Building a DIY ARRI TRINITY Gimbal Rig on a Budget

ARRI worked some wonders when they created the TRINITY, a hybrid stabilizer that blends mechanical and electronic techniques to create exceptionally smooth movements.

Being a unique ARRI product also means that it is a bit pricey. It’s at this point many people will look at their current gimbals and be happy with what you have. What if you could make a regular gimbal so much better?

Josh Morgan, of Momentum Productions, has a way you can do this yourself for a reasonable price. All you need to get started is both a mechanical stabilizer and an electronic gimbal.

Morgan’s methodology is so simple and yet makes so much sense. ARRI spells it out themselves, it’s a hybrid of electronic and mechanical stabilization, so Morgan simply took a mechanical stabilizer and added an electronic gimbal to it.

Simply start with your mechanical stabilizer, you are going to want to extend the bottom and add a lot of weight to it. Then, add the electronic gimbal to the top. Once this is all in place you can balance the entire setup with all the components set up.

He moves it around right after and it looks quite stable. If you need the absolute best stabilizer for a specific shot, say a running scene, or one where you need more control over the positioning of the camera while staying stable this is an outstanding solution.

If you are working for longer periods of time the system will work easily with support vests. Taking advantage of built-in shooting modes for the gimbal can take your work easily to the next level. I’m very excited to see his upcoming sample footage.

Are you interested in trying this out?

[source: Momentum Productions]

Order Links:

  • ARRI TRINITY Rig Basic Set (B&H)
  • FLYCAM Redking Video Camera Stabilizer (B&H, Amazon)
  • Zhiyun-Tech WEEBILL-S Handheld Gimbal Stabilizer (B&H, Amazon)
  • Zhiyun-Tech CRANE 3S Handheld Gimbal Stabilizer (B&H, Amazon)
  • FLYCAM Flowline Master Stabilizing Support Vest (B&H, Amazon)
  • DigitalFoto Solution Limited THANOS-PRO Support Vest (B&H, Amazon)

Disclaimer: As an Amazon Associate partner and participant in B&H and Adorama Affiliate programmes, we earn a small comission from each purchase made through the affiliate links listed above at no additional cost to you.

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