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Shooting w/o a matte box…..

Lee Dashiell

Lee Dashiell

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I must say that I'm amazed at how many people shoot without a matte box. Is this just gorrilla video production or am I missing something? Is the idea to take hardly any gear with you on a shoot? I've seen more pictures of Epic-M's in the hands of their owners with no matte box. It looks very much like "My Mom bought me an Epic-M so now I'm a DP" to me…..just saying.
 
Well.. It depends if you want the matte box to show off or you really need it. There are two main application to the mb: to shade the lens from stray light to prevent unwanted flares and to hold filters.
Now, if you happen to use screw on filters and keep your lens shaded either by a flag or sometimes it is just not needed (because the lens is in the shade) you can have the same results without the mb.
The only exception is the use of grads where you really can't do without matte box. But with Epic dynamic range this is also something less crucial now if you are willing to leave it to post.
 
I will not give you an answer because I don't own an Epic but I'm sure you will get some feed back.
I also predict than that thread will not have a long life, Just saying....
Regards
 
lol….I'm just saying. Seems like it's become more the norm.
 
The "sunshade" function of a matte box isn't just to prevent unwanted flares, it also has an effect (positive) on contrast... Just my 2 cents.

As for impressing people with camera equipment, I could have bought a Porsche by now with all the money I've spent...
 
Jean Déraps said:
The "sunshade" function of a matte box isn't just to prevent unwanted flares, it also has an effect (positive) on contrast... Just my 2 cents.

As for impressing people with camera equipment, I could have bought a Porsche by now with all the money I've spent...
Click to expand...

That's what I'm saying! The problem is that many think it's just for looks.
 
Yes, its part of the flare thing, a flare across the whole frame is what you mean I guess, it is still a flare, but I agree with you on that one.
Jean Déraps said:
The "sunshade" function of a matte box isn't just to prevent unwanted flares, it also has an effect (positive) on contrast... Just my 2 cents.

As for impressing people with camera equipment, I could have bought a Porsche by now with all the money I've spent...
Click to expand...
 
What I don't understand is how these people can get a decent exposure without a mattebox and ND filters? At 320, it's hard enough to keep the exposure in the T2.8-T8 range, but at 800 ISO and dealing with anything to do with the Sun, it's impossible. Outdoor shooting is where I wish going below 320 was more than meta data.
 
Lee: I like the Segway-cam footage on your website - very cool. M
 
I have screw on filters and polarizers for the lenses I own, I love lens flares, and my MB20 ii weighs too much.
 
Matte Box

Matte Box

That's what I'm saying! The problem is that many think it's just for looks.
Click to expand...

In that case they do not have the right to own any camera technically ....

Harcharan
 
In my Post #25 on this thread you'll find a whole list of reasons why a lot of professionals, especially in some styles of shooting with Red cameras, don't use a matte box:
http://reduser.net/forum/showthread.php?3941-Using-ND-filters-for-EFP/page3

With Epic and Scarlet those reasons will be even more pronounced. Everyone doesn't shoot cine style - and Epic and Scarlet are DSMC cameras - Digital Stills and Motion Cameras. These cameras will be used widely in the following industries and shooting styles: cine, non-hardlined EFP, hardlined EFP, hybrid EFP, and still photography. Matte boxes are cine style accessories. Matte boxes haven't been traditionally used in any of those other industries which Epic and Scarlet will be used widely in.

I started into still photography in 1969, cinematography in the '70's, videography in the late '70's, and on the very ground floor of Red cameras - and I've never owned a matte box, and only used one when doing straight cine style work - because the great majority of my work is in all those EFP styles I listed, along with still photography.

Almost all me and my crew's work with the four Red One cameras I've owned, and now with Epic, has been using 35mm still lenses and screw on filters - and will continue to be so for the reasons I listed in my post on that link.

Its a big production world out here, and with DSMC cameras like Epic and Scarlet its an even more diverse production world. If you shoot cine style, and you need a matte box, then use one. But if you shoot in the EFP styles or stills, then for mobility sake, cost savings, etc. the best choice is to pass up the bulk and expense of a MB and simply use screw on filters.

Horses for courses. It also does no good for the unity of this board to look down on someone who shoots in other styles and thus uses different accessories on their cameras. The combined EFP, hybrid, and stills industry absolutely dwarfs the cine industry - and us professionals in those industries simply do the smart operational and fiscal thing by accessorizing our camera kits for functionality and economy. We could care less about putting something like a matte box on a Red camera just so we could be perceived by cine shooters as being a "real cinematographer". Form follows function in camera rigs - and mobility dictates that what isn't functional for a particular shooting style is not added to the camera.

You'll notice my avatar photo of me using me & Ketch's Epic M 0008 in early February - and I'm not using a matte box. Its a lightweight and thus real mobile camera setup. Again - horses for courses.
 
Word, word!

Sometimes we like the flaws, flakes, dust, and atmosphere to take us to a place that test charts and math can't take us to.

It's those flaws, lies and mistakes that make things unique and somewhat special.... Like bob dylan's voice, gated reverb, dropping the third on a chord, back beat, blue eye shadow, fake boobs ( c cup ), freckles, hammer tone... I could go on.

There is a time and place for keeping the light offnthe glass.... But deffinetly not all the time.
 
christopher witzke said:
... There is a time and place for keeping the light offnthe glass.... But deffinetly not all the time.
Click to expand...

Also, a mattebox is only one way of keeping light off the glass. I've used black wrap, black gaffer tape, flags, trees or just shading with my hand to do the job, when a mattebox wasn't handy.
 
I usually make my matte boxes out of cardboard. For one they make my RED camera look bigger. For two, it makes my camera look more like Michael Bays camera. And this gets me more chicks.
 
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