One of benefits of publishing a website about ecommerce is receiving review copies and "first looks" at materials and tools for online sellers. One of the coolest items I've received recently is the D-Flector by Sharpics http://www.sharpics.com, a portable seamless background for product photography.

In the past, I've written about several different methods of taking pictures for eBay listings, ranging from a homemade solution (http://www.auctionbytes.com/cab/abu/y202/m11/abu0082/s02) to the EZCube, a commercial product that handles the job wonderfully (http://www.auctionbytes.com/cab/abu/y203/m08/abu0100/s02).

The D-Flector is ideally designed for the online seller who has limited space, and uses their main living space as their "eBay Photography Room," or for the consignment seller who goes on location to visit clients. The D-Flector has several things going for it:

• It has a small footprint when in use, the largest unit being 36"x27"
  
  
• It's exceptionally portable. The D-Flector resembles a large briefcase or portfolio case with a handle for easy transport.
  
  
• It takes very little storage room. All sizes of D-Flector fold up to less than 3" deep, for easy storage
  
  
• The D-Flector case is constructed from lightweight wood with dovetailed joints, giving it a sturdy frame and a professional look.
  
  

Obviously, the most compelling reason to consider a D-Flector is the quality of the images that you'll produce with very little effort. The D-Flector's seamless is made from a reflective material, which eliminates the shadowing that occurs with a regular seamless. When used with the camera's flash (no setting up lights!), you get sharp images that appear to "float" in a sea of white.

It took a little practice to keep the flash from being too overpowering. Too much light not only caused harsh shadows on the item itself, but also over-modulated the white background and caused the edges of the products to look "fuzzy." I found that I could compensate for the bright flash by holding some wax paper in front of the bulb to diffuse the light.

The surface of the D-Flector has a protective coating that's resistant to mild acids, alkalis and salts. Unlike other background materials, the D-Flector has a surface that can be cleaned with a damp cloth or with a mild detergent. If the background material were to get damaged, a new replacement background can be placed over the damaged material and fastened with eight Velcro tabs.

The D-Flector's price tag ranges from $89.99 to $199.99, depending on the size of the unit. A tabletop monopod to hold the camera can also be added.

Sharpics sells the D-Flector through their eBay Store http://stores.ebay.com/Sharpics-Digital-Photo-Solutions. If you do purchase a D-Flector through the store, use the code "AuctionBytes Sent Me" and Sharpics will adjust the invoice to reflect free ground shipping within the U.S. (typically a $13-$30 savings, depending on the model).

D-Flector Potable Photo Studio press kit - PDF file
http://www.sharpics.com/pdfs/Presskit_v4.0.pdf

AuctionBytes.TV video file demonstrating the product
http://auctionbytes.tv/cgi-bin/video-manager/frame.pl?ads&10072005