New Tilta Matte Box for Small Cameras (P4K, P6K, etc)

Tilta has announced a smaller lightweight matte box for smaller cameras. Currently only $85 with pre-order from B&H.

https://tiltaing.tilta.com/info/mini-matte-box-mbt-15

My first impressions: it is tiny and made out of somewhat flexible plastic so very light weight (square filters weight more). It comes with a 15mm rail attachment thingie and a short 10cm rail with an attachment piece that can be attached to the camera cage. The 4x5,65 filter tray at the front seems a bit too tight for 4 mm filters, with a tiny spring loaded plastic stopper at the entry point, not that 4 mm filter would move on their own if the filter slot stays this tight. 4x4 filters seem to be usable from 23*-> with an adapter ring and one screw on filter before the mattebox clamp ring. Light blocking panels, to fill the open sides with the smaller square filter would come in handy... oh and it has the tiny carbon fiber "french flag" on the top.

*speedbooster, sigma 18-35 on a pocket 4k not cropped.

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I just received mine yesterday. Here is what came in the box. This is a great deal. I have the Bright Tangerine Misfit and other than the fact that the Misfit can have 2 filters and a larger front diameter clamp mount, the Tilta mini matte-box is very lightweight and sturdy solid hard plastic (does not feel cheap at all). The top flag is carbon fiber too. It comes with rings and even a 15mm rod clamp which a similar Bright Tangerine Misfit set me back about $700 a year ago. The Misfit is slightly heavier too and the rubber matte box is a bit flimsy.

I tried it on the UMP G2 and also the Pocket 6K. Very lite and versatile. I can use all my 82mm circular filters with it. I pre-ordered it during the Christmas deal for about $85. It's a win-win and I should have gotten two. But still at $99, it still is affordable.

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looks like a concept copied from Polar Pro's Base Camp Matte Box/Filter system.

https://www.polarprofilters.com/pages/basecamp-matte-box

looks like a concept copied from Polar Pro's Base Camp Matte Box/Filter system.

https://www.polarprofilters.com/pages/basecamp-matte-box

Polar Pro’s Base Camp only works with Polar Pro filters and its filters will not work in other systems. Good reasons to give it a wide berth. Unfortunately, the YouTube “influencers” that Polar Pro has been paying to hype this product either don’t mention at all that this is a proprietary, closed system, or downplay the significance.

There’s also nothing new about this. In still photography, it has been possible to use square and round filters together, one of the features that’s being hyped, for decades. This makes it possible to separately adjust the placement of a graduated neutral density filter and a polariser, which is quite useful in landscape photography in particular. See Lee Filters for an example of a system with which this can be done.

Now with the Tilta Matte Box and Mini Follow Focus, I declare my original BMPCC Frankenstein complete.

Somewhere in there is the orig. BMPCC.
If I could just find it so that I can put in the SD card.

IMG_1101.JPG (95.05 KiB) Viewed 7348 times

First issue with this matte box... the flag rotation tightening piece, was tightened so much/wrongly that the threads on the clamping piece were torn so much the flag can't be tightened at all, also theres small screw mark on the frame piece (screw too long?) By miracle it was somehow holding it until i went and loosened the screw. So now the screw clicks of the thread just when it is supposed to start tightening the small rod on the flag.

Contacted tilta support, if they could send just the small tightening piece+screw... waiting for response. For now need to test with some small nylon washers that I have somewhere if they can help tightening it up with the remaining threads.

First issue with this matte box... the flag rotation tightening piece, was tightened so much/wrongly that the threads on the clamping piece were torn so much the flag can't be tightened at all, also theres small screw mark on the frame piece (screw too long?) By miracle it was somehow holding it until i went and loosened the screw. So now the screw clicks of the thread just when it is supposed to start tightening the small rod on the flag.

Contacted tilta support, if they could send just the small tightening piece+screw... waiting for response. For now need to test with some small nylon washers that I have somewhere if they can help tightening it up with the remaining threads.

I don't have this issue. The flag lock lever does not have to be tighten so much. To loosen, just a slight turn to the right; to lock, just a slight turn to the left until it stop. Don't force it.

As for the small screws you mentioned, I don't see my copy to be long. Maybe you need to just get it replaced.

