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Lencarta Background Support System + 6x3m Black Background
So my adventures into the world of studio photography continue with the purchase of Lencarta's Background system and some black background cotton muslin.
As always I did my research and based on predicted quality, availability and value I popped over to Lencarta's website and ordered at 14:30 yesterday. Surprisingly (I thought I'd missed the cutoff time), it arrived the following day at 15:30 but alas nobody was in so it was taken away to the depot for next day re-delivery.
City Link. I hate them for two sole reasons. Their depot is not only bloody miles away from me through crappy roads but they are based on a new area of road systems which my sat nav doesn't pick up.
City Link. I love them for one reason. They are open until 8pm and it was already available to collect between 7-8pm! None of this waiting for 24 hours nonsense like Royal Mail. So with a few manual adjustments in the Sat Nav and I'm back home with the wife blissfully unaware in the other room
So, what's the skinny on the product? First thing I was glad to see was both the support system and the background muslin come with bags, the former with a heavy duty vinyl one and the latter with a more basic plastic/vinyl type thing. This is important to me as I need to be mobile as well.
Here's what's in the box:
Fairly straightfoward to setup the support system, locks in place etc and the tripods feel pretty heavy duty.
Unwrapped the black muslin and boy is that a lot of material!
I think for my current needs it's a little too much! Fed the cloth through the background rail and everythings looking good.
I did spot a small flaw in the cloth, like a bleach mark about 1mm square. It stands out to the human eye but after doing some test shots you can't see it in your photos so it's not a problem.
Creases aren't the easiest to get out, I used a spray as advised on the website and it eventually started to work a little, some help with the hair dryer sped things up. I don't think it will be a problem to expose out the creases and other than having a permanent setup, it's just something I'll have to deal with.
So, here it is - couldn't fit it in the front bedroom:
I took this at 1/125 at F8 using a Canon Speedlite bouncing straight off the ceiling and the light was on in the room also. I think it's pretty damn good at absorbing the light and you can only just make out some detail. Didn't have time or space to setup the lights but I'm sure it'll be a piece of cake to make it pure black.
Here's one really good thing: the tripod stands are air cushioned and not springs. Does the same job with one slight difference - when setting it up on your own at full width you can't reach both sides so you have to adjust one at a time - a little bit at a time because of the angles caused.
But when bringing it down, you can release one side and as the air makes it lower slowly it give you time to get over to the other side and release that. Then you can stand back and watch it automatically shrink! lol Great stuff!
All in all, a happy chappy. Won't be able to do a proper test on it for a while but have the white background (smaller size this time lol) already ordered!
So my adventures into the world of studio photography continue with the purchase of Lencarta's Background system and some black background cotton muslin.
As always I did my research and based on predicted quality, availability and value I popped over to Lencarta's website and ordered at 14:30 yesterday. Surprisingly (I thought I'd missed the cutoff time), it arrived the following day at 15:30 but alas nobody was in so it was taken away to the depot for next day re-delivery.
City Link. I hate them for two sole reasons. Their depot is not only bloody miles away from me through crappy roads but they are based on a new area of road systems which my sat nav doesn't pick up.
City Link. I love them for one reason. They are open until 8pm and it was already available to collect between 7-8pm! None of this waiting for 24 hours nonsense like Royal Mail. So with a few manual adjustments in the Sat Nav and I'm back home with the wife blissfully unaware in the other room
So, what's the skinny on the product? First thing I was glad to see was both the support system and the background muslin come with bags, the former with a heavy duty vinyl one and the latter with a more basic plastic/vinyl type thing. This is important to me as I need to be mobile as well.
Here's what's in the box:
Fairly straightfoward to setup the support system, locks in place etc and the tripods feel pretty heavy duty.
Unwrapped the black muslin and boy is that a lot of material!
I think for my current needs it's a little too much! Fed the cloth through the background rail and everythings looking good.I did spot a small flaw in the cloth, like a bleach mark about 1mm square. It stands out to the human eye but after doing some test shots you can't see it in your photos so it's not a problem.
Creases aren't the easiest to get out, I used a spray as advised on the website and it eventually started to work a little, some help with the hair dryer sped things up. I don't think it will be a problem to expose out the creases and other than having a permanent setup, it's just something I'll have to deal with.
So, here it is - couldn't fit it in the front bedroom:
I took this at 1/125 at F8 using a Canon Speedlite bouncing straight off the ceiling and the light was on in the room also. I think it's pretty damn good at absorbing the light and you can only just make out some detail. Didn't have time or space to setup the lights but I'm sure it'll be a piece of cake to make it pure black.
Here's one really good thing: the tripod stands are air cushioned and not springs. Does the same job with one slight difference - when setting it up on your own at full width you can't reach both sides so you have to adjust one at a time - a little bit at a time because of the angles caused.
But when bringing it down, you can release one side and as the air makes it lower slowly it give you time to get over to the other side and release that. Then you can stand back and watch it automatically shrink! lol Great stuff!
All in all, a happy chappy. Won't be able to do a proper test on it for a while but have the white background (smaller size this time lol) already ordered!
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