Last Updated on 12/06/2016 by Anthony Thurston
It is not an easy task to create a 360 degrees product view in photos and videos. A recent Kickstarter Project, Orbot is a computerized photography turntable that is aimed to provide an easy and straightforward solution for 360 degrees product view.
Orbot claimed that the photography turntable is designed with three objectives: robustness, precision, and quiet operation. Based on the features as stated on the Kickstarter Page, Orbot achieved tough construction by using 1/4 inch aluminium plate (in anodized black), and can support weight capacity up to 100 lbs (181kg). For quiet operation, Orbot included one 6 inch nylon gear and one 1 inch steel gear. The descriptions further mentioned that to ensure high precision, Orbot implemented computerized controls of the rotation with high precision via an external computer. The precision controls include a speed variation control from 60 seconds to 60 minutes for a full 360 degrees rotation, as well as rotation by angle control at 45°, 90°, 180°, 270°, and 360° (continuous) rotation. Currently Orbot only supports a PC environment at the moment which requires installation of Microsoft Windows software. The turntable is 14 inches wide and 5.75 inches high, weighing at 12.5 lbs. Orbot is fully made and manufactured in Canada.
There are a variety of solutions available for 360 degrees view product photography, from a cheap but creative DIY manual spinning “Lazy Susan” (rotating tray on a dining table to help distribute food) setup alternative to commercially available spinning turntable products (easily found on e-Bay or Amazon) designed specifically for 360 degrees view shooting. Nevertheless, a good 360 degrees rotating turntable should be completely sturdy, perfectly smooth in rotation, and electronically controlled for better precision. Based on Orbot’s photography turntable product descriptions, it is a simple and user-friendly solution for 360 degrees view photography which can be easily integrated with a light tent or any other photography lighting solutions.
You may find out more about Orbot at the Kickstarter Campaign page here.