Cinevate or Redrock Micro Matte Box
 

I'm trying to decide on a matte box solution for my EX1 between the above two companies. Obviously, I'm having a hard time deciding so I'm putting it out there for input by those of you who may have dealt with one or the other. At this point, I'm leaning heavily towards the Cinevate products primarily because I can actually speak to someone there who answers the phone and the questions I have. My frustration with Redrock's lousy customer service where you call and leave messages or emails that go unanswered is tempered and balanced by their reputation for creating a good product. So, the issue is whose mattebox is better -- Redrock's or Cinevate's?

redrock looks better considering the price point. I agree Cinevate has superb customer service so far!

I would go with the RedRock for the price/build, but if you (like most of us) are on a time crunch, the RedRock will have a long lead time.

I don't know the turnaround time for cinevate. I assume quicker?

i would check with both manfacturers to see if the ex1's mic will present a problem for attaching it straight to the camera. i have the redrock on order, primarily for 35mm adapter use. can't speak to the cinevate model, but i remember reading that the redrock mattebox may not fit on the ex1 directly and that an alternate part would be manufactured strictly for use with the camera. not 100% sure tho. i know for a fact that chrosziel has an ex1 compatible model, however. that said, the majority of people who have seen the redrock mb have been impressed, comparing it nicely to an arri, which runs around $4-6K. i'm definitely looking forward to seeing one myself.

my experience with redrock customer service has always been excellent. rather than calling or emailing them, i would check the micromattebox threads on the redrock forums. brian valente and andrew lee make themselves very available and are both great resources, and any questions seem to get answered very quickly on there.

You're right, Henry in that both Brian and Andrew have been fairly responsive in answering my questions via the Redrock forums, but I would like to speak with someone to have some quick questions answered. I find it incredibly frustrating that they don't respond to the customer's email or voicemail messages despite the fact that their company's recorded announcement when you call says unequivocally that email and voicemail is the best way to contact someone.

Looks like RedRock Micro MB is made better then Cinevate, but it cost $595 without French flags. You have to add another $210 for the French flag kit or buy single french flag for $85. Cinevate MB - $503 fully equipped.

hyson ...
 

The other choice is the hyson. The best build however looks to be the Redrock. I'm in line for that one like a lot of others. I believe that if you need an on the road mattebox, hyson may be best choice.

I own the Cinevate and like it quite a bit. I do have a few issues with it however which I think are fair to point out too. The pins for the flags are somewhat fragile. I had one broken when I received mine even. BUT with that said, Dennis OVERNIGHTED me several new ones immediately. I was blown away by that.

The other issue is you cant rotate the filter holders when using the matte box with the EX1 on its own. The pins hit the mic and you have to have the lcd flipped open just to get it on. This is as much the fault of the EX1 as the Cinevate matte box.

The last one is that I would like to see a better seal between the back of it and the camera lens.

But for the price and the service, its a great choice. Turnaround on delivery flies and overall I think anyone would enjoy it. Just know its issues and how you might have to deal with them.

I'm using the Cinevate Mattebox on my EX1 (I think it's actually the HDMB44 made by Century - also see #CHDVMB44DVK2 in B&H catalog). It fits fine but I've always had a problem with the filter stages, specifically the spring-loaded tabs that keep the filter in, don't. As for the fit at the lens, it comes with several different foam donuts to match the size of the lens.

Hi Torv

I'm not sure where we are dropping the ball - my folks tell me we've talked to you twice on the phone and also sent you an email recommendation as you requested. We have a policy of answering all inquiries within 24 hours. I don't know why you feel you aren't getting responses, but you can always write to me directly brian@redrockmicro.com

Regarding the microMatteBox, it's really in a league more like the Arri MB-20. It's a full size wide angle mattebox that supports 4x5.65" filters (and even up to 5.65" square filters), both stages rotate, interchangeable matte, and it's swing-away design. You can also come check it out at cinegear this year (june 19th-20th)

I don't know where folks come up with pricing, but it's $595 for the standard version, $695 to include top eyebrow and side wings.

We do have a longer lead time right now due to demand (and it being a new product)

Hope that helps. Drop a line Torv, happy to answer any questions you have directly


Brian

Hi Brian.

I'm not sure what's going on regarding the phone and email from the sales staff when someone calls the phone number at Redrock, but yes I did speak with Brenda a couple of times when I happened to get through to someone answering the phone, but did leave several messages with no luck. I'm not sure what's happening with the email, maybe there's some sort of technical glitch. In any case I never got any replies. I did have a dialogue of sorts via the Redrock forums which was kind of helpful, but I really needed to speak with someone and you were kind enough to phone me back.

Thanks to your help when I finally connected with you and you answered my myriad questions, I've successfully ordered what I think is the ideal solution for my needs. Thanks again for working so hard to connect with me, Brian. I truly appreciate it. I eagerly await delivery of my matte box and shoulder mount.

Hi Torv

My pleasure - always good to speak in person is my feeling.

Regarding the emails etc. I think we've found out that a good percentage of our emails are being blocked for some reason. Our folks in sales informed me when you left a voice mail requesting a quote back, they emailed it to you. Of course, if you didn't get that email, it comes across as unresponsive. We are working on getting to the bottom of that issue. Thanks again for your patience


Brian

I also have sent an email about 3 days ago about my order with no response.

Hi Dennis

Well, that would be consistent with some of our responses being blocked. Just drop me a line via email and we'll get it handled asap

Thanks

Brian

Brian, I have seen it asked a couple of times but don't remember seeing the answer. Will your mattebox work with the EX1 straight out of the box, or is there an extender that you can get so that it can clear the mic/lcd on the EX1? Thanks, your product looks awesome.