DIY Matte Box
 

Attached are some pictures of a matte box I made for my camera. I plan to make another but instead of glueing it together, I want to velcro it so I can take it apart and keep it nice and flat in my camera case. Of course, I couldn't just stop at making it... I had to "decorate" it! :)

Stacy

im assuming the cost of this was quite minimal, what functions does this provide other than "shade" and "lens flare reduction"? Not saying its bad, but if i am not mistaking i have seen matte boxes more for the purpose of adding ND filters other than the included filters......

thanks for this, any chance of dimensions?

The stickers come off....right?

I'd call this a "shade".

It is a very nice shade and I like the stickers too.

But a matte box? My understanding is that a MATTE box was a box that was devoid of external light into which "mattes" where slid/placed to create shapes directly in front of the lens. To do this one needed a "chamber" or box that was "sealed" from any external light. Hence the term matte-box

Roll the tape forward about 150 years, and now we have a very slimmed down version of the box itself. Again it has the ability to have "elements" slid into and out of. These elements are now filters: NDs; Polas; Grads of all combinations. One of these elements can be available to rotate - very essential for a Pola to correct for the incidence of light.

So, now I have the Matte box into which I slide these filter elements. However, 'cos these filters are so LARGE to cover the front of the lens, they present a smashing, reflecting and reflective surfaces for any off axis light sources. Get THESE on a naked filter and you would know about it!! Soooo.... on the front of this matte box I now essentially need a LARGER hood to shade the front most filter element from an unwanted light source - mostly for me this means the Sun.

On the front of my Kestrel matte-box I have a bellows type 16:9 configured bellows SHADE. I went for the shade for 2 reasons:

1] Often I don't NEED the full extension of the bellows, with the fixed type you're . .eh . . fixed and this makes the fixed shade less adapting to various light angles. And yes one CAN purchase even larger and even flying flags to compensate for this too. I've kinda kept it simpler and cheaper and my bellows does for me.

and

2] It WILL fold down flat! The rigid ones won't.

Now, this is my understanding of the development, usage and value of the MATTE-box.

The shades or French Flags are essential but I wouldn't call them a MB? Maybe the area that supports or anchors the flags to the camera is the matte-box? As this HAS to be a distance away from the lens it is performing a "similar" function - reducing off-axis light from affecting the front of the lens - as the matte-box that holds filters? Maybe it is a result of the usage of the function of the matte box now being transcribed to that which LOOKS like a MB - something with large French Flags on - that it has now passed into the parlance and lingo of videography? If this IS the case then there is a problem. If I was buying a MB in the future, I would EXPECT to be purchasing a MB that would hold mattes or filters. I wouldn't expect JUST to have a device that came with solely French Flags?!? But maybe I've got this wrong too?

Interesting point and I'm ready to be corrected.

Regards,

Grazie

True... I stand corrected. This is not a Matte Box. My bad.

This is simply a "shade box". Even with the supplied lens hood, I have been experiencing some unwanted lens flare while shooting my sons football games, so decided to make a bigger "lens hood" (out of matte board - hence: matte box). Thanks for the correction. :)

All-in-all It took about 2 hours to figure out the dimensions I wanted, draw it up in InDesign, print and cut out the template, and maybe another hour to cut out the matte board and glue it all together. The matte board has been laying around the house for about a year, so essentially it cost me about .50 cents in ink (I'm guessing) and about 3 hours total in labor. It works beautifully, I am happy!

Stacy

PS> Yes I know, the stickers are corney but... I just had to.

Nice job. How have you decided to attach it? Are you open to sharing the InDesign file? I have experience unwanted lens flare, esp. in one spot along the top right of the frame.

I was thinking of knocking something up till I came across this site

http://www.cinetactics.com/Page.bok?...=c_canon_xh_g1

anyone know anything about these?

Looks like that would cover the "Instant AF sensor"...not sure though...

matte box
 

And god forbid you have a matte box that doesn't match your camera lol lol

That's a nice looking matte box

I've had my eye on this box either but it's been out of stock for months.

Rene: you might be right about the AF being covered up.

I spent $25,000 in equipment the first year I got into independent filmmaking. Then I went the more creative route and realized one doesn't need an "official" shade to shade the sun. The last time I had sun flare to contend with I just taped a card to the side of the hood.

And no, I didn't have a carrying case for the card and tape. ;-)


J.

I sometimes want to use Cokin filters i have, in doing so i have to remove the hood.
I think i have to turn the drawing board and think something up.