Genus ProfilesThis the area of our site where we share the stories and experiences of Genus users. If you have a Genus tale to tell, please get in touch with us and we will share it with the world.
Philip Bloom, Panasonic GH1 and Genus Matte Box
Genus had the pleasure of meeting Director of Photography and blogger extraordinaire, Philip Bloom at NAB.
Philip is an incredibly busy guy, travelling the world, shooting and blogging as he goes. Whilst shooting in Hawaii, Philip blogged about his experience with the new yet to be released Panasonic GH1 and the Genus Matte Box. We believe Philip is the first person to post pictures on the net of a GH1 rigged with a matte box and we are honored he chose a Genus Matte Box.
Here is a little of what Philip Bloom had to say. "This is a really affordable set up…most Matte Boxes and supports cost a lot of money and are often out of the price range of the keen amateur or indie film maker, but they really are essentially in many situations..." Read more of what Philip has to say and see more pictures of the Genus Matte Box in action with the Panasonic Lumix GH1 on his blog
Patrick Brown and Genus
We were recently caught up with Patrick Brown. After decades as a staff foreign correspondent for the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, Patrick is now an independent TV documentary maker based in Beijing. He had this to say about the Genus range of products
Selecting equipment for filming in the Peoples’ Republic of China often involves compromises. The need for discreet access in sensitive situations dictates limits on the size, weight and degree of obtrusive appearance of your gear, but there can be an undesirable tradeoff in image quality. The Matte Box from Genus was a happy discovery for us when we bought a Sony EX3 camera fitted with a Fujinon HS18X5.5BERM High Definition Lens. A matte box is indispensible for certain kinds of shoots, but it attracts unwelcome attention by adding to the professional look of the camera. We can’t have our matte box mounted all the time, but we need to be able to mount it quickly when it is needed. One outstanding feature of the Genus is that it is extremely rugged and stable when mounted with the advanced adaptor bars, but it can also be attached and dismounted very rapidly directly onto the lens.
The Genus is extremely light. Even with two filters loaded into the snug filter trays, it does not unbalance the camera or put significant stress on the lens mount. The matte box, filters and bars are compact. When not in use, they fit easily into our backpack run bag. The Genus is an ingenious and affordable design which outshoots more cumbersome and much more expensive brands.
Genus Matte Box in Holland
Our distributor in the Netherlands, DSTTL + Filmgear United has sent us a review of the Genus Matte Box from freelance Dutch cameraman,Aart van Riemsdijk 
.
"I've been using the new Genus Wide Angle Matte Box now for about three months and it's just a great tool. Right from the start my experience was positive.
The first thing I noticed was that my shot from shoulder where much more stable. Of course the lighting improved, the flare is greatly reduced.
The filter frames are easy to use en the are working smoothly. I'm very happy with my Genus Mattebox. Last but not least, is looks great. It's a nice design and easy to use, I'm happy."
Dan Chung
Dan Chung is an award-winning photographer who works for the Guardian Newspaper. To quote Roger Tooth, the Guardian's head of photography, "Dan Chung is one of the world's best photographers working in the print media today. His images are consistently brilliant, and for a picture editor reliability in a photographer is a joyous thing. With Dan it doesn't matter if he's photographing the aftermath of the Tsunami or the exterior of a Sainsbury's. He always appears to put his heart in every frame"
Dan is also a keen blogger and forum contributor. His opinions are widely read and respected.
Recently Dan wrote to us about his experiences with his Genus Matte Box. Here is what Dan had to say:
“I've been using the new Genus wide angle matte box on my latest trip after picking one up from the company in Hong Kong. Its low profile, lightweight and wide angle coverage made it the only matte box I've found suitable for run and gun shooting with the 5dmkII, the added bonus is that it also works with my EX-1, EX-3 and broadcast lenses on my DSR-500. On the 5dmkII I can use it as a clip on or on rails, it fits well using the company’s GMB advanced adaptor bars which give you limited horizontal and vertical placement of the 15mm support rods. It has two aluminium filter stages which rotate and lock into place firmly and the whole thing looks as well built as possible for a lightweight product. All in all it's perfect for my needs.
Next I plan to devise a shoulder rig based around this and my existing Redrock Micro shoulder support system, although Genus say they are working on a solution too.
I've looked long and hard at matte boxes before plumping for this one, my previous collection include the Cinevate, Formatt and Cinetactics offerings but none really worked well with the 5dmkII. I like the look of the Redrock Micro matte box but ruled it out for run and gun due to its size and weight. I really like the Genus because I can finally use a matte box with my Nikon 17-35mm lens without cutoff for video (it cuts off with stills but not the 16x9 video crop) The only caveat is that you need to take and screw in skylight or UV filter off but then I'd do that anyway with a matte box. I bought the optional top flag which I think is essential, there is currently no option for side flags but for my shooting this is less of a concern.”
