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Tips for 360-Degree Motorized Turntable Photography
PhotoRobot designed its family of motorized turntables for 360 product photography to prioritize not only performance but also installation and mobility. Setting up these robots is an easy process that takes under an hour, providing mobile workstations wherever space allows. All turntables can neatly fit into compact spaces or corners, making them efficient for everything from small webshops to industrial size photography studios and warehouses. No matter if it’s for 360 photography of products as small as diamond rings or as large as cars and heavy machinery, PhotoRobot has compact and sturdy motorized turntables for the job.
Setting up PhotoRobot’s motorized turntables for 360 product photography is an easy task in any photo studio, showroom or warehouse space. It takes no longer than an hour for unpacking and installing any of the entire family of devices. This is thanks to PhotoRobot’s packaging and distribution of products, as well as the design of the robots themselves.
The video above shows installation of the Turning Platform, one of PhotoRobot’s larger rotary turntables for medium size and heavy products. Construction in this case took approximately a half-day, with the rest of the day remaining for fine-tuning the machinery. This is what to expect for assembly of the majority of our motorized turntables.
All it takes is some simple construction on the table and then positioning the Robotic Arm. Notice also how compact the workstation is. PhotoRobot’s motorized turntables can fit nearly any workspace, and their design makes them suitable for both low and higher volume 360 product photography.
While all PhotoRobot devices are designed for quick and easy assembly, there are a few tips and considerations for setting up the workspace for motorized turntable photography. These are mostly minor considerations, however. This is thanks to the packaging of the robots as well as the design features for intuitive setup, ease of use and mobility.
Areas you want to consider before setting up a motorized turntable for 360 product photography include space available, the condition of the environment, electricity / network access, and most importantly workflow. In this regard, setting up a workstation for the smoothest workflow should be among the top priorities after choosing the location for the rotary turntable.
PhotoRobot has various sizes of motorized turntables for 360 product photography. There is the Centerless Table for smaller objects, or the Turntable for medium size or heavy objects. Then the Turning Platform is for products like furniture or even motorcycles, while the Carousel car turntable is for 360-degree turntable photography of automotives and heavy machinery.
All of these robots are however built to either fit into compact spaces, to compliment workflow in a studio or warehouse, or even to become completely invisible in a showroom floor like the Carousel 5000. When setting these robots up, this means all you need is space to accommodate 360-degree photography. There should be room enough for the machine, the lighting and for the photographer’s workstation with space to move freely around the rotary turntable.
Another minor concern for setting up one of PhotoRobot’s motorized turntables is access to electricity and network access. The motorized tables themselves do not use too much electricity, but you do need to ensure adequate power to the workstation’s computer, the strobe lighting and the cameras for 360 product photography.
PhotoRobot’s turntables also come in a RotoPower version, which includes a power socket in the rotating section to enable operators to rotate electrical appliances even when they’re plugged in. This way photographers can capture 360-degree photos of products while in operation, like for example a refrigerator with an open door and the lights on inside.
When choosing a location to set up for motorized turntable photography, oftentimes a clean climate-controlled environment is ideal, but it isn’t always necessary. Certainly, photographers will have an easier time setting the scene and prepping products for photoshoots in dust-free conditions. However, PhotoRobot product photography equipment is designed for use in the product’s “natural” location, including in a warehouse or, for automotive photography, even in used car dealerships and on showroom floors.
With assembly times of approximately an hour or less and disassembly just as quick, the environment becomes less of an issue. If you’re planning on permanent installation of the motorized turntable, then you want to choose a cleaner, climate-controlled space to protect the machinery and the photography equipment.
The final and most important area you want to consider when setting up a motorized turntable for product photography is logistics and overall workflow. Proximity of products from storage to the workstation should be optimized.
Motorized turntables by design increase throughput considerably, and they are effective tools for capturing a high volume of products in a single day. This means you should choose a location for the turntable that is relatively near to where you store products and also near to your workstation for product preparation. In these ways, it’s possible to realize smoother workflows and also to ultimately process more products in shorter time.
At PhotoRobot, our mission is to deliver cutting edge tools for 360 product photography, and our family of motorized turntables represent one of our many solutions. We develop not only hardware and machinery but also comprehensive software for automation and control, and workflow management including remote operation of the entire workspace and image post processing. To learn more, dive into our blog or don’t hesitate to contact us today for a free consultation with one of our specialist technicians.
