photography Photography is the art, application, and practice of creating durable images by recording light, either electronically by means of an image sensor, or chemically by means of a light-sensitive material such as photographic film. It is employe ...

and

videography Videography is the process of capturing moving images on electronic media (e.g., videotape, direct to disk recording, or solid state storage) and even streaming media. The term includes methods of video production and post-production. It used ...

, a matte box is a device attached to the end of a lens in order to prevent light leakage. It performs and mounts essentially the same as a

lens hood In photography, a lens hood or lens shade is a device used on the front end of a lens to block the Sun or other light source(s) to prevent glare and lens flare. Lens hoods may also be used to protect the lens from scratches and the elements witho ...

, but usually includes adjustable fins called ''French flags''. Another purpose of a matte box is to hold

filters Filter, filtering or filters may refer to: Science and technology Computing * Filter (higher-order function), in functional programming * Filter (software), a computer program to process a data stream * Filter (video), a software component tha ...

in place in front of the lens. Some are supported by two rods that run the length of the camera, while others are supported by the lens itself. A matte box may have a bellows, a rigid sunshade, or both. If both, the bellows is positioned within the rigid sunshade, having a mask which may be adjusted forward or backward to suit the angle of view of the camera system.

See also

Further reading