Having an online retail store generally involves taking high quality images of the items you offer to your customers, and increasingly a 360-degree view is becoming the norm. However, for many small business owners this typically means hiring a professional to get the desired result. The people at Orangemonkie have a new product called Foldio360 that will let you create 360-degree rotating images of your product using your smartphone or DSLR camera.
The Folidio360 successfully completed funding its campaign on Kickstarter by raising $571,960. The initial funding goal was $80,000, but by raising this amount, it allowed the company to unlock four stretch goals. This has made it possible to add a smartphone tripod, center guide film, and a black and gray color sheet.
Creating a 360-degree Image
Until now, creating a 360-degree image required professional equipment, which you had to purchase or rent. And for many small businesses, this usually meant renting the all-in-one gear, or forgetting about it entirely because it was just too expensive.
DIY 360 Product Photography – The Foldio360 Solution
According to Orangemonkie, the solution it has created brings 360-degree photography to everyone that has a smartphone or DSLR camera, without the expense associated with the professional equipment. The Foldio360 only requires your smartphone or camera and a lightbox to make it a complete system.
The Turntable
The turntable is part of an automatic shooting system that uses Bluetooth and IR sensors to connect directly with your smartphone and DSLR camera. When you click the start button, the turntable starts rotating automatically and the camera begins to take pictures. Images are then stitched or combined together for a 360-degree view.
The turntable also includes a Halo Edge Light System, which gets rid of a boundary line caused by the Foldio360 platform.
The App and Foldio360 Online Image Platform
The app lets you activate the Halo Edge Light System, control the Foldio360 and adjust image resolution, brightness, color temperature, focus and zoom on your iOS or Android device.
With the online platform, you can upload and store your images onto the Foldio site and directly link it to your store, social media or another site — or embed the image directly.
The Foldio Light Box
The Foldio1 and Foldio2 are portable light boxes created by Orangemonkie. They are designed to be carried anywhere so you can take professional grade photographs of small products. The Foldio1 is 10 inches and the Foldio2 is 15 inches.
Price and Availability
The Foldio360 smart turntable is now available for pre-order for $119. If you want to add a lightbox, the Foldio360 studio set includes the Foldio2 for $194. The Foldio360 studio set pro adds the lightbox as well as an extra LED kit for the Foldio2 and extra backdrop set for $233.
If you just want to purchase the light box, the Foldio1 and Foldio2 are available starting at $50 and $75 respectively with several options and configurations.
As for availability, shipping will begin in the fourth week of September, according to the company’s site.
Business Application
With virtual reality and 360-degree cameras now readily available, creating images using this technology allows customers to better view the products you sell online. The Foldio360 has simplified the process even further with an all-in-one solution that is both affordable, portable and easy to use so anyone can start posting professional grade 360-degree images.
Image: Foldio