Has anyone tried this steamer for muslin backgrounds?

[TMR Design]

I'm looking into getting a small steamer for my backgrounds to make life easier and eliminate having to iron huge backgrounds on a table. I've never used a steamer and have no idea if they work well and what it takes to make a steamer a good one.

So I'm at the beginning of my research and found this simple inexpensive one. Does anyone have experience with this one or others that are inexpensive? Any recommendations?

I want something that works well, so if it's cheap but doesn't do a great job then I'm not interested. I'll spend a little more to get something that works but don't want to spend more than needed.

http://www.silverlakephoto.com/Jiffy-Steamer-s-ESTEAM-pr-16733.html#tabs

[hawk911]

which one? There's no link or picture.

[TMR Design]

which one? There's no link or picture.

Oops. Sorry, the link is there now.

[hawk911]

thanks, and not that it mattered for me cuz I've never tried a steamer... but this seems like a nice price if it works.

[TeeJay]

Why do you need a steamer? Surely, if you position your subject a little way from the background, and use the "correct" on-camera settings, you shouldn't notice a few creases 'cos the background will be OOF?

TJ

[magicmikey]

Although I don't own that steamer, there was a discussion about it on another forum. (It's a paid member forum so I can't link you to it.) Basically, they said that the Silverlake steamer is inadequate for muslins. They recommended larger steamers. Here are two that they linked to:

http://www.lnt.com/product/index.jsp?productId=1359516&cp&sr=1&origkw=steamer&kw=steamer&parentPage=search

http://www.costco.com/Browse/Product.aspx?Prodid=10030824&whse=BC&topnav=&browse=&lang=en-US

Michael

[TMR Design]

Why do you need a steamer? Surely, if you position your subject a little way from the background, and use the "correct" on-camera settings, you shouldn't notice a few creases 'cos the background will be OOF?

TJ

TJ,

I have a very good understanding of depth of field and 'correct' on camera settings. I like to shoot at the correct depth of field for my subject without compromising focus to create blurred backgrounds. Also, everyone makes the assumption that we all want blurred backgrounds and that is not always the case. If you have a small studio and you need or want to shoot at f/8 or f/9 with 6 feet from subject to background then you're not going to get background blur without getting 12 inches from the subject or opening up the lens. So if I want to shoot at f/9 and have to shoot at f/4 that makes no sense.

I want to be in control of the studio and not have the gear control me. If I do background changes a few times during a shoot I don't want to have to think about the big crease that happens to fall right behind my subject's head. I want to be able to work freely and make changes on the fly, using any aperture I need for the desired shot. If I chose to just blur all my backgrounds I'd be locked into using apertures with depth of field that I don't want. To me, that's not giving me the freedom to spontaneously create.

It might work for some but not for me and since I don't have the ability to keep many backgrounds hanging and can't store them rolled up, having a steamer seems like the perfect solution.

[TMR Design]

Although I don't own that steamer, there was a discussion about it on another forum. (It's a paid member forum so I can't link you to it.) Basically, they said that the Silverlake steamer is inadequate for muslins. They recommended larger steamers. Here are two that they linked to:

http://www.lnt.com/product/index.jsp?productId=1359516&cp&sr=1&origkw=steamer&kw=steamer&parentPage=search

http://www.costco.com/Browse/Product.aspx?Prodid=10030824&whse=BC&topnav=&browse=&lang=en-US

Michael

Thank you Michael. I'll take a look. :D

[ben_r_]

Huh, Ive actually never thought of using a steamer to get the wrinkles out of muslin... that sounds like a really good idea. Id go with the costco one so if it ever breaks... well you know the deal.

[gilbertp1]

My girlfriend suggested i turn my shower all the way up on hot water and hang my backdrop over the shower rod. This works amazingly well even on the most stubborn wrinkles. Make sure you turn the nozzel away from the backdrop so it does not get wet. And turn the lights and vent off. This requires litfle effort and is free! Run the shower for about 20-30 minutes. :)

[TMR Design]

I've moved on and don't use muslin backgrounds any more but the problem with your suggestion is that it's not practical when you have to switch backgrounds during a shoot or at the last minute. It's not something you can do on the fly or when clients change their mind, which they will undoubtedly do often.

