Just Ordered Magic Bullet and Matteblox at DVinfo.net

Earon Kavanagh · January 16th, 2005, 02:23 PM

Given the recent talk about Magic Bullet and filters, I went to the site and was very impressed with the different "looks" Magic Bullet could produce in post. So I ordered a copy.

I also ordered a cinetactics soft Matteblox (about $265 USF) to give me better control of incoming light. I'm going to get some 4 x 4 filters to use with it. Participants at DVX100USERS have good things to say about the matteblox.

earon

David Stone · January 16th, 2005, 06:24 PM

I'm in Vancouver and I also looked at thread on DVXuser about the matteblox from cinematics. Where did you order it from? I was hoping to get it locally. Let me know how well it works when you use it.

Earon Kavanagh · January 16th, 2005, 07:43 PM

<<<-- Originally posted by David Stone : I'm in Vancouver and I also looked at thread on DVXuser about the matteblox from cinematics. Where did you order it from? I was hoping to get it locally. Let me know how well it works when you use it. -->>>

Hi David
I got it from the manufacturer, cinetactics.
Here is the URL:

http://cinetactics.com

You may need to consult with Greg Mote of cinetactics, on what kind of fitting rings you need forthe matteblox. The site also has info on what cameras work with the unit.

i'll let you know what i think when i test it out.

my email is etearon@yahoo.com

cheers,
earon

Kevin A. Sturges · January 18th, 2005, 11:07 AM

Hey Earon,

That's very cool that you just got Magic Bullet. Please post your thoughts about it, after you've had some time to experiment. OK?

If I get some time in the near future, I'd like to update my Optura Xi page and post some before/after frame grab examples.

If you are interested, here's a link to the existing page:

http://home.wi.rr.com/kevinsturges/opturaxiframegrabs.html

P.S> The camcorder was on a tripod most of the time. I'm the guy with the guitars :)

Kevin

Earon Kavanagh · January 18th, 2005, 12:00 PM

<<<-- Originally posted by Kevin Sturges : Hey Earon,

That's very cool that you just got Magic Bullet. Please post your thoughts about it, after you've had some time to experiment. OK?

kevin,
will do when it arrives and i have some time to play with it.
earon

Earon Kavanagh · January 25th, 2005, 12:51 AM

<<<-- Originally posted by Kevin Sturges : Hey Earon,

That's very cool that you just got Magic Bullet. Please post your thoughts about it, after you've had some time to experiment. OK?

Kevin -->>>

Update on Matteblox and Magic Bullet:

Did some shooting using the Matteblox on saturday night. lighting wasn't great, bright in some places and then dark in other areas. difficulty in getting tje matteblox to stay put on the canon wd0h46 wide angle lens. will have to get some velcro with sticky back. i ended up with vignetting on the left side of my shots.

i wasn't very impressed with the video. it was fairly dark due to the inconsistent lighting. however, using magic bullet i was able to brighten up the video using some of the presets. i was able to get differen looks (i.e., miami vice). i'm interested in doing some day shooting and see what happens then. unfortunately i don;t have a diffuser filter yet, so i can get the effects that kevin has ben talking about.

i might get some frame grabs up in a couple of weeks.

earon

David Stone · January 25th, 2005, 10:48 AM

I just ordered the matteblox, it is due to arrive on Friday. I also have magic bullet. I think it works great. I did some testing with the DVX100a. I shot some footage of a folk singer using 24p and 50fps. I then used a few of the presets that come with magic bullet and it looks great. What filters are you using for the Matteblox Earon? I'm interested in testilng the DVX and the matteblox. I'm not sure which filters to use. Could you or anyone else recommend any articles?

Earon Kavanagh · January 25th, 2005, 11:36 AM

<<<-- Originally posted by David Stone : What filters are you using for the Matteblox Earon? I'm interested in testilng the DVX and the matteblox. I'm not sure which filters to use. Could you or anyone else recommend any articles? -->>>

David,
I'm not using any filters yet, and that's part of my problem. Kevin Sturges recomends a Tiffen Soft FX/3 diffusion filter and MB for ultimate film look (that's using an XI).

