If I'm not filming Keifer Sutherland in my movie do I really need a Matte box?

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David_M_Payne

Well-known member
If I'm not filming Keifer Sutherland do I really need a Matte box?

Or just what besides impressing actors does a Matte Box do that the Leica lens shade on the HVX200 doesn't do? I'm trying to justify getting two of Indiesnaps new Matte Boxes, or the Cinetactics Matteblox HD, but I need some reasons besides it looks cool to have on your camera, and Keifer Sutherland won't work without one. Thoughts.

David
 
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Hey David, no it's not absolutely essential to have a mattebox to shoot Keifer Sutherland, but there are very good reasons to invest in one.

Cameras work with light, first and foremost, and a good mattebox allows you greater control of that light before it hits your lens, preventing light flares for example. Have you ever been out on such a sunny day that you've held your hands above your eyes to see better? Matteboxes operate in the same fashion except they also do a great deal more.

Matteboxes let you use filters in very creative ways without having to thread them on your lens. This is possible because with good matteboxes, they offer at least two filter trays, which can be placed in front of your camera in seconds. Drop them in, take them out. No need to screw these on. And they're stackable, meaning if you have a mattebox with several filter trays, you can place them in different sequences for different looks.

Usually, at least one filter tray rotates. This is because some filters, like polarizers and other special effect filters, can change the look of an image simply by rotating the filter and therefore adjusting how the light rays pass through the filter.

Keep in mind you could do similar changes in post. But it would be hard to change an overblown sky in post where an additional ND filter would have been a lot better used.

Finally, they do make your setup look bad-ass. While superficial a reason, I agree, it's also very real: some people perceive a camera with a mattebox as more "professional"

Disadvantages? Extra initial setup time. Unless you have a case large enough to accomodate the mattebox and camera fully assembled, you would have to take the time to attach the mattebox prior to a shoot. For run-and-gun situations, this is not always possible. For those situations, a smaller, more lightweight sunshade would be best.

They also take up more space, and can also weigh your camera down a bit. Make sure your tripod head can accomodate the additional weight of accessories, especially if you have a rod support system.

Rod supports are a great idea because unlike regular sunshades, they don't rest on the lens of your camera. Instead, the mattebox is supported by the rods. These rods also allow you to use other cinema accessories like follow focuses or a 35mm cinema adapter for example. But they will add to the weight some, going back to those run-and-gun concerns again.

And finally, they're quite expensive. The prices don't include filters either. Filters, good filters, are not cheap.

It's up to you to decide if the extra light control and rod support system is worth the price, especially if the cameras we're using are only a bit more than a Chrosziel in cost. With low cost matteboxes on the market now though, it's even easier to aquire one. You'd be hard pressed to find any feature shoot filming without a mattebox of some kind.
 
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Why not experiment. Rent a mettebox kit with some filters, like a polarizer, and grad NDs and use them in your next shoot. See if there is a difference in quality that is worth the investment, and decide for yourself. It should be a pretty cheap rental.
 
LOL! I´m afraid you only started this thread to make the Keifer Sutherland´s joke. Anyway, it was great!
 
I will be doing a review on the indiesnaps on the HVX this week with pics (it hasn't arrived yet). If it works well, it really would be an inexpensive solution, and Keifer won't ever have to know.
 
lpcvideo1 said:
I will be doing a review on the indiesnaps on the HVX this week with pics (it hasn't arrived yet). If it works well, it really would be an inexpensive solution, and Keifer won't ever have to know.
Click to expand...

Keifer has to know. I'll tell him.
I spent too much on my Chrosziel not to.

M.
 
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