[ben_r_]

I think Im going to be buying the Jiffy J-2000 steamer. Amazon has it for $119 shipped no tax. Reviews are impressive. Gonna try one of these instead of an iron for a while. LINK (http://www.amazon.com/Jiffy-Steamer-J-2000-Residential-Garment/dp/B0000665TD/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=home-garden&qid=1246312272&sr=8-1)

[TMR Design]

I think Im going to be buying the Jiffy J-2000 steamer. Amazon has it for $119 shipped no tax. Reviews are impressive. Gonna try one of these instead of an iron for a while. LINK (http://www.amazon.com/Jiffy-Steamer-J-2000-Residential-Garment/dp/B0000665TD/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=home-garden&qid=1246312272&sr=8-1)

Hi Ben,

Please let us know how you like the steamer and how convenient and effective it is for muslins.

[c2thew]

wait so what do you use for portable situations? i know seamless paper is a solid way to go, but i've heard that is extremely heavy to tote.

[SkipD]

Though this thread is old....

I have a "travel" steamer that folds flat, but is basically the same idea as the one linked in the first post. It works just fine for a hanging muslin. It does take a while to get all the wrinkles out, but does the job. I've used it for new shower curtains that have the folds "permanently" set into the fabric as well and the steam does the job of removing those wrinkles.

[CosmoKid]

My girlfriend suggested i turn my shower all the way up on hot water and hang my backdrop over the shower rod. This works amazingly well even on the most stubborn wrinkles. Make sure you turn the nozzel away from the backdrop so it does not get wet. And turn the lights and vent off. This requires litfle effort and is free! Run the shower for about 20-30 minutes. :)

maybe it is free to you but in my area we pay for water and for the appliance that heats it. 30 minutes of hot water is a LOT of wasted energy.

btw - please don't ever use blue as your font choice again. it is completely annoying and difficult to read.

[timeasterday]

I think Im going to be buying the Jiffy J-2000 steamer. Amazon has it for $119 shipped no tax. Reviews are impressive. Gonna try one of these instead of an iron for a while. LINK (http://www.amazon.com/Jiffy-Steamer-J-2000-Residential-Garment/dp/B0000665TD/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=home-garden&qid=1246312272&sr=8-1)

I just got one of these a few days ago. Not for any photography need, but for my work clothes and my wife will use it for the handbags she makes. It works great - even on heavier fabrics like canvas and twill. The iron is going to start gathering dust now!

[ben_r_]

I just got one of these a few days ago. Not for any photography need, but for my work clothes and my wife will use it for the handbags she makes. It works great - even on heavier fabrics like canvas and twill. The iron is going to start gathering dust now!
Great news! Glad to hear that! Thats exactly the results Im hoping for bc I hate dealing with irons. Too easy to make another crease while youre ironing out the others!

[TMR Design]

I'm wondering how long it takes to steam a 10' x 12' muslin. Is it a fast process that could be done reasonably quickly during a shoot or while a model was doing a wardrobe change?

[c2thew]

i have one of those toby steamers, but i don't have a muslin to test it on. startup is quick for the steamer ~3 minutes to full steam. if you were steaming a muslin, you would probably want to steam it from the back going from top to bottom. My hunch is that it probably won't get the wrinkles out too fast, but it will significantly reduce wrinkles as it does do a pretty decent job with regular dress shirts.

[TomBrooklyn]

maybe it is free to you but in my area we pay for water and for the appliance that heats it. 30 minutes of hot water is a LOT of wasted energy. Some people rent apartments that have hot water included. But if the landlord figures out someone is steaming muslins on his dime, he might start steaming, too.

Id go with the costco one so if it ever breaks... well you know the deal. I don't know the deal with Costco. What is it? There's one close to me, but I've never gone into it.

[SkipD]

Some people rent apartments that have hot water included. But if the landlord figures out someone is steaming muslins on his dime, he might start steaming, too.

I don't know the deal with Costco. What is it? There's one close to me, but I've never gone into it.Are you aware that this thread has been dead for over two years? :p

[Nick5]

Not anymore.

[ben_r_]

I don't know the deal with Costco. What is it? There's one close to me, but I've never gone into it.
Well the deal USED to be that they had an unlimited return policy. You could literally buy a TV, use it for years, then return it, get store credit (or your money back) then upgrade to a newer better bigger TV. Problem was that too many people were doing this and they took the policy away. Now the unlimited return policy only applies to some of the things they sell and Im not sure if steamers are one of them.