Formatt Matte Box Flags

[Bill Pryor]

Geardear looks pretty cool, actually.

[Jack Barker]

Take a look at Gerhard's post and the link to his website. This is some pretty nice looking gear. Thinking I might pick up one and sell the Formatt.

[Bill Pryor]

This thread is pretty old...but I was wondering if the Formatt matte box is wide enough so you don't get vignetting when zoomed back all the way to 4.5mm of a Z1 or XH A1 lens.

[Jack Barker]

It is really wide. All I can tell you for sure is that there is no vignetting on the XL2 zoom.

[Bill Pryor]

Unfortunately the XL2 standard lens doesn't get as wide as the XH A1/G1's lens.

[Martin Mayer]

Originally Posted by Bill Pryor

......I was wondering if the Formatt matte box is wide enough so you don't get vignetting when zoomed back all the way to 4.5mm of a Z1......

We use the Formatt boxes on two of our Z1s: no vignetting even on max wide. We did however make two small side-screen additions. These were mainly to support the top flag (and stop droop) without having to screw the rather small support thumbscrews impossibly tight. They were not primarily to provide side shading - but they do do that too, to a limited extent. I could provide some pictures if anyone's interested.

[Bill Pryor]

Thanks! The Z1 lens is the same at the wide end as the XH A1.

[Jack Barker]

Originally Posted by Martin Mayer

We did however make two small side-screen additions. These were mainly to support the top flag (and stop droop) without having to screw the rather small support thumbscrews impossibly tight. They were not primarily to provide side shading - but they do do that too, to a limited extent. I could provide some pictures if anyone's interested.

You betcha! Show and tell, please.

[Martin Mayer]

First picture shows general arrangement: small side flags are cut from black sheet plastic 1mm thick, and bolted to top flag with small furniture hinges - and tongues on side flags engage in slots cut into sides of the existing central Formatt lens hood part.

Second picture shows front view - hinges and bolts all painted matt black.

Third picture shows CU of side flag, with tongue in slot.

Fourth picture shows flags about to be collapsed for storage/transport: lift the top flag a few millimetres, disengage side flags from slots, spread out side flags slightly, and fold down top flag - as shown in fifth picture. Much faster to do, than to read about!

Sixth picture shows collapsed flags for stowage.

Seventh picture shows reason for doing it this way - camera has matte box PERMANENTLY fitted, and yet stows, upright, in a rigid flight case, ready for the run'n'gun of weddings! No need to fit or adjust matte box each time you start shooting - just take out of case and erect it - takes literally a few seconds - the thumbscrew is NOT EVEN NECESSARY - the side flags support the top flag in the correct position instantly. Also gives the confidence that the top flag cannot droop into shot.

BTW: the reason for bending down the extreme left and right ends of the top flag is so that it still fits the rigid flight case - see seventh picture - internal case width is only 320mm. However, as you can imagine, I have ensured that there is NO vignetting with either the position of the top flag, nor the "drooping ears" at max wide angle.

The side flags aren't any bigger, or they would foul the camera and/or case when collapsed. The primary goal of this mod was to allow me to leave the matte box on permanently in the case, and yet erect the flags quickly without fear of vignetting. Mission accomplished! HTH.