3 x washers (m2? abit too small but screwable on the screw) seem to be thick enough so the adjustment screw holds and is in the adjustment zone. Also my adjustment screws threads have seen better days, found some hex bolts that seem to be the same thread, but a bit too long and no finger adjustment. Some mishandling when assembled seems to be the cause of my problems. Need some new parts to fix this properly, that much aluminium thread pieces came out of the screw hole.

looks like a concept copied from Polar Pro's Base Camp Matte Box/Filter system.

https://www.polarprofilters.com/pages/basecamp-matte-box

Polar Pro’s Base Camp only works with Polar Pro filters and its filters will not work in other systems. Good reasons to give it a wide berth. Unfortunately, the YouTube “influencers” that Polar Pro has been paying to hype this product either don’t mention at all that this is a proprietary, closed system, or downplay the significance.

There’s also nothing new about this. In still photography, it has been possible to use square and round filters together, one of the features that’s being hyped, for decades. This makes it possible to separately adjust the placement of a graduated neutral density filter and a polariser, which is quite useful in landscape photography in particular. See Lee Filters for an example of a system with which this can be done.

Gerald Undone is one good resource for this discussion:
-Upfront with terms of his review
-At 2:30 into the review, contrary to the statement above, Gerald discusses the filters being solely for use in this matte box only and the reasons for it.
An added benefit I found was the set of collars that comes with it that allow mounting on cine-lens without front filter threads of very large front lens such as the Sigma 105mm.

Now with the Tilta Matte Box and Mini Follow Focus, I declare my original BMPCC Frankenstein complete.

Somewhere in there is the orig. BMPCC.
If I could just find it so that I can put in the SD card...

Leon, welcome to the “Find My Camera” club. Very complete rig.

Now with the Tilta Matte Box and Mini Follow Focus, I declare my original BMPCC Frankenstein complete.

Somewhere in there is the orig. BMPCC.
If I could just find it so that I can put in the SD card...

Leon, welcome to the “Find My Camera” club. Very complete rig.

Rick, thank you for the welcome. Now all I need to do is find my mind. I think I may have lost it on the way. Don't really know since I do not have to it to make it up.
I will now need to find a new Holy Grail to pursue.

How is your BMPCC 4K doing?

The BMPCC4K is doing very well lately. I was shooting ISO 400, not trusting ISO 3200 due to the amount of noise I had seen when testing in my backyard. But I’ve started using it and surprisingly it looks good combined with BRAW Q0. Happy about that.

Not sure if my rig is complete. It’s really missing that Video Assist 12G 7” which might look awkward, but I’m willing to sacrifice appearances for the sake of getting the best images (considering I’m 100% manual and can be working low light).

Not to mention when I had to shoot some of the bedroom scene for the movie pilot down low, my body complained about the workout trying to see the image on the built in 5” monitor when the camera is a foot off the floor. I’ll be doing a short in a few months and the 7” will be good to have by then.

The 4x5,65 filter tray at the front seems a bit too tight for 4 mm filters, with a tiny spring loaded plastic stopper at the entry point, not that 4 mm filter would move on their own if the filter slot stays this tight. 4x4 filters seem to be usable from 23*-> with an adapter ring and one screw on filter before the mattebox clamp ring.

Has anyone tried using a Tiffen or Schneider filter with this matte box?
It seems that some matte boxes have trouble with them.
https://www.eoshd.com/comments/topic/13 ... er-tiffen/

looks like a concept copied from Polar Pro's Base Camp Matte Box/Filter system.

https://www.polarprofilters.com/pages/basecamp-matte-box

Polar Pro’s Base Camp only works with Polar Pro filters and its filters will not work in other systems. Good reasons to give it a wide berth. Unfortunately, the YouTube “influencers” that Polar Pro has been paying to hype this product either don’t mention at all that this is a proprietary, closed system, or downplay the significance.

There’s also nothing new about this. In still photography, it has been possible to use square and round filters together, one of the features that’s being hyped, for decades. This makes it possible to separately adjust the placement of a graduated neutral density filter and a polariser, which is quite useful in landscape photography in particular. See Lee Filters for an example of a system with which this can be done.

Gerald Undone is one good resource for this discussion:
-Upfront with terms of his review
-At 2:30 into the review, contrary to the statement above, Gerald discusses the filters being solely for use in this matte box only and the reasons for it.
An added benefit I found was the set of collars that comes with it that allow mounting on cine-lens without front filter threads of very large front lens such as the Sigma 105mm.

As stated in my response to your first post, in which you suggested that Tilta is copying PolarPro’s ideas, Tilta is not only not copying, there are good reasons to give PolarPro’s filter system a wide berth. If you want to buy it anyway, that is of course your decision.

In my post, I did not mention by name any of the YouTube “influencers” that PolarPro is paying in its marketing campaign, but since you have chosen to...

