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Camera<br />
CAUTION: Be sure to keep a hand on your camera<br />
whenever the locking lever is unlocked to keep your<br />
camera from falling off.<br />
Slide the Dovetail Plate until the forward<br />
edge is at the correct Stage Position<br />
(according to the Cookbook as noted).<br />
Now, swing the Locking Lever toward the<br />
rear to lock the Dovetail to the Stage.<br />
Balancing from Scratch IV:<br />
If your camera is not in the Online Cookbook, set the default stage position to “0” before<br />
locking the lever.<br />
The Custom Lens Saddle for large, heavy camcorders:<br />
Even on heavy camcorders, the mounting structures are often less than rigid,<br />
and we have tried not to make the <strong>Merlin</strong> 2 too massive, so if you’re moving<br />
violently or running and your hand is shaking there may be some relative<br />
motion between the front of the camera and the <strong>Merlin</strong> 2 stage.<br />
Here’s the solution: We provide the custom lens saddle – the little screw-in<br />
platform that goes into the 1/4-20 threaded hole at the front of the <strong>Merlin</strong> 2<br />
stage to dampen these vibrations.<br />
If you have a large, heavy camcorder, insert the saddle and screw the<br />
support screw into the threaded hole at the front of the <strong>Merlin</strong> 2 before<br />
you mount your camera.<br />
Mount your camera at the correct Stage Position, and then look under<br />
it from the side and carefully adjust the lens saddle upward until it just<br />
touches the underside of the camera body. Stiffening the connection<br />
between camera and <strong>Merlin</strong> 2, dampens any relative motion between<br />
them and you will be able to shoot more telephoto without vibration in<br />
your shots.<br />
Be careful not to over-tighten the lens saddle screw against the<br />
underside of your camera; it can make the Dovetail Plate harder to<br />
mount or dismount from the <strong>Merlin</strong> 2, and may even bend it or cause<br />
excessive strain to the camera’s threaded insert.<br />
20