that problem when we tried mounting a compact prime onto a 5DII, on top of a Merlin. Just doesn't physically fit. Know your gear.

At any rate - there's more to picking out the right tool than having bux in your pocket to spend.

Fwiw, I use that cheap Optek often. It balances very fast, when using one particular setup combo. If I was restricted to a limited budget, I'd consider one over the Merlin - assuming the camera body, weight, lenses, etc were properly taken into consideration. The difference in price is significant, and the balance could be used to round out more gear. Of course, it's no use if you own a 5DII.

If you had slightly more bux in your stabiliser, I'd be considering maybe a Flycam with optional arm & vest. My partner picked up that complete kit for about $600. It's a lot more kit to lug around & set up, but if you do a lot of foot movement it's awesome. You don't have to use the arm & vest, btw - but it's there if you need it.

How difficult it was to balance? I know that some stablizers are a real pain to get it right.

It doesn't take too long, if you are familiar with the gear you'll be using, and have taken the time to test out your balances before the shoot. Make notes or marks, for common setups.
 
Hello Zensteve.

Well i've never used an handheld stabilizer before and i'll be using with a Canon 70D, not sure about the lenses because i may want to switch sometimes, that's why it's better to look for some stabilizer that can hold more weight.

Honestly, i didn't read many good things about Merlin, i've read that it can lose the balance easily and i think it's not made for big weights.

Today i've read about Glidecam HD-2000 and Blackbird. Glidecam HD-2000 seems to hold more weight
 
Back
Top