DV Matte Box
 

As promised I've taken a few quick photos of the PDX10 with my new Century Optics DV Matte Box and 0.65 wide angle.

http://homepage.mac.com/gnattress/PhotoAlbum7.html

I'll try and post some images showing how the wide angle looks as soon as we get some good weather!

Graeme

Hey, nice setup. Like it alot. I take it the camera is pressed against the matte box, right?

Maybe everyone should post their different camera setup as well.

The matte box has a rubber disc (different sizes are provided for different cameras) which fits tight up against the camera - in this case the wide angle, but it could be either of the two sun shades you get with the camera.

The weather's pretty miserable here or I'd go out and shoot some more test material with the camera as I've been ever so impressed with the quality of it so far.

Graeme

I figured so. Great setup. I'll post my setup soon.

Very sexy :-)

One thing I'm curious about... looks like you've shifted the whole camera quite far forward on the tripod head. Do you really work with it that way? Isn't it front-heavy?

I got a Varizoom Pro-L controller awhile ago (the one that looks like a big block of aluminum) and it sort of throws things out of balance the other way. I am using a Miller tripod that doesn't allow as much shift in the mounting plate as your 501.

With a camera as light as the PDX-10 each little accessory affects the balance of the whole rig a lot!

Unfortunately until I get a tripod spacer, that's the only way that it fits on the tripod! The support bars get in the way of putting the quick release plate onto the head. So that's something else to be aware of.

I also have a GlideCam V8, but I've not got it set up for the matte box yet, but I reckon it will fit on ok as it's quick release plate can be used from the back or the front.

Graeme

Graeme,
Do you have to take the microphone off to change filters? It looks like you would from your pictures. Is that the 4x4 matte box? I'm a little confused on how it mounts to your tripod and why you can't balance it very well? Is there no way to slide the tripod plate on the bottom of the bars?

You can take the mic off, or just rotate the filters and take them out diagonally. The tripod doesn't allow the quick release plate to be mounted from the front, only the back, and that's why I have it set up with the plate mounted far back. You can place the plate on lots of positions on the base of the bar mounting plate, but it's the head of the tripod that's causing the problem.

Graene

Those past two posts explain why i didn't buy the century. Unfortunately there is no perfect matte box or support system. of the lot of them the Vocas/Century is one on the better ones though.

I wound up going with a cavision simply because they offered the most diversity so far as mounts and adapter plates.