Are Spinning Photo Booths Safe?
There’s no doubt that spinning photo booths are a great hit with guests, but are they also safe? We take a look at the best options for spinning photo booths and weigh up the safety risks involved with them.
Spinning Photo Booth Features
A spinning photo booth is a perfect way to give guests a 360-degree video of their event.
Guests stand on a circular podium and a camera attached to a long arm rotates around the podium, taking a 360-degree video.
This is becoming a popular attraction at many events because it offers something different. Rather than a regular front-facing photo, it allows you to get a more complete picture and remember the day from every angle.
Spinning photo booths, also known as rotating photo booths and 360 photo booths come with both manual and automatic options.
While we’re all drawn to technology, and the automatic option might sound more exciting, there are some important benefits and drawbacks to consider between the different options. If you run a photo booth rental business, you want to make sure you’re investing your money wisely, so we’ve broken down the differences for you.
Manual vs Automatic Spinning Photo Booths
The difference between the two photo booths is simple, but it does make a big difference.
An automatic spinning photo booth uses a motor to spin the camera around the axis, allowing it to be controlled remotely. With the manual booth, you simply push it and the energy spins it around.
This makes automatic spinning photo booths more complicated. There’s more to go wrong mechanically, and you’ve also got all the wires and cables associated with automation.
The question for photo booth businesses is “do the benefits of automation outweigh the extra hassle this brings?”
The nice thing about manual spinning photo booths is that there’s very little to go wrong. It’s a simple design that’s easy to set up, has few elements, and folds away neatly at the end of the day.
It’s also very safe, and this is a big box you need to tick when renting out equipment like a photo booth.
Spinning Photo Booth Safety
Risk is a part of doing business – that’s why we have insurance. Even the most simple photo booth has some element of risk associated with it, but as business owners, we look to limit that risk as much as possible.
With a camera spinning around a pendulum quite quickly, there are a few safety concerns you need to consider. In this regard, manual spinning photo booths are a much safer option than automatic ones, and this is something would-be buyers should consider.
Photo booths are normally placed in quite hectic environments. There’s a lot going on at big parties and events, which means there’s a lot to think about from a safety perspective.
Wires and Chords
A manual spinning photo booth is low-tech. You simply attach a phone to the mount on the arm, and it records. There are no wires or cords, so there’s no plugging in, and no need to find outlets and run wires across a big event hall.
When you’re working at a busy event this is a huge bonus.
Where there are wires, there are trips hazards, and when you’re at a party where alcohol is being served, that’s exactly what you don’t want.
Of course, when you have an automatic spinning booth, you’ll make sure everything is safe and secure but with a manual spinning photo booth, there’s no need for these extra steps, and there’s less to go wrong.
People Jumping Off the Podium
Whatever rules you set, not everyone is going to follow them.
When you’ve got a camera spinning around a podium, an obvious rule is that people shouldn’t jump off while the arm is moving. However, you’re going to be working with young children, and often drunk adults who don’t always follow the rules.
You’ve got to think about the safety of both the people who use the booth and the toll it takes on your equipment.
A manual rotating photo booth is both sturdy and forgiving. Because there’s no motor powering it, it’s going to naturally decelerate, rather than have the motor continue to power it through contact. This makes it slightly more forgiving, and it also puts less pressure on the equipment.
The more times your automatic photo booth gets stopped by someone jumping off, the more it’s going to put a strain on the motor.
Feet Catching the Arm
From time to time, people’s feet are going to the edge of the podium and catch the arm – it’s easily done.
This shouldn’t be a safety concern for either the manual or automatic spinning photo booths as it will be a very light contact. However, for the automatic spinning photo booth, it is going to put extra strain on the motor.
People’s feet will inevitably catch the arm on many occasions throughout a rental, and this is going to add to the wear and tear your machine suffers.
Less to Go Wrong
Ultimately, when it comes to safety, you want as few things that can go wrong as possible.
With a raised podium, there’s always going to be the chance of someone falling off, but that’s part and parcel of the product. Beyond this, the best way to limit safety risks is with manual spinning photo booths.
In the types of environments photo booths are commonly used, the automatic spinning photo booth tends not to offer enough benefits to overcome the added risks. You want something that’s simple to operate, needs little maintenance, and still offers maximum fun, and the manual spinning photo booth ticks all these boxes.
Purchasing a Spinning Photo Booth
Spinning photo booths can be a great investment for your business. They offer something slightly different and the guests love them!
At Photo Booth International, we understand your needs because we started out in rentals. We know what it’s like to have to weigh up technology versus safety risks, so we want to help you make the best decisions by sharing our expertise.
When it comes to safety, we find spinning photo booths are safe, but the best option tends to be the manual versions. Make the most of these great photo booths and get a quote now!