SMALLRIG Matte Box, Star-Trail Lightweight Multifunctional Modular VND Kit, with 95mm VND Filter Kit, Filter Frame, 15MM LWS Support, for DSLR Mirrorless Cameras - 3645

This matte box definitely needs up my presence on set in front of clients. But more importantly the variable bud with the matte box is amazing. I live in an extremely bright place so it is so helpful.

Comes with adaptor set up rings and there is no vignetting when using VND

Very hard to turn VND using the gear. Not a smooth function by any means.

The positive thing about this matte box is that it comes with a comprehensive filter kit. Sometimes these matte boxes tag on a filter kit as a way to upsell but the kit ends up being of poor quality and overall useless, but this one is actually quite nice. I mostly use the magnifying filter and to get a good shot, this has to be pretty high-quality glass. This has definitely been a surprisingly good and useful addition to this product. Additionally, the actual matte box itself is also made of high-quality materials. It is sturdy and durable and it travels well– I’m not worried about it getting dented or damaged over time. It was super easy to set up as well. You pretty much take this out of the box and assemble it by following the different steps in the instruction manual. All the pieces are individually labeled so it is easy to tell where they go.Now, the major flaw is also the major draw to this– the filter. Although the filter works well with the lens visually, it does not stay in place during usage. This is a major issue because it can alter your entire footage if it falls out of place while you’re shooting. This is definitely something to be aware of as well if you shoot while on the move because you are even more susceptible to it falling.Overall, this is a high-quality matte box with one major flaw that you need to beware of before buying. If you have a DIY way to fix this, then this is a great option.

I think this is SmallRig's 3rd or 4th matte box they have produced. With each generation they seem to be constantly improving and this one is no exception. This has all of the same features that you pretty much see in all matte boxes so I'm not going to do into a ton of detail here. It does exactly what it is supposed to do and had the excellent build quality that SmallRig is known for.The game changer here is the included variable ND filter. It slots into the 4 x 5.65 filter slot. There is a little gear ring at the top so you can change the filter strength. The gears look like you should be able to use a focus motor so you can have a little dial to change the filter strength. In fact I would be very surprised if SmallRig doesn't come out with one of these motors here soon. The while setup reminds me of Tilta's new Mirage matte box.You are getting a complete kit. Along with the matte box and the variable ND filter, you get a bunch of filter attachments so you can mount the matte box directly to a lens but you also get a rail mount system so you can use this on your camera rig and not have to disconnect it from your lens every time you change lenses out. Everything comes in an excellent case.This was an easy 5 star review from me. You get the excellent build quality SmallRig is known for. The matte box looks great and super professional on your rig. Finally you also get some real innovation with the variable ND with the gear dial.

For some, matte boxes are a little less than essential, but they do a heck of a job at impressing a client! You get that professional look for your camera rig. Aside from the visual appearance of matte boxes in general, this matte box by SmallRig is pretty fantastic.The main feature on this matte box is that the shading hood can be detached rather quickly. This is explained by SmallRig, but you can rotate the handles upwards to detach the shading hood (to which the top flag is also attached) very quickly. This feature is awesome as sometimes the top flag will not be as useful in a certain shot and I can just take it off while a ND filter remains on my rig.Personally, I'll be purchasing a 4 x 4" filter frame as this kit only comes with one 4 x 5.65" Filter Frame, but the great thing is that I will be able to use my 100 x 100mm ND filters.Now, in regards to the VND filter itself, it's pretty awesome. I'm unable to describe in simple words, but for lack of a better explanation, I'll say it's fantastic. You'd have to try it for yourself.Overall, this SmallRig did a pretty fabulous job with this Matte Box, and currently there's nothing that I'm concerned about. The build quality's great, so is the performance of the VND filter kit, and perhaps adding side flags would be the only suggestion I would have if I could change anything about the design. Still a neat design though, I love it.5/5 Stars from me.~~ Everything Pro. ~~

Overall, this matte box is fantastic. It's lightweight, made of high-quality materials (quite expected from SmallRig), and it's worth the price.Sometimes I dismiss certain flaws from my gear because the result is worth it, however one flaw from this matte box is worth mentioning. the VND filter itself was difficult to put back into the filter frame. On one occasion, I didn't know that the filter wasn't properly secured, and it fell out, but that was totally my fault,, because I only "secured" the filter using one of the two locks that the filter frame has. It was still somewhat tedious to place the filter back into position however, but perhaps I wasn't positioning it right.At the end of the day, this Star-Trail matte box is quite affordable and it does what it's meant to do. I recommend it!

