I use a Matte Box Because......

[J. Odoms]

So Michael Olsen came up with an awesome poll, and I like his idea so much I just did the leg work for him.

Thanks Michael.

[Starscream]

to be honest i should´ve voted nr. 2,
but then i remembered that i killed some annoying flares and ponits in my cheap photo lenses with the Fflags once. So i can vote one :D

[Ted Ramasola]

i dont believe in the 1st phrase of no.2. Only partly in its second premise.
But i decided to make one when i had a shoot with so much wide shots using 15mm that had problematic flares due to the very curved front element of the lens thats difficult to flag.

So my vote is one.

heres the mattebox i made;

http://www.dvxuser6.com/uploaded/6699/1215294000.jpg

and oh, heres how it looks on our VDSLR

http://www.dvxuser6.com/uploaded/6699/1254853882.jpg

[Taylor Rudd]

It holds filters and flags off the sun. If you don't plan on using filters or flagging off the sun, don't get one.

If you're going to use filters and flag off the sun but don't want to use a mattebox, then stick with threaded filters and lens hoods like photographers use

[ChosenPredator]

I wish I had money. :violin:

[mcgeedigital]

Poll Fail, I need to select #1 AND #2!

[PaPa]

ditto. Need to select both.

[J Davis]

This is pretty funny, scroll down to the Kiefer Test :)

http://classic1.reference.com/browse/wiki/Matte_box

[Erik Olson]

I like how that "article" puts French flags and side shades above the ability to accept filters for matte box features. A sunshade with no filter stages is just that - a sunshade. You can make your sunshade as big as a refrigerator box, but it isn't a matte box until you can shove filters into it via removable filter trays.

[Boz]

The main reason I want a matte-box is to be able to use the same filters for ALL lenses without having to worry about muliple step down rings or stripping threads. The big problem is that matte-boxes are hideously expensive (they are glorified lens shades after all). I'm considering several options from the following site, simply because they won't bankrupt me: http://dvcity.com/dve/index.php?cPath=70

[Perry Wilson]

Personally I love lens flare... But people look at you diff. when you have beast ass mattebox on the end of your rig... seems like less people do that immature stuff(waving, peace signs, making faces) when shooting in the public...

[Ted Ramasola]

Personally I love lens flare... But people look at you diff. when you have beast ass mattebox on the end of your rig... seems like less people do that immature stuff(waving, peace signs, making faces) when shooting in the public...

Well, I even sometimes add lens flare in post. But you see, not all flares are the same.
Like the ones in knoll light factory thats customizable, some natural flares come with haze that cloud up the scene, I commonly experienced it on my wide aspherical sigmas whos round front elements easily get flares AND haze even from almost 12 oclock sun. so yeah, even in an ordinary room with flourescent ceiling fixtures can add haze to these lenses. A good hood or mattebox with top and side flags added contrast to the scene as compared to without.

Ted

[boulder]

With my HV-20 I tried to accesorize the hell out of it to make it look like a "real" camera. I think I'm past that stage now and am looking forward to hiding in plain sight making everyone think I'm taking stills with the 7D. Any filters I use will have to be lens filters and will use a standard lens hood.

Keifer would not be pleased.

[ecking]

The poll should have been broken down into each use, I personally use one for use with filters. I have become big on filters lately, I don't know what took me so long.

[Mattykins]

Personally I love lens flare...

So does JJ Abrams...