Many people seem confused by matte boxes.
Their reasonably high price yet simple design and function leaves a lot of filmmakers questioning if they are worth the investment.
What do they actually do?
Does it make you look more professional?
Are they worth the money?
What is a matte box?
A matte box is a device designed to block light and hold filters. It is positioned on the front of your lens, mounted to a pair of rails that are attached to the bottom of your camera.
The two main benefits of using one are:
- Protection from lens flares
- To hold standard filters
How does a matte box work?
They use flags and eyebrows to protect the lens from direct sunlight, preventing lens flare. These flags are located on the top of a mounting plate with many models featuring side and sometimes bottom flags. They rotate to the desired angle and then lock into place.
The matte box attaches to the end of the lens or is mounted to standard 15mm or 19mm rails in front of the camera.
Only lightweight models should be attached to the lens as they are not designed to take load. Matte boxes with more features often weigh more and thus only suitable for rod mounting.
Some basic models simply slide forward along the rails to allow you to change lenses whilst more advanced models can swing 90degrees (like a door) to provide quicker access to the lens.
Standard square filters can simply be mounted in the trays, some models have a static filter trays and a rotating filter tray for the use of a polariser.
Most come with a donut and fabric knicker which covers the barrel of the lens to prevent light entering from the back or sides.
Once set up, the flags can be adjusted as desired and filters easily dropped in and out.
Filters
Another major benefit of using a matte box is their ability to hold standard filters.
Because lenses have different diameters, if you are using screw on filters you will need separate ones for each lens.
A matte box allows you to use standard rectangular filters that you can just drop into the matte box filter tray and use with all of your different lenses.
Generally they come with either a 3×3 or 4×4 filter tray.
Less expensive models may only have 1 filter slot or perhaps none. The higher end models can often hold 2 or more as well as offering more features than their cheaper counterparts.
Lens flare
Sometimes desired for their style but not wanted for every scene. Lens flare can cause issues:
- Decreased contrast.
- Chromatic aberrations.
Looking Professional
This is a bit of a grey area, but is a common question.
Does a matte box make you look more professional? and should you buy one for this reason?
From a gear point of view, it would seem silly to buy and carry additional kit that may not benefit your shoot.
Simply owning a matte box does not make you a more professional filmmaker, but turning up with a well-constructed kit can have its benefits.
Arriving on set with a bare bones camera could make clients a little nervous.
If it helps secure work, convince a client, or put a subject at ease, then one could argue it is worthwhile.
Advantages
- It is similar to a lens hood in that it shades the lens but a matte box gives you much more control. Instead of changing your composition angle to avoid lens flare you can just adjust the flag on your matte box.
- The use of a matte box saves you time when compared to using a c-stand with flag attachment because adjusting the matte box is far quicker than repositioning the c-stand.
- When shooting in bright sunlight and where the camera will be pointing in different directions during the shoot, a matte box helps achieve a consistent look.
- The use of standard square filters reduces the need for multiple screw-on filters.
Disadvantages
- Matte boxes add weight to your rig.
- The better models often have more features and are made from metal/carbon fibre (instead of plastic) which again increases weight (and price).
- They can be expensive, a decent brand made from durable materials will last you a lifetime but cost a lot upfront.
Do you need a matte box?
Not all shoots will demand or benefit from one.
When using a tripod, the addition of a matte box will be welcomed, if you are shooting handheld, the weight may make it unpractical.
If your lighting setup is controlled a matte box may not be of use.
If you have a range of lenses of different diameters and plan on using a range of filters then a rod mounted matte box will be perfect.
Make sure you get a quality, durable model, one that will last you, and has the option to hold multiple filters.
Let us know what you think in the comments.
Originally published at gripup.com on June 4, 2017.
