Cavision 3x3 Matte Box Package

I recently bot this a couple of weeks ago. I used it on a shoot and it worked amazingly. For its price, it really helped with getting out shadows and getting rid of any unwanted light just like any other Matte box but simply for cheaper. Whilst it functions extremely well, something that is annoying about is that I had to buy a step up ring so that it could fit onto my camera which cost another15 but it was completely worth it. I would recommend it to anyone who is currently in the first stages of learning how to rig out cameras as it really helps people learn about the usefulness of Matte Boxes

Read a few of the reviews on this Matte box, and was hesitant to purchase based on the reviews. Since the price wasnt a budget buster, I went for it. Ill start with the Pros: looks great on my new SLR Magic Micro primes. The clamp on Style Matte box in theory eases the time for lense changes and camera set up. The slide in 3x3 filter holders are pretty solid and easy to set up as well. The rotating filter holder is great for a pola. The flags are nice and big and easily adjustable. The abs plastic has a classic wrinkle finish that looks professional and feels good to the touch. This finishes the business end of my A7 rig off nicely. Cons: the clamping thumb screw is ultra small and feels like it could strip threads with one too many turns. It does not have a very positive grip on the end of the lens.. since this is the only stock attachment point with this set up its really only good for very light studio use. That being said Cavision offers a clamp for 15mm rods as an additional item that can be purchased separately. In my opinion, some further R&D needs to be done to make the clamp stronger and the attachment more positive.

Overall, everything is mostly great. Mind you, it's all plastic, almost a 3D printed feel to it. But very rigid and strong. I feel like it could take some falls. The dual 3x3 filter brackets are awesome. Especially that one rotates for a polarizer filter at this price, kudos! Here's the BUT! This version 89) does not come with anyway to mount it. No rail adaptor nor a lens mounting ring. I have to spend an additional60 for the rail parts just to be able to mount. Plus a 2 to 4 week wait because it's a special order item. It may be cheaper and less hassle to get the package version as I believe that kit contains the mounting hardware. It's going to be less of a headache to spend the60 than return or exchange, so that's what I'm going to do. So, before you buy, maybe look at the package kit version. I hope you're saved the hassle. Sure wish they made this clear in the description.

This is possibly the best matte box for the Rokinon Cine lenses. It's like it was made for them. If you invest in 85mm step up rings for the lenses, you can use this matte box to fit perfectly on all of them except the 14mm, which is not suitable due to its shape. I do wish Cavision had made the opening just a teeny bit bigger to allow the 14mm to fit through so it would work across the complete line of lenses. It is very durable plastic. I have slammed it into walls, dropped it on concrete, etc. and it looks brand new. My carbon fibre matte box looks like junk and is not as good a fit for the Rokinon lenses. You may be inclined to think that it will look cheap and unprofessional to use plastic, but on a rigged out camera, it looks quite nice. The fact that it does not swing out is not a problem for me. Loosening the support arm is easy enough to slide it down rails. Or you can just screw-tighten it to the lens if you don't use rails. I did, however, replace the default screw for the support arm because the knob part was too small. I got a beefy one at the local hardware store instead. I don't like having to unscrew tiny things. I almost immediately lost the eyebrow screw that changes the tilt angle, so I replaced it with a larger wing nut type crew. Way easier to work with. I used a locking nut to make sure it can't loosen enough to disappear. Be prepared to invest in non-standard 3 filters. Thankfully Cavision's are not too pricey. I use this matte box with Blackmagic P4k/P6k cameras using the Rokinon Cine DS lenses. I recommend investing in the IR cut filter to avoid IR pollution on the P4k/P6k. The two filter trays are all I need. One for IR cut filter (never take it out) and the other for ND when needed. I do wish matte box manufacturers would come up with a batter way to secure the tray rotation rather than those tiny side screws. Very annoying to fuss with. I never need to rotate filter trays, so a simple friction-based solution (no screws) would be preferred in my case. I really like this matte box, especially for the price. There is no better value out there IMO. This is a WAY better product than the amazon.com plastic junk out there.

Material is flimsy with F of fail: poor quality rigid plastic, all plastic except for screws. It looks good in pictures BUT do yourself a favor and save your self some dollars...because this matte box looks gorgeous but is pretty much useless and will not pass the test of time, it literally is a plastic toy. Do not buy.