LEAR LITE PHOTO LIGHT BOX REVIEW

Right of the Bat…

Let me say that this is Not a Paid Review, and I have Zero Connection or Affiliation with Lear-Lite, Lear Labs or W.R. COBB (Distributors) in anyway.

I just happened to see a Tweet from them about their Lear-Lite Product (see image below), and their Tag Line Read:

“Allow Shoppers to Capture Catalog Quality Photos of Jewelry while Gaining Valuable Customer Contact Information. Now Connect with Shoppers like Never Before!”

So, Needless to say, I was Very Intrigued!

Wouldn’t you be?

Since I Review Products, as well as Photograph Jewelry for Advertisements (a Passion of Mine), I thought that it would be Cool to see and Test this Table Top Photo Lightbox Myself.

So I Emailed them, and they were Kind enough to Sent me a LearLite System for Review!

The LearLite Review

This Product is Aimed Specifically for Jewelers and Jewelry Stores (although anyone Wanting to get Close-Up Photos could use it). It doesn’t take the Place of any High-Res Studio Photography Lightbox, like my MK Digital eBox shown here…

But the Learlite Does What it Should, and it Does it Well! This Particular Unit Tested is a Photobox, but it’s Geared More Towards the Consumer End of Things… Which is Interesting AND Better because it can actually Lead to SALES!

I Like What I See!

The LearLite is a Plastic Light Box that is about a Foot Long. It’s Light-Weight and can Easily be Transported or Moved around as needed (Great for a Busy Store or Showroom). Plus, it’s Battery Operated so you don’t have to Worry about a Cord or an Outlet. Bonus!

This System is a Photobox with Built in LED Lights, and Different Magnification Lens that you can select (Normal, 5x, 10x) for whatever item you want to take Pictures of. Do note that it doesn’t come with a Camera, in fact, it’s made to Work Specifically with the iPhone, iPad or iPad Mini Camera instead, which makes everything Cool, Modern and Sleek (Sure to Impress).

The Reason they Designed this unit to Work with an Apple Product is simple, it already has an Awesome Camera, and it also has Wifi and Internet Capabilities! You can Easily Snap a Shot and Upload the Information Via the Built in Web-Browser. It’s Very Effective and a Breeze to Use!

Grace, the Contact Person from LearLabs (1-888-676-7096), set me up with a Jewelry Secrets Account so that I could use and Test their Product with the Back-End Management System (More on that Later).

Package Kit

The Package Kit that you Receive with the LearLite contains these items:

Since the Batteries were already Installed when my System Arrived, all I had to do was to Set my iPad (I have a Normal Sized iPad, but an iPad Mini Works Better with the Unit because of it’s Convenient Size) into the Docking Station so that the Camera Lens Sits over the Magnifier, and Flip the Red Button (the Light Switch)! The Underside of the Box Lights up so it can Remove all those Hard Dark Shadows from your Jewelry (which is a MUST for any Jewelry Photography, since Jewelry is so Metallic and Reflective).

Easy as 1, 2, 3

I then turned my iPad on, went to the LearLite.com Website, Logged in with my User Name and Password and within Seconds I was Taking Photos and Emailing them to Myself. Look at this Koa Wood Ring Photo I took. How Cool…

It couldn’t be more Simple or Easy. It takes Zero Training and there are No Complicated Steps! I like the Idea that I can do all of this while still Conversing with the Customer at the Same Time. That’s Slick!

Professional Photograph

And just so you can Compare Photos, let’s see this Same Exact Ring (from my Koa Wood Post) taken in the MK Direct Photo Lightbox, plus a little Photoshop Clean-Up that I would also Use in Ads…

See there is a Difference between a Professional Set-Up, but the Learlite is Not Meant for Making Ads or Catalogs… It’s all for Making Money! :) SALES!

Using the Lens

For People that have Never Experienced Close-Up Photography or Taking Pictures of Small Objects like Jewelry, you’ll find that there is some Fun (Slight Learning Curve) in getting the Item in Focus. That’s Normal and to be Expected! It’s just the way 5x and 10x is… it’s just like using a 10x Jeweler’s Loupe or Microscope. Any Slight Movement, like Breathing, can Move the Item in and out of the Focal Point. So Learning can be Fun, but it only takes a Couple of Seconds to get the Hang of it. Before you know it you’ll be taking Great Photos, and you can take as many Photos as you Need until you get that Ideal Image.

Examples

Take a look at the Stainless Steel Pendant Photos I took below (laying them on a White Background). One Photo is taken with No Magnification (which looks Great because of the LED Lights), and the Second Image is taken with the 5x Lens. See how Close you can get?

NOW THAT’S DETAIL!

Compare the Before and After Shots…

Here’s the same Pendant Photographed with the Photobox and WITHOUT, just so you can see the Difference for yourself. It Really is Impressive!

And it’s not just for Jewelers either, if you’re a Coin Dealer or Stamp Collector, this System is Perfect for you! (see image of Coin below)

Once you Snap a Photo you like, the CRM (Customer Relationship Management) Tool Allows you to Enter the Customer’s Email Address, Phone Number, and Item Description of the Product. That way an Email can be Sent to the Customer (Instantly) that contains all the Pertinent Information, including the High-Res Photo, and of course, your Store Name, Address, Sales Rep and Contact Info. As seen here…

(The Small Image that you get Emailed is linked to a Full Size High-Res Image that is just Breathtaking!)

It’s a HUGE Selling Tool!

You may Think, what’s the Big Deal? Anyone can take a Photo with their Phone and Email it… (Which Plenty of Customers do so they can “Shop Around“), but here’s the Catch…

By using this System YOU Now have Valuable Information about the Customer that you didn’t have before. You have their Email Address so you can Send them Fliers, Newsletters, Promotions, Sales, Coupons, Certificates (which many Jewelers do).

