2011Arms forum
Adjustment and performance characteristics of 3A and Cinema Products arms
15 years old. Gear and prices may have changed since.
Note (as of October 2026)Curt O. Schaller, the developer of Artemis and Trinity, has no longer been with ARRI since the end of 2025. To our knowledge, ARRI currently has no dedicated team and no official contact persons for its stabilizer systems. In our view, the future of this line is uncertain. If you are buying new, get written confirmation from ARRI beforehand on how long service and spare parts are guaranteed. Have used rigs checked by the manufacturer before you buy.
DisputedParticipants disagreed and reached no conclusion. Read the findings as positions, not as an answer.
What the thread found
- The 3A arm is not iso-elastic; adjusting the four screws affects only lifting power, not elasticity behavior.
- Spring screws should be adjusted equally to keep springs centered and prevent mechanical fouling on the bones.
- Front and rear arm sections should be adjusted to lift in unison to avoid rear section tracking behind the front.
- Lightweight machine oil is suitable for lubricating squeaking arm joints.
- The term iso-elastic describes arms with a flatter force curve requiring less effort to boom from the float point, not friction.
- Progressive arms like the 3A and Pro arm have low force requirements at the natural float point and stiffen at travel ends.
- Digressive arms like Master Series and G-Series arms are less reactive at slow speeds but more reactive during fast booming movements, which can cause visible footstep artifacts at slow walking speeds.
- The Pro arm allows easier booming than G-Series arms because it maintains consistent effort across its range rather than strongly seeking a float point.
- G-Series arms have been improved with new bearing designs reducing friction and increasing iso-elastic capability in updated G-50x and G-70x models.
Depends on
- Discussion centers on older Sachtler Artemis and Cinema Products arms from around 2011; technology may have evolved.
- The debate about iso-elastic definitions and whether friction or geometry is the determining factor remains unresolved between participants.
- Personal preference for arm behavior varies among operators based on shooting style and technique.
Gear in this thread
Artemiscatalog, Master Seriescatalog, G-70Xcatalog, G-70catalog
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