Consistently rated as one of the top 360-degree cameras on the market, the Ricoh Theta S is the creation of the multinational Japanese company known for their high-tech office equipment. Equipped with two all-new F2.0 lenses with folded optics, the Ricoh Theta S captures breathtaking spherical images in one easy-to-take shot – just simply press the shutter release to record the action.
Technology
By combining two high-res 12-megapixel image sensors that join forces to create 14MP spherical images (5,376 x 2,688 resolution), Ricoh’s third generation 360-camera is way ahead of the competition with regard to still image clarity. The Theta’s ability to capture full HD-quality footage is rather impressive – touting a resolution of 1,920 x 1,080 pixels at 30 fps with up to 25 minutes of recording time.
Performance
One of the features that differentiates the Ricoh Theta S from other 360-cameras: it’s customizable shutter speed. From 1/6400 second to 60 seconds, users have access to four different shooting modes:
Auto Mode – shoot with dynamic range and noise reduction – ideal for low-light shots.
ISO-Priority Mode – lets you set the sensor’s light sensitivity and white balance
Shutter-Priority Mode – complete control over shutter speed with white balance.
Manual Mode – set all three (ISO, white balance, and shutter speed) to your desired preference
The magic of a 360-degree camera is its ability to not just capture panoramic shot but to share them with friends and family. With an 8GB memory, the Ricoh Theta S holds up to 1,600 photos and is capable of recording an hour of video at full resolution. According to Ricoh, the battery life is equivalent to approximately 260 photos while being connected to Wi-Fi.
Compatibility
Supported by the iOS/Android compatible Theta S mobile app, Ricoh’s state-of-the-art 360-degree camera can shoot, edit, and share all of your immersive content. Whether you want to shoot spherical images from the app itself or live stream HD-quality video from a computer with a USB/HDMI input, there’s plenty of options for the user to view the content as it’s happening.
If you’ve ever been interested in adding a little creativity to the Google Maps application, Ricoh Theta S is compatible with the all-new Google Street View app – allowing users to publish their 360-photos instantly to the platform – giving life to the actual location where the image was captured.
Sharing your creativity with the world is as simple as uploading your photo/video to the Theta360.com website and then uploading your immersive content to Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, etc. If the in-camera auto stitching is enough, the Theta+ app is available to everyone interested in post-production editing of their content. With that being said, sharing video content is limited to 5MB (approximately 10 seconds).
Design
As for the camera itself, Ricoh designed its Theta S to be super-simple to operate. With an easy-to-find still image/video capture switching button and a full arsenal of shooting modes, even the technologically-challenged can feel comfortable with this camera. Weighing only 125 grams and housed in a sleek, yet modern looking body, the Ricoh Theta is highly-portable and is a perfect travel companion.
