Alternatives to Matte Box filters for Doc shoot in a distant land

[Brant Hadfield]

I will be on another part of the planet with only a producer chasing dangerous animals in the grass with my Scarlet in a few months, and will probably be using mostly Canon L zooms. I would love to know if there are 77mm spin on, even variable IRND filters that produce good images. I do not want to be fumbling with $600 sheets of glass while dodging deadly snakes. I have shot plenty with the Scarlet in very adverse conditions, but really want to do away with the matte box because it will slow me down and add weight I don't want. Has anyone used the motion mount, or good variable ND (and yes I know some might say there's no such thing, but I have read some decent reviews of the Tiffen).

 

[Jonathan Petts]

You might want to look at the RED Ti Motion mount (http://www.red.com/store/products/dsmc-red-motion-ti-canon-mount) has built in ND's which would reduce the need to put something on the front of your lens.
Maybe no the cheapest but might be the easier thing to use in terms of ease of use and having it all in camera.

Jonny

 

[David Battistella]

Screw in variable nd.

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/813278-REG/Tiffen_77VND_77mm_Variable_Neutral_Density.html

dial in the nd you need. If your lenses have matched 80mm fronts (primes) you can move it from lens to lens on your lens change.

if you go with three zooms with 77mm screw in diameter, then you can move this between zooms.

Nikon 17-35
nikon 28-70
nikon 80-200

all would fit the filter above. By rotating the filter like a polarizer, you dial in the nd you want.

Battistella

 

[Bob Gundu]

I had the Singhray VND on my MX Epic with great results.

 

[Brant Hadfield]

Thanks for those ideas. Regarding the Vari ND, what are you doing about IR filtration? Based on what I am seeing here initially, it seems even the Tiffen Vari IRND is maybe not so good….
Bob Gundu, are you stacking a hot mirror over the vari ND?

 

[Mike P.]

I've used Bob's Singhray and didn't notice a shift (definitely not an ungradeable/uncorrectable one). Bob how much do you usually use -- like what strength roughly? Actually, Bob also has a sweet screw-on 3x3 filter tray thing as well.

Conversely, there are 77mm IR filters in varying strengths that you can get...

 

[Maik Müller]

I'm using a Vari-ND, and i'm quite happy with it. About IR, i'm using a B&W screw-on IR/UV-cut filter together with my LCW Fader.

But, the motion-mount is the new Vari-ND. It's controllable via buttons on the sidehandle and redmote, can be used with the auto exposure feature and doesn't need filter-swapping. All things that come in handy for documentary-stuff and run&gun.

BTW, if you go for screw-on-filters, i would think about getting filters for each lens. Swapping them on the field sucks...

 

[Bob Gundu]

Thanks for those ideas. Regarding the Vari ND, what are you doing about IR filtration? Based on what I am seeing here initially, it seems even the Tiffen Vari IRND is maybe not so good….
Bob Gundu, are you stacking a hot mirror over the vari ND?

Nope. Nothing but the VND.

 

[Bill Stengel]

The Heliopan variable NDs are superlative with no color shift as you get to the meatier end of the range.
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/searc...=15294&N=4294203908+4291103898&Ntt=vaiable+nd

 

[Mark Whatmore]

I totally agree that for mobile, doc shooting a matt box often too big and cumbersome. Screw in filters are good for a first line of defence, and often I just us a polar to loose a stop and a half and work with that and in camera adjustments, like varying the ISO and shutter angle. But there are still times when you need more than one filter at the same time, which can't be done with screw ins, and then I use the lee system, which enables you to stack, and rotate, up to 3 filters; still a bit bulky but a lot smaller than any cine-style matt box.

http://www.leefilters.com/index.php/camera/system

 

[darren scott]

Tiffen/Heliopan/Genus Eclipse Vari ND coupled with hoya IR cut filter will get you where you need to be. Screw them on to each other...they act as one. So you just change that from lens to lens.

Also you can consider the Xume system if you want to go with individual 77mm filters....no screwing in required. I love it. But you can't stack them.

http://www.xumeadapters.com/

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QfplwqaxyFI

 

[Nick Gardner]

As someone who has shot docs for 20 + years, I'll just say that the fastest way to change lenses and filters is a swing away matte box with filters. If you are set up with similar lens fronts, you just change the lens and swing the mattebox back in. Fucking with screw in filters every lens change is a pain in the ass and takes twice as long. Even a clip on is faster than screw ins.

Realistically, in full sun you are rocking a pola, and an n9, as it gets darker, you drop to a 6, 3, then pull the pola. It can be done quick. and if you are under the gun then you just pull everything and stop down. Screw in filters cost you time every lens change.

Just my opinion.

Nick

 

[stu aull]

Tiffen/Heliopan/Genus Eclipse Vari ND coupled with hoya IR cut filter will get you where you need to be. Screw them on to each other...they act as one. So you just change that from lens to lens.

Also you can consider the Xume system if you want to go with individual 77mm filters....no screwing in required. I love it. But you can't stack them.

http://www.xumeadapters.com/

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QfplwqaxyFI

Agreed. Xumeadapters is an incredibly quick/easy system, esp for run-and-gun!

Stu Aull
SX199
Alaska

 

[Anthony Berenato Jr]

Did a large amount of research on Variable ND filters when I purchased my original Scarlet-X and lens kit, because I didn't have the budget to purchase an expensive mattebox with large glass filters. All of my research showed Tiffen to make the best VND, and I definitely agree with everyone here - that's the way to go for your project.

In terms of IR: In the field (I shot a lot of home installation videos with shaded areas in front of sunlight), I noticed that anything overexposed did have a rather aggressive green or magenta tint. While it wasn't too hard to secondary out in post, I definitely recommend grabbing some sort of IR filtration if possible. Best to get the right image direct from the camera, before you make more work for yourself (especially for a doc).

Haven't had any trouble with Dragon recently (so many headaches relieved), but that's a different animal.