A photography backdrop system (usually fixed to a wall or ceiling) is a setup that holds one or more paper or vinyl backdrops used to take photos, which can be lowered manually via a pulley or using a remote control.
A photography backdrop system is essential equipment every budding photographer needs in their studio, whether at home or on commercial premises.
I prefer various backdrop setups for all my photography shoots, such as painted homemade ones from MDF, bare painted walls or free-standing pole backdrops.
Painted MDF boards are great and do the trick for small projects such as flora, still life or product photography, though they mark easily and often require repainting; they also collect a lot of dust, usually visible in post process.
That said, they’re cheaper and can easily be repainted, covering any marks. Moreover, they are easy to move about, lightweight and can be fastened to most surfaces or placed on a flat surface behind your subject.
In contrast, pole backdrop systems are great for photographers on the move who need a mobile backdrop set up in a customer’s home.
So, what’s the best option for you? Well, this all depends on your budget, role as a photographer and required space.
If you’re new to photography, on a budget or prefer shooting indoors, MDF boards, cheap matte paint and a smooth foam roller are the best options. Alternatively, if you have access to a clean plastered wall and permission to paint it, then by all means, use that as a backdrop.
If you’re a mobile photographer who doesn’t have room for a fixed backdrop system, investing in a free-standing pole backdrop is the better option for you.
However, some tend to tip over, while the middle pole is often unsuitable for heavier paper or vinyl rolls. Therefore, you may need to invest in single backdrops that can be attached using pegs to the centre poll, which can be tedious and expensive in the long run.
However, nothing beats the old-fashioned pulley backdrop system, in my opinion. While these setups are more expensive and require more space, they’re worth the investment for projects such as pet and family portraiture.
Many brands of fixed backdrop systems are on the market; however, it’s worth noting that not all are worth investing in because they’re flimsy and can easily break. In my experience, backdrop systems priced under £100 are not worth the hassle.
Below, I’ve listed the best fixed backdrop systems I’ve used in recent years and my overall opinion of them, such as price, setup, stability, etc.
PiXAPRO Motorised Backdrop System
The PiXAPRO motorised backdrop system sold by Essential Photo & Video is good value for money, and it’s worth the investment if you’re new to photography and don’t want to break the bank.
The PiXAPRO backdrop system is sold here in England by local photographers specialising in photography and is controlled by a wireless remote receiver with 99 channels. Moreover, you can mount up to four sets of seamless paper or vinyl onto the system up to 2.75m in length or 10kg in weight.
The PiXAPRO saves you a lot of time by enabling you to set up all the backgrounds you need before the shoot and switch between them as needed.
The motorised system comes equipped with durable metal quad-hooked background drive wall brackets that can be mounted to a wall or ceiling.
Each pair of hooks on the wall bracket enables you to mount a pair of expansion drive shafts, each of which features a motor drive, allowing you to roll or unroll your backgrounds with the greatest ease.
The mounted drive shaft is durable and can be used with any seamless or vinyl background with a core diameter between 50-65mm and a maximum weight of 10kg per background.
PiXAPRO products are used by some of the world’s most renowned businesses for photography and videography, such as O2, The British Museum, ITV, NHS, Harvey Nicolas, Samsung, Hyundai, Marks & Spencer etc.
My Opinion
The PiXAPRO Motorised Backdrop System is excellent value for money. It is more than suitable for amateurs and professionals working on medium-sized photography or videography projects such as portraiture, boudoir, product photography, video blogging for YouTube, etc.
The setup is sturdy and does not look or feel flimsy like similar backdrop systems priced under GBP 300.
I consider the setup straightforward with an easy-to-read manual; however, you may require an engineer to install the system if you’re not confident using a masonry hammer drill or drilling into walls and ceilings.
The only major disadvantage I found with the PiXAPRO Motorised Backdrop System is installation. While the backdrop system can be mounted to most solid walls and ceilings, it’s unsuitable for mounting to the surface of plasterboard walls or suspended ceilings.
In addition, the manufacturer does make it clear that the screws and bolts they supply may also not be suitable for specific walls and ceilings.
That said, the system may be suitable for mounting to the home interior plasterboard studs that hold the plasterboard in place; therefore, it’s wise to consider contacting a professional for this job and asking permission from your local housing officer and authorities if your building is grade listed.
As mentioned, the PiXAPRO Motorised Backdrop System is unsuitable for mounting to suspended ceilings. Most suspended ceilings can only take a payload of 15kgs.
The PiXAPRO Motorised Backdrop System does require a nearby mains source to operate the system, and the receiver can operate the system from a maximum distance of fifty feet (15 meters). It’s also worth noting that the system can no longer be fitted to light stands.
The retail price is £329.99 and can be purchased via this link. Furthermore, the company’s customer service team are based here in England.
I give the PiXAPRO Motorised Backdrop System 7/10 stars for price, build quality, fast and affordable repair options, guarantee, and customer service. Product delivery is quick, and the company replies quickly to questions via email and their social media page.
I would have given a ten-star rating. Unfortunately, in my opinion, the system’s overall design isn’t suitable for commercial use.
This system may require 2 people to install and fit backgrounds.
Nanlite Motorised Background Support
The Nanlite Motorised Background Support is a beast. I highly recommend it to home and professional studio photographers looking for something more robust and professional.
I used the Nanlite this week during a shoot here in Norwich. I found it incredibly durable, easy to use, and more than suitable for professionals looking to excel in portraiture.
