What Size Mattebox?

[Jay A. Kelley]

RED Team.. What size Mattebox do you recommend for RED? I know people speak of 6.6x6.6 but do you agree?

Jay

[Clayton Harper]

The camera is sort of irrelevant.

What size of lens are you gonna use?

How big is the front element and what size of filter glass has to cover it?

How wide a FOV do you want to support?

Do you want to use grads in different orientations and amounts of coverage?

Answer these questions and you can pick a mattebox.

[Carlo Rho]

I think to have a 4x4 for normal use with Nikkor glass and rent a 6x6 if needed with primes or big HD B4 lens.
I'm looking to Chroziel or Arri mostly 'cause spanish/italian film people wants branded/trusted stuff and I really don't know any other good company (better a europen one for taxes) that produce "cheap&good" Mattebox or Follow Focus.
Any other name to suggest?

[Jay A. Kelley]

I think to have a 4x4 for normal use with Nikkor glass and rent a 6x6 if needed with primes or big HD B4 lens.
I'm looking to Chroziel or Arri mostly 'cause spanish/italian film people wants branded/trusted stuff and I really don't know any other good company (better a europen one for taxes) that produce "cheap&good" Mattebox or Follow Focus.
Any other name to suggest?

CAvision does a nice one, but it's only up to 5.5" or something close to that
Jay

www.cavision.com

[Carlo Rho]

Hi Jay,
thanks for the advise, I wrote them for a pricelist and I'll see them at NAB.
Carlo

[PaulClements]

Marlon, check out B&H's prices (http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/controller/home?A=search&Q=&b=725&mnp=0.0&mxp=0.0&cmpsrch=&cltp=&clsgr=&shs=&ci=2118&ac=&Submit.x=13&Submit.y=10&Submit=Go) for an idea, Cavision will only redirect you to a spanish supplier and if they are anything like the UK's they won't be a great deal of help in supplying pricelists.

RedRock's lightweight plastic Mattebox looks set to come in at $500 which would be a steal, it appears to have 3 filter trays, one of those rotates. It also comes with a French Flag. I found this pic in their forums (Ignore the white it will be black eventually, but it gives an idea). http://www.redrockmicro.com/assets/images/product/micromb_preview1.jpg

I don't know the exact size of the filters it's made for though. I think it might be 4x4 by the sounds of things on the forum but nothing definite. One to look out for though with a pricetag like that, and anyone using nikon glass should be happy with it for sure.

[Joel Kaye]

I don't know the exact size of the filters it's made for though. I think it might be 4x4 by the sounds of things on the forum but nothing definite. One to look out for though with a pricetag like that, and anyone using nikon glass should be happy with it for sure.

Looks cool but "white" doesn't make any sense to me.

[PaulClements]

Hey Joel, not to sound pedantic but I did put "(Ignore the white it will be black eventually, but it gives an idea)" :)

This one is a prototype, perhaps I should've been more clear

[Curran Giddens]

Looks cool but "white" doesn't make any sense to me.

The white is only for the prototype. The retail mattebox will be black.

EDIT: nevermind. I'm too slow.....

[Joel Kaye]

Hey Joel, not to sound pedantic but I did put "(Ignore the white it will be black eventually, but it gives an idea)" :)

This one is a prototype, perhaps I should've been more clear

Oops - I was reading pretty fast obviously. Yeah - looks like a very cool setup depending on what price it comes in at (actually $500)

[Carlo Rho]

Thanks Paul, I saw RedRock and I think they could be a good third party supplier for RED users in the next future.

I really like their micro Follw focus (http://www.redrockmicro.com/mff_product.htm) but it's still for 15mm rods.

I can't find where purchase their MatteBox and (I HOPE) is white just for contrast!

I'll go to these companies at NAB and ask them to upgrade their products for RED users, I believe that just a couple of hundreds of MatteBox or FollowFocus is a big deal for them.
It's a little market now working mostly with automatic lens and in camera filters, we'll need a MatteBox+Followfocus for 19mm rods and variable lens.

Carlo

[Rodrigo Lizana]

We use four types of Mattebox. Arri´s MB14, 16 and 20 and the Chroziel 3 stage studio MB. The MB14 is a production mattebox that will cover lenses with big diameter that the other wont. Hence its capabilty to accept 6x6 filters. It can aslo work with smaller lenses but it is a heavy piece to add to the camera. The MB16 is also a production one, lighter than the MB14 and in here is considered the standard mattebox. It accepts 4x4 and 4.56 filter trays (in two or four stages) plus a 4 1/2 filter ring, but it wont work with big 6x6. The MB20 it´s our newer model and a clever piece of equipment. Very light and can be mounted both on rods or as a clip on. It isn´t as solid as the MB16 or MB14 but when shooting handheld it´s nice to have a lightweight mattebox with production characteristics (swing away, multiple filter trays, full set of flags, etc). The Chroziel is a very good tool too. Even when it feels weaker than the Arris (production ones) it has worked for us flawless through the years.
If I has to choose one and only one one for the Red, I´ll think I´ll go for the MB20. If I could add another one I´ll get the MB16.
YFYI none of this options are cheap.

