Steadicam Merlin Setup And Operation Manual page 27

Trimming Review
If the camera tilts forward, push up the
quick turns (like the arrows) to raise the front of the Merlin, and vice versa.
If the camera tilts toward the monitor (to the left), push up the
quick turns to return to level. If it tilts right, pull down on the Roller.
In each case, hold the Merlin level and steady. Then, let it go to test your trim.
Drop Test
Perform the
stay tilted over. If it's excessively bottom-heavy, the
Grip
to also tilt your
bearings.
If your Merlin is correctly balanced, slightly bottom heavy, the
the camera will right itself. The
of its travel, like a slow pendulum. Remember to stop it from swinging further by grasping the
Upper Spar.
If your Merlin is very slightly top-heavy (falls too slowly):
Raise the Gimbal by pushing in the small black
If your Merlin is very slightly bottom-heavy (falls too quickly):
Gimbal
Lower the by pushing in the
Guide Ring counter-clockwise.
Note: The total "Z" travel available is 12 turns counter-
clockwise from fully tightened. When unscrewing the
Guide, watch for the unthreaded band above the threaded
section. When it appears, it is dangerous to further
unscrew the Guide as it may fall out of the socket.
When the camera is level, grasp the
the unit and try moving your Grip hand from side to side. The camera should remain essentially
Lower Spar
level. (If the
heavy.)
Put the thumb and forefinger of your other hand gently on the
using your fingers to tilt the camera up and down and to swivel (pan) from side to side. A properly
trimmed Merlin can be panned and tilted with almost no effort on the Guide.
Under most circumstances, you will want to trim to keep
Bubble Level
the at the back of the
indicating that your camera's framing is not tilted to either
side. As you shoot, you will find that fine-tuning of both
trim controls becomes a familiar, ongoing process.
Congratulations! You have now completed the Setup
part of the manual. Now you are ready for the fun
.
part, Operating
Fore-and-Aft Trim Roller
to check the degree of bottom-heaviness. If it's top-heavy, the camera will
hand as it falls, so you do not forcefully exceed the range of the
Spar
should take just over a second to swing through the bottom
Latch
Latch
and rotating the
Grip
with your strongest hand. Remove your other hand from
swings like a pendulum when you stop you may still be too bottom-
Stage
centered,
Stage
alongside the
Side-to-Side Trim Roller
Lower Spar will fall too quickly. Remember
Lower Spar
will slowly fall and
and rotating the Guide Ring
Guide Ring above the Gimbal. Try
several
Trim Review
several
Gimbal
clockwise.