About Us
Cameraman, actor, and inventor, Wendelin Sachtler, made a significant contribution to the process of pictures becoming “movies”. With a pioneering spirit and inventive mind, he founded a company that has lead camera support engineering for over 60 years.
In 1958 he developed his own tripod head, a turning point for the film industry. His so-called gyro head could not only be panned and tilted but was also dampened by a gyro-system. Filmmakers were now finally able to execute pans without having to fight against their equipment gaining momentum.
1950s
Wendelin Sachtler and Heinrich Wolf, an engineer from Mannhelm, ran a hire shop for camera and film making equipment. Together, from their small workshop on Herzogstraße, Schwabing, they developed tripods with gyro-fluid heads as well as gel frames, pedestals and zoom drives.
1958
Wendelin Sachtler develops his first commercial tripod head, using a ground-breaking gyro-system to allow filmmakers to easily execute pans and tilts. Sachtler was a man of many talents. As an actor, cameraman and inventor, he knew exactly what filmmakers needed from their gear.
1967
Sachtler develops its first fluid heads with lubrication grease dampening.
1977
After extensive experiments and trials, Sachtler patents its legendary permanent-sealed damping system. The use of hermetically sealed modules makes the system much more resistant to external factors than other alternatives.
1978
In a year of major breakthroughs, in 1978, Sachtler introduced its first carbon fibre tripods and its Panorama head 7+7 with seven-stage damping and counterbalance. As more and more camera teams make the switch to electronic cameras, lightweight and reliable products like this become increasingly popular.
1988
Sachtler unveils the first daylight luminaire with 125W. Filmmakers and broadcasters now have a mobile source of flicker-free light.
1991 - And the Academy award goes to...
Sachtler is awarded with a Scientific and Technical Academy Award (Oscar) for it's range of fluid heads.
The Scientific and Engineering Award is given for achievements that produce a definite influence on the advancement of the motion picture industry.
1995
Sachtler becomes part of Videndum, a leading global provider of premium branded products and solutions to the “image capture and content creation” market.
1998
Sachtler is recognised by the Society of Camera Operators with the coveted SOC Technical Achievement Award for its groundbreaking fluid head technology.
2001
The artemis camera stabilising system is released. It's the first complete system of arm, vest, and rig manufactured in Europe. Using a patented HD wiring loom and with efficient battery management, it was the world's first stabiliser designed for HD digital cinematography.
2007
In another year of ground-breaking innovation, Sachtler makes headlines with the release of the starter system Artemis DVPro FX, the ACT 2 vest and ACT 2 spring arm. Rounding off an amazing year, next comes the SOOM multifunctional camera support tool along with a range of compatible products: the FSB heads, the battery concept FSB CELL and the Reporter 8LED.
2007
Sachtler Receives the TV Technology STAR of 2007 Award for SOOM. 1+1+1=4! The SOOM HiPod system intelligently combines TriPod, TriSpread and Tube, to make four products from three.
2015
Artemis Trinity is released. A lightweight two-axis gimbal head with a monitor mount, a joystick on the gimbal handle, a battery hanger module and a pendulum that allows perfect ‘drop down’ moves. The modular design permits customized solutions and simple integration into existing workflows.
2016
The modular artemis system, highly regarded by professional camera operators and widely used on film and television productions all over the world is sold to ARRI who become the sole global sales and service provider for all artemis products.
2017
In partnership with Vinten, Sachtler launches the award-winning flowtech®75. A versatile, lightweight tripod that is easier and faster to deploy and adjust than any other tripod. Leveraging the best from both brands, the revolutionary technology combines the speed of deployment of Sachtler with the torsional rigidity of Vinten.
2017
flowtech picks up a trifecta of industry awards at IBC 2017. The Cinema5D Innovation Award, TVBEurope, Best of Show Award and the RedShark Award for best camera accessory.
2018
The Tripod revolution continues. Sachtler unveil flowtech®100. Compatible with all major 100 mm fluid heads, flowtech100 supports a payload of up to 30 kg (66 pounds), making it the ideal tripod for heavy-duty electronic newsgathering (ENG), electronic field production (EFP), and a wide range of wildlife, commercial, and documentary productions.
2018
At the Design and Art Direction (D&AD) Awards. flowtech receives a coveted Graphite Pencil award in the D&AD Consumer and Industrial Product Design category, sharing company with standout products such as Apple’s iPhone® X and Homepod.
2020
Fast gets faster. From the creators of the World’s Fastest Tripod Comes the Fluid Head Built for Speed. 'aktiv' with SpeedLevel™ and SpeedSwap™ technology - allows camera operators to mount, level and lock the head in seconds and to switch quickly from tripod, slider or hand-held shots in an instant to capture the widest range of shots in the shortest time.
2021
Sachtler's flowtech® aktiv range of professional camera support systems receives a coveted 'G-Mark Award' at the annual Good Design Awards in Tokyo. The G-Mark Japan GOOD DESIGN award is the largest design award in Asia and reflects Japanese design values and principles. Any product that carries the ‘G-Mark’ emblem reflects comprehensive design values and principles that aim to enrich lives, industries, and society.
An inventive mind
For over 60 years, Wendelin Sachtler's inventive mind and guiding principles have been the very foundation on which the Sachtler philosophy is based. The company remains true to its founder’s values. Today, as in the past, the film and television industries equate Sachtler with quality, reliability and innovation. Through constant advances in product development and continual investments in the most modern manufacturing processes, Sachtler has maintained its standing in the industry for more than six decades.
