Zoom lens with matte box

M

myCharlie

Well-known member
I have been told that zoom lens will not work with matte box because of the variable in lengths. Okay, so what are some alternatives or options? Does that mean no one uses telephoto lens with their matte box on?
 
Whoever told you that doesn't know what they are talking about. I am happily using telephoto and zoom lenses with my matte box. You just need to measure things out with the zoom or telephoto at full extension. The rear of the lens is poked through the matte box usually with a rubber or neoprene donut. You just have to make sure that your lens element doesn't touch any filters you have in your matte box. The only exception would be the old fashioned "push-pull" zoom lenses, I agree, those would not work with a matte box, but regular lenses work just fine.

What can get a little tricky is using a follow focus if your lenses focus ring moves a lot. I have a Red Rock Follow Focus and with my 105mm 2.8 micro, I barely have enough lens gear because the focus ring moves in and out during focusing. Fortunately the Red Rock gears have some width so it works.

Best,

Dan
 
Thanks much for the input. I was afraid some of the Nikon zoom/telelphoto lenses I purchased from ebay will be useless. I like to use a 80mm - 200mm lens if that's possible. By the way, what do you mean old fashioned "push-pull" zoom lenses? I guess I never seen those or used them before. What I've always seen are those that if you turn the ring, the focal length gets longer and shorter.

Okay, my second question is. Because the 35mm lens is attached to the 35mm adapter, and the 35mm adapter attached to the Sony EX1 camera, do I need any special step down gear or adapter for connecting the back of the mattebox to the lens? Or is that a wrong assumption?
 
I have NIkon 17-35 and 80-200mm. Great investment and they should work fine with any mattebox.
 
Kwan hi,

I am having those same lenses and great to hear they will work with my upcoming matte box.
 
Thanks for the reassurance.

Now what about my second question.

Because the 35mm lens is attached to the 35mm adapter, and the 35mm adapter attached to the Sony EX1 camera, do I need any special step down gear or adapter for connecting the back of the matte box to the lens? Or is that a wrong assumption?

Do I need any special equipment to connect the matte box to the lens regardless if it is a fixed focal lenth or not?
 
myCharlie said:
Thanks for the reassurance.

Now what about my second question.

Because the 35mm lens is attached to the 35mm adapter, and the 35mm adapter attached to the Sony EX1 camera, do I need any special step down gear or adapter for connecting the back of the matte box to the lens? Or is that a wrong assumption?

Do I need any special equipment to connect the matte box to the lens regardless if it is a fixed focal lenth or not?
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What kind of matte box ar buying? Some are different but my Cinevate just attaches the matte box to the lens using a small neoprene donut, the lens can then move forward or back as it focuses without affecting the matte box or filters. The new Red Rock, the Cinevate, the Petroff and most of the others specifically designed for users of 35mm adapters and lenses should work fine using this method. I think dedicated matte boxs like Arri and some of the other high-end dedicated ones work in basically the same way. I could see no benefit to attaching the lens to the mattebox (hard mount) except for clip on matte boxes. But if you are buying a rail mounted mate box, you are good.

Dan
 
Dxmetal said:
Just make sure it is a 2 touch zoom lens and not a push/pull zoom lens and you will be fine.
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Yes! Exactly. Many photography lenses have the zoom and focus ring as the same, meaning you push and pull the ring for zoom and turn it for focus.

This will throw your ff off, because the geared rings are only about a half inch thick.

For all of you looking to buy a zoom for an adapter with follow focus (or just more reliable focus ability) get a two touch zoom, where the focus and zoom are independent from each other.
 
But if you are buying a rail mounted mate box, you are good.
Click to expand...

I just decided to purchase a Cavision mattebox designed for the Sony EX1 camera. And then I purchased the IndiRail S Pro system and IndiFocus Pro. Does anyone know if this setup will allow me to do what puredrifting is talking about?

Or do you mean a swing away rail system like this one with the above system?

As for the zoom lenses, are any of these work with mattebox and 35mm adapter?

Again, thanks for the informative response.
 
Yes, that gear would result in a rail mounted matte box. You can get a swing away but you don't have to have a swing away system, you just slide the matte box forward on the rails when you have to change lenses.

The lens you are looking at is REALLY slow so it will only be useful outdoors on bright days. In order to shoot interiors, you should be looking at 2.8 zooms and 1.8/1.4 primes.

Dan
 
Thanks! Always appreciated for any kind of help. Yes, I will mainly use those lenses outdoors.

By the way, I thought I bookmarked a site where it shows the definitions of all Nikon's lenses acronym but now I can't find it. Are D-AF ED Lens any good? I'm not sure what are those acronym means.
 
Never mind, I think I found the site that describes those acronyms. If anyone cares, here is the site.

Okay, so when the lens lengthens or shortens, I just move the mattebox back and forth, correct? It's a little tideous but it seems to work.
 
cckid said:
Kwan hi,

I am having those same lenses and great to hear they will work with my upcoming matte box.
Click to expand...

Hey CCkid,
You will love 17-35mm and 80-200mm.
Sharp's very, very sharp like sword. I have replaced most of my old skhols 1'.
I guarantee you will stay with them for all time and you will refer to others... each time you use it
 
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