Which mattebox do you have for your XL H1?

[Chris Hurd]

Nice but it doesn't seem any cheaper than the Chrosziel at the end of the day.

It ain't! Karl is firmly entrenched in the Hollywood film world, with prices to match.

He's a great guy, though, and it is definitely high-quality gear that he makes.

[Jonas Nystrom]

When I have bought the mattebox, which filter is must have? Do you you any favorites in filters? Graded ND, Coral or maybe Tokyo Blue! Any of your filters which stays on your XL H1 more then others?

[Steven Dempsey]

Man, that's a loaded question. That's like asking someone how long is a piece of string.

Basically, it comes down to the major question of what are you going to be shooting? You could get all types of advice on filtration for optimal landscape shots but if that's not your focus then it's useless information

Some common filters include:

ND FILTERS:
Either .3 or .6 or .9 (1,2,3 stops respectively). If you are interested in achieving maximum shallow depth of field within the capabilities of the camera, these are a good choice. They will force you to open the iris more, allowing you to creatively focus on your subject when shooting medium to closeup shots. They will also help you keep the aperture at a sweet spot in terms of sharpness if you are shooting a bright light source. Closing the iris down tends to soften the picture and NDs help to alleviate that problem.

GRADUATED ND FILTERS:
If you are shooting vistas, this is a great addition to your tool kit. These filters allow you to bring the contrast ratio between land and sky more into the range of what the camera can see. It will also allow you got get some pretty dramatic skies with plenty of cloud detail.

UV FILTER:
Buy one now and keep it on your lens if you don't already have one. Essentially, this is just a clear glass filter that protects your lens from the harmful UV rays from the sun but it also acts as a protection against scratches, etc. on your actual lens.

PROMIST/CLASSIC SOFT FILTERS:
These filters have the same effect as soft focus. Remember the women that Captain Kirk falls in love with on the original Star Trek? The DP would simulate that misty-eyed love struck moment by giving both Kirk and his love interest (particularly the latter) an exaggerated soft focus. These filters can also be used to hide skin blemishes and take the overall video harsh sharpness out of the picture. Summary: they soften the picture in a pretty way.

COLOR/SPECIAL EFFECTS FILTERS:
I personally stay away from these because I'm paranoid about getting a great shot and realizing that the effect ruins it because the effect is too much. I usually can achieve the same overall effect in post. There are many good uses for these kinds of filters but I would keep their use to a minimum. The novelty wears off very quickly for the viewer.

The exception to this is if you are shooting black and white. Many of these color filters (yellow, in particular) help to enhance contrast in your shots and make the black and white rendering much richer. There's plenty of info on the Web about creative black and white photography.

CIRCULAR POLARIZER:
Generally used to enhance the blue of a sky and make the clouds pop but it is also used to minimize reflections on windows and in water. In fact, a good quality polarizer can be very effective at removing unwanted reflections say if you are shooting through a car window, etc.

There are many more but that's all I can think of off the top of my head. Figure out what you are going to shoot and then determine what filters would work for you in your particular situation. 72mm circular filters that screw right on the front of the lens are much cheaper than 4x4 filters that fit in a mattebox but I don't recommend stacking a lot of filters directly on the lens.

Take a look at Tiffen's and Schneider's sites, they give good descriptions and some examples of how these filters work.

[Jonas Nystrom]

Thanks Steven! I read'n'learn! /J

[Steve Hendry]

Hey Jonas,

I have been using the vocas matte box and follow focus, cheaper than the chrosz' set up and in my opinion, having rented the chrosz', just as good.

http://www.vocas.com/

http://www.creativevideo.co.uk/publi...r=vocas_kit-f2

http://www.creativevideo.co.uk/publi...er=vocas_mfc-1


I managed to get a great discounted deal on buying both, it works like a treat, a lot tougher than the granite rock somebody dropped it on! not a mark in sight! and fits/removes in seconds.

i hear the http://indifocus.com/index.html is the bizz as well!

plenty options!

regards
steve

[Jonas Nystrom]

I think going for the Chroschiel clamp on - as seen at http://www.16x9inc.com/cgibin/eDatCa...ON-XL-H1-SHADE

Red rock will launch a new nice follow focus for about 500 USD - Great - so maybe rods anyway!

[Dan Keaton]

This link shows the contents of some Chrosziel's kits for the XL-H1:

http://www.16x9inc.com/cgibin/eDatCa...XL-H1-MATTEBOX

As noted previously, B&H's site does not currently list the contents of the kits.

[Chris Hurd]

Thanks Dan -- if anybody wants to see that image *really* big, it's right here:

http://www.dvinfo.net/gallery/showimage.php?i=418
and
http://www.dvinfo.net/gallery/showimage.php?i=417

[Steven Dempsey]

Cool! Just got a call from ZGC, my Chroszeil mattebox and follow focus system finally arrived...will have in a few days...at last I can use some filters!

I'll let you guys know how it is.

[Nerses Papoyan]

I own a Xl H1, and was reading here about matte boxes,
Can anyone explain me just a little bit of what is the reason of using matte box? or post some pictures using matte box and without matte box

Thanx

[Steven Dempsey]

Nerses, check out this post elsewhere on the forum:http://www.dvinfo.net/conf/archive/index.php/t-29.html

Just received my Chrosziel system with follow focus today and boy is it sweet. I had the Cavision bellows matte box for the DVX but the difference in craftsmanship and construction is really noticeable (sorry Cavision, no offense intended, really like your products).

I used the dual handle system from my Cavision set up for added support. Frankly I don't know how I'd shoot handheld with the Mattebox without the handles.

My camera now resembles something seen on a Hollywood set but it's not just for show, I intend on utilizing my filters in upcoming shoots.... :)

[John Richard]

Steven:
I have the same matte-box and follow-focus. Works great; the only problem I've had is securing the follow-focus gear ring on the focusing rubber ring on the lense barrel. There are tiny little screws that appear as if they are supposed to securing the follow-focus gear to the lense focus ring, but they don't seem to do the job.

Am I doing something wrong/

[Steven Dempsey]

John, I'll take a look at mine when I get home and let you know. I did not have to adjust any screws to get it set up.

[Steven Dempsey]

John, I took a look at my setup and I see the screws you are talking about but I didn't touch mine. The ring just fit snug around the focus ring of the camera. Make sure the ridged part of the Chrosziel ring is facing the lens, not the camera body. Other than that, I would suggest you contact Chrosziel directly unless anyone else on the board can help.

Obvious question: Did you make sure to specify what camera you had before ordering? That would be the only variable I can think of.

[Bill Pryor]

RE:follow focus. Does the lens on the H1 allow you to follow focus accurately, unlike other electronic lenses with the infinite ring? If so, I've been misinformed