Do I need a matte box?

Randall_Oelerich

Randall_Oelerich

Veteran
I just ordered a Canon T2i DSLR, now looking at accessories. This is for making some 5-10 minutes shorts, conceivably outdoors at least for the next two shorts (one on a beach at sunrise, the other in some dark woods). So I see all these fancy rigs for tricking out a DSLR and they seem to have a matte box on rails, at a cost of $300-$1000 just for the metal matte box with or without rails. Do I really need that, over say a $20 lens hood, because there are lens hoods made out of hard plastic, rectangular, 16:9 format, that it would seem would shield most stray light. When is an expensive matte box really needed? I could see a matte box with strong artificial lighting that might stray, but otherwise how much of a necessity is a matte box for a DSLR for short films?
randall
 
The real use of a matte box, that is capable, is to add filtration in front of the lens. Shooting indoors, under controlled lighting, then a matte box might not essential, unless you want to use filters. When you move outside and want more image control, then having the ability to add filtration to a shot may be more important. What makes a matte box a good investment is that it is not a camera specific accessory, and, if you get a good one, then you can use it with multiple cameras. Kind of a future proof accessory. What you want is a matte box that fits to standard rails (15mm) and has at least two filter slots. You would also want one of those slots to be able to rotate, so that polarizing filters, and some grade filters, could be used to their best advantage. A swing away matte box is also a very nice feature, in that is allows you to very simply swing the matt box out of the way so you can have access to the lens.

Of course, that being said, if you are just getting set up with a T2i, there are other accessories that you can spend your money on that may be of more importance. I would be looking at buying lenses, a loupe, and or a monitor, extra batteries, good cards, ect.
 
It is a funny thing about matte boxes... they are one of those accessories where price really seems to make a big difference. I don't own one, but that is mostly because the ones I can afford, just aren't worth owning. Buying a cheap matte box just because you want more sh*t hanging off of the front you camera is not something that I subscribe to.
 
No. You don't Need one any more than you need extra lenses or any other accessory. You can make fine films without one. As David mentioned, if you want to add filters, it's arguably easier to do it with a MB than to screw filters on and off the front of your lens.

If you are not sure about its utility to your work, I'd suggest renting one for a day or two and testing it. Most rental houses carry them, I imagine.
 
its meant more for the kind of filtration that is specific to angle and position relative to the lens. like Neutral Density graduated filters, Polarized filter, Graduated Color filters etc..... It protects them a bit, and provides a sun shade. if youre shooting in VERY bright conditions, they allow you to use hard mattes, these plates with a hole cut in them that is exactly the size of the angle of view of your lens. Used more in the 35mm world as they are precision cut to match certain lenses to certain matte boxes and film gates. They are placed infront of the filters and lens, almost like a lens cap but in the Mattebox itself. They're great.
 
Matte box not needed unless you need to have your camera look like a pro. It takes 20 seconds more to screw on a filter than to drop it in the matte box.
 
3 questions...

will you need physical easily repleaceable filters?
will you shoot near to or near-direct to strong light sources?
do you have clients easily impressed by 'big gear'?

if so then yes. if not, no. they are easily in the $300 range and up to the $4,000 range fully fitted.
 
The real question is - are you gonna shoot with primes of zooms?

If zoom then a matte box is not so necessary.

But when changing primes all the time even a cheap $300 cavison matte box can be invaluable,
even if its just killing unwanted flares and supporting inexpensive screw on ND's or diffusion.
 
Being a cheapskate I use a Cokin "P" system filter holder and a clip-on bellows lens hood. There are still slots for a polariser and a ND.
I suspect it would vignette with anything shorter than 18mm on a 550D, but it will do for me for now until I can afford anything better.
Dave
 
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