Freewell Eiger Matte Box Introduced – A Slim and Versatile Filtering Ecosystem

Matte Boxes

by Jeff LochAugust 7^th, 2023

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Freewell recently launched a new matte box with an entire ecosystem of filters: the Eiger. This slim and lightweight system allows you to stack three layers of filters: first is one or multiple circular magnetic filters, then a CPL or VND filter, and finally, a gradient filter. So let’s take a closer look and see how it works!

Freewell is a Chinese manufacturer specializing in affordable and innovative filters for various camera systems since 2012. We reviewed their Freewell magnetic VND filter kit, and the company successfully launched the K2 magnetic filter system earlier this year on Indiegogo.

However, for filmmakers, the company didn’t have any dedicated matte box… yet! To fill that hole in their lineup, Freewell recently introduced an entire ecosystem of filters and a matte box to work with them: the Eiger.

Freewell Eiger Matte Box – features

Let’s start with the core component of the Freewell Eiger ecosystem: the matte box. The matte box measures 172 x 154 x 52.7mm / 6.77 x 6.06 x 2.07in and weighs only 279g/9.84oz, including the removable flag and hood. As you can tell, the Freewell Eiger is a very slim and lightweight matte box that won’t add much poundage to your camera rig.

The Eiger matte box attaches to the front of your lens via a dedicated adapter ring, and it comes with several adapter rings, including 67/72/77/82mm. Also, you can purchase optional 52/55/58/62/95mm adapter rings separately. Lastly, an optional 15mm rod mount lens support is available.

Freewell Eiger ecosystem

Once the Freewell Eiger Matte Box is attached to the front of your lens, you have plenty of options. First, you can screw filters directly to your lens, up to 82mm in diameter. Or, if you want to move faster and invest in the Freewell Eiger filter ecosystem, here is what you can do:

• Attach circular filters magnetically to the matte box. The matte box is compatible with Freewell Magnetic Quick Swap filters and the new Eiger circular filters. Several Eiger magnetic filters are available, including UV, Blue/Gold Streak, Glow Mist, Snow Mist, and IRND filters. You can stack multiple magnetic filters together.
• Next, you can slide in a circular VND filter in front of the magnetic filters. Two strengths of VND filters are available: 1-5 stops and 6-9 stops. On top of the VND filter is a small wheel to manually adjust the filter.
• Lastly, you can slide in a GND filter (Graduated Neutral-Density) as a third-stage filter. This kind of filter is helpful to darken a bright sky so that both the sky and the subject are correctly exposed, for example.

Pricing and availability

The Freewell Eiger Matte Box is available to preorder now starting at $149 $99.99 and should begin shipping by the end of this month. Multiple kits are also available with VND, GND, and circular filters, starting at $399.

For more information, please visit Freewell’s website here.

What do you think about the Eiger ecosystem? Do you prefer investing in a proprietary system or traditional 4×4″/4×5.6″ filters? Don’t hesitate to let us know in the comments down below!