Some camera innovations are so fundamental that it is impossible to imagine the world of television camera work without them. The fluid action head, first patented by the Australian company Miller, is a perfect example of one such invention.

Before Eric Miller introduced the world’s first fluid action head in 1946, camera operators had no option but to work with bulky and expensive gear-driven assemblies; panning shots were tricky and diagonal moves virtually impossible. The Miller fluid action head revolutionised the film and television industry by giving operators the freedom to shoot far more creatively, reduced production time and cost, creating shots previously unobtainable.

1946      The world’s first fluid head patented

1954      Miller commence commercial operations in Clement St Factory, Rushcutters Bay

1958      Miller export the first tripod to Hollywood

1965      Light professional fluid head released, setting new standards for ENG

1980      30/50 fluid heads with counterbalance systems released

1992      DS 75mm fluid heads launched globally

1997      Arrow head range released

2003      Solo tripod series launched

2012      Skyline 70 range released

2013      Air released for DSLR users

2014      Cineline 70 released at NAB 2014 for feature films

2105      ArrowX range released

2017      CompassX range and Skyline 90 released

2018      ArrowFX released

2019      CinX range and Sprinter 75 released

2020      ArrowX1 released

2021      Solo Q released

As Miller celebrates 67 years of delivering top-quality products to the film and television industry, the statistics are impressive. Over the years the company has delivered over 200,000 systems; it has acquired several patents and numerous awards for quality and design. Miller systems are in use by more than 265 television networks the world over, including the BBC, CBC Canada, CCTV China, NBC USA and ABC Australia.