my Wondlan Pro Rig has been shipped today. Feels pretty good and solid.
After getting the details from Vitaly I ordered the Rig. The actual dealer came back to me very quickly (within 12 hours or so). Communication with the dealer was very nice and reliable. Shipping went quite fast. Stable packaging - everything is in perfect condition.
So if you are looking for new equipment personal-view obviously seems to be a very good place to look for good deals!
I wanna get their pro matte box. Can anybody offer details how that matte compares to Cinematics and TrusMT? All you can share: durability (do things shake, squeak) , functionality (smooth, easy to operate or a pain in the ass), weight and so on.
I wanna get it from camerakings ( http://www.camerakings.co.uk/wondlan-matte-box-professional-edition/ ). They claim "All customs related charges are already Paid by Our shipping agents." ; see shipping section. That is: I only pay the price there and they take care of everything: shipping, taxes. Anybody had experience with them? - Sounds borderline scam to me in spite of reviews online.
Andrei
PS: I can make/buy my own filter trays. The actual matte and flags is the main issue.
That's the same exact mattebox that is sold under many other names. Nothing new there at all. I had one from another retailer and I sold it because it was not aligned straight. All my lenses were offset on it which matters when you are using wide angle lenses. And it was WAY too big for a GH2. Overkill and looked stupid. I went with the Cinematics instead.
Their price is good for this MB, so why not.
Just try to understand the exact tasks you want to use MB at. As it is hefty thing and you really want to avoid it on your handheld rig at all costs.
@andrei I'm not sure where you are located but I've seen that mattebox on ebay or amazon for around $220. $299 at the most. $360 seems a bit steep actually.
It is ok price, as it is Wondlan MB, others are copies :-) quality differ, of course.
@ vicharris - I'm in Montreal, Canada :)
I'm using this with Nikon D600 or Canon 5D Mark III and I'm going as wide as 24mm for now. They are FX - way bigger than micro. In about a year I hope I can upgrade to bigger, cinematic Zeiss lenses too - so I definitely prefer a huge matte box. I usually shoot locked on a tripod - I prefer the classic style that tells the story in shots/cuts ; so I think the camera won't be much hand-held unless really necessary ... the dolly, slider will have priority.
Just how heavy is this? 1kg , 1.5 kg or what. Anything 1kg - 1.5 kg is acceptable for me.
@ Vitaliy - I hope you're right that their quality differs. The price is ok from my research - fast shipping too.
Did you actually see the matte yourself Vitaly?
I found this review; if the guy is saying the truth this must be quite good but I can't know for sure if it isn't a lying paid bastard making false claims ( http://www.camerakings.co.uk/wondlan-matte-box-professional-edition/?setCurrencyId=4#ProductReviews_Tab ).
Andrei
What that review says about the filter trays is true. I dropped a $270 uv fliter out the bottom and chipped two edges of it when it hit the ground and the tray broke. Another reason I changed brands. Trust me, buy a different one.
Thing is you turned rigs topic into topic about choosing mattebox for yourself :-)
Ok, it will stop here. :)
Matte details from Camera Kings on the Pro matte:
"Hi Andrei, Here are the answers for your questions:
1) Most of the matte box is made of CNC. The ABS part is made of plastic (referring to the body of the matte)
2) The actual weight is 3.5kg including box & body
3) The shipping company are the popular once DHL, FedEx etc...The shipping time indeed is 6-8 working days guaranteed
4) Very sturdy - won't break up for sure
5) Unfortunately it is impossible to put the flag at the bottom, because there is no hole to hold it.
6) We can ship it to any address, but we need for it a full address, not PO box.
Hope I helped. Sagi, CameraKings.co.uk Team"
Later they clarified: "The whole package weighs 3kg Including box. and 2 kgs itself."; so the matte is 2kg - heavy indeed.
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