MattBox comparison!

J

jujufactory

Carbonite Member
I am looking for the right Mattbox for my EX1. Here are the different models. I tried to look for the prices which mostly appear to be classified. Let's hear some recommendations and opinions.


(1) Cinetactics Mattbox (250 Euros)
http://www.cinetactics.com/Detail.bok?no=15


(2) The Indian Mattbox (PRICE: 350 Euros)
http://www.thecinecity.com/tcc/product.php?productid=53&cat=270&page=1


(3) GearDear Mattbox With Baseplate + Rods + Wings + FFlag (550 Euros)
http://geardear.com/pictures.html


(4) Formatt clip on MattBox with flag & Wings (550 Euros)
http://www.formatt.co.uk/matte-boxes/products.aspx


(5) The Cavision clip on MattBox with Wings and flag (ESTIMATED PRICE: 650 Euros.)
http://www.cavision.com/pictures/EX1/MB4510SPWM-EX1-2.htm


(6) The Chrosziel Mattbox (800 Euros for a clip on without FFlag)
http://www.chrosziel.com/prod.asp?wdid=7&pid=324&sid=0


(7) The Redrock Mattbox + Wings + Micro Support (PRICE: 1100 Euros)
http://shopping.netsuite.com/s.nl/c.472981/it.A/id.553/.f?sc=2&category=864


(8) The Zacuto Mattbox with Wings and flag (PRICE: 3000 Euros FORGET IT)
http://store.zacuto.com/Zacuto-Petroff-Matte-Box-Follow-Focus-Kit.html


(9) The Cavision Mattbox + Adaptor ring (PRICE: ??? ANYBODY'S GUESS. THE PRICELIST NUMBER CRAP IS SUCH A MESS NOBODY UNDERSTANDS IT)
http://www.cavision.com/pictures/EX1/MB4510S-7.htm



Let's hear some recommendations and opinions and/or additions.
 
Last edited:
Here is the basic Cavision configuration for the 4x5.65 matte box for the Sony EX1.

MB4510H2-BFI - 4x5.65 hard shade matte box - 509.00
AR100-77 - Step down ring - 25.00
MBF-5PA - Adjustable french flag - 80.00
MBF-4SA - Adjustable side flags - 99.00

Jason@cavision.com


 
jujufactory said:
800 Euros for a clamp on. Are you insane? That's outrageous. What makes it so great?
Click to expand...

It's a professional tool. When you use these devices every day, you notice and appreciate the difference in quality and versatility. If you think that's insane maybe you need to try a different industry, this one is obviously not for you.
 
I have the redrock matte box and use it with my EX1.

I like it a lot. The build is excellent, the swing-away is neat and the coloured accents are cool.

However, it does not play nice with the EX1.

In the first instance, (and I think this is a design flaw but redrock claim otherwise), the mattebox cannot slide backwards onto the rails. Part of the unit extentds below the rails and prevents this.

Also, there is an issue with the EX1 mic/lcd housing in that to prevent seeing the matte box edges at full wide, the LCD needs to swing out and the mic needs to touch the mattebox. In this position, the lcd cannot swing back again. Also, a third party 3-stage lens hood is required to mate the matte box donut to the ex lens. An ex1 solution in the form of a custom back has been promised by red rock for some time now but has not yet appeared.

Here's a pic of my rig with the matte box on;

IMG_1555.jpg


And a close up of the mating set-up;

IMG_1559.jpg


And another angle;

IMG_1556.jpg
 
Matte box

Matte box

Just so you know, the matte box kit you are looking at for Zacuto includes much more then the matte box. It includes:
- Zacuto Universal Baseplate V3
- Z-Focus with .8 pitch gear, lens gear, and 16" Follow Focus Whip
- Petroff 4x4 matte box with side flags
- A set of Formatt ND Grad Filters (.3, .6, & .9)

The matte box in this set-up is the Petroff 4x4 matte box:
http://store.zacuto.com/4x4-wide-2-stage-petroff-matte-box-kit.html
 
The most confusing thing about these Zacuto/Cavision/Redrock products is the pricelist. Nobody understands anything without calling in and getting a quote. What the hell is a 15mm support adapter... does that mean the base and the rods or just the base and what kind of rods?.... anybody's guess... then there is the adapter ring of which there are various sizes and types and which nobody knows anything about... and then there are these strange words such as "bayonet-clamp ring???" )... of course you never know what's included in the basic mattbox and whether wings and/or flags are part of the deal... and finally when they send you the pricelist it looks like an instructions manual glossary page of the blueprint of the left arm of the bionic man. Give me a break. I want a picture with a price next to it. That's how I can quickly do my shopping.
 
Go to german Ebay an get a good Chrosziel with rods and all for under 250 Euros.

