Eighth Apple Box is the thinnest apple box at roughly 1 inch tall, used for minimal height adjustments under cameras, lights, or equipment when shimming.
Technical Details
Standard eighth apple boxes are made of 12-15 mm birch plywood with a maximum load capacity of 136 kg. The exact height of 1.9 cm corresponds to one-eighth of a full apple box (Full Apple Box: 15.2 cm). High-quality models feature reinforced hardwood corners and non-slip rubber feet. Professional manufacturers like Matthews Studio Equipment or Modern Studio Equipment produce these according to DIN standards with a tolerance of ±1 mm.
History & Development
The first standardized apple boxes originated in the Hollywood studios in 1946 when grip departments developed uniform wooden crates for precise height increments. The eighth variant was introduced in 1962 by the company Matthews to enable micro-adjustments for close-up shots. Since the 1980s, eighth boxes have been part of the standard inventory on professional sets and are delivered in stacks of 8, which precisely equal the height of a full box.
Practical Use in Film
Cinematographers use eighth apple boxes for fine-tuning camera height, especially with Steadicam setups or when lenses with different physical heights are changed. In "Citizen Kane" (1941), Gregg Toland already used primitive variants for his famous deep focus shots. Modern DoPs use them for precision alignment of monitors or to correct eye-level discrepancies between actors. A typical workflow involves stacking several eighth apple boxes under tripod legs to achieve exact camera angles.
Comparison & Alternatives
In contrast to the quarter box (3.8 cm), the eighth apple box allows micro-adjustments without visible height jumps. Modern alternatives include hydraulic leveling systems or adjustable tripod legs, which, however, cost 10-20 times more. Wedges (wedge-shaped supports) are suitable for angle corrections but do not offer the precise height gradation. For budget productions, standard MDF boards are often used, but they do not achieve the durability and dimensional accuracy of professional apple boxes.