Reddit mentions of Fotodiox Triple-Roller Roll Paper Drive Set with Wall Mount Support for Mounting 3X Paper Background Roll

My budget is far from unlimited, but I've had quite a few years to build up my kit and I do try to play with things that will have positive benefits to my creativity. Over time, I've gradually built up my collection of pro lenses to include the trinity (14-24, 24-70, 70-200 f/2.8), plus a couple of use-specific outliers (105mm f/2.8 macro, 10.5mm f/2,8 fisheye, 50mm f/1.4) that are used for specific things, which I'll detail below. I've also invested in some studio lighting gear, as well as battery packs, light modifiers, and smaller flashes for remote work. Finally, there are general accessories.

Lenses:

• The lens trinity is fairly straightforward in intended use, but it's worth mentioning that the 14-24 has some specific uses that aren't as common. They include astrophotography, shooting from inside tight spaces (ovens, refrigerators, vehicles, etc.), and getting more interesting shots of performers when close-up. All of these lenses make lens selection something I don't have to think about much (outside of specific scenarios) because I know they're all built like tanks, work reasonably well in bad weather, and all perform in low light.
  
• The 105mm f/2.8 macro was originally intended for "fun" macro projects and tiny creatures, but I've found it makes an incredible portrait lens, and is also great for product photography. Add a 2X teleconverter or some extension tubes for even greater magnification.
  
• The 10.5mm fisheye was my first foray into ultra-wide lenses, but I still use it occasionally for exaggerating perspective or to add a specific feel to my images.
  
• I don't use the 50mm f/1.4 for normal photography so much any more, but it is very useful with my Light Blaster, which I'll detail later.
  
  Strobes, flashes, and light modifiers:
  
  
• I own 5 AlienBees B1600 strobes, along with a collection of softboxes, octaboxes, grids, gels, and related accessories. Their uses are obvious in the studio, though I wish I'd purchased a few lower-output units to make light control easier without having to resort to ND gels now and then.
  
• I own 3-4 SB-900 flashes, which are great for event photography or on-the-fly setup shots of products, portraits, or macro. Again, their usefulness is probably obvious.
  
• The studio strobes also go with me into the field with a couple of Paul C. Buff Vagabond Lithium Extreme battery packs. I can't tell you how many things have been made possible by these. $400 buys a lot of freedom when you don't have to worry about power. (It's a bit more if you invest in 2+ of these, plus extra batteries, but one will suffice for many things.)
  
• Real softboxes are wonderful, and Paul C. Buff softboxes are ridiculously easy to setup and tear down due to their self-contained speeding and collapsible structure. Their octaboxes and strip boxes offer the same ease of use. Dealing with the older "speed" rings is an annoyance I'm glad to say is behind me.
  
• Grids make light control easy: just pop them into a reflector and point them where you want them. Great for creating strong edge lighting, kickers, backdrops halos, hair lighting, or lighting specific areas or objects, such as fabric on a fan behind your subject.
  
• The Westcott Micro Apollo one of the best light modifiers I've found for live events. It's also great for macro work using smaller flashes when placed close to the subject.
  
  Other accessories:
  
  
• The Light Blaster is probably one of the last-known, most-fun accessories $70 can buy. Add another $40-$100 in slides and masks and you have all sorts of options for adding some pizazz to live events (project onto the walls in the background), portraits (backgrounds, projecting onto the subject, etc.), and more. It pairs best with super-fast lenses like the 50mm f/1.4mm I mentioned earlier.
  
• I bought a Paul C. Buff LiteMod, and hacked together a method of attaching the Light Blaster to my studio strobes, making the output many times brighter. (1/8" melamine, foam, and gaffers tape to the rescue!). It's a cheaper solution than the one offered by Light Blaster, and doesn't let light spill all over the place.
  
• Generic spring clamps - again, you can never have too many.
  
• Knock-off triple-backdrop rollers make switching out backdrops simple and easy. I have three sets, which allows 53" and 107" paper or fabric to be up simultaneously, and to utilize multiple walls to I don't have to swap out colors or patterns as frequently.
  
• Super Clamps, with stud and flat-edge clamp options - you can never have too many. These allow me to clamp backdrop rollers to heavy-duty light stands and shoot headshots and portrait sessions at client locations, while still retaining the ability to quickly swap out backdrop colors.
  
• C-stands and regular light stands: another "can't have too many" item. A C-stand goes great with a boom arm, allowing me to place a light almost anywhere above, below, or around a subject. And don't forget the sandbags!
  