Robin Lambert
Robin Lambert is a leading freelance Director of Photography. London based, Robin travels the world on assignment. International media organisations such as BBC, CNN, Channel 4, ARD and ZDF just to name a few, rely on Rob to bring back stunning images from the four corners of the globe . During a brief break in his busy schedule, we managed to catch up with Robin and talk about the Genus Matte Box. Here is what he had to say:
“I first discovered the Genus when writing articles for “Digital Video” magazine. I was looking for a matte box for semi-professionals, or ‘prosumers’ which wouldn’t break the bank but would hold up to the rigours of wedding and event videography. The main broadcast brands cost about two thousand dollars, a sum which I knew videographers would be reluctant to pay. The alternatives were cheaper but not really up to the build quality needed for a box which would be regularly used ‘in anger and under fire.’ The requirements were that it had to be suitable for camcorders like the Canon XH range, the Sony XE and Z1 camcorders and the P2 prosumer series from Panasonic. What used to be called the “PD150” class. This meant that it had to be light, capable of being mounted directly on the lens, or on bars and taking standard 4” x 4” filters. After trying out a few different makes and models, we settled on the Genus as the best value for money for our readers. What particularly impressed me about the Genus was its compactness. This British designed matte box has the same well thought out features as its more expensive competitors. Two filter trays, one rotating, one fixed, which will take four inch (100mm) size filters and a French flag which doubles nicely as a lens guard. The flag isn’t so wide that it gets in the way but it still provides adequate shade from above. Having the adjusting screws a bright blue is a nice touch, it means that you can find them quickly and easily.
For my test I used a Canon XH A1. It took a few minutes to match the Genus with the camera but this is a once-only operation. Once you’ve adjusted the matte box to your particular camcorder, putting the matte box on and taking it off is quick and simple. The Genus can be mounted directly on the lens and is light enough for this purpose but I prefer a belt and braces approach using bars as well. The result is a very attractive package and, let’s be honest here, looks are important too. For occasions where you want to impress a client, a matte box adds kudos to any camcorder. The Genus worked well, didn’t get in the way of any of the controls and didn’t add an excessive amount of weight to the front of camera, which sometimes can be a problem. It’s been designed and manufactured for mid-sized camcorders and it does the job very well. The filters fit snugly in the holder and are held securely in place with a spring clip which is released by a knurled brass knob set neatly in the holder’s handle. You’re not going to release the filter accidentally but, on the other hand, you don’t have to take your gloves off either (unless you’re wearing Arctic mittens!). It has been said that the difference between a camera operator and a cinematographer is that the former has a lens shade, the latter has a matte box on the front of his camcorder. Certainly filters can improve an image immensely, which is vital if you’re earning money from videography. However, there’s no point buying equipment which will take decades to pay for itself. A matte box is a one-off purchase, you keep it when you sell your camcorder, so you need to be sure that you buy the right kit. In this respect the Genus is a good choice.”
Jason Bleibtreu Procam Asia
Jason Bleibtreu of leading South East Asian video rental house, Procam, has this to say about the Genus Matte Box
"We have been using the Genus matte box system for a year now. It is definitely a "must have" part of any mini HD/HVR kit. We only put into the field solid, reliable pieces of gear. The GWMC matte box with its bars and the VCT-14 style tripod plate are user friendly and dependable pieces of gear. We send HD kits to places as far away as Peru, Ethiopia, Afghanistan and a whole lot of locations in between. We do not have the time or patience for flimsy hard to use items."
Procam Asia is about great kits and great attitude. They have premises in Singapore and Bangkok and they offer a full range of High Definition camcorders, recorders, lenses and monitors. They also carry support kit for HD camera packages. Before opening Procam Asia in Bangkok in 2006, Jason Bleibtreu spent years working on location in Asia and he knows first hand camera kits have to be reliable.
If you are looking for high definition camcorders, lenses, monitors or recorders, Procam offer the latest technology. Their camera fleet includes the Sony HDW-F900R, Sony HDW-750P, PMW-EX3 Panasonic Varicam and Panasonic AJ-HDX900. Procam carry a wide range of lenses including the Canon HJ11 x 4.7, HJ22 x 7.6 and HJ40 x 14 HD lenses.
Genus recommend Procam as the the place to rent top gear in SE Asia.
http://www.procamasia.com
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