2024From a Facebook group: Arri Artemis Trinity
Achieving neutral balance on ARRI Trinity 2 without the pendulum in all positions, and balancing the asymmetrical head.
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
- Static neutral balance is possible as long as the camera remains perpendicular to gravity; many operators fly the pendulum locked or barely engaged (for example, two 50 g weights: locked completely neutral, unlocked minimally tail-heavy), though completely neutral balance is difficult to maintain during high booms and the pendulum aids precise booms and quick pan-roll compensation in Omega mode.
- Several operators have flown for years without the pendulum in full neutral balance including roll; exceptions requiring its return were Superpost shots and very low-end moves with whip-pans.
- Balancing procedure: balance the lower assembly with a Mickey or Skater without the head, balance the head without the camera, then place the camera neutral in all head positions and make final adjustments; head lateral balance is coupled, fore-and-aft is distributed between tilting and non-tilting parts—for example, approximately 100 g at the rear right of the head may be needed; using this method the pendulum can be removed or attached without losing balance.
- The head is not factory-perfectly balanced (Trinity 2 better than Trinity 1, tilt-lock side heavier); additional head weights reduce fighting the rig, reduce wobble, and reduce motor load.
- Separate balance sources require individual neutralization: gimbal and post clamp (gimbal needs about 30 g opposite the clamp, also improving normal Steadicam® mode), and cable sag in the internal cable or main head cable pulls the head sideways (unresolved).
- True balance is revealed only with the camera in the head; the 16-point test alone is insufficient; for lateral extreme positions (for example over a pool) switch to X-mode or Don-Juan instead of operating at the limit of head handoff in Trinity mode.
Depends on
- Pendulum use versus omitting it entirely; camera weight and distribution; shot type and movement profile; comfort and operator preference
Gear in this thread
Same gear or parts
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