Buying used "pro gear" instead of new "semipro gear" is always your best bet, if budget is tight.

Just got me a huge QuickSet $5600 tripod on Ebay for 120 Euros.

Can´t beat that.


Frank
 
If you have the dough, go with Chrosziel, if not, go with cheaper ones like Cavision. I have a Cavision for my EX1 but again, I strongly recommend something else. I would, if I have the money.
 
I have a Petroff as well as the Geardear medium. The Geardear is quite nice for the money. You cannot compare it to the precision fit of the Petroff. There is nothing "wrong" with Cavision, Geardear or any of the less expensive items. I do believe that it is simply a case of "you get what you pay for." What I like about the Petroff is its combination of both aluminum and composite materials. It is lightweight yet very sturdy and able to withstand the rigors of heavy professional use. If you are only using a mattebox on rare occasions, then one of the less expensive models might be adequate. The Geardear does not leak light. I do not know about the Cavision.
 
Depends if want a clip on matte box or you want one with rod support. Rods come in 15mm and 19mm diameter. People tend to use one size and what is common size differs from country and someone told in the USA it differs from the West coast to the East coast. So an adaptor would unnecessary unless for some reason you are swapping between different size rods
 
devnull said:
It's a professional tool. When you use these devices every day, you notice and appreciate the difference in quality and versatility. If you think that's insane maybe you need to try a different industry, this one is obviously not for you.
Click to expand...

Since you are such a fan buy him one! :dankk2:


I think it's ridiculously outrageous too!


A consumer should always look for better quality at a lower price.


The real question is what else the market has to offer for the same or lower price of equal or higher quality?


If nothing, then there is opportunity there as well.


Either way you don't need to be a douche bag.
 
ESTEBEVERDE said:
Since you are such a fan buy him one! :dankk2:


I think it's ridiculously outrageous too!


A consumer should always look for better quality at a lower price.


The real question is what else the market has to offer for the same or lower price of equal or higher quality?


If nothing, then there is opportunity there as well.


Either way you don't need to be a douche bag.
Click to expand...

He calls me insane and you call me a douche bag for trying to help him? Nice guys...
 
I never called you insane. I meant it was insane to spend 800 euros on a clip on piece of plastic no matter how great the quality. Even 500 euros for a basic clip on Mattbox is already way out of line. Now granted these people need their margin but here in France you can't find a single retailer who will sell a basic clip on Mattbox (without wings) for less than 700 Euros. All of that comes without the filters. Now call me conservative but I think these prices are totally over the top. Just to give you an illustration: A clip on Mattbox without wings generally costs more than:

_ a top of the line RODE NTG-3 directional microphone,

or

_ a set of 3 X 800 Watt moile lights with bag and stand and wings,

or

_ a professional high end condenser microphone for studio work

or

_ a professional PREAMP

or

1 week in Club Med (Including plane ticket).

etc...


What is a clip on Matbox.... a piece of plastic.

These prices are outrageous!
 
It's not a clip on piece of plastic. It light enough you CAN clip it on, or rail mount, or swingaway, and it's not plastic, has 2 rotating filters, unlike most others, and it fits the EX1 in a usable fashion by not being blocked by the native mic. Machined from aluminum alloy. The only matte better is the Arri.
And when someone says, "Are you insane?", usually that means you've called them insane. Based on your other threads, I should have know better than to try and help.
 
For anyone venturing into this thread I would suggest (if you don't have one already) to ask whether you really need a matte box. As a couple of posters have noted they are not inexpensive. And if you're purchasing for an EX-1 specifically, there's probably only one or two models that will work nicely.

The RR has issues as noted above. One of the Chrosziels and the Arri have issues where you won't be able to move the LCD because it hits part of the MB and/or they are only side loading, which means you'll have difficulty if you want to position ND grad filters. The R-20 Chrosziel is reported to work but I haven't seen or spoken to anyone who has one yet. There's a chap in another forum who ordered one weeks ago and is still waiting on it, so it's still an untested product. My local shop doesn't have one yet.

From my point of view any MB that doesn't fit properly or that you cannot rotate the filter stages without banging into the mic or LCD is not worth the considerable investment. I'm certainly not going to buy a $2k MB and modify it with a dremel tool. It should work perfectly out of the box at these prices.

You get what you pay for, that's for sure. I went to the local MB emporium yesterday. As I stared down at a $2k Arri MB, I asked myself "is this really the next tool I need to make better images?" Many of my projects are hand held in natural light and having the extra material on the front of the camera might be a big distraction. I know better than to point the cam directly into a light source. I can still use screw-on filters without a MB. So, for me, the decision was that it's not a critical/essential item. The money went toward some lighting and a mic.
 
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