Red Star DV DSLR Pro II Matte Box Complete Bundle w/ 15mm Swing-away Arm, Top French Flags & Side Wings, Rubber Donut, Filter Stage and Filter Tray

Sometimes you just gotta bite the bullet and buy the chinese knock-off! Instead of blowing hundreds of dollars on something that does the exact same job, I saved bucks and have a perfectly working matte box. The build is sturdy and feels much nicer than I imagined. In fact, the swing out arm was stiff on arrival and I had to blast it with lube. Other than that, all knobs lock-off nice and snug. Ok, now to get real... the filter trays are a bit weak, made of cheap plastic that makes that brittle sound when being used. But they do come with two lock-offs; one for rotation and one for vertical position. I recently tried out a 4x4" ND filter in the tray and found that it slides horizontally within the tray with any lateral movement. That is not so functional but I'm sure a couple pieces of tape would do the job. My rig consists of a Canon 60D w/ battery grip and a ePhoto Shoulder Rig, so it took some shucking and jiving to get the matte box properly set (changing lenses would take some setup time, for sure). So, a few minor obstacles, but nothing I can't handle. Overall, it's a nice matte box. Don't save a thousand dollars to buy a matte box. Get this and get shooting!

I purchased this new matte box mostly based on the customer reviews posted here. The favorable reviews were right on the mark, except they were too vague about the description, some saying this was very heavy or large. I thought it might be helpful to give the specs here for other potential customers. It's quite a bit heavier than I expected. The essentials: - Box proper, w/no attachments except filter holders and swing mounting bracket, Weight - 1162g. (41oz.), Dimensions - 9.88" (250mm) Wide x 6.38" (162mm) High x 4.25" (108mm) Deep, not including flag mounting hinges. Dimensions including the hinges/knobs - 11.5" (290mm) x 8.25" (210mm) - Mounting Arm, Weight - 160gm. (5.64oz.) - Side Flags, Weight - 105gm. (7.41oz.) each (2 included, Left & Right) - Top Flag, Weight - 153 gm. (5.4oz.), Dimensions - 15.75" (400mm) x 5" (125mm) - Donut, Weight - 75gm. (2.65oz.) each, average. There are 4 different sizes included. Total weight for this 'typical' setup is 1760gm. (62oz. or 3 lb. 14oz.) Also there is: - 16x9 Matte (mask), Weight - 43gm. (1.52oz.) - 4x4 Filter Adapters, Weight - 30gm. (1.05oz.) each, two included. From what I can tell from available photos this appears to be a very good copy of the RRM MicroMB. For the most part the form, fit, function and finish are excellent. The materials used (aluminum and plastic) also seem appropriate for their function and reliability. I design and fabricate machines and instruments for a living and I believe this is really decent quality for the cost. Time will tell. The two filter holders are independently adjustable from each other for slide position and rotation, and locking knobs on each holder for both motions. This is a feature that seems to be absent on others in this price class. I don't have any filters yet (they can be very costly), so I can't report on their fit or function. I'm using this primarily to control flare and to attempt to control contrast, especially outdoors. I am usually alone and filming while trying to manipulate flags or reflectors is sometimes impossible. There is adequate built-in adjustment for sliding the assembly forward/back to accommodate different lens lengths. I have a zoom, a telephoto, and two different primes that all work well with it. I found absolutely no problems with bent or broken parts, scratches or dings. Other customers may have gotten repackaged units, but this one was pristine and well packed with fitted foam inserts in a decent cardboard box. You may want to consider buying a more robust container to keep it in, though. A few minor cons: - There is a little sloppiness in the swing-away locking pin if you don't press it home firmly after swinging closed. - The donuts are made out of some thick foam material that seems to be heavier (weight wise) than need be. You can DIY your own from thin foam from the crafts store to fit your lenses better and to reduce weight. Just take one of the supplied donuts that will never be used and cut out a much larger hole in the center to use as a spacer ring to support your thinner one. You'll need about 1/4" thickness to keep it from flopping around. - The 15mm rail mounting holes are a bit oversized so you need to really bear down on the clamping lever to get it secure on the rails. It looks like it's diecast, but should have critical dimensions like that machined. I improved the problem with a longer lever arm and a new nut plate. - There doesn't seem to be much use for the 16x9 Matte, except that it may help with some potential reflections within the box shell, and it looks like it belongs there. Also helps to make the unit look a little more 'pro'. Could also come in handy as a base for mounting DIY mattes or masks. It snaps into place and is easily removable. One not-so-minor con: - The rail horizontal and vertical offset requires that you have fully adjustable camera mounting plates for alignment. There is provision for vertical adjustment, but it wasn't enough to get the lens on center without making a riser block for my camera. I am using this with a Canon T2i (550D), not only for video, but for stills too. I will update if I think of anything more to comment on. Update, Sept. 2013: Ordered and received two 4x4 glass filters from Amazon, made by Cavision. One is a 0.9 ND and the other is a Linear Polarizer, both 4mm thick. They both fit well, but anything thicker than 4mm won't fit this matte box (The tapered spring-loaded grips are just a hair over 4mm thick). They're somewhat heavy, but they are made of glass after all. The 0.9 is three stops attenuation, which is still not enough in daylight to expose well with my Sigma f/1.4 30mm prime lens wide open. I still need another 0.6 or 0.9 in the path, so I've been using a screw-in filter until I get another 4x4. It's so much more convenient to have your filters on the matte box rather than the lens when you plan to change lenses during a shoot. The linear polarizer is fine as long as you don't depend on auto-focus, which should not be an issue with DSLR video anyway.

This is a good mattbox for the $ but the biggest problem that i had was that it simply didnt go up high or low enough for my camera to fit

Ok, here's the deal, and I'll make it quick!! Let's look at the pros and cons. PROS 1. This mattebox is going to give you a professional polished look to your clients when you slap this badboy in front of your DSLR or (god forbid!) camcorder. No more people questioning why you are shooting with a DSLR. They will focus on your mattebox!! 2. The price is right. Try getting this matte box anywhere else and be ready to shell out hundreds of dollars. 3. This Mattebox looks better than a lens hood and filter! CONS 1. Start pumping weights! This mattebox can get heavy when you throw it on your shoulder rig. No worries if it's on your tripod. Just make sure that your tripod supports the FULL weight of your rig, mattebox, and camera. 2. You will have to check ever so often to make sure you're not missing a screw or knob. If you are, you'd better find it because it will decrease the functionality of the mattebox. Always take some time and make sure the scrfews and knobs are snug. 3. The main compartment is made of plastic, so it can get scratched up. 4. The swing away has a little bit of play 5. The donuts for the back can fall out easily and do no fit snug and tight. I said "to hell with it" and do not use them anymore. 6. You should use automatic lenses with this or a follow focus system. Turning the focus ring manually is a nightmare. But you can't fully blame this mattebox for that! SUMMARY I purely purchased this mattebox to give me a more profession look on set. For some strange reason, the talent is more excited and gives you a better performance when they see the Red Star DSLR pro II MatteBox! I already have 3 lens hoods, and many filters for my camera. that does not cut it when you're out in the field. You'll learn that video production is all about perception. Another thing that i liked about this mattebox was the 16:9 matte frame in the front. This is what sold me because the cheaper matteboxes did not have it. You will have to pay attention and make sure the french flags are not in the shot. but that goes with any mattebox.