[Jeff Kilgroe]

The Cavision and Vocas/Century matteboxes are also about $500 and they're available now. The Vocas one is pretty good too...

I'm still hoping that RED will come out with their own mattebox anf FF systems sometime this year, perhaps before I get my camera. It just seems logical that they will offer these at some point down the road, although this year it may not be in the cards.

[PaulClements]

well they've been manufacturing it for a while and they said from the getgo it'd be $500 and they've never mentioned that it might be more expensive. They expect to ship the first lot at NAB so I'd be suprised if it was less than $500.

[Martin Drew]

If I has to choose one and only one one for the Red, I´ll think I´ll go for the MB20. If I could add another one I´ll get the MB16.
YFYI none of this options are cheap.

If you are considering the MB20 (http://www.arri.com/prod/cam/mb-20/mb-20.htm) (5.65" x 5.65") I would look at the MB19 (http://www.arri.com/infodown/cam/ti/mb_19_e.pdf) (4" x 5.65"), loads cheaper but a very similar spec. The MB20 works out at approx $4300 with an eyebrow and a couple of filter frames, the MB19 comes out at about $2300 for the same spec (cheaper than the nearest equivalent Chrosziel box).

M

[Rodrigo Lizana]

If you are considering the MB20 (http://www.arri.com/prod/cam/mb-20/mb-20.htm) (5.65" x 5.65")

5.65x5.65 is only one of the ways you can configure the MB20 and certainly the least popular. We had ours with two 4x4 and two 4x5.6 filter trays along with the option for a round 138mm on the rear ring. It´s design is very smart. It offers the comfort of a prod. MB and the weight and size of the LW compact ones. Camera assistant loves it and often complain why the 435 doesn´t come with this MB instead of the MB16. What´s so revolutionary about the MB20 is that you get all of the production MB benefits without its weight and size. It ain´t cheap but today the terms lightweight and fully featured always mix up in an expesive way. The MB19 IMHO ain´t a such a smart design. It´s neither a production mattebox or a fully featured lightweight one. And I believe it ain´t "swing away" (not sure) which is a must if you´re using primes and changing lens often.

[Martin Drew]

I don't disagree The MB20 looks like a great box. The MB19 is another lightweight box 1.8lbs. Rugged and a real bargain

M

[PaulClements]

Interestingly, looking at the MB19 link that Martin posted the filter holders shown (#17 and #18 on the diagram and key on pg 2 & 3) Appear to be the same shapes as the Redrock ones in the image I posted earlier. I posted that I thought it was 4" x 4" but looking again I would guess it's infact both 4" x 4" and 4" x 5.65".

[Finner]

Ya paul when the RR was unveiled a month or so ago the talk was 4x5.65

[M Olsen]

Ya paul when the RR was unveiled a month or so ago the talk was 4x5.65

Makes sense, after all HDTV, 16:9 etc etc

[Ralph Oshiro]

Marlon, check out B&H's prices (http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/controller/home?A=search&Q=&b=725&mnp=0.0&mxp=0.0&cmpsrch=&cltp=&clsgr=&shs=&ci=2118&ac=&Submit.x=13&Submit.y=10&Submit=Go) for an idea, Cavision will only redirect you to a spanish supplier and if they are anything like the UK's they won't be a great deal of help in supplying pricelists.

RedRock's lightweight plastic Mattebox looks set to come in at $500 which would be a steal, it appears to have 3 filter trays, one of those rotates. It also comes with a French Flag. I found this pic in their forums (Ignore the white it will be black eventually, but it gives an idea). http://www.redrockmicro.com/assets/images/product/micromb_preview1.jpg

I don't know the exact size of the filters it's made for though. I think it might be 4x4 by the sounds of things on the forum but nothing definite. One to look out for though with a pricetag like that, and anyone using nikon glass should be happy with it for sure.I like that! Plus, I have high hopes for RedRock's Nikkor follow-focus rig. But how do we mount RedRock's matte box and follow-focus to RED? Are RED's rods spaced the same? RED is spaced wider, isn't it? Do we just put 15mm rods in 19mm holes with some shims or something? Or is that precisely what we need the 19mm-15mm "adapter" for? Do we have to wait for RedRock or someone to make a set-up especially for RED?

[PaulClements]

Yeah Ralph, the Matte box is made to work on 15mm Iris Rods (So that it is compatible with RedRocks existing products). For that the 19-15mm adapter will be required.

There alot of great budget options out there for other components that are made for 15mm anyway, so if you own the adapter it'll have it's uses. I'm thinking something like RedRock's Mattebox and a 15mm based follow focus for personal use and if a client wants a pro setup then you hire an ARRI/Chrosziel etc and it'll work on the 19mm. Everyone's happy I spose :)