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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 :)

Where is the new Arri Matte Box + FF combo?

C.H.Haskell

C.H.Haskell

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I played around with this beast in development and it certainly fits the lightweight MB + FF arena and then some, its exactly what I am looking for. I am sure someone may have posted info about the new gear coming from Arri (yes I used the search) but in a nutshell the Follow focus was top notch, had adjustable gears, built in adjustable hard stops etc. Matte box is all black, 2 stage (one rotating) and I think both 4x5.6.... lightweight enough to use as a clipon but also supports 15mm rails (recommended)...can be adapted for 19mm. It felt like Arri gear, I am waiting for any news if anyone knows anything.

The Mattebox looked like it was made for the RED, but oddly enough it was designed for the sony EX1 (wtf?) as Arri is aiming towards the high end prosumer gear world I suppose. Clayton Harper pointed out a big issue for him with the design was that the filters are side loaded which is problematic when using gradients, you loose control with the gradient like you would have via top load. They made the MB side loaded cause its designed for the fixed microphone on an EXI that would jet over the top.

Can they change this so we can top load or least make it adjustable? I think many RED owners will be very excited about the new offerings from Arri.

So where is it Mitch? Anyone see what Arri had at Cinegear in regards to a new lightweight MB follow focus combo? Put this setup in production and they can have my money.

Cheers

CH
 
I saw it at Cinegear attached to an EX1.

The follow focus caught my eye from a mile away. Played with it and it was awfully smooth... plus hard stops were good, nice clear color coded anodized aluminum. The arm that held it moved in a clever way allowing you to position it easily.

Agree the matte box side loading thing is weird. Probably to the point of making it a no-go for most Redusers? Peopel want 5.65x5.65 for gradients too?

Price for both FF + MB was supposed to be under $4000?

Bruce Allen
www.boacinema.com
 
Yeah I agree Bruce, the follow focus is pretty much a solid buy for me, still on the fence with the MB and I know its still in development so if Arri is listening or those in touch with Arri developers, please inform them if you have not already that there are a slew of people who would purchase a lightweight RED ready MB. Just make a top loading version! I really appreciate the build quality, mechanics seemed to be solid as well and it does fit the 18-50mm...its Arri gear after all.
 
Yeah, and Arri, make sure that that follow focus can be reversed or fitted with a reversing/idler gear so that we can use it with still lenses that focus the other way ;)

...and everyone else who is making competing follow focus devices - please play with the Arri ones. Just look at it and use it and appreciate how it works, why the marking disc is the size and shape it is, how it feels, the lack of play, etc! I thought that this wasn't rocket science but apparently it is pretty damn hard to do right - that's just my experience after playing with follow focus knobs incessantly and pissing off half of the exhibitors at Cinegear ;)

Bruce Allen
www.boacinema.com
 
Update is that we should have the first units in two or three weeks. Arri has yet to lock the price yet, if fact they still can't decide on the name yet! It's their first lower-priced unit and whatever they do will influence a line of gear for years to come, so their being decidedly German and cautiously thinking this over again and again.

I made a bunch of suggestions to Arri about certain design elements, most of them nitpicky little things like the size of a handle or machining of a nut. That's because in general the stuff is so fabulous. The follow focus really is a little wonder.

One design note: the side-loading filter trays was a painful choice but an absolutely necessary one to make the mattebox work with the EX1. Hate to break it to you but for every one of the matteboxes sold to a RED user there will be a dozen or more sold to EX1 owners. That said, if there is enough demand for a product then certainly Arri is listening. But it is hard to come in at so wonderfully low a price on a product without knowing that there will be enough orders to justify the tooling.

The kit will include the mattebox with both a bellows back and clamping ring to fit to the EX1, two filter trays and a top flag (side flags are optional). It will also include the follow focus and the riser block & rods for the EX1/3. With adaptors you can get them to work with your RED. Cost for the kit should be under $4000 and we're hoping for a good chunk under that.

Also please note that this was originally designed for the Sony camera, so currently the only rear bellows or ring available is to the Sony lens, which is fairly small. The rear ring clamp (yes, the mattebox can be either rod mount or clamp-on) is a non-standard size of 138mm, which again had to be done to make it fit the Sony. There currently are plans for a step down ring to 114mm ro fit a Red lens or allow additional already available step down rings to common sizes such as 110, 104, 95 & 80mm; but understand that this ring does not yet exist and likely will not for several months. You could always use a piece of Neoprene to fill in the gap until the ring is made, but that does limit you to rod mount.

I personally tested the mattebox on a RED One with a RED 18-50 and it does indeed cover all the way out to 18mm. You won't be able to rotate the rear filter tray very much at the widest focal length without coming into frame, but that is a limitation of a 4x5.65 filter and not of this mattebox design. This is not the be-all / end-all mattebox design for RED cameras. But for a high quality and versatile lightweight mattebox there is probably no better deal around.

Last note. The mattebox and followfocus will be available seperately, but possibly not at first. And the bundled kit price will be better than the two items alone, even if you were to take the EX1/3 riser and rods and turn them into a paperweight.
 
Thanks for the follow up Mitch. If I was an EX1 owner, this would be a no brainer but regardless of its limitations on the RED I am still strongly considering as I am looking for a lightweight MB for run and gun.
 
Are there any pictures/specs available for these products online, or are they too new at this point? The MB won't work for me but the FF sounds interesting.
 
As soon as we have something solid I'll post it.
 
Ready to order now. Our new RRMB and RRFF is falling apart but Mitch is hoping in the next few weeks or month.
 
I heard it got pushed back and could be a "couple of months" as of last week. That's what my abel sales rep said, but he was trying to get me on a FF4 so it may have been in his interest. We've been at the "next few weeks" for 3 months now.
 
Apologies everyone. There were some design changes to add some great features that set things back about a month. Then a supplier made some parts to the wrong spec and the work had to be redone. Then we hit August in Europe, when most of the continent is closed for vacation and it's hard to get anything done.

I've been reluctant to give a delivery date as we don't want to disappoint anyone by failing to hit it, but we should really have this stuff in within weeks if not days. First delivery is imminent, at which time I promise plenty of pictures, detailed descriptions and information on pricing.

Abel & Arri are frustrated too. We could have sold hundreds of these if it was possible to get them out at the beginning of the summer. But it is all a much better product than what was first shown at NAB and we think it will be a real homerun product.
 
Thanks...

Thanks...

We all look forward to seeing those pics and detail specs. I'm glad you're wiling to let us know all the dealing...and I personally want to say "Thanks".

I think everyone hear agrees.

Thanks for letting us know the scoop and we all are looking forward to these New Arri products especailly less expensive.
 
Been out of town but any update on this Mitch? SHoot coming this week and my FF just broke on me, will most likely rent but still think this new Arri is the one I am looking for. cheers.
 
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