Gerald Undone is one of the many YouTube “influencers” that PolarPro has paid to hype this product. Indeed, PolarPro has paid him and other “influencers” to hype its entire line. It isn’t an accident that the video that you link is not the only one on his channel pushing PolarPro products.

This is an object lesson in concerted, clever social media marketing. These are not reviews. They are paid endorsements, using YouTube like the Shopping Channel. Indeed, it appears that so far every single “review” of this product on YouTube, and of the related still photography product, has been paid for by PolarPro.

It’s bad enough that this is going on in the first place without it leading to suggestions that PolarPro is an “innovator” whose ideas other companies, according to you Tilta, are now copying.

Maybe consider that the word “influencer”, as applied to YouTube, has become a synonym for “salesman”, and that PolarPro knows how to identify and pay “influencers” that it believes get how to sell on social media. It’s a Win-Win for these YouTubers and the companies that they’re working for. Maybe less of a win for consumers and basic ethics.

The 4x5,65 filter tray at the front seems a bit too tight for 4 mm filters, with a tiny spring loaded plastic stopper at the entry point, not that 4 mm filter would move on their own if the filter slot stays this tight. 4x4 filters seem to be usable from 23*-> with an adapter ring and one screw on filter before the mattebox clamp ring.

Has anyone tried using a Tiffen or Schneider filter with this matte box?
It seems that some matte boxes have trouble with them.
https://www.eoshd.com/comments/topic/13 ... er-tiffen/

Schneider TRUE-CUT IR 4"x4" MPTV Filter (4 mm)

https://www.polarprofilters.com/pages/basecamp-matte-box[/quote]

Polar Pro’s Base Camp only works with Polar Pro filters and its filters will not work in other systems. Good reasons to give it a wide berth. Unfortunately, the YouTube “influencers” that Polar Pro has been paying to hype this product either don’t mention at all that this is a proprietary, closed system, or downplay the significance.

There’s also nothing new about this. In still photography, it has been possible to use square and round filters together, one of the features that’s being hyped, for decades. This makes it possible to separately adjust the placement of a graduated neutral density filter and a polariser, which is quite useful in landscape photography in particular. See Lee Filters for an example of a system with which this can be done.[/quote]

Gerald Undone is one good resource for this discussion:
-Upfront with terms of his review
-At 2:30 into the review, contrary to the statement above, Gerald discusses the filters being solely for use in this matte box only and the reasons for it.
An added benefit I found was the set of collars that comes with it that allow mounting on cine-lens without front filter threads of very large front lens such as the Sigma 105mm.[/quote]

As stated in my response to your first post, in which you suggested that Tilta is copying PolarPro’s ideas, Tilta is not only not copying, there are good reasons to give PolarPro’s filter system a wide berth. If you want to buy it anyway, that is of course your decision.

In my post, I did not mention by name any of the YouTube “influencers” that PolarPro is paying in its marketing campaign, but since you have chosen to...

Gerald Undone is one of the many YouTube “influencers” that PolarPro has paid to hype this product. Indeed, PolarPro has paid him and other “influencers” to hype its entire line. It isn’t an accident that the video that you link is not the only one on his channel pushing PolarPro products.

This is an object lesson in concerted, clever social media marketing. These are not reviews. They are paid endorsements, using YouTube like the Shopping Channel. Indeed, it appears that so far every single “review” of this product on YouTube, and of the related still photography product, has been paid for by PolarPro.

It’s bad enough that this is going on in the first place without it leading to suggestions that PolarPro is an “innovator” whose ideas other companies, according to you Tilta, are now copying.

Maybe consider that the word “influencer”, as applied to YouTube, has become a synonym for “salesman”, and that PolarPro knows how to identify and pay “influencers” that it believes get how to sell on social media. It’s a Win-Win for these YouTubers and the companies that they’re working for. Maybe less of a win for consumers and basic ethics.[/quote]

1. The only fact you provide for staying away from the PolarPro matte box solution is the proprietary filter system it employs. You then go on to insinuate that fact is somehow obscured. Contrary to your conspiracy, both PolarPro and Gerald Undone clearly point this fact out and the reasoning behind it.

2. As I stated, the very first part of Gerald Undone's review is devoted to full-disclosure of how he decides to do paid reviews/endorsements. He was provided several matte-boxes for paid reviews and found the PolarPro to be the one he wanted to put his reputation behind and review while returning the others and not accepting payment due to things about them he didn't like. If you have a problem with someone making a living with such a philosophy then simply don't watch or accept such a person's opinion. You did not dispute a single fact in his review. Your only factual negative noted aligns with Gerald Undone's one downside note in his review - that the system only takes special PolarPro made filters. So you would appear to be in agreement with Gerald Undone.

