What's you favorite motorized turntable for shooting table top?

[puredrifting]

I'm doing a shoot this weekend and as I browse Amazon, I am perplexed about which motorized
turntable I should buy, there are dozens, all Chinese, all relatively cheap, some too cheap obviously.

No heavy loads, some photos in frames, small objets d'arte, jewelery, etc. Need to have variable speed control, have the rotation be smooth and reliable.
Noise doesn't matter, it's all table top, don't want junk but not going to buy a high end $3K American made one like I used to rent from the rental houses
as I only occasionally shoot tabletop. I'm going to pair the turntable with using my motion control slider for compound multi-axis movement but the TT needs
to actually work and work reliably and be able to fit probably 3-4 4x6 or 5x7 photo frames on it.

What do you know about these?

 

[Stephen Mick]

Have you looked at something like the Edelkrone Head One with the Product Turntable Kit?

https://edelkrone.com/products/headone

 

[puredrifting]

Have you looked at something like the Edelkrone Head One with the Product Turntable Kit?

https://edelkrone.com/products/headone

The turntable kit seems to be on backorder and that's probably more than I want to spend but thanks for the suggestion.

 

[puredrifting]

I decided to go cheap, this is definitely not a well built piece of gear but it does have the size and features that I want. The Amazon reviews are all over the map so if I get a good one, it'll be fine. If not, I'll send it back for another until I get a good one.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07HSQ3VKR/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o01_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

 

[chris f]

I decided to go cheap, this is definitely not a well built piece of gear but it does have the size and features that I want. The Amazon reviews are all over the map so if I get a good one, it'll be fine. If not, I'll send it back for another until I get a good one.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07HSQ3VKR/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o01_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

How did this work? I’m currently shopping and am looking for something that is as smooth as possible for spinning macro work

 

[cyvideo]

Years ago a tech made up one for me from a disused radio station professional record turn table. Those really heavy belt drive cast platters that ran on tapered bearings. He modified the motor control by putting in a variable potentiometer replacing the the standard 33/45/78 rpm selector switch. In fact quite often I never used the motor as the turntable was so heavy that when I dropped the drive belt and gave it a big hard spin it would rotate for several minutes on end, I mean like seven minutes. Once it spun down to a speed I liked I could shoot numerous takes wider and closer and they would dissolve through to one another in post beautifully. It was a cheap and very workable solution. For larger objects we just used a large round solid plastic tray stuck double sided tape to the turntable. Did numerous jewelry shoots of diamonds, rings, bracelets, neck pendants along with various other products. With an infinity background and a shallow DOF the value of the shots had a look that betrayed the cheap and cheerful solution.

Chris Young