The ARRI Trinity is the king of professional camera stabilization. This advanced Steadicam-gimbal hybrid system can bring to life almost any shot you can dream-up (and surely some that nobody has even imagined yet) with ease.
Want your camera to fly into a car window? Bam! Boom up from a shoe-level tracking shot to over a basketball hoop? Piece of cake. Concepts that just a few years ago were totally impossible or radically impractical even on high-end productions are at your finger tips thanks to this cutting edge marvel of ingenuity.
But this master-level, artistic tool isn’t just accomplishing this with a small DSLR, or a GoPro. It can handle a payload of up to 66lbs. And though it may look like a big single-handed gimbal with a robot arm, sitting atop the Steadicam stage is the ruler of all, the ARRIAlexa Mini with an ARRI Signature Prime Lens – truly living up to the name ARRI Trinity.
Follow along as Potato Jet gets a hands on look at this high-end gadget at ARRI Rentals in Burbank with legendary Camera OP & Steadicam operator Ari Roberts.
ARRI Trinity’s Key Features
- 5-Axis Hybrid Camera Stabilizer
- Payload up to 66lbs
- 32-Bit ARM-based Stabilization
- New Design and Handling Options
- Counterbalanced (no longer needs to be bottom heavy to maintain level)
- Javelin Mode
- Repositioned Monitor
- Motor Controls on Handle
- Wireless Controller
- Tool-less Design
- 8-12lb Calibration Range
- V-Mount or Gold Mount Batteries
- Cost ~$60,000 Basic Kit
If you’re a complete and total camera-tech-dork like me, you gush over cutting edge equipment like the ARRI Trinity. This is the most advanced camera stabilizing system in the world; used on big budget movies by that select few who can do the seemingly impossible.
These artist-in-their-own-right bring dreams to life and keep us glued to our seats in awe of the stunningly beautiful images they meticulously craft. Behind the scenes, in their hands they are wielding these tools that cost as much as a downpayment on a house all to bring how-it-is-done to the next level. And that next level wouldn’t be possible without the ARRI Trinity.
People have mounted gimbals on top of steadicam sleds before, including yours truly, but ARRI has integrated the two together into a workhorse tool.
Through this combination they’ve changed the game entirely, allowing the operator to move more naturally and maneuver through tighter spaces. This is aided by the ARRI Trinity’s ability to boom from a head-level height to an underslung mode seamlessly which has led to a new posture, javelin mode (as Ari Roberts calls it).
Javelin Mode is similar to DJI’s flashlight mode for their handheld gimbals but Trinity’s greater rotation on the tilt axis, and its counterbalance puts all the pieces in the right place.
The camera sits out, away from the operator, and this allows it to fit into tight places, ‘dolly’ over tables and desks, and move through open windows. The length of the Trinity sled can also be adjusted, moving the camera further out or higher up as the shots require.
The monitor, which usually sits at the base of the sled on steadicams, has been relocated to the handle. This changes the way operators move with the steadicam, previously having to peer over and look down to check their framing. Now the screen is closer and unobstructed.
Learning how to use a Steadicam is an art, a practice, a craft; something you noodle over and make adjustments to. Almost the entire rulebook has changed with the introduction of the Trinity. The small, calculated steps that a traditional steadicam operator would take are now more natural thanks to the gimbal’s additional stabilization.
And what an amazing gimbal it is with its 8-12lbs of calibration range, meaning adjustments don’t always have to be made when changing a lens or adding a cable, etc. It’s a complicated looking machine with a well thought out simplicity. That is what makes all ARRI products great. They just work without a myriad of pieces, tools, settings.
You can tell I’m a total dork, and I really want one – even though this would be an absolute overkill for any of the work I do. But if you’re on this level and you want the absolute best, there isn’t anything better than the ARRI Trinity.
[source: Potato Jet]
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