3. I have used the PolarPro Basecamp matte box and found it well built, simple and fast to setup and conducive to lens changes (versus a full on rail matte box system such as our Chroziel), and it performs well. The only negative I have is you cannot stack 2 filters.

Have you personally used the PolarPro matte box and have experienced factual reasons for your advice to stay far away from it?
If not, do you have factual knowledge beyond the published requirement for proprietary filters that you can provide to support your negative advice on the product?

Hi John,

I would recommend against any filter system that is both expensive and proprietary. The Polar Pro system only works with its filters, and its filters can’t be used with anyone else’s system; as you point out, its filters also can’t be stacked. There are just much smarter choices on the market. I also think that purchasers of the Polar Pro system are likely to be in for a hell of a shock if they try to sell this gear. People who know what they are doing, and what the choices are, are unlikely to have any interest in buying. I think that the second hand market is likely to be extremely limited.

It is simply a fact that many of the YouTube “influencers” that Polar Pro has hired to push this product either omit to say that the system is proprietary or gloss over it. They do not give serious attention in their “reviews” to non-proprietary choices or to the significance of purchasing a closed system. Nor do they talk about the fact that Polar Pro is trying to sell a proprietary system in a crowded non-proprietary market with long established players. In some of these “reviews”, the fact that Polar Pro hasn’t even completed its system, and for all we know may never, is presented in a way that practically sounds like a virtue: “Get in on the ground floor, there’s more to come” :)

I also find it odd that people take seriously a YouTuber who suggests that being paid to endorse a product has no impact on their objectivity because they only endorse products that they like. I have never heard a salesman say “I don’t like what I’m selling but I think you should buy it anyway”. This is rather like the New York Times saying that restaurants pay it to publish reviews, but that has no impact on the objectivity and integrity of its reviews because it only publishes reviews of restaurants that it likes.

Sorry, but I think that the Polar Pro filter system is a very unwise purchase, and I think that YouTubers should be saying so. Unfortunately, the “reviews” are all coming from people who, like Gerald Undone since you talk about him specifically, are on Polar Pro’s payroll. I would also point out that this discussion started when you decided to allege that Tilta is copying Polar Pro, a statement that is not only factually wrong, but suggests that you may not yourself have grasped the significance of the fact that Polar Pro’s system is completely closed.

Thanks Rob. Agree to disagree.

Has worked well for us so far.
Most of our shoots are industrial/corporate promos and training and time is of the essence.
As such, the savings in labor costs and time to improve production value and the added versatility far outweigh the concerns for resale (highly unlikely as the system works with future lenses of any size). And the proprietary filter cost pales in comparison to the values we've already experienced.

I got the mini focus
It's a very solid follow focus, small but fits nice in your hand

I would get the Nucleus Nano-follow focus instead of the mini follow focus.

I'm not happy with to much electronic equipment in mine rig
Batteries , calibration lost time
I can better take that time for good compositions and acting..

I can better take that time for good compositions and acting..

Agreed. … and good production design too.

looks like a concept copied from Polar Pro's Base Camp Matte Box/Filter system.
]

Polar Pro’s Base Camp only works with Polar Pro filters and its filters will not work in other systems. Good reasons to give it a wide berth. Unfortunately, the YouTube “influencers” that Polar Pro has been paying to hype this product either don’t mention at all that this is a proprietary, closed system, or downplay the significance.

There’s also nothing new about this. In still photography, it has been possible to use square and round filters together, one of the features that’s being hyped, for decades. This makes it possible to separately adjust the placement of a graduated neutral density filter and a polariser, which is quite useful in landscape photography in particular. See Lee Filters for an example of a system with which this can be done.

Well as a starting freelance filmmaker, I find the polar pro system make more sense for me since I'm not collaborating and working with bigger productions with industry standard equipment. I was really excited about Tiltas affordabke mini Mattebox, but realized that the "Panavision size" glass filters come with "Panavision price" (typical premium for filmmaking gear) I could barely find standards set of normal ND filters other than very expensive sets. I've seen tests where Polar pro filters have done amazing job, especially with variable nd.

