Sachtler is a manufacturer of film and video camera support products. The company was founded in 1958 and was bought by the United Kingdom's Vitec Group (now
Videndum) in 1995.
History
Wendelin Sachtler was a cinematographer, actor and inventor, living in South-Germany. In 1958 he designed the first tripod head. This so-called gyroscopic head provided not only pans and tilt motion, but also added gyroscopic damping to smooth out camera moves. The new
tripod
A tripod is a portable three-legged frame or stand, used as a platform for supporting the weight and maintaining the stability of some other object. The three-legged (triangular stance) design provides good stability against gravitational loads ...
head proved so popular with fellow
camera operators
A camera operator, or depending on the context cameraman or camerawoman, is a professional operator of a film camera or video camera as part of a film crew. The term "cameraman" does not necessarily imply that a male is performing the task.
D ...
that it led to the foundation of a new company, Sachtler, to meet demand. He worked out of a small workshop in
Munich
Munich is the capital and most populous city of Bavaria, Germany. As of 30 November 2024, its population was 1,604,384, making it the third-largest city in Germany after Berlin and Hamburg. Munich is the largest city in Germany that is no ...
-Schwabing,
Germany
Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It lies between the Baltic Sea and the North Sea to the north and the Alps to the south. Its sixteen States of Germany, constituent states have a total popu ...
. After a pair of moves, since 2004 Sachtler GmbH has been located in
Eching near Munich. Sachtler has 150 employees worldwide and is represented by retailers in more than 140 countries. The company has production facilities in Germany, Costa Rica and Great Britain.
In 1992 the company was awarded the "Scientific and Engineering Award", an award set up by the
Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS, often pronounced ; also known as simply the Academy or the Motion Picture Academy) is a professional honorary organization in Beverly Hills, California, U.S., with the stated goal of adva ...
.
In 1995 Sachtler was acquired by the Vitec Group PLC.
In 2001 Sachtler and
Curt O. Schaller launched the artemis camera stabilizer system at the
NAB Show
NAB Show is an annual trade show produced by the National Association of Broadcasters. It takes place in April, and has been held since 1991 at the Las Vegas Convention Center in Las Vegas, Nevada. The show's tagline is "Where Content Comes to L ...
in Las Vegas. The artemis systems were the first modular camera stabilizer systems in the world. In addition, the artemis HD systems were the first Full HD camera stabilizer systems worldwide.
The artemis Trinity system, developed by Curt O. Schaller together with Roman Foltyn in 2015, is the first camera stabilizer system in the world that combines a mechanical stabilization system with an electronic one. In April 2016,
ARRI
Arri Group () (stylized as "ARRI") is a German manufacturer of motion picture film equipment. Based in Munich, the company was founded in 1917. It produces professional motion picture cameras, lenses, lighting and post-production equipment. It ...
acquired the artemis camera stabilizer systems developed by Curt O. Schaller from Sachtler / Vitec Videocom.
In 2025, Curt O. Schaller was awarded the
Academy Scientific and Engineering Award for the concept, design and development of the
Trinity 2 system.
Products
The company's portfolio can be divided into:
* Camera support
* High quality bags for storage and transportation of professional broadcast, camera and audio equipment
The camera support division includes the production of Sachtler fluid heads, tripods and pedestals and professional bags for cameramen and sound operators.
References
{{Reflist
External links
SachtlerVidendum
Photography equipment manufacturers of Germany
Companies based in Upper Bavaria
German brands