The Nanlite Motorised Background Support is a four-roller support system with one set of hooks, four motorised axels, one power supply box and a remote receiver.
This system suits paper, vinyl, muslin and cloth backdrops up to 30kg per roll. In addition, each roll has its own motor, thus making it easy to switch between background colours and finishes, which is ideal for fast portraiture turnaround projects.
The Nanlite Motorised Background Support can be mounted to a solid wall or ceiling; however, it’s likely unsuitable for fixing to a suspended ceiling.
The receiver can operate the background from a range of 15 meters away.
My Opinion
Of all the motorised backdrop systems I’ve used, I found the Nanlite Motorised Background Support reasonably straightforward to operate. In addition, I could also operate the receiver from a distance of 25 meters.
As mentioned, this particular backdrop system is a beast, meaning it’s well-built and robust. However, the wiring and plastic covering the motorised axles do appear tacky. In addition, British customers will need a universal adaptor to power the background.
The Nanlite motorised background system can also be mounted to light stands.
This system does require a mains source nearby to operate the motors.
There didn’t appear to be any sagging regarding the paper and vinyl rolls I used.
The retail price ranges from £230 to £630, depending on which model you require.
The Nanlite Motorised Background Support systems are made in China and, from what I researched online, can only be purchased from Australia via this link.
I give the Nanlite Motorised Background Support an 8/10 for durability, ease of use, robustness and build. That said, I can’t offer much in the way of an opinion regarding customer service, delivery, guarantees, or online reviews.
This system may require 2 people to install and fit backgrounds.
Colorama Rolleasy Background Support System
The Colorama Rolleasy, Background Support System, can mount three 2.72 meter rolls of paper up to 10kg each.
This system is designed for commercial use and would suit most spacious professional studio settings, garages, outhouses, etc.
This Colorama Rolleasy Background Support System is a manual-operated roller system that uses a detachable crank to raise and lower each background, which auto-locks into position.
The manufacturer states that only one person is needed to fit the paper rolls into place, unlike many other systems on the market that require two people.
The Colorama Rolleasy, Background Support System, can be mounted to a solid wall or ceiling (depending on which model you purchase), though not a suspended ceiling in contrast, and like many other systems on the market, it’s probably unsuitable for mounting to plasterboard walls.
Unlike traditional background systems, the manually operated Colorama Rolleasy has no chains or free-swinging moving parts.
My Opinion
I’ve used the manual-operated Colorama Rolleasy Background Support System several times in recent years. While I found operating straightforward, this specific system is more labour-intensive.
The manual system does not have a remote receiver; however, the manufacturer sells motorised systems that can be remotely operated. First Call, who sells this specific system, states: “Purchasers of the Manual Colorama Rolleasy can retrofit the motorised components or mix manual and motorised rollers on the same mounting brackets.”
It’s also worth noting that this model is only suitable for ‘paper backgrounds’, which may not suit some professional photography projects requiring vinyl or muslin.
In addition, this system cannot be mounted to light stands.
The Colorama Rolleasy, Background Support System, is somewhat pricy for what is on offer. Moreover, this specific system ‘may not suit some disabled photographers’ with mobility problems.
The system is well-built, and the provider, First Call, has an excellent sales team.
Installation seems straightforward, though it may require a professional to install. The system can also be supplied with additional support, i.e. chains and hooks fitted to the ceiling.
This model retails at £1,815.00 and can be purchased from the supplier via this link.
While pricey, the manufacturers of RollEasy do offer excellent customer service and can customise their products to the customer’s needs. For more information, please click this link here.
I give the manually operated Colorama Rolleasy Background Support System an 9/10 rating for robustness, excellent customer service and sales team.
That said, the system is pricey for what’s on offer, and this price will increase should the customer require additional components or customisation.
I wouldn’t recommend this system for amateur photography; however, it would be an ideal investment for new starters.
This system is designed for professional photography, but this model has a few limitations. That said, the manufacturer can cater for customer customisation, which is excellent because most background suppliers don’t offer this service.
While this system does have a few disadvantages, it’s certainly a system I will invest in for larger projects that require a professional setup.
This system may require 2 people to install; however, only one person is needed to fit the backgrounds.
Conclusion:
A photography backdrop system is essential for home and studio photography projects, whether motorised or manually operated.
However, it’s worth researching before investing in such a system because most backdrop systems are poorly constructed from cheap materials and have limitations.
For example, some are designed for paper rolls only, while others can’t be erected on plasterboard walls. In addition, the centre poles that hold backdrops in place on cheaper models tend to bend in the middle when too much weight is applied to the centre bars.
Most backdrop systems on the market are made in China from cheap materials, which, from experience, aren’t suitable for commercial photography projects.
If you’re thinking of investing in a backdrop system, look for key features such as:
- Try before you buy is always best.
- Robustness and good-quality engineering of motors, fixed and moving parts.
- Customisation options.
- Dedicated customer sales and support team.
- A system that can support paper, vinyl, muslin, etc.
- A system that can take more than 3-6 rolls of backdrops.
In addition to the above, I would advise finding a showroom or specialist photography organisation specialising in backdrop systems before buying one online.
It’s also worth noting that plenty of space is required for a quality motorised or manually operated backdrop system along with tall ceilings.
J. J. Williamson – The Norfolk Photographer
Jon Williamson is an ethical Norfolk-based award-winning photographic journalist with over fifteen years of experience in the photography industry, specialising in portraiture, boudoir, flora, landscapes, prints, frames, etc. For more information, please email the Norfolk Photographer below.