You also have their Phone Number so you can actually Contact them and Follow up “Just Checking in to see what your Thoughts were on the Ring you Saw Yesterday and to See if you have any Questions?” …And you have a Photo of the Exact Item they were Looking at, so you don’t have to Remember which Piece it was. It’s all right there! (The Manual that comes with the Lightbox Walks you through this Easy Set-Up Process!)

It’s Priceless Info!

If you just Collected 3 New Customer Emails a Day, that’s 100 more to the Mailing List a Month! Your Sales are Bound to Increase!

The Really Awesome thing about this Entire Set Up is the Simplicity. It Saves all the Info Online for you (and the Amount of Data and Images that you can Collect and Save is Unlimited!)

So you always have Access to your Photos, Emails and Contact info. “Remember that Pendant you were looking at Back in August? Well, it’s Now 40% off just in Time for Christmas!“

See how Perfect this Could Work?

I think there are a Ton of Benefits!

Every Single Day, Customers pull out their Phones to take Photos of the items they like. But that doesn’t Help the Store ANY. People don’t Jot down the Description of the Piece, or even the Price. In Fact, Most Shoppers don’t even Note what store they were at or who they were Dealing with. That’s Money and Commissions Down the Drain!

But with this Photobox YOU have the Advantage! YOU have the Upper Hand!

When you see a Customer pull out their Phone, Stop them and say “Let me take a Photo for you, we have a Professional System that will take a Close-Up Picture and Email it to you with the Description and the Price so you can Remember it. It only takes a Second… Here, let me Show you…“

It’s Smooth! AND it Works!

You Walk them over to the System, Turn it on, Hold the item under the Dome and in Seconds they get an Email with the Description, plus all your Store Contact Info. That’s puts you in the Lead.

It really is Easy as that!

The Customer ends up with a Much Better Photo than they could have taken with their own Phone, and they can even Forward that Email to their Friends or Family for Everyone to see (Plus know where to Buy it from). BONUS!

This Technique Works Well for all those people Gift Shopping for Christmas, or putting together a “Wish List“. It’s an Invaluable Tool. Mother’s Day, Birthdays, Anniversaries, will never be the same!

10x Magnification

The other Feature that I haven’t even Touched on yet is the 10x Magnification.

10x, as all Jewelers know, is the Magnification used for Viewing, Grading and Showing Stones and Diamonds.

10x Allows you to see all the Inclusions, Flaws and the Fingerprint of the Stone.

And if you’re Selling Loose Stones, especially Loose Certified Stones, then being able to take a Close-Up Photo of that Diamond is Incredible! The Customer can Remember how Beautiful that Stone was and it will Bring them Back to your Store to Shop.

Now, while I don’t have an Example of a Diamond to Show you, I do have a Coin, or should I say, the Edge of a Coin. That’s how Close you can get…

Take a Look…

That’s Cool!

I Love it! Microscopic Images like that are Images that you can’t Obtain unless you actually Bought a Microscope with a Built in Camera, or a Close-Up Lens that you Mount to the Outside of your iPhone…

Lear Lite Warranty

The Warranty of this Light Box is the Best in the Biz. It has a Lifetime Warranty that Covers EVERYTHING!

If the Unit Breaks, Stops Working, if one of the Bulbs Burns Out, Lear Lite will Replace the System Immediately, No Questions Asked! They’ll just Mail you a New one! One Call and it’s Done!

You can’t get Better Service or Policies with any item you Buy, no matter how much you Pay for it.

Now, let’s look at the Pros and Cons…

Learlite Pros

• Light Weight
• Portable
• Battery Operated
• Easy to Use
• Built-In Light Source
• Removes Hard Shadows
• Takes Close-Up and 10X Photos
• Stores Customer Information and Images
• You don’t have to Attach a Lens to your iPad
• Full Support and Service
• Lifetime Warranty

Learlite Cons

• You’ll need an iPhone, iPad or iPad Mini
• You have to Log Online, so you’ll need an Internet Connection (WIFI is Better, but you can use 3G or 4G if needed)
• This System isn’t Cheap (Right Now it’s $349)
• Monthly Membership (it Costs about $1.50 a Day to use their Online CRM System)

Other Uses

This Lightbox Works Great for other things as well: Taking Quick Photos of Items to Sell on Ebay or Craig’s List. Snapping Quick Photos for Websites, Facebook, Twitter or Pinterest is Painless.

Jewelers who do Appraisals or Certifications could also use this for Photographing Merchandise. Plus, many Insurance Companies now Demand a Photo of the item.

It really will come in handy more than you know. Watch the Video below to learn more…

Here’s my Advice:

Try this System out in your Store Today (Just Don’t Leave your iPad on the Counter Otherwise People will Steal it). You can Sign up and get a 14 Day Free Trail Period. Once you get it, Use it! Implement it into your Sales Presentation. It’s a Valuable Tool to Gain Contact Info and to Close More Deals.

That way you can turn “LOOKERS” into “BUYERS”.

“Oh, let me get that Photo for you. We have a Light Box right here…”

As a Salesperson, you don’t have to Write Down Email Addresses or Mess with Jotting down Everything on a Business Card. It all gets Mailed to the Customer Right then and there! (and the customer’s Enter their Email Addresses themselves, so it’s a No-Brainer!)

You can also Retrieve and Download those Email Addresses into an Excel File. That way you can use them for Mailings or what not. As we all know when it comes to Email Lists… The Money’s in the List!

It really is that Simple

I could see using one with Every Customer. It really can Benefit your Bottom Line, if you use it to it’s Full Potential.

It’s Simple, Easy, and it makes you Stand out from the Crowd.

Use it and See your Sales Light Up! :)