lpcvideo1
Veteran
Review: Indie Snap! HD Matte Box—for 16:9 cameras with 52mm to 86mm lenses.
Part I:
I think I am typical of many who comb the internet looking for an ever-expanding equipment list with an ever-constricting budget. When I saw a gastly-affordable ($289 for DVXusers) Matte Box for my HVX I thought it was too good to be true. Hearing good things about the DV version, however, I decided to give it a try, and I’m glad I did.
FIRST IMPRESSIONS
When I first opened my Indie Snap! Matte Box box, I was immediately struck by how light it was—feather-light and pretty. Something I thought was a nice touch was the inclusion of extra screws of each type as well as an instruction packet.
ASSEMBLY
The assembly of the unit was intuitive and simple. The instructions were clear and offered appropriate warnings like, “don’t over-tighten the screws, you’ll strip the aluminum,” and, “this is bigger than you’re used to so don’t hit your actors.”
MATERIALS AND WORKMANSHIP
The matte box itself is made from sheet aluminum, but I was immediately pleased with the build quality. The lines were straight, the curves, smooth, and everything looked intentional. The reinforced edges seemed machine-bent: no signs of struggle or distress. Bolts are well placed, spaced and consistent. Somebody took their time and materials seriously.
Since this is lightweight aluminum, you won’t want to have your matte box double as a stool or a seat cover: it will not survive an encounter with a rump. This is no flaw but the nature of the design—cost savings come with tradeoffs (you also may not want to throw it into your case attached to the camera).
The paint is a pleasant matte finish, very well matched to the HVX’s finish. It even had an egg-shell texture. The paint job itself is free of drips or other imperfections and is evenly distributed.
The filter assembly is a slide-in friction filter mount that is bolted to the aluminum. The hardware looks good, and the match is fairly seamless. It does not look like two pieced-together components.
The entire matte box assembly attaches to the camera by a screw-on adapter. You have to remove your HVX hood (which also eliminates the hood-cover (aka lens cap) for the HVX–you will need to be mindful of this). I noticed that the clear screw-on filter I got when I purchased the HVX did not come with outside threads. Consequently, I had to remove the protective filter to install the Snap box. (I suspect that a double-threaded filter would handle the weight of the box nicely.)
The assembly has to be slid on from the bottom (the HVX’ mic is in the way from above). Once it slides on, three pegs are pushed forward to hold the matte box around the circular adapter. These pegs then allow rotation around the circumference of the adapter. Two screws hold the box once you’ve reached the attitude you desire (for, e.g., a polarizing filter).
Once it was on the HVX, it was solid. There was no wobble or jiggle, and it is light enough not to affect the balance of the camera appreciably. With the flags installed, it is quite a presence, adding 60% to the overall length of the camera, and more than doubling its width. The box does extend below the base of the camera, so you will not want to put the camera down on a table—I found that a good book will lift the camera enough to clear the box. In any event, it looks significantly manly to impress even the most demanding of TV drama-series superstars. (If this isn’t big enough, maybe someone could rig up a soft box to the lens.)
With the appropriate adapter, it should fit on the end of a 35mm lens, but any rod system will have to be kept within clearance of the box bottom (and rotating it might be an issue when the corners revolve around.)
Continued . . .
Part I:
I think I am typical of many who comb the internet looking for an ever-expanding equipment list with an ever-constricting budget. When I saw a gastly-affordable ($289 for DVXusers) Matte Box for my HVX I thought it was too good to be true. Hearing good things about the DV version, however, I decided to give it a try, and I’m glad I did.
FIRST IMPRESSIONS
When I first opened my Indie Snap! Matte Box box, I was immediately struck by how light it was—feather-light and pretty. Something I thought was a nice touch was the inclusion of extra screws of each type as well as an instruction packet.
ASSEMBLY
The assembly of the unit was intuitive and simple. The instructions were clear and offered appropriate warnings like, “don’t over-tighten the screws, you’ll strip the aluminum,” and, “this is bigger than you’re used to so don’t hit your actors.”
MATERIALS AND WORKMANSHIP
The matte box itself is made from sheet aluminum, but I was immediately pleased with the build quality. The lines were straight, the curves, smooth, and everything looked intentional. The reinforced edges seemed machine-bent: no signs of struggle or distress. Bolts are well placed, spaced and consistent. Somebody took their time and materials seriously.
Since this is lightweight aluminum, you won’t want to have your matte box double as a stool or a seat cover: it will not survive an encounter with a rump. This is no flaw but the nature of the design—cost savings come with tradeoffs (you also may not want to throw it into your case attached to the camera).
The paint is a pleasant matte finish, very well matched to the HVX’s finish. It even had an egg-shell texture. The paint job itself is free of drips or other imperfections and is evenly distributed.
The filter assembly is a slide-in friction filter mount that is bolted to the aluminum. The hardware looks good, and the match is fairly seamless. It does not look like two pieced-together components.
The entire matte box assembly attaches to the camera by a screw-on adapter. You have to remove your HVX hood (which also eliminates the hood-cover (aka lens cap) for the HVX–you will need to be mindful of this). I noticed that the clear screw-on filter I got when I purchased the HVX did not come with outside threads. Consequently, I had to remove the protective filter to install the Snap box. (I suspect that a double-threaded filter would handle the weight of the box nicely.)
The assembly has to be slid on from the bottom (the HVX’ mic is in the way from above). Once it slides on, three pegs are pushed forward to hold the matte box around the circular adapter. These pegs then allow rotation around the circumference of the adapter. Two screws hold the box once you’ve reached the attitude you desire (for, e.g., a polarizing filter).
Once it was on the HVX, it was solid. There was no wobble or jiggle, and it is light enough not to affect the balance of the camera appreciably. With the flags installed, it is quite a presence, adding 60% to the overall length of the camera, and more than doubling its width. The box does extend below the base of the camera, so you will not want to put the camera down on a table—I found that a good book will lift the camera enough to clear the box. In any event, it looks significantly manly to impress even the most demanding of TV drama-series superstars. (If this isn’t big enough, maybe someone could rig up a soft box to the lens.)
With the appropriate adapter, it should fit on the end of a 35mm lens, but any rod system will have to be kept within clearance of the box bottom (and rotating it might be an issue when the corners revolve around.)
Continued . . .
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