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. 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.

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). Unlike virtually every other camera I've tested, the Theta Z1 has nonremovable storage. The device has about 19GB of usable storage, but if you fill that up, you'll have to delete files on the camera to keep using it. To be sure, 19GB isn't small; the company says you'll be able to store roughly 40 minutes of 4K-quality video. In my experience, a 2-minute 4K clip took up 950MB.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.

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.

Weaknesses and disadvantages of a 360 camera

The big difference between DSLRs/smartphones and 360 cameras is that 360 degree cameras capture the entire space in all directions instead of cutting out a part of the space.

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. LONDON, 18 November 2019 - Ricoh Company, Ltd. and Ricoh Imaging Europe S.A.S. are pleased to announce the release of the RICOH THETA SC2. The SC2 is the “Enthusiast” level model of the RICOH THETA 360° camera series, capable of capturing 360° still images and video footage. The RICOH THETA SC2 is easy to use, simple to operate, and features a variety of functions. 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. Camera performance: what kind of camera performance do you require for your purpose? For example, if you want to save memories with family and friends, or you want to create and publish works of art, or you want to shoot the starry night sky, and so on. All of these applications will require varying levels of image quality and camera performance.As they need to capture a full 360 degrees of action, most 360 cams are designed with more than one bulbous lens. And, if you don't want half of the image to be the side of your head, you have to mount the camera pretty far from your body.