Matte Boxes --- Arri and O'connor

S

shortnstout

Well-known member
Hi all!
Trying to pull the trigger on a matte box soon. People seem to love the o-box. I just want to know if anyone has compared it to the Arri mmb-1 and/or the Arri mmb-2. I love the Arri brand, but the o-box is supposed to be about the level of the mmb-1 at way lower price. The mmb-2 is comparable price to the o-box but has 2 stages (no bellows, that is) and is not as pro. How do the weights and build compare on these?
Also general thoughts- I'm on a c300 now and will probably use a RED in future. I like to buy once (cry once) so I'm thinking 3 stages is going to be necessary for the RED because it has no ND. I do landscape a lot and can see myself needing ND, Pola, and Grad ND all at once, but I wouldn't need it for the c300. Hmmmm.
Another thing that is important to me is that I can rotate the grad ND and also move it up and down for horizon placement- is this possible with any of these 4x5.6 matte boxes?
Thanks!
 
I can't speak to the Arri options, but the O'Connor O-Box fits perfectly with the C300 and the Zacuto Gorilla Mounting Plate. In the O-Box, the front tray is fixed, while the second tray can fully rotate. You can put 4x5.65" filters in either tray, or both. The bellows ring is a huge help, and can also be rotated with a polarizer in it.

The O-Box may, I believe, be slightly larger and heavier, but it also seems indestructible.


SM

shortnstout said:
Hi all!
Trying to pull the trigger on a matte box soon. People seem to love the o-box. I just want to know if anyone has compared it to the Arri mmb-1 and/or the Arri mmb-2. I love the Arri brand, but the o-box is supposed to be about the level of the mmb-1 at way lower price. The mmb-2 is comparable price to the o-box but has 2 stages (no bellows, that is) and is not as pro. How do the weights and build compare on these?
Also general thoughts- I'm on a c300 now and will probably use a RED in future. I like to buy once (cry once) so I'm thinking 3 stages is going to be necessary for the RED because it has no ND. I do landscape a lot and can see myself needing ND, Pola, and Grad ND all at once, but I wouldn't need it for the c300. Hmmmm.
Another thing that is important to me is that I can rotate the grad ND and also move it up and down for horizon placement- is this possible with any of these 4x5.6 matte boxes?
Thanks!
Click to expand...
 
Thanks guys! Stephen, with the O-box bellows, is it easy to add and remove a polarizer? Is it as quick as dropping a filter/holder in a stage?
Also, is it possible to move a grad ND vertically up and down while the rotating stage is rotated?
Thanks!
 
shortnstout said:
Thanks guys! Stephen, with the O-box bellows, is it easy to add and remove a polarizer? Is it as quick as dropping a filter/holder in a stage?
Also, is it possible to move a grad ND vertically up and down while the rotating stage is rotated?
Thanks!
Click to expand...

Adding and removing a pola is pretty easy. It's not quite as easy as dropping in a stage filter, but the bellows ring is quickly and easily removed.

As far as the grads go, yes you can move the filter while rotated. My O-Box has filter holders best suited for horizontal 4x5.65" grads, or of course 4x4" grads.
 
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