But apparently, the DVX users all say that the panny is excellent in low light. So that's another thing to consider.

earon

David Stone · January 25th, 2005, 12:01 PM

Thanks for the info. Where are the best places to purchase? One other thing I thought of.....I'm sure whether there are a lot of us in Vancouver who would like to use filters but not have to go through the expense of buying all of them. One way would be to have one person have the filters, we all contribute and then "lend" them out when required. For example if we each bought a filter and then kept it with one person we could make a list of the filters and use them as needed. It would require that somone take the responsiblity of keeping the filters and arranging with people to loan them out. What do you think?

Earon Kavanagh · January 25th, 2005, 12:55 PM

<<<-- Originally posted by David Stone : Thanks for the info. Where are the best places to purchase? One other thing I thought of.....I'm sure whether there are a lot of us in Vancouver who would like to use filters but not have to go through the expense of buying all of them. One way would be to have one person have the filters, we all contribute and then "lend" them out when required. For example if we each bought a filter and then kept it with one person we could make a list of the filters and use them as needed. It would require that somone take the responsiblity of keeping the filters and arranging with people to loan them out. What do you think? -->>>

David,

That woud work for me for 4 x 4 like filters.

I just ordered a 46mm diffusion (soft/fx3) from adorama (just type in that name and you arrive there. I got it for #30.00 usf. you'll need ia different size for your dvx. i decided to stay away from 4 x 4 filters except for specialty stuff. they are too pricey.

i bought the matteblox direct from cinetactics (also on the web - they make it).

ps- where are you in vancouver? I wouldn't mind meeting for a coffee - and taking a close look at you your dvx. whaddya think? i'm at main and 10th ave, near\ the corner.

cheers,
earon

David Stone · January 25th, 2005, 01:27 PM

I'm in North Burnaby. How about the Night and Day restaurant on Boundary and Lougheed Highway. I will bring the camera. Hopefully the DVrigpro that I ordered will be here by then and I can show you that as well. I would suggest Saturday at 10:00 am or earlier if that works for you. You can also email me direct.

January 16th, 2005, 02:23 PM	#1
Earon Kavanagh Regular Crew Join Date: Jun 2004 Location: Vancouver, Canada Posts: 65	Just Ordered Magic Bullet and Matteblox Given the recent talk about Magic Bullet and filters, I went to the site and was very impressed with the different "looks" Magic Bullet could produce in post. So I ordered a copy. I also ordered a cinetactics soft Matteblox (about $265 USF) to give me better control of incoming light. I'm going to get some 4 x 4 filters to use with it. Participants at DVX100USERS have good things to say about the matteblox. earon

January 25th, 2005, 12:51 AM	#6
Earon Kavanagh Regular Crew Join Date: Jun 2004 Location: Vancouver, Canada Posts: 65	Update on magic Bullet and Mattblox <<<-- Originally posted by Kevin Sturges : Hey Earon, That's very cool that you just got Magic Bullet. Please post your thoughts about it, after you've had some time to experiment. OK? Kevin -->>> Update on Matteblox and Magic Bullet: Did some shooting using the Matteblox on saturday night. lighting wasn't great, bright in some places and then dark in other areas. difficulty in getting tje matteblox to stay put on the canon wd0h46 wide angle lens. will have to get some velcro with sticky back. i ended up with vignetting on the left side of my shots. i wasn't very impressed with the video. it was fairly dark due to the inconsistent lighting. however, using magic bullet i was able to brighten up the video using some of the presets. i was able to get differen looks (i.e., miami vice). i'm interested in doing some day shooting and see what happens then. unfortunately i don;t have a diffuser filter yet, so i can get the effects that kevin has ben talking about. i might get some frame grabs up in a couple of weeks. earon

January 25th, 2005, 12:55 PM	#10
Earon Kavanagh Regular Crew Join Date: Jun 2004 Location: Vancouver, Canada Posts: 65	Magic Bullet and Matteblox <<<-- Originally posted by David Stone : Thanks for the info. Where are the best places to purchase? One other thing I thought of.....I'm sure whether there are a lot of us in Vancouver who would like to use filters but not have to go through the expense of buying all of them. One way would be to have one person have the filters, we all contribute and then "lend" them out when required. For example if we each bought a filter and then kept it with one person we could make a list of the filters and use them as needed. It would require that somone take the responsiblity of keeping the filters and arranging with people to loan them out. What do you think? -->>> David, That woud work for me for 4 x 4 like filters. I just ordered a 46mm diffusion (soft/fx3) from adorama (just type in that name and you arrive there. I got it for #30.00 usf. you'll need ia different size for your dvx. i decided to stay away from 4 x 4 filters except for specialty stuff. they are too pricey. i bought the matteblox direct from cinetactics (also on the web - they make it). ps- where are you in vancouver? I wouldn't mind meeting for a coffee - and taking a close look at you your dvx. whaddya think? i'm at main and 10th ave, near\ the corner. cheers, earon

January 16th, 2005, 06:24 PM	#2
David Stone Regular Crew Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: Canada Posts: 40	I'm in Vancouver and I also looked at thread on DVXuser about the matteblox from cinematics. Where did you order it from? I was hoping to get it locally. Let me know how well it works when you use it.

