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Matte boxmasterclass Top tips on how to choose and use these professional-style lens accessories
M atte boxes aren’t just a way of making your camera look more professional, but can really add to your production. They are an easy and convenient way of using a whole range of high-quality cinema filters to totally change the look and feel of your films, or correct for technical issues. And by using adjustable flags, they can control the light coming into your lens to avoid nasty flares. There are different sizes of cinema filters, such as 4x4, 4x5.65 and 6x6in, but a matte box means they work across a range of lenses with different front diameters. Of course, there is a huge choice of matte boxes, of different sizes and price points. The overall build quality and design can be drastically different, which really comes down to the cost of materials and camera system it’s aimed at. Carbon fibre matte boxes have become very popular over the past few years because of durability and weight. And, more often than not, more expensive matte boxes will be lighter, more flexible, have larger
ecosystems of accessories and be more intuitive to use. What matte box you need comes down to what camera system and accessories you are planning to use. Mounting options Mounting a matte box is usually with 15mm or 19mm rods, or clamping it directly onto the lens –mainly for lighter configurations. It’s not a good idea to hang lots of weight on the front of your lens unsupported. Clamp-on matte boxes are often used on rigs where weight is crucial, such as handheld operation or gimbal use. Some clamp-on systems use different plates, which are available in several sizes and can be quickly changed, then snugged down on the outside of your lens. Others use a threaded donut for lenses with front filter threads, usually stills lenses. However, some cine lenses, like Sigmas, do have them. Or you can use clamp-on rings. A more solid way to mount your matte box is to a rig that has rods. With boxes that don’t feature a swing-away
MULTITASK A matte box and filter can not only shield your lens from flare, but give some protection from the elements
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