CowboyStudio Photography 10 ft Heavy Duty Crossbar Studio Portable Background Support System and Carry Case - 901

I was looking for a portable background support system to use at home as well as on location to do some portrait photography work. I looked at several models and read many reviews, but could not decide on one. There were some models where the support bar would sag under the weight of the fabric or paper.I asked my brother (a fellow photographer) if he knew of good system. He suggested Cowboy Studios. I perused their website and came across a model that appeared to be sturdy and well priced (under $100). I knew which one I wanted...the Cowboy Studios Premium Background Support System (901). I did a search on Amazon and came up with several different models. I searched on "CowboyStudio backdrop 901" and was able to find the system.This heavy duty 10 ft crossbar studio background support system came in a carrying case and shipped in a box. The crossbar or support bar came in four (4) sections along with 2 heavy duty spring cushioned light stands.I like the idea of having a 4 section crossbar as I can adjust the width of the support system to my photographic needs. One of the four crossbar section had some scratches, but it's not an issue as it doesn't appear to be snagging my fabric/backdrop.The heavy duty spring cushioned light stands are easy to setup and adjustable in height. Overall, they are quite sturdy.Here's how I do a quick setup of the support system:- I setup the two stands to the appropriate height I want to work with- I put together the crossbar sections (2, 3 or all 4)- I lay the connected crossbar sections down on the ground- I place the light stands apart...the same distance as the connected crossbar sections- I lift the crossbar and place on top of the "pole" of each light stand- I place and screw down the wing nutsIt takes at most 5 minutes to setup and 5 minutes to tear down the system. Really simple and easy to use.The bag has two interior pockets that contain the collapsed light stands. In the middle of the bag are elastic slots that hold the four (4) crossbar sections. The bag has a main zipper that zips the bag close. There's a secondary zipper that zips around the top of the bag. There are two buckles that keep the bag secured. The bag has webbed straps and a padded handle that wraps around the straps to keep the straps together and easier to carry the bag.Long before I ordered this system, I had already purchased a couple yards of fabric I found at my local fabric shop. I was rummaging through their home decorating clearance table and found a nice slightly textured fabric in a pale pink color. Because of the extra yardage I had, I can drape this fabric over the support bar without any problems. Eventually, I will sew up a pocket at the top of the fabric, so I can slide the crossbar through the pocket and let the fabric hang.I'm not in a rush, but I'm looking at other backdrop colors that I would need. I will keep visiting my local fabric store to see what they have.I highly recommend this background support system. Surprisingly for the price, it's well made and very portable.** Update 07/04/12 **I've added a photo to the gallery of my informal studio setup with 2 crossbar sections and my home dec fabric draped over the support system.

I did not use this frame for photography but to hold up curtain panels for a backdrop for a sweets table. I was worried at first since other reviewers said that it wasn't strong enough when fully extended to hold a backdrop. I think it was plenty strong. It was very easy to set up, however, with 2 people it was a much simpler process. This worked out great for me. I love that it came with a carrying case for easier transport. I can't wait to throw another party just so I can use this holder again. I would recommend this family and friends

My biggest complaint is with one of the clamps holding the bar up. It is very weak when fully engaged and with any weight on the top crossbar at all, it will slip right down. I tried contacting the company about how to tighten this up but got no response after email and phone calls. Finally, I got an answer on the boards here. It looked like it was just a smooth circle but I found it can be tightened with a 5/16th socket. It would have been helpful for Cowboy Studio to respond to me so I didnt have to mess around.A serviceable if somewhat flimsy stand.

I would not recommend buying this product it is cheaply made and was broke before I even used it. I made the mistake of not fully inspecting the product when it arrived and a few weeks later I pulled it out of the case for the first time I found that it was broken and unusable, lucky for me I had backup equipment with me to use instead.

I ordered this in a rush, two weeks before a party that wanted me to have a background stand for their custom back drop. I took a chance with this one because it was cheap and had 3-5 day shipping. (It was here in 3). Awesome product with some great touches. Very solid and help up like a champ even with a heavy vinyl backdrop on it. It has rubber caps on the bottom of the tripod legs and the bottom of the center pole. This bonus was a simple thing that makes a big difference and I have seen many other products that do not include it. The only flaw is the black paint. It does not hold up very will to dings and comes off very easy. But nevertheless, this is an awesome heavy duty product that will surely hold up for years to come.

This works very well for lightweight cotton/muslin backdrops, but is not very sturdy. It needs to be weighted or placed against a wall for stability as it is rickety and does not balance well. It also does NOT accommodate paper rolls. I was quite disappointed when I went to shoot a with a roll of studio paper (10 feet wide) and the stand would not stay in the raised position (7 feet high) and kept collapsing down to four/five feet in height. This massively wrinkled the paper (annoying as it is so expensive) and meant having to heavily tape around each of the joints to keep the stand at full height. The model was not thrilled to spend a chunk of her time trying to hold the stand upright and catch falling paper. Overall, I am not very pleased with the quality of this product - it is most definitely NOT heavy duty as described.

First the bag the product comes with is awesome. Well padded and has loops for each section of the stand so they don't rub against each other and peel the finish off. Second the unit is really well built and sturdy. A word of caution there are no directions with the product however, it was easy to assemble just do not stand over the side bars while you release the lever. The side bars are spring loaded so once you release the lever it comes shooting up. I was nailed in the eye.

Worked great. Does sag a bit in middle cross bar but easy set up and the carry bag is cool. Breaks down for easy travel.