To Matte or not to Matte

D

dtzfilms

Well-known member
Wise ladies and gentlemen of the forum,
I've figured that if I forgo the mattebox I might be able to afford the
redrock micro blue at $1559.

This will incude:
Follow Focus Complete package $1053
Gears - $178
9" 15mm Rods $79.00
1 REDROCK MICROSUPPORT BASEPLATE 15mm LOW RISER -249.50

It wasn't until we had a 19-take shot on my webisode one that I realized the value of the follow focus.
I eventually never even used the specialty shot because I abandoned the episode.

However, I'm loathe to spend a thousand dollars on a matte box that I don't see what use it's for apart from looking professional.
Can someone enlighten me as to the use of a mattebox with the AF100?

My colleague said - "reduce lens flare" - I said, "I'd cut out a funnel or black stock cards or wafer thin plastic and gerry-rig it to the AF."
Another colleague said - "filters" - I said, "the AF has ND filters and FCP has color for any effects."

There is no alternative however for repeatable focus. Am I wrong in my reasoning or will I regret my mattebox snub?
 
"looking cool" has nothing to do with it. The purposes of a mattebox are to keep light off the lens, and to hold filters. If you're not going to be using filters at all, and you plan on making other systems for jerry-rigging keeping light off the lens, then you can skip the mattebox. If you're finding a remote follow focus indispensible for your work, and you see no point to getting a mattebox, then skip the mattebox. Just understand what its purpose is and address those needs in other ways.

Filters are used a lot less nowadays, certainly. The main thing a mattebox helps provide for is graduated ND filters, which aren't really practical or possible without a mattebox (or some other manner of filter holder). That, plus shading the lens. And as long as you're shading the lens somehow, keeping stray light from hitting the front element, then ... well, then you'd be doing what a mattebox does...
 
Gradated ND filters are probably the most useful in a mattebox, as the result can't be achieved in post. (The gradated "effect" can, but not a gradated decreasing of light hitting the sensor, thus helping with blown out sky.) Polarizers are also very good, and are another that can't be identically reproduced in post.

But yeah, sometimes I refer to it as the "clientbox".
 
Really depends on what type of lenses you are using. I would rather not use a matte box if I can screw a filter to the front and the lens has a shade that is effective. I just like to be more mobile sometimes. The box can be big and awkward. If your using cine lenses a matte box is a must. To shade the lens or use ND filters.
If your going to shoot outside in the sun at 2.0 aperture for that shallow depth look you will need to use a ND filter. The AF-100 set at 4 wont get you their.
 
I've posted before that I gave up with my bulky mattebox and replaced it with a cookin filter holder and it's hoods. This system is cheap, really light (about 100 grams with 3 hoods attached) and most important does it's job, which is avoiding flare and allowing to slide graduated NDs in.
Cheers,
Diego
 
Cheers! LOL @ clientbox.
I see they rent from $40.
The AF100's DRS can help with blown skies, can't it?
I guessed but had to google gradated filters to understand what those were.

I'm trying to see how a gradated filter would help on a wedding when the
couple is framed against the sky. Unless there's a loop for subject heads etc, seems like a gradated filter would only help
on landscape photography. Or wait, darker filter on top means you can expose for the face without blowing out the sky?

Ah well, I digress - Cine lenses??? Oooh, no! I only have the little-boy lenses in my
signature. I'm convinced I don't need a matte box yet. I'll save that $1000 on the mattebox and get an olympus 12mm f/2 to go with
a GH2.
 
wow! Cookin Filter holder! The only stupid question is the one you don't ask! Marvelous! Problem solved!
But pray tell, how do you attach this to the AF?
 
dtzfilms said:
Cheers! LOL @ clientbox.
I see they rent from $40.
The AF100's DRS can help with blown skies, can't it?
I guessed but had to google gradated filters to understand what those were.

I'm trying to see how a gradated filter would help on a wedding when the
couple is framed against the sky. Unless there's a loop for subject heads etc, seems like a gradated filter would only help
on landscape photography. Or wait, darker filter on top means you can expose for the face without blowing out the sky?

Ah well, I digress - Cine lenses??? Oooh, no! I only have the little-boy lenses in my
signature. I'm convinced I don't need a matte box yet. I'll save that $1000 on the mattebox and get an olympus 12mm f/2 to go with
a GH2.
Click to expand...
Its called renting. I don't own any but I do use them now. I agree. You don't need one. When you do you will buy one or..... Rent it.
 
dtzfilms said:
wow! Cookin Filter holder! The only stupid question is the one you don't ask! Marvelous! Problem solved!
But pray tell, how do you attach this to the AF?
Click to expand...
You don't. It attaches to the front of the lens. You need a threaded adapter ring for the specific size of each lens. Then you slip the Cokin filter holder on.
 
You rent the Cookin filter holder and hoods, too?
I B&Hed those and they're around $100.
I'm assuming the Cookin hood slides onto the lens barrel and sits in place thus?

Edit
I posted before seeing your response. Okay, cheers, mate. Nice one.
 
Last edited:
We find a Mattebox essential for flare control.

Our AF102 and all the lenses in our kit would be rendered useless without the mattebox and a tight matte.

Sometimes it takes a very good eye and close inspection of a HQ location monitor to see any flare issues. We find them more times than not and we have to deal with them.

Also : For studio shooting we ocassionally require an ND filter in the mattebox because the AF100 built in ND filter, only steps in 2-stop increments.
 
Sorry I wrote cookin instead of cokin.
For the af100 I use the "P" system.
You need to buy a ring for each lens and slide the filter holder on it. I suggest you to buy caps for each lens.
You'll find everything you need to build this system on b&h.

One side note: the hoods are modular but they attach to the end of the holder. This means that occasionally some light can hit your lens. Actually, it happened to me just 1 time in 2 months so it's not something to worry about.
 
I haven't done too much shooting outside this year. I have been "flagging" flares and using the internal NDs with enough flexibility and good results, Shooter's counsel notwithstanding. I agree some more granularity regarding NDs would be welcome. There were two other conditions for which a good matte box might prove useful: polarizing filters and adding something like a Tiffen Black Pro Mist. Has anyone tried the Pro Mist with the AF-100? I'd be curious to hear about your results on closeups, etc.
 
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