Redrock Mattebox, Old and new

hoarp001

hoarp001

Veteran
So my new mattebox arrived finaly today, and having used the prototype mattebox a few times, I think their changes were worth the wait.

To begin with, all the shiny surfaces are gone. The filter trays have information engraved on them. The box itself dosn't have that bubbly texture anymore. The swing away knob is much easier to grab and feels more solid than the old one.

The silver and black knobs that lock off and lock rotation for the stages are further apart, which is a big bonus.

The donuts are thinner than the original ones which is a big advantage, the thick ones were much harder to feed into the back of the mattebox. The thinner ones feed in better. Oddly enough, it smells nicer too.

Ive got some before and after photos of the changes that I will stick up at some point.

If you need a mattebox and havn't already added yourself to the queue, then do it now.
 
I just did two shoots with my RR microMattebox, Letus Ultimate and Zacuto FF.
The mattebox is very good, indeed. However, I found the donuts to be less than ideal. I used eight Nikon lenses on one of the jobs and some of the donuts don't fit tightly, the changing of the donuts is time consuming and they can affect focus feel/smoothness. Any gap between the donut and the lens diameter will cause lens reflections with filters.

I'd prefer the Zacuto Universal Donut approach, although not sure how it would
work with the full range of focus rotation on a longer SLR or Cine lens.

I really don't like the 4"X4" tray inserts, not really a viable solution in their current flimsy state. Would never make it in the rental world.

The other issue I had was the proximity of the FF and the mattebox, sometimes,
on the Nikon wide lenses, the two were right next to each other. I also wish the mattebox would slide freely on the rods instead of only mounting on the ends.

Overall, a fantastic product at an unbelievable price!
 
Fully test the mbox tomorrow. Were the 4x4 inserts those flimsy plastic things that came packed with the tray? I think I threw mine away thinking they were some sort of packing plastic. If so, that really sucks if those were intended to hold 4 x 4's.

Even in the highest position do the rods still bump the box. That would be a deal a breaker for me. Can't tell you how much time I loose when a mbox does this. The notion of having to constantly switch out rods bites.

Will report tomorrow. If I love it's a keeper. If not, check marketplace. Though looking at the price of Arri or Chrosz, I'm sure bootleg solutions to its shortcomings will pop up here, there, and elsewhere.
 
Tim,

Yes, those flimsy inserts are meant to stop light getting in from the sides of 4"X4" filters. One of mine already has a big crease in it. No way they would survive more than a day in the rental world.

The matte box will not move past the end of the rods, there is no adjustability for this. I also kept wishing for longer locating rods between the rod mount arm and the matte box hinge post. I don't like the way the matte box screws into the matte box post, there's even a rubber band between the two knobs.

Funny thing is, seeing how the RED ONE bundle works, that would be my preference--the matte box sits high above the rods, can slide back and forth on the rods and the matte box hinge post to mount has very long rods for great adjustability. This looks like the ideal setup to me. Also, the RR microMatteBox is very heavy, like a studio matte box, but much heavier than any of my Chrosziel matte boxes(which are actually called sun shades).

No matte box system is perfect, no matter the price, but I'm sure we'll be seeing some ongoing changes from Red Rock for this product.
 
But hey, nothing compares at the price. Has anyone tried a Zacuto universal donut. Will it attach?
 
Last edited:
for steadicam work, theres a company that makes a good hard plastic velcro type similar to kinoflo barndoors (called coroplast). I believe they can work as rod setup or snap on. Ill try to dig up the link. Filmtools shows some models but they are mostly just the eyebrow kits.
 
How about it Brian or anyone know where I can get a non Arri priced 4 x 4 tray that'll fit in the RRMB?
 
Last edited:
Tim Naylor said:
Hopefully, RR will make a higher 15mm bracket and just let previous owners buy an upgrade. The end of the rods bumping is a disappointment. Re: 4 x 4 inserts. I tossed mine. I couldn't imagine anything that flimsy being part of my mattebox package, considering how the rest is built. Oh well, my guess black paper tape would probably be faster to use.

But hey, nothing compares at the price. Has anyone tried a Zacuto universal donut. Will it attach?

I guess the next "Holy Grail" for low cost MB's or from RRock would be a light weight box that could supplant the Chrosziel "sunshade". The RRMB in its current state is a bit much for hand held.

Here's a thought: Velcro Seals.

Buy a some fat patches of velcro cut some in circles, some in rectangles and use them as donuts and side seals. Any thoughts before I buy a bunch of velcro.
Click to expand...
Jim,
The Zacuto universal donut will work with any matte box so long as you have a 105mm donut or can adpat to get a 105mm opening. The univ. donut velcro's to the inside of the 105mm ring and it will fit on any lens. It comes with all necessary velcro.
 
Thanks.
Zacuto, have you seen the back end of the RRMB. Do you know a method for attaching your Universal Donut?

Now how about 4 x 4 trays for the Redrock? Anyone?
 
as much as i love and own Zacuto stuff, but I would not pay $ 95.00 for this.

Universal%20Donut.jpg
 
A lot of ACs carry black hair scrunchies. They don't cost $95 though, sorry. Get the thinnest ones you can find and they won't interfere with most witness marks.

e
 
We use them at the point where the lens meets the back of the mattebox rough opening. Inserts and donuts are great, but you don't always have the exact ID donut or split ring. The scrunchie simply surrounds the lens to keep light from contaminating from where it meets the mattebox.

I can't make a recommendation for ill-fitting or "universal" trays that allow light to contaminate your stages. That sounds like a mfg. issue or a tape / BlackWrap solution.

e
 
Worthwhile Modification to RR microMatteBox

Worthwhile Modification to RR microMatteBox

I just made a useful modification to my RR microMatteBox, I swapped out the standard 4" rods that locate the matte box on the swing away hinge post for 6" carbon fiber rods. This has the benefit of two more inches of adjustability to make up for the matte box not sliding on the rods. Now longer lenses don't necessitate moving the camera back and forth on the main rods. Plus, the carbon fiber rods are .0003 of a gram lighter than the stainless steel rods!
 
Jeff,

What do you think about the adapter pieces to make 4x4 filters work in the 4 x 5.65 frames? Are they as bad as some people here say.

BTW I'm hoping we can get together in the next few weeks, and will email you soon.

Lenny Levy
 
Hi Lenny,

The flimsy inserts are a rental facility non-starter. Put a big crease in one of them the first day when it got caught by another tray sliding down. Would get lost/damaged within minutes in a rental environment. The donuts are a pain, hoping the Zacuto universal donut will work better, but the hair scrunchy idea could at least block any gap between lens OD and donut hole.

4"X4" filters are problematic with a 20mm lens, need 4"X5.65" and even then, vignetting
could be possible unless front element of lens right up to filter stage.

At least I've got more fore/aft adjustment of the matte box with the longer locating rods.

I ordered a 72mm and 77mm step down ring for my Ultimate late last month. Received the
72mm, but not the 77mm. Emails to Letus Direct and Hien have gone unanswered, which is unusual. I'll let you know as soon as I get the 77mm. I'm very happy with the edge to edge sharpness of the Ultimate with an HVX200A.

I also did some shooting with a 400mm lens at F8 and saw no GG texture. Very happy with the Ultimate and the RR microMatteBox, will keep trying to make small changes to the latter
to optimize it.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top