Steadicam Merlin

The central attraction at the Tiffen Company's booth was the Merlin, a compact steadicam designed for consumer camcorders. You attach your camcorder, grab the handle and get smooth, steady footage.

The Merlin is a revamped, smaller version of the Steadicam JR, which debuted in 1990. It's made mostly from lightweight aluminum alloy, with a 3-axis gimbal that connects to the camera, and two sets of weights that balance the camcorder.

You can adjust the number of counterweights to balance any camcorder. Tiffen says that with a ultra-compact DV camcorder attached and properly balanced, the entire rig weights about 35 ounces.

For more information on the Merlin Steadicam, check out Tiffen.com.