27
Part Two
Part Two — Operating
Operating!
This is the fun part!
The Merlin 2 is not just a stabilizer, it’s a uniquely elegant way to hold a camera at the center of balance,
with the full freedom of your extended arms, and none of the awkward jerks and lurches of handheld
shooting.
With this finely tuned instrument in your hands, trimmed for your shot, moving and booming and
changing positions at your will, genuine moving-camera artistry is within your reach.
And here’s the good news: It’s like riding a bicycle—you’ll never forget the “trick” of how to operate
a Steadicam rig. Once you get it, you have it for life. We’ll show you the same hand and body positions
that allow professional Steadicam operators to make those magically smooth moving shots on Movie
and TV sets worldwide. And we’ll teach you the nuts-and-bolts tricks of the trade – techniques of shot
design and preparation – that help make them possible. We’ll teach you how the professionals setup and
trim for every shot until it becomes second nature, and we’ll show you how to pace yourself and operate
in ways that avoid fatigue.
The Merlin 2 is versatile, durable and precise, and once you become expert in all its uses, you may never
want to shoot without it.
Please read this manual carefully and keep it as a
reference. It includes a number of useful operating
tips that are not shown in the DVD.
Cautions
•
Handle only works one way. Hold it with your fingers in the grooves.
Holding the handle backwards can cause damage.
•
Avoid pinching your finger between the moving gimbal yoke and the
bottom of the Guide. Keep fingertips either on the Grip or on the outer
surface of the guide.
•
Avoid violent camera moves. It is possible for a strong operator to move
a Merlin 2 and camcorder at many times the acceleration of gravity but
mounting attachments on some camcorders are not strong enough and
might pull loose. We recommend not exceeding roughly 1.5 g’s of vertical
or horizontal accelerations. (That’s somewhat faster than the speed of an
object falling from your hand.)
•
Avoid shooting in windy conditions as the Merlin 2’s stability requires
isolation from all external influences and its performance will degrade
proportionately. Attempt to shield the camera with bodies or find the “lee”
of a nearby structure.
