Are the collapsible black and white backdrops any good

[cdmonkey]

I considering getting one of the black and white collapsible backdrops with long trains.

Im just wondering what anyone thought of them, are they easy to clean, do they get many wrinkles, are they easy to setup.


thanks in advance.
Carl

[TMR Design]

Which backdrop system are you referring to? Are you talking about muslin and fabric backgrounds or seamless paper?

[cdmonkey]

I cant check the link (damn firewall at work) but I think this is the sort of thing.
http://stores.ebay.co.uk/ELITESUPPLIEZ_COLLAPSIBLE-BACKDROPS_W0QQcolZ4QQdirZ1QQfsubZ2529315QQftidZ2QQ tZkm

i think you can also see them here, the lastolite version.
http://www.studiokitdirect.com/category.php?cat=Backgrounds&sub=Lastolite+Collapsible


it folds up small and then supports itself when setup, I dont have any area to setup paperrolls now that I cant use my garage anymore (which wasnt really big enough anyway)

So I need something that is very quick to setup and put away to use in my living room.

Carl

[TMR Design]

I don't know anything about the ebay backdrops but I like Lastolie products very much and I've head good things about those backdrops and background systems. No first hand experience with them but as long as they unforl and fold easily and are compact, then the only other issue is the stands used to support it.

The stands should be heavy duty stand with a nice large foortprint. That will ensure they're study and won't easily tip or fall over.

[cdmonkey]

thanks for the that Robert, most of them say that they can be lent against a wall and thats enough support.

I think i will get one and see how I get on.

Thanks again.

[TMR Design]

Be careful of anything that says it can lean against a wall. If it's not secured (or nailed down) then it can fall. I'm not saying that you shouldn't buy it or give it a try but if they are cutting corners in the area of stability then it might not be the best thing or you might have to reinforce or secure it on your own.

If it ws just you in the room it wouldnt be as much a problem but if you're going on location or to people's homes then you are going to have to be extremely careful and if there are pets or children you also have to watch them like hawks around a background support system or light stands that are not sturdy.

[cdmonkey]

looks like I just found another use for the wife, lol.

I can see what your saying robert, and your right I think its something I might have to look at getting, just wondering if i have to get a stand whether I would just be better going for the autopole system, I realise you have to be carful not to damage ceiling with that but it might be cheaper and more flexible in the future.

Carl

[TMR Design]

The Autopole system is great and rather than worrying about the ceiling they can be mounted to lightstands, buth that system does not come with a low price tag. If you don't have the ability to use lightstands you might be screwed if you show up someplace that either has a ceiling higher than the Autopole will allow for or you'll have someone's beautiful ceiling that you just can't crank up an Autopole and take a chance of damage or marking.

[AginKajun]

I have one and the corners are rounded and it does not want to "stay put" by itself. It unfolds and folds up easy enough but I was a little disappointed that there were still lots of wrinkles even though the frame is 'spring loaded" kind of. They still show up. mine is not large enough except for a head shot to get the subject very far away from it.

Sorry I just reread your op. Yours would be quit a bit larger but I think you would still have wrinkles, and need some support.

[cdmonkey]

thanks, that was one of my concerns. I dont want to be worried about wrinkles. So I think I will look at the autopoles.
Thanks again

[TMR Design]

Getting the Autopoles is not going to assure that anything is wrinkle free. Many people take advantage of the wrinkles, letting them create texture and using distance and depth of field to blur the bckground so the wrinkles are indistinguishable.

You'll go nuts if you want a wrinkle free background all the time.

[cdmonkey]

I've done ok with paper rolls when I could set them up in the garage, just not able to do that.
And I agree that using the wrinkles to create texture can be a good thing but when I have used cloth with wrinkles in the past in a small space I cant get enough distance from the backdrop to get quality dof and some of the wrinkles grab the light a little to much causing it to blow out with when using white.

if i had more room it wouldnt be so much of a problem, but trying to work in just over a 3metre sq is not easy (for me anyway)

Thanks again

[TMR Design]

For the space you have, seamless paper makes a lot of sense, but you can work with muslin or fabric. It can be tricky but it works. Also if you are just doing headshots or head and shoulder portraits, perhaps 1/2 body the botero collapsible backgrounds would work well for you.

[Jonathan H]

I just used the lastolite this weekend... it was borrowed, probably about 5' x 5'..... not large enough for much more than headshots.

You could buy a large roll of seamless paper, store it somewhere, and just cut off 8' whenever you want to use it, tape it to the wall, and when the paper is dirty or no longer needed, just pull the tape off and throw it out. No wrinkles, no extra space needed (other than maybe .00001 inch from the wall for the paper thickness)... a solid solution, eh?

[TMR Design]

Seamless is always a great solution but it does depend on what you're shooting and what you're going for. As much as I like the simplicity of seamless in some situations the solid color doesn't cut it and I ended up buying a couple of backgrounds for different feels, moods, etc.

Even using gels on the seamless doesn't always cut it. There are some inexpensive backgrounds and you can find nice muslin on ebay, Adorama, Amvona. I still like the Botero and Westcott collapsible backgrounds but they're not real cheap. Having one handpainted muslin or fabric background breaks up the monotony.

[smdevo]

I have a Botero 5'x7' colapsible black/white two sided background. It is very lightweight and is easy to manage on location. I just hang it up by the fabric loop on a lightstand and it doesnt budge. The wrinkles can be steamed out or ironed out quickly. They come back every time you fold it up though. There is no train or extra fabric to extend so it is only for headshots or anything not needing a seamless.

[TMR Design]

I have a Botero 5'x7' colapsible black/white two sided background. It is very lightweight and is easy to manage on location. I just hang it up by the fabric loop on a lightstand and it doesnt budge. The wrinkles can be steamed out or ironed out quickly. They come back every time you fold it up though. There is no train or extra fabric to extend so it is only for headshots or anything not needing a seamless.

I like those backgrounds a lot. The ones with patterns and hand painted abstracts look great and you don't see the wrinkles as you do with the solid color. Create some separation between subject and background and and te wrinkles disappear.