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  • Hey all, just changed over the backend after 15 years I figured time to give it a bit of an update, its probably gonna be a bit weird for most of you and i am sure there is a few bugs to work out but it should kinda work the same as before... hopefully :)

Cinetech Matte Boxes & Accessories?

they made me some lens rings once,nice work. definetly worth exploring.
Aloha
-A
 
I thought the prices were very good. Might be worth exploring if for nothing else as a stand-in until the RED matte box is ready (if they actually make it that is). I like the fact that they are on the west coast and appear to do custom work for the film industry.
 
Update - Fired off an email to cinetech yesterday inquiring about their products. Carl from Cinetech was nice enough to call today with some questions of his own.

Seems they are interested in supporting the RED community but at this point not that familiar with the camera and lenses.

He's very proud of his products and says they are built to last. His only immediate concern with their matte box is the size of their bellows/step down - the biggest they manufacture is 100mm. He seemed to think it would stretch to fit the 114mm of the RED 18-50 zoom but wasn't sure. So he said he was going to experiment a bit and see if it would work and call back in a couple of days. He even mentioned fabbing one up and sending it here for fitment/testing.

Just to make sure with you guys here on the forum - the RED 18-50mm zoom is 114mm O.D. right? The Arri connecting ring for this lens is the 138-114 so I am pretty sure the number is right.

In any case, I will report back when Carl calls back.
 
Cinetech was featured in the FreshDV mattebox review here.

Also their follow focus here.
 
Hmm - after watching the review of the mattebox I'm not as impressed. Seems a waste to have only a 4x4 end result with the trays. And the rotating stage also rotates the bellows/stepdown. I had high hopes for this one but as the saying goes you gotta pay to play.
 
Carl from Cinetech sent their four stage for evaluation. Pic attached below. First impression is that it's really not too bad for a basic matte box. Here are some observations:
-The swing away hinge seems pretty sturdy and locks in to position. Not
wobbly as seen in the freshdv review of their hdv mb.
-No vertical adjustment I could find. There is horizontal and it fits fine on
the RED 18-50mm zoom.
-The rubber bellows/step down has a machined aluminum ring that acts
as a collar around the lens.
-The other end of the rubber bellows is also machined aluminum and it fits
inside the matte box which has six pressure sensitive ball bearings on each side that
keeps it pretty snug.
-Those bearings allow the first stage to rotate. As you rotate it the entire
rubber bellows rotates, including the ring against the lens housing.
Potential for metal to metal scratching.
-The three front trays slide in from the side and are held in place by
friction and what looks like spring or pressure points in the mb frame.
There are no set screws to hold the trays in place. I don't have my filters
yet so didn't have a chance to try any to see how well the really hold.
-Don't see any mounts for a french or side flags, I am going to call
tomorrow to see if they are available.

The price is around $2600 as pictured. I am actually thinking about keeping
it and using it until another price-conscious mb arrives on the scene. Like the RED - hint, hint. In any case, it's no Arri but then again it's half the price.

CinetechMB.jpg
 
I don't believe their mattebox uses brows at all. Instead it is an actual MATTEbox, meaning that there are rectangular inserts available with various sized cutouts in the center that allow just that correspond to different focal lengths of lenses. So a telephoto lens only needs a small window to peek through while wide lens needs a large opening. This is the "old style" of mattebox that does work just fine, but one problem that can arise is a "cutoff bokeh," whereby a deeply out of focus highlight such as a distant strretlamp could apear rectangular or partially cut off rectangular (one or two sides) instead of round.

Again, not a real problem and many matteboxes just like it are used still today on the highest levels of production, but it is can be something that some people don't care for.

Mitch Gross
Abel Cine Tech
 
powrslave said:
Thanks for the pics! Do you think Carl would be interested in a discounted group purchase?
(starting to run outt'v MB options).....i.e. either too costly, availability, etc etc.
Click to expand...


When I call tomorrow I will ask about a group thing. I did notice on some literature he sent along they do offer a french flag and side flags. It appears they are like the ones in the freshdv review and have a fair amount of gap from the shade to the flags. I'm thinking for the price a piece of velcro with some black fabric would cover that up nicely. Necessity is the mother of invention after all! :)
 
Mitch Gross said:
... This is the "old style" of mattebox that does work just fine, but one problem that can arise is a "cutoff bokeh," whereby a deeply out of focus highlight such as a distant strretlamp could apear rectangular or partially cut off rectangular (one or two sides) instead of round.
Mitch Gross
Abel Cine Tech
Click to expand...

Hi Mitch

I always though this happened because the wrong size hard mattes was used.. Just for my clarity: are you saying that if I use arri hard mattes designed for specific 35mm lenses I still risk 'cutoff bokeh'?

thanks for any info

Michael
 
The RED sensor size is a different animal and frankly there are many different film formats as well. Plus, what doesn't cause a problem on a SuperSpeed 50mm may do so on an UltraPrime 50mm or Cooke S4 because the physical dimensions of the lenses are different. It can also be in combination to what size filter trays are mounted and how the mattebox is positioned relative to the lens. With all things aligned perfectly there should be no problem, but it is very easy for that problem to crop up given the specific circumstances.

Mitch Gross
Abel Cine Tech
 
I just spoke with Carl at Cinetech and if anyone is interested in a group buy for the 4 stage matte-box, I could see what I could do about getting a good deal. I am a dealer for his products and I have been using them for years. The matte-box is pretty universal meaning it could work for 15mm rods (both spacing) and 19mm baseplate. If there is interest, lets put together how many want the matte-box.
 
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