Mattebox question: Genus et al

[Vincent Rozenberg]

@Paul: the MB-325, with the rails suport. See this iPhone pic.
http://www.dvinfo.net/forum/attachme...t-box-foto.jpg

[Paul Cronin]

Thanks Vincent that is the one I am looking at for my f800. Any pros or cons?

[Vincent Rozenberg]

It's still a sort of plastic so breakable. I have one on my 3 year old PDW F350, one day the camera (lens) bumped against a door,fortunately the mattebox broke, not the lens... Beside that, and maybe the price (1500 eur, almost 2000 USD) no cons. It's a good piece of gear.

[Ivan Snoeckx]

Hi Paul,
I’m using the same VOCAS matte box as Vincent does on my XDCAM HD. They are not made out of plastic, but molded carbon fibre, what is making them so light. For the matte box itself I have no cons. Great product! I love the internal eyebrowns that can be controlled on the side of the matte box.

But be aware that if you are going to put the matte box on 15 mm rails and want to use a lens controller in combination with a Fujinon lens , you have to buy a special 12-pin Hirose cable from Chrosziel (part nr. 401-CABLE) with a 90 degree connector. The connectors on the DIGIPOWER lenses are placed on a stupid and totally wrong place. The clamping system that holds the rails sits in the way and will not allow you to plug a straight connector into the lens. Please don’t fall of your chair but this very short cable costs $419,95 at B&H! Canon lenses do not have this problem because their connectors are placed further to the front. This can simply be solved by using a Z-shaped bar kit, also sold by VOCAS.

Chrosziel 401-CABLE

[Paul Cronin]

Thanks Vincent appreciate the first hand experience.

[Paul Cronin]

Ivan great feedback.

I did know the matte box was Carbon after the NAB visit which is a good thing for weight, but also why it will break on impact.

Nice to hear you like the internal eyebrows I was not sure how helpful this would be. Great to know the Fujinon lens controller will need the Chrosziel 90 degree connector. This is different then what I was told at the NAB booth where they said the controller will work fine with rails. Thanks for the heads up.

So far with my search at NAB and on the web this is still my first choice for matte box.

[Matt Davis]

Originally Posted by Darren Ruddock

Matt can probably give us the answer for that!????

Yes, I have used it with success with the Century 0.6 wide, apart from the time it twisted a bit.

[Dave Morrison]

Great info guys. Thanks so much for all the feedback. Can anybody tell me the advantages (if any) of the Vocas vs. the Genus? They appear very similar apart from those internal eyebrows on the Vocas. Quality of construction, ease of mounting, etc. Since cost would be such a concern for me, I'd want to be able to initially purchase one of these brands as a clip-on and then, when funds allow, get a rail system to support it.

[Vincent Rozenberg]

Although I can not explain it very well, the Vocas one is build better, it just feels more solid. Filter holders do slide better @ the vocas one, and the screws and stuff are holding up better. If it's worth the extra money, that's up to you. I've chosen Vocas on all my ENG camera's (out in de field every day) and de Genus for my Canon 7D kit (less used).

[Paul Cronin]

Vincent I think you explained it very well. The Vocas is better quality which is the same thing I found at NAB.

[Ivan Snoeckx]

[QUOTE=Paul Cronin;1522240]This is different then what I was told at the NAB booth where they said the controller will work fine with rails.QUOTE]

That's weird. They even have put it on their website. Looks like they still don't know what they are talking about. Back then I've waited two months to get that special Chrosziel cable from them.

Scroll down to the bottom of the page below.

VOCAS SYSTEMS BV

[Paul Cronin]

Ivan I was not talking to Vocas direct I was talking to a dealer. He also told me he would contact me after NAB to sell his demo which has not happened. Oh well I will give Charles at Abel Cine Tech a call since they now show Vocas matte box on their site.

I will check out your link.

[Piotr Wozniacki]

I thought I'd share this with you... A memento to build quality and ruggedness.

With all the difficulties a bulky and heavy accessory like the RedRock microMatteBox can pose, one will appreciate its quality when - due to hasty rig assembling - it falls off the rod system, fixed to the tripod at some 5 feet height.

Mine just did, smashing against the concrete floor.

NOTHING has been damaged - not even the $300 glass T1 filter that was inside it!

:)

[Boyd Ostroff]

The Vocas mattebox is sold in the US by Century/Schneider: http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/563681-REG/Century_Precision_Optics_0DS_MB44_WEX_0DS_MB44_WEX_4x4_DV_Matte.html
I have one of these myself and have been very happy with it. You need to insert filters from the bottom when using with the stock lens, but when I use with my Century .75x, it moves the mattebox forward enough that filters can be inserted from above. However, when using with the wide lens you can only use the filter holder closest to the lens or you get vignetting. Not an issue unless you need to use two filters with the wide lens. The LCD screen just barely clears to allow opening and closing.

The build quality is great, and it comes on and off very easily with some quick-release latches and a thumbscrew. Actually I had not realized that it was carbon fiber! Whatever it is, it's rugged and attractive.

You could start with just the mattebox and add the rods later, but I would personally not be comfortable hanging it off my lens without the rods. Here's photo of my EX1 setup.

[Dave Morrison]

Boyd, I'm thinking more and more about the Vocas like the one you have. A couple questions: Do the "eyebrows" merely act like the shutters on the stock EX1 lens shade or do they work as an adjustable masking device? Are those eyebrows worth the extra cost? Also, is the fold-down shoulder brace a solid add-on or is it flimsy? Thanks for posting the photo.