Ricoh Theta S 360 Degrees Camera, Black

Product Information

Videos shot with all RICOH THETA models are supported (excluding videos shot with the file size “1280 × 720”). Videos may not be converted depending on the shooting environment and conditions. One of the other major issues with 360° cameras is that the content creator struggles to themselves get out of the image. Cue ‘Time Shift’ on the Theta X, which works when you put the camera on a tripod (there’s a 1/4-inch tripod thread on its underside) or on a flat surface and let it take two photos.

The QooCam 8K is the best 360 camera right now for image quality. A massive (by 360 standards) 1/1.7-inch CMOS sensor, 10-bit color, and, of course, that 8K resolution make sure of that. When it comes to the quality of its photos and videos, the QooCam 8K is peerless in the 360º market. Photos have plenty of colors and contrast like nothing we’ve seen before from a camera like this. The Ricoh Theta SC2 serves as a successor to the Theta SC and brings with it new and improved features. Inside, it features a 14-megapixel 1/2.3-inch CMOS sensor capable of capturing 4K video (3840 x 1920 pixels) at up to 30 frames per second. The Theta SC2 features 14GB of internal storage.Spherical video files converted using RICOHTHETA for Windows/Mac are compatible with the 360 video formaton YouTube. MP4 files converted using RICOHTHETA for Windows/Mac ("version 1.10.0" or later) can be uploaded to YouTube, and viewed and scrolled withinYouTube’s PC and Android apps. The bug that caused the software to freeze in the "Decompressing file" state when reading spherical images because a file that does not have an extension exists in the same folder has been fixed It does that thanks to twin 48mp Sony IMX586 1/2-inch sensors and a Qualcomm QCS605 chip, which is a significant step-up compared to most 360º cameras. However, not being able to capture in RAW is a shame for such a high quality camera. The files created by 360-degree cameras record the whole scene. They're a bit big and look unwieldy laid flat as 360-degree cameras are nearly always multiple camera images in one, capturing different perspectives that are stitched together in software. The smooth app lets you edit clips from 360 footage pretty much seamlessly, meaning you can get great images no matter where the camera is pointed, and swap effortlessly between them. As we noted in our full review, the Max also has impressive specs elsewhere – with a six-mic setup, it's a highly credible vlogging camera, and the 1600mAh battery means you'll have enough charge for a day's shooting.

Our standard model, called THETA SC2, comes in 4 colors and is recommended for those who want to enjoy 360 degree shooting with ease. Our flagship model is called THETA Z1 and is recommended for production work with its large image sensor and lens, as well as RAW shooting capability. One small external upgrade from its predecessor is the addition of a small OLED display. Although smaller than the screen on the Theta Z1, the OLED display can be used to keep tabs on settings and battery life. There’s also a new self-timer button.

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There’s also a microSD card slot in the battery compartment, though as standard the Theta X has 64 GB of built-in storage, which is handy. That’s enough for about an hour of 5.7K 30fps 360º video. The Insta360 One X was the worst of the three. It took a longer exposure than the other two, which resulted in a good deal of blurriness throughout the image. Two apps form a key part of the Theta X experience. The Theta app controls the camera and puts a live preview on your phone as well as giving access to all the settings. The Theta+ app is for editing 360º photos and videos. We’re not convinced there should be two separate apps, particularly since the Theta app also enables basic editing and uploading of results directly to YouTube and social media. It’s a bit confusing. When visualizing how 360-degree images are captured, imagine someone photographing a sphere from the inside, making sure they get every contour of its inner surface. That’s essentially what 360-degree cameras do – place you in the centre of a sphere, and use extremely wide-angle lenses to capture everything around that point.

Samsung was one of the first companies to make a truly useful 360 camera, and though it's been several years since it released anything new, its Gear 360 camera from 2017 still remains a fairly useful and functional device. The Gear 360 has a fun, lollipop-like shape that makes it easy to hold in one hand, and can even withstand a few splashes. It also has a tripod mount, if you want to attach it to your bike or something else. For a video shot while moving, you can display the route you moved, and play it like a hyperlapse video to the selected point. RICOH THETA offers mobility, a compact and easy-to-shoot design, and auto exposure so that you can fully experience the features and charm of the 360-degree camera! Fun to edit 360-degree images In low light the Theta X’s videos are better than expected, though still too noisy to be usable, but we were impressed by its low light photos. We got much cleaner images from a dusk shoot than we’ve seen on other 360º cameras. It’s just a shame that the Theta X can’t save images in any RAW formats for easier post-processing, which would be particularly useful for low-light and night shots. Today, creators reach to 360-degree video cameras to gets shots they can't get with a single-lens model. Software pulls out, warps, and reframes dual-lens footage so it can cut right in with 16:9 footage.

GoPro Max

Added a function for converting and playing videos shot with the RICOHTHETA (model: RICOHTHETA m15). The new RICOH THETA SC2 is an easy-to-use model, perfect for the 360 enthusiast, allowing anyone to capture high-quality spherical images. It snaps photos at approximately 14 megapixels, as well as smooth, immersive 360°spherical video at 30 frames per second in 4K (3840 x 1920 pixels). Additionally, the RICOH THETA SC2 comes with a variety of shooting modes such as "Face" mode, which recognizes human faces and applies skin smoothing, and "Night View" mode for shooting low-noise footage after the sun goes down. These modes allow the photographer to configure the camera with minimal effort. Having said that, and despite all its great new features, the Insta360 X3 does feel like an evolution of the concept rather than a giant leap forward. For us, that’s only likely to come with 12K capture and the ability to reframe and export 4K movies. Most of the time, though, 360 is more about action than ultra-resolution (which might prove challenging to process for most).

With RICOH THETA, we have multiple models allowing you to choose the right one depending on your usage case and needs. For the THETA V and THETA Z1, this function is available only for videos recorded while “Stitching during shooting” is OFF. We test cameras both in real-world shooting scenarios and in carefully controlled lab conditions. Our lab tests measure resolution, dynamic range, and signal-to-noise ratio. Resolution is measured using ISO resolution charts and quoted in line widths/picture height, which is independent of sensor size. Dynamic range is measured using DxO Analyzer test equipment and the results are expressed as EV values. DxO Analyzer is also used for noise analysis across the camera's ISO range, with results quoted as a signal-to-noise ratio. We typically choose three competing cameras to offer a performance comparison and some context. Image processing has been improved for video conversion, and the differences in brightness in stitched sections of the image have been reduced. In that regard, the X3 is still just about the best, friendliest, and most exciting 360 camera on the market, and the software tools on phone, Mac & PC (as well as plugins for the likes of FCPX) have come a long way. We tried the X3 on a real vacation successfully, and another benefit of this camera's dominance is the range of accessories, including dive cases and more.We also test significant accessories –for example 360-degree cameras require special cases for underwater photography, so we did a full real-world review on the Insta360 X3 Insvisible Dive Case. FAQs How 360 imaging works The headline act on the Ricoh Theta X is undoubtedly its ability to shoot 5.7K 30fps 360° videos with image stabilization, and purportedly without stitching (more on that below). You get a lot of weird stares and comments when you test 360 cameras. By now, people are used to seeing action cams like the GoPro, but both the shape and way you mount 360 cameras immediately draws attention.