Matte Boxes Feedback on the EA-50

[Chris Harding]

Hi Guys

I got one Camshade mattebox to go with my rail system and it works very well actually. However I would only consider it on my tripod mounted camera ...the rail and box certainly looks cool and works well keeping flares out but if you are using it handheld it simply adds way too much weight to the camera (especially front end) and kills your back!!! Definitely will stick to a non matte box system with just the lens hood only for all handheld work as it's way, way lighter to use the camera and better balanced too.

Might keep the Matte for my static but that's about it or it might just go onto eBay for guys that want a cool looking camera!!

Chris

[Craig Marshall]

As a sun-shade to prevent lens flare, the 'Camtree Camshade' probably works fine but with only one filter holder (which does not rotate!) it is next to useless as a true matte box. http://www.thecinecity.com/eshop/CAM...Matte-Box.html

[Chris Harding]

I can see the point especially if you use grad ND filters Craig. My biggest issue however, however professional a matte box makes the camera look it sadly just adds too much weight on the handheld camera and the EA-50 on your shoulder is already front heavy so I will look for something else that doesn't add as much weight to the front end.

The Camtree unit works and looks great on the EA-50 but only for tripod use not handheld. Toting the rig on your shoulder for long periods makes life (and my back) just too much to be practical sadly.

Chris

[Craig Marshall]

Of course, you're right Chris so what about this lightweight sunshade model? I used one a few years ago with the kit zoom. It certainly stops lens flare and you can zoom right through it if your lens is not internal focusing or parfocal: DSLR Matte BOX FOR 15mm Rail ROD Support Follow Focus System 5DII 60D 600D D90 | eBay

[Chris Harding]

Thanks Craig

Due to using multiple lenses the matte box idea wasn't to look "cool" but to have a universal ND filter system ....At weddings it would be tough to have to scramble in your bag for French flags and side flags with minutes to go. The Cokin system is neat BUT seems to rely on a fixed filter thread size!! My stock lens, Tamrons, Sigmas and Tokinas all vary from 66mm to 85mm filter sizes

That sunshade link is purely a sunshade with no square filter holder ! I cannot see any advantage in having piles of filter adapters to try and piece together when I need to change lenses and having even just one variable ND for say, 4 lenses is pricey!

Chris

[Tom Van den Berghe]

Originally Posted by Chris Harding

Hi Guys

I got one Camshade mattebox to go with my rail system and it works very well actually. However I would only consider it on my tripod mounted camera ...the rail and box certainly looks cool and works well keeping flares out but if you are using it handheld it simply adds way too much weight to the camera (especially front end) and kills your back!!! Definitely will stick to a non matte box system with just the lens hood only for all handheld work as it's way, way lighter to use the camera and better balanced too.

Might keep the Matte for my static but that's about it or it might just go onto eBay for guys that want a cool looking camera!!

Chris

Chris, my problem is that the lens is not in the middle of my mattebox. It's almost on the bottom of the mattebox. I don't understand it. Don't you have this problem?

[Noa Put]

Have you considered using a holymanta nd filter? I don't see people talking about it so not sure if they are any good, a bit expensive but a lot easier to use then screw on filters.

[Chris Harding]

Hi Tom

Under the Camshade is a mounting for the rails and it has 2 allen screws in it. Loosen these and the whole matte box slides up and down so you can adjust the height. Adjust it so the lens is in the middle of the big hole and you are done. I found that the factory set position is way out!! I had to go almost to the other end of the adjustment to get it central. If you are unsuccessful let me know and I'll take a pic of the adjusting piece?

Don't you find your camera impossibily front heavy with the matte box ...even without the flags it kills my back PLUS you have a huge weight on the back of your camera ...you must work out at the gym every day!!

Thanks Noa ..I'll look at that .... maybe the answer is a really tiny little box that could sit in front on the lens hoods and be there just for ND filters only. Trouble is that all my lenses have different hoods too.

Chris

[Tom Van den Berghe]

CHris,

I can't slide the mattebox lower than this (see pictures) I don't understand what i'm missing.

I have a handmade counterweight that's heavy so there is no front weight anymore. Yes it's heavy but I do gym every week (lol)

[Tom Van den Berghe]

now with the pictures

[Tom Van den Berghe]

now the lens is in the middle but the camcorder is not more horizontally...
It's ugly for me. the baseplate needs to go higher but it's not possible.

The mattebox is already on his lowest possible setting.

[Chris Harding]

Hi Tom

The front plate can go down a bit more ..take it off the rails and loosen the allen screws and it will drop an extra few millimetres.

You camera should be horizontal unless something is not sitting right? The Camtree camera plate should be flush against the camera base .... that, or the tripod QR plate are the only two places that can cause the cam to not be horizontal. Are you sure your camera rail fitting is clipped correctly onto the rails ...If you grab the front of the camera can you move it up and down ....mine initially wasn't in correctly and wobbled up and down. Apart from those items the rails have to be parallel to the camera base!

Chris

[Tom Van den Berghe]

Chris,

can you post some pictures of your setup please? the bars in the base plate are a bit wobbling.

[Chris Harding]

Hi Tom

Yours looks like it's assembled correctly. I also found some play when the QR camera mount was on the rails. That camera side QR plate is the one you need to look at. Take the rig off the camera and loosen the silver thumb screw that locks the adapter onto the rails. If you loosen the thumb screw the unit can snap on and off the rails so first of all make sure than it snaps on correctly and that the little spring inside is doing it's job. If it sits snuggly on the rails and can still move up and down the rails then it's sitting correctly. I had to undo the thumb screw a couple of times before the camera plate clipped onto the rails correctly. Once that's right then tighten the thumb screw really tight and there shouldn't be any wobble in the plate and with the camera back on you also shouldn't have any forward back rocking. I found the screw has to be REALLY tight !! If you camera plate doesn't snap onto the rails accurately and still wobbles with the silver thumbscrew done up tight, then you have a badly engineered unit and need to sent it back to your supplier and get a new one.

Chris

[Serggio Lamas]

Originally Posted by Tom Van den Berghe

now with the pictures

tom the problem with the centering of the lens to matte box , solved;, and how;