Tech Review: The Innovative Ricoh Theta S 360° Camera

Immersive storytelling is one of the newest and most exciting innovations in media today. Whether it’s a virtual trip to another planet from a headset or an augmented reality game from your Smartphone to catch ’em all, advances in technology are now giving storytellers and media professionals the power to give their projects and topics new life. With everything from underwater tours of Tahiti to deeply serious situations in Iraq, 360° video can turn a flat, sterile story into a dynamic, dramatic experience. And now that Facebook, Google and many other emerging companies are committing to the new platform, immersive storytelling is quickly becoming the “next big thing” for video.

The Ricoh Theta is an innovative 360 camera that allows any media professional, entrepreneur, business owner or person to jump right in with virtual reality video. With just a few clicks, this device can allow you to record, edit and upload high quality virtual experiences to your friends and followers. Just take a look at the beautiful quality of this camera:

David Cafuta – Spherical Image – RICOH THETA

The Pros:

It’s simple. For the average person, getting into the 360 video world space may seem difficult. With all the high-end technology and complicated stitching that goes into it, creating an effective 360 story can be intimidating. Not so with the Ricoh Theta S. This highly functional and simple device only has four buttons on it. It’s as easy as pressing a button to record, and the Theta does the rest. With only two lenses, even stitching is a sinch.

It’s Lightweight and Compact. The Ricoh Theta is about the size of most smartphones. It weighs only 125g, so you can easily pack it away and take it with you on your next vacation or photo shoot.

It’s Inexpensive. Some 360 video rigs cost thousands of dollars for the hardware alone, and not every business, brand or individual can shell out the dough. And that’s not even taking into consideration the expensive stitching software that can take valuable time to learn. The Ricoh Theta costs only $350 on the high end, and other models sell for as low as $250. Plus, the device automatically stitches together your clips, so you don’t have to buy any expensive software.

Color Run Live in United Kingdom – Spherical Image – RICOH THETA

The App. The freely downloadable Ricoh Theta app lets you record from a distance, change your camera settings, upload photos to and from your phone, share to social media sites, and even explore other users’ photos. It connects through its own Wifi, and it’s a simple-to-use and highly functional addition to your 360.

HD Quality. The Ricoh Theta provides full HD video at 30fps. It even has live streaming capabilities, so you can watch an area virtually from your phone. The photo quality is simply beautiful.

Milky Way from an Norikura Observatory in Mt. Marishiten-dake, Japan – Spherical Image – RICOH THETA

The Cons:

Stitching: Because this is a consumer-grade device, the Ricoh Theta is not perfect. It may not be best for high-end or highly detailed projects. Because the Theta does its own stitching, it’s not always perfect, and there’s not much you can do about it. On other 360 systems and software, you are able to fix minor errors. Not so with the Ricoh Theta.

Video Quality: After rendering the video, it can lose its quality. While the 14mp camera is good, it’s not nearly as high as others out there, like a series of GoPros in a rig or other high-end cameras.

It’s Not Waterproof! Don’t even think about “immersing” your immersive camera in the water. It’s not meant to get wet, so tie it to a drone, and keep it high and dry.


All in all, if you’re looking to get your feet wet with 360 videos, the Ricoh Theta is a great professional option. Videos and photos easily upload to Facebook and YouTube, so you can get your innovative content out in a snap!

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