This is a good quality Matte Box, except it has one flaw, the VND filter. I used this matte box for a corporate video shoot and was unable to properly secure the VND filter in the matte box. The magnets that hold the filter in place had fallen off. To fix the problem I used Gorilla glue to glue them in place and now it works perfectly. Attaching the VND is a bit tricky and if not done correctly it will not work properly and could even fall off. Besides the magnets falling off this is a nicely built product. Smallrig if you are reading this review, next time use Gorilla glue. :)

Struggled with a matte box for professional shoots. Needed something portable, functional and lightweight. Landed on the Smallrig after debating the PolarPro setups but ultimately I think the versatility of this matte box wins. Accepts filters from all brands and has 4x4 adapter you can add to it. The VND seems to work great and excited to put this to use.

First note: as mentioned in other reviews, the VND _is_ stiff. It's hard to manually move it in a smooth way. However, regarding the not reaching the ends, it also got me at first - it's likely just not aligned. There are marking that aren't obvious if you don't know what they're for, but once you notice them, it's quite obvious, and it's easy to align it with the frame. It's still stiff, but solves any irregularity while adjusting as well as being unable to reach the ends.Now, for the review itself:The first obvious disappointment is the inability to use the VND and the 4*5.65 tray at the same time. It's either one or the other. If you want to use both at once, you'll need another item (SmallRig 3649). That's another A$129. I feel like bundling this rather than the 15mm clamp would make much more sense to keep a similar price point. The other main issue with this is that the VND is two slots thick - but the base rig only is one slot thick. It's not a problem, except when you want to swap the VND out for another filter (or the other way around) - you have to remove the matte box from the holder.Other than that, the matte box is fairly well build, very light and a bit flimsy feeling but actually not fragile. The magnetic clamps on the side holding the box itself don't inspire much confidence (they move _very_ easily and don't lock in position), but they do fall back into place on their own immediately when released - I don't really see this being an issue in practice. It clamps on easily, is extensible (as much as I complain about having to get a 3649 tray holder, you can stack as many as you want, which I guess can be useful?)... it's pretty good.Also, the case is a nice touch, but... it doesn't really have any way to store the VND and its tray. Which is really a stupid thing - surely SmallRig can do better than keeping a VND in a cardboard box...If you can live with the issues mentioned above, it's probably a good choice. Most of the issues can be addressed by getting a 3649, but that makes it a more expensive solution.

After doing much research on a variety of matte boxes I went for the "Star trail" one. It came as advertised and together with the adapter ring kit I got for my lenses that have 58 mm and 62 mm threads it worked really well and was easy to install. The variable ND ( VND) filter option is great and easy to operate with the little wheel. One small remark, It would be great to have some kind of marking that indicates which basic ND value you are using but since it is variable I guess getting the values on there would still be a rough indication. If you want to use square filters it comes with one filter holder. However if you want to use a square filter combined with the VND you need to get an additional modular tray. My biggest issue with this set is that it unclear that the side flag set (3647) is discontinued. I looked at the Smallrig site and after much researching it showed the set but as discontinued. No other product will take its place , at least not that I could find at the moment I write this (Dec 2023). I was lucky to get a set via Amazon so I am covered but it was a lot more expensive than what Smallrig posted it for. So in conclusion I like the VND matte box options but if side flags are important for you you may have to go with the Mini Matte box system or the 114 mm system.

The media could not be loaded. Smallrig claims that the ND won’t create vignetting at a 16mm focal length or greater. That is just such a lie. The vignette seen in the picture’s I’ve attached is absolutely unusable and massive. Such a waste of my time and money, although I have returned it within 15 minutes of opening the box.Also, you can’t use the Variable ND with the 4x5.65 trays. So this product to me is completely useless.

Everything about the matte box in how it quickly connects stages is perfect. Seems well built. Problem is with the magnetic nd filter. The magnetic nd filter insert is extremely difficult to rotate and times. Very stiff and rough movements. Sometimes unable to reach its min and max setting. It is really unusable to use to make a smooth adjustment live while recording. Hopefully they see this as a design flaw and replace.