In Polar pros mattebox there is a adjustment for screw-on polarizer on top of the mattebox. I'd probably be fine with just the basic kit with polarizer and one nd to make it good quality variable nd. Easier for run & gun setup, and as total costs less money than bying many standard nd filters that are equally expensive or cost even more. I understand that in bigger production environments, everything should be standard. But for me working with just my equipment, I hardly see any reasons to go with the premium priced cinema standard filters and the extra hassle. With Tilta mattebox the main issue besides hard to get and expensive filters is the fact that its not easy to adjust the polarizing effect on the go when there is no adjustment ring on top and the screw on polarizing filter is inside the mattebox, behind nd, or am I completely wrong. New stuff for me I'm trying to figure out objectively.

Does anyone know what 82mm circular filters will fit inside the 82mm adapter? My 77mm CPL fits perfect, but my B&W 82mm doesn't!

Who can help, thanks!

looks like a concept copied from Polar Pro's Base Camp Matte Box/Filter system.
]

Polar Pro’s Base Camp only works with Polar Pro filters and its filters will not work in other systems. Good reasons to give it a wide berth. Unfortunately, the YouTube “influencers” that Polar Pro has been paying to hype this product either don’t mention at all that this is a proprietary, closed system, or downplay the significance.

There’s also nothing new about this. In still photography, it has been possible to use square and round filters together, one of the features that’s being hyped, for decades. This makes it possible to separately adjust the placement of a graduated neutral density filter and a polariser, which is quite useful in landscape photography in particular. See Lee Filters for an example of a system with which this can be done.

Well as a starting freelance filmmaker, I find the polar pro system make more sense for me since I'm not collaborating and working with bigger productions with industry standard equipment. I was really excited about Tiltas affordabke mini Mattebox, but realized that the "Panavision size" glass filters come with "Panavision price" (typical premium for filmmaking gear) I could barely find standards set of normal ND filters other than very expensive sets. I've seen tests where Polar pro filters have done amazing job, especially with variable nd.

In Polar pros mattebox there is a adjustment for screw-on polarizer on top of the mattebox. I'd probably be fine with just the basic kit with polarizer and one nd to make it good quality variable nd. Easier for run & gun setup, and as total costs less money than bying many standard nd filters that are equally expensive or cost even more. I understand that in bigger production environments, everything should be standard. But for me working with just my equipment, I hardly see any reasons to go with the premium priced cinema standard filters and the extra hassle. With Tilta mattebox the main issue besides hard to get and expensive filters is the fact that its not easy to adjust the polarizing effect on the go when there is no adjustment ring on top and the screw on polarizing filter is inside the mattebox, behind nd, or am I completely wrong. New stuff for me I'm trying to figure out objectively.

I just ordered the Basecamp because it’s super light and a snap to get setup and running. And honestly, filters are expensive! And I don’t feel like spending money on a box of fragile, EXPENSIVE glass. My previous mattebox was ok, but it seemed a bit clunky...and of course I purchased one ND plate and it was more than I wanted to pay. One. Just one. And the idea of futzing around and swapping glass, trying not to smudge or break it is just too much of a pain for me. I work alone and 98% of the stuff I do is as a hobbyist. I have no crews, or bosses, or deadlines. I do what I want.

If you’ve got a big ass production company and you’ve got the time and hands to mess with $5,000 matte boxes and accessories, go nuts, have fun. Guys like me don’t have that.

For the price, the Basecamp seems just about right.

I just ordered the Basecamp because it’s super light and a snap to get setup and running. And honestly, filters are expensive! And I don’t feel like spending money on a box of fragile, EXPENSIVE glass. My previous mattebox was ok, but it seemed a bit clunky...and of course I purchased one ND plate and it was more than I wanted to pay. One. Just one. And the idea of futzing around and swapping glass, trying not to smudge or break it is just too much of a pain for me. I work alone and 98% of the stuff I do is as a hobbyist. I have no crews, or bosses, or deadlines. I do what I want.

If you’ve got a big ass production company and you’ve got the time and hands to mess with $5,000 matte boxes and accessories, go nuts, have fun. Guys like me don’t have that.

For the price, the Basecamp seems just about right.

Thanks for adding this. I've been thinking about these as well. Let us know your experience!

Does anyone know what 82mm circular filters will fit inside the 82mm adapter? My 77mm CPL fits perfect, but my B&W 82mm doesn't!

Who can help, thanks!

I don't have the B&W, but I got a few different brands of 82mm NDs, all fits with the Tilta mini. I've got the Hoya, Wine Country, and Tiffen - all of them fit. Are you certain your filters are 82mm? As a suggestion, check the diameter of both the filter and that of the Tilta.