SUMMARY: Keeping unwanted light away from the lens while shooting video is imperative, and you need a well-built and flexible mattebox, especially if you are changing lenses. The Redrock microMatteBox is not only well engineered and built, it also offers impressive quality for the low price.
TARGET APPS
Video productions requiring a quick setup, road-worthy durability and the flexibility of using a variety of glass filters and fixed lenses
WHAT IT COSTS YOU
$595 (standard bundle); $795 (bundle for RED ONE)
WHAT’S COOL
The entire build of the unit is excellent, but the swing-away design stands out as the single most important feature and makes changing lenses a snap. You can add stages, one stage at a time (three stages can be desirable for RED users), and you can switch between 19mm and 15mm just by swapping out the arm.
WHAT’S MISSING
If it is not in the Deluxe Bundle and you need it, chances are it is available as an option. Those options include a filter set, additional filter stages and trays, and a hard shell case, a very good investment.
SPECS
Standard Bundle
Wide angle shade
One 16:9 interchangeable matte
Two rotating filter stages
Two dual purpose filter trays supporting 4x4-inch and 4x5.65-inch filters
15mm lightweight configuration (60mm center to center) swing-away clamp with vertical riser adjustment
4 rubber donuts for light-blocking fit on lenses (diameter of openings 51mm, 64mm, 76mm, 102mm)
Choice of accent colors in Redrock blue, red, or cinema black
Weight: 2 lb. 14 oz. (with two filter stages and trays)
Deluxe Bundle
Includes everything in Standard Bundle
One top eyebrow (french flag)
Two adjustable side wings
Flag-mounting hardware
Weight: 3 lb. 11 oz. (with two filter stages and trays, and full deluxe bundle flag kit)
Red One Bundle (As Tested)
Includes everything in Deluxe Bundle
19mm swing-away arm (instead of 15mm swing-away arm)
Weight: 3 lb. 15 oz. (with two filter stages and trays, full flag kit, and 19mm arm)
Make the investment in the hard shell case to keep your unit safe. If you can’t afford to get it right away, the foam shipping insert gives everything a snug fit.
Check the tightness on the thumbscrews for the top and side flags. We had one end up in the middle of Lake Shore Drive during a car shot recently. It survived.
Be careful when loading the glass filters into the trays. Although there is a stop screw, if it isn’t in place, you could drop the filter right though the housing.
Unless you’re specifically attempting a sun-flare effect in camera, chances are you want to do everything you can to avoid glare from the sun or any other lighting sources.
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Our music video shoot included a driving shot, during which one of the sidewings was sucked out of the open window. But after a quick u-turn, we were back in business with the piece barely scratched and functioning perfectly.
Changing lenses, which we need to do often with a prime lens set up, is made much easier by the swing-away design of the Redrock microMatteBox.
DelPadre Digital’s Mark Archer slides an NDO.6 neutral density filter into one of two filter stages on the microMatteBox.
Assembly of the unit is made incredibly fast and easy with quality machined parts, easy lock nuts and a smooth rod system.