January 16th, 2005, 07:43 PM	#3
Earon Kavanagh Regular Crew Join Date: Jun 2004 Location: Vancouver, Canada Posts: 65	<<<-- Originally posted by David Stone : I'm in Vancouver and I also looked at thread on DVXuser about the matteblox from cinematics. Where did you order it from? I was hoping to get it locally. Let me know how well it works when you use it. -->>> Hi David I got it from the manufacturer, cinetactics. Here is the URL: http://cinetactics.com You may need to consult with Greg Mote of cinetactics, on what kind of fitting rings you need forthe matteblox. The site also has info on what cameras work with the unit. i'll let you know what i think when i test it out. my email is etearon@yahoo.com cheers, earon

January 18th, 2005, 11:07 AM	#4
Kevin A. Sturges Regular Crew Join Date: Sep 2002 Location: Milwaukee, WI Posts: 167	Hey Earon, That's very cool that you just got Magic Bullet. Please post your thoughts about it, after you've had some time to experiment. OK? If I get some time in the near future, I'd like to update my Optura Xi page and post some before/after frame grab examples. If you are interested, here's a link to the existing page: http://home.wi.rr.com/kevinsturges/opturaxiframegrabs.html P.S> The camcorder was on a tripod most of the time. I'm the guy with the guitars :) Kevin

January 18th, 2005, 12:00 PM	#5
Earon Kavanagh Regular Crew Join Date: Jun 2004 Location: Vancouver, Canada Posts: 65	<<<-- Originally posted by Kevin Sturges : Hey Earon, That's very cool that you just got Magic Bullet. Please post your thoughts about it, after you've had some time to experiment. OK? kevin, will do when it arrives and i have some time to play with it. earon

January 25th, 2005, 10:48 AM	#7
David Stone Regular Crew Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: Canada Posts: 40	I just ordered the matteblox, it is due to arrive on Friday. I also have magic bullet. I think it works great. I did some testing with the DVX100a. I shot some footage of a folk singer using 24p and 50fps. I then used a few of the presets that come with magic bullet and it looks great. What filters are you using for the Matteblox Earon? I'm interested in testilng the DVX and the matteblox. I'm not sure which filters to use. Could you or anyone else recommend any articles?

January 25th, 2005, 11:36 AM	#8
Earon Kavanagh Regular Crew Join Date: Jun 2004 Location: Vancouver, Canada Posts: 65	<<<-- Originally posted by David Stone : What filters are you using for the Matteblox Earon? I'm interested in testilng the DVX and the matteblox. I'm not sure which filters to use. Could you or anyone else recommend any articles? -->>> David, I'm not using any filters yet, and that's part of my problem. Kevin Sturges recomends a Tiffen Soft FX/3 diffusion filter and MB for ultimate film look (that's using an XI). But apparently, the DVX users all say that the panny is excellent in low light. So that's another thing to consider. earon

January 25th, 2005, 12:01 PM	#9
David Stone Regular Crew Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: Canada Posts: 40	Thanks for the info. Where are the best places to purchase? One other thing I thought of.....I'm sure whether there are a lot of us in Vancouver who would like to use filters but not have to go through the expense of buying all of them. One way would be to have one person have the filters, we all contribute and then "lend" them out when required. For example if we each bought a filter and then kept it with one person we could make a list of the filters and use them as needed. It would require that somone take the responsiblity of keeping the filters and arranging with people to loan them out. What do you think?

January 25th, 2005, 01:27 PM	#11
David Stone Regular Crew Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: Canada Posts: 40	I'm in North Burnaby. How about the Night and Day restaurant on Boundary and Lougheed Highway. I will bring the camera. Hopefully the DVrigpro that I ordered will be here by then and I can show you that as well. I would suggest Saturday at 10:00 am or earlier if that works for you. You can also email me direct.