Matte Box on XL H1 UV Remove?

[Richard Seccombe]

Hi Everyone,

Just picked up a Chrosziel matte box for my XL H1, and purchased the Schneider 3 filter kit. I have always had a UV filter on the 20X lens for protection. When using the Schneider filters, should I remove the UV or just let it stay mounted. Seems like I ought to remove it, but thought some of the "Big Dogs" on the forum might have some input.

Thanks very much,
Richard

[Vincent Rozenberg]

Theoretically, every piece of glass in front of your lens will cause a loss in quality of the lens behind. So if not needed, take it of.

[Jim Michael]

I'm hardly a big dog, but I would compare results with and without your UV filter under the conditions you will most likely use your camera. There are some variables that may affect image quality such as whether the filters are multicoated, spectral response of chip in the UV range, filter optical quality, quality and angle of the light, etc.

[Peter Ralph]

any filter can cause ghosting when a light source appears in frame. The problem is more likely to occur with mutliple filters.

also any smudging or dirt on a filter is likely to me more of a problem than the same smudging on a lens.

[Dan Keaton]

I have a similiar setup.

For pristine quality, for a single shoot, one would want to remove the UV filter, in my humble opinion. However...

On the other hand, in order to maintin the pristine quality of your Canon XL H1 20x lens over the long term, I would always leave the UV filter on.

The exceptions would be where you need a third filter and you have the desired filter in only a 72mm size. Then I would change to a different 72mm filter in a clean non-dusty envirnment (if at all possible).

With the Chrosziel Mattebox for the XL H1, you have two filterholders, 4" x 4" and 4" x 5.65" (Panavision Size), which will also hold a second 4" x 4" filter. As such you should carefully consider what filters to buy and in what sizes. You can only mount one Panavision Size filter at a time.

But, a 72mm filter can be used on the Canon 20x lens to get you a third filter. This is pretty handy and can save you some money in filters, if you already have filters in the 72mm size.

To me, the most important consideration is to protect your Canon 20x lens. The Chrosziel Mattebox, nor any other mattebox that I know of, will protect your lens from dust.

While lenses can be cleaned, it is much better to never get them dirty.

Stan Wallace, of The Filter Gallery, who is a true expert in filters, recommends 5.65" x 5.65" filters (for graduated filters). This will give you more vertical control of where you place the graduated / non-graduated edge in the image.

Take this into consideration when you purchase you filters.

Stan is a wonderful resource and will help guide you in purchasing filters. As you start to investigate the wide array of filters, filter qualities, filter sizes, and manufacturers, it is nice to have a expect willing to advise you.

[Steve Rosen]

I used to do a lot of still work, shooting documentary B&W with Leica M4s.. this was nearly 30 years ago when Tri-X was the film of choice and salon prints were made in a darkroom.. I discovered then that if I had a UV on the Leica's lens there was a significant difference in sharpness, noticeable even in 8x10 prints...

Since that time I have avoided putting anything in front of the lens when shooting 16mm film except FX filters (polarizers, ND Grads, SoftFX, etc) - I even shy away from 85s and try to shoot daylight balanced stock if possible... This is especially true when shooting against sources (like shooting toward windows).

With color HDV it's a little different because, in some cases, it's actually too sharp, and a little softening is prefered - I usually have a 1/2 SoftFX on, for instance - but for some situations, B&W for instance, I would leave the glass off...

[Tony Davies-Patrick]

I am a little different to Steve (no disrepect) but I prefer to keep a high quality MC UV or Circular PL filter (such as from the superb B&W Pro range or Hoya Pro-range of filters) on all my DV and stills SLR lenses. I even have mega-sized 122mm filters on the front of my big Nikon lenses (as well as drop-in 39mm filters).

If I'm working with a matte-box+ French Flag or Bellows and using grad-filters, then I remove the front UV filter first, and then replace it after I'm finished with the Mattebox or Grads.

The front UV is mainly used for protection (cheaper than buying a new lens to replace it) and cut through haze - and I've never found any noticeable degrade in even blow-up enlargements from 35mm prints shot with my previous Leica, Pentax, Canon, and Nikon cameras with the best of glass optics bayoneted on to them.

There are sometimes situations when you are shooting directly into the sun (or bright lights), where the added flat glass surface of the filter can cause problems with bouncing light rays ( because the curved SMC front element alone works better at avoiding glare) and in this respect it may be wise to remove the filter...although in most cases a good lens hood or hand blocking the rays will be more than enough to maintain quality footage or stills of biting sharpness.

If 100% of my work were indooors, I might not be bothered too much about protecting the front element so much, but outdoors in all weathers of rain & sand & snow, and varied terrain, I'd rather leave that filter screwed to the front.

[Andy Lunn]

can somebody explain why we use a matte box on the camera?

Shouldnt filters be added in post? sorry for the noobish question, but any info or advice very appriciated, would a matte box be of any benefit to somebody who shoots live events and corporate hotel videos, like me?

Im used to the sony z1 but am planning on getting this camera next week.

[Jim Michael]

Matte box provides glare control in addition to method of adding filters in a manner that prevents vignetting that you would get from stacking screw-in filters, point for attachment of flags to further reduce flare.

There are some filter effects you cannot achieve in post, such as glare/reflection reduction you get with poloarizers, haze penetration and sharpness enhancement with UV filters. The Schneider filter handbook might be informative -
http://www.schneideroptics.com/info/handbook/