• I use a BlackRapid Yeti camera strap because carrying heavy gear is a lot easier on the shoulder than on the neck. It also allows for easy carrying of two camera bodies simultaneously, but switching to a single body is easy. I also use a FastenR Tripod accessory to be able to use RC2 tripod plates instead of the normal BlackRapid FastenR attachment.
  
• Color correction is important and saves a lot of time in post-production. I use the X-Rite i1 Display Pro and ColorChecker Passport Bundle.
  
  Let me know if you have any questions. I'll post some sample shots I've taken using each of these if there's interest.

This or in the color you want. And then mount with this or something like it.

As most people here have mentioned, paper is going to be the easiest to deal with for solid colors. The best thing about paper is that if you scuff, crinkle, or tear it, you just cut off that section and unroll it some more. It's cheap enough to not worry about, and super-easy to work with. No cleaning (like vinyl), and no worrying about permanent footprints. A 36-foot roll of paper in most colors will run you about $40 for 53" or $60 for 107" width. You mentioned groups, so I'd recommend a 107" roll to avoid running out of room. 53" is really just for individuals, groups, and pets or products. Here are a few other things to consider:

Are you always shooting at home, or does your backdrop need to be mobile?

I have two sets of triple-rollers set up in my studio. They can be found for around $70 on Amazon, and can be wall-mounted or ceiling-mounted. Each set lets me mount 3 different rolls, and I have one set for 53" rolls and one for 107" rolls. If I want to switch colors, I just pull on the chain to raise one and lower another. To swap out a color, it only takes a couple of minutes.

For mobile situations, get yourself a backdrop crossbar and a pair of light stands. If you only use them once in a while, you can again find them on Amazon for around $40. But if you plan to use them consistently, I'd recommend getting something sturdier. Westcott makes a really nice 13-foot stand for around $80 each (you'll need two), and their crossbar is around $90, though some cheaper crossbars can be found for roughly half that. You can spend less on a smaller stand, but I wouldn't recommend it; anything smaller or cheaper loses a lot of stability. These stands will last you forever, are still cheap enough to not worry about it too much, and are fully usable as actual light stands in case you decide to start working with off-camera lighting later.

Safety

I'd also recommend 2-3 sandbags for each stand to reduce the risk of someone kicking them over. We live in a litigious country; don't get sued. You can buy empty sandbags pretty cheap (about $20 for 4 on Amazon) and then fill them with $5, 50-lb bags of playground sand from your local hardware store.

How are you using your backdrop?

For either of these scenarios, you'll need some way to keep the background down, as it tends to curl. Your local hardware store carries simple spring clamps for about a buck apiece, and 3-4 of those at each corner and in the middle will keep things stable. I'd recommend picking up a few extras as they're crazy-cheap, and great for keeping your backdrop from unrolling if you aren't using a roller system with resistance.

If you're looking for something seamless, you should also consider a roll of gaffers tape (or blue painter's tape, if you're trying to save money) to keep your paper on the floor, in case you want to create a sweep. In case you aren't familiar with this term, a sweep is where the background makes a rounded, 90-degree turn at the floor, resulting in a seamless background with no "corner". It's how you get those images where your subject is isolated against a background.

What it'll cost you, total

All-told, your total cost for this setup (doing it "right") is going to run you about $300 for your supports (including clamps, tape, sandbags, etc.), or about $100 if you go with the wall/ceiling mount. Paper rolls aren't included in this. This is about as cheap as it gets to do it "right", unless you're looking at an entirely DIY solution... at which point the price can drop to 1/10th of that.

Alternatives to paper rolls

If you're looking for more interesting backgrounds, you have three main options:

• dyed muslins
  
• printed/painted muslins or vinyl
  
• gelled lighting on white paper with a spare flash
  
  Dyed muslins will start at about $40-60 and look like these. Printed or painted ones (muslin fabric or vinyl start at $60-100 and go up from there. But if you have a spare flash, you can pick up the Rosco Strobist Collection of gels on Amazon for between $10 and $20, and then have any color background you want, with a nice, smooth gradient. You can toss it on a backward-pointing light stand behind your subjects, or backlight the backdrop from behind. Note that your camera and flash will need to support wireless triggering to do this, or you'll need some radio triggers.
  
  What you get out of your setup depends on what you put into it
  
  You can do some really interesting things with just a simple white backdrop. The biggest factor is going to be how much time you put into learning how to use it. Here's a post to get you started. Note that this article also has a link at the end to a second article about how to create interesting backgrounds using random objects in front of the flash. Definitely a good read.
  
  Good luck! :-)