The Ricoh Theta is a camera which allows you to take 360° spherical images, with just one single click. Daniel Bell reviews.
| Ricoh Theta in Compact Cameras
Handling
Performance
Verdict
Specification

The Ricoh Theta allows you to take 360° spherical images, either by itself or there are apps available so you can use it with Android and iOS devices. It is available to purchase for £329.99.

Ricoh Theta Features
- Simple operation
- Automatically adjusts the image orientation
- Register location information by connecting to a smartphone
- Apps for iPhone and Android to take remote images, view and share
- Upload images to theta360.com
- Ricoh Theta for Windows and Mac available
- Attachment for strap, available in green, orange, blue, silver and grey
- Shooting distance approximately 10cm to infinity
- Automatic exposure control
- -2.0 to +2.0EV exposure compensation
- Automatic ISO 100-1600
- Automatic white balance
- Shutter speed automatic 1/8000-1/7.5 second
- Internal 4GB memory (approx 1,200 shots)
- Weighs 95g

Ricoh Theta Handling
The Ricoh Theta is quite long and thin and almost identical on both sides, with each side featuring a fisheye lens. On one side there is a shutter release button, with power and Wi-Fi buttons on one side. On the bottom is the tripod socket and a socket for the USB cable, which you use to charge or transfer images to a computer.When using as a standalone device, picture taking is as simple as holding the Theta and pressing the shutter release. It makes a noise to indicate a picture is being taken, it is then saved on the internal memory. There is no display on the Theta, so you are unable to preview or review your pictures straight away, even if you use either of the iPhone or Android apps.
We also tested the Theta using an iPhone. Connecting the two by Wi-Fi is simple, and the benefit of the app is that you can take pictures remotely. This is significant as when you press the shutter on the Theta, you will be in the shot, but shooting remotely means you can get out of the shot. The app also allows you to adjust the brightness, but all the other settings, such as ISO and white balance, are adjusted automatically. The app also allows you to view your pictures as well as share via Twitter and Tumblr.

Ricoh Theta Performance
Images are well stitched together, but we did find that sometimes the exposure wasn't consistent from both sensors. Image quality is comparable to a smartphone, they are around 6.4 megapixels in size.Viewing images either through the desktop software or apps is recommended. Below we've include a couple of JPEG's as examples, with links to the theta360 website to allow you to interact with each one.

Outdoor Test Shot | 1/1000 sec | f/2.1 | 0.8 mm | ISO 100 - https://theta360.com/s/4s6

Indoor Test Shot | 1/30 sec | f/2.1 | 0.8 mm | ISO 400 - https://theta360.com/s/4nI

Studio Shot | 1/30 sec | f/2.1 | 0.8 mm | ISO 100 - https://theta360.com/s/4vM

Ricoh Theta Verdict
The Ricoh Theta is capable of impressive images, particularly when viewed using the interactive methods, such as on the theta360 website and desktop software. The biggest problem is the price - it is currently available for £329.99! To get the most from the Theta, you really need to have an iOS or Android device so you can view and share your images quickly. The Theta is easy to use, and the 4Gb of internal memory is plenty. To be recommended, we'd like to see better image quality for the price, hopefully this will be improved in future releases.Ricoh Theta Pros




Ricoh Theta Cons


FEATURES |
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HANDLING |
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PERFORMANCE |
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VALUE FOR MONEY |
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OVERALL |
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Ricoh Theta Specifications
Manufacturer | Ricoh | |
Lens | ||
Max Aperture | f/2.1 | |
35mm equivalent | 6mm | |
Optical Zoom | 1x | |
Image Sensor | ||
Pixels | 6.4Mp (Megapixels) | |
Pixels (W) | 3584 | |
Pixels (H) | 1792 | |
Sensor Type | No Data | |
Sensor Size | No Data | |
Sensor Size (width) | No Data | |
Sensor Size (height) | No Data | |
Aspect Ratio | ||
LCD Monitor | ||
LCD Monitor | No Data | |
Screen resolution | No Data | |
Touch Screen | No Data | |
Focusing | ||
Min Focus | 10cm | |
Focusing modes | ||
Exposure Control | ||
Shutter speeds shortest | 1/8000sec | |
Shutter speeds longest | 1/7.5sec | |
Bulb mode | No Data | |
Exp modes |
| |
Metering | ||
ISO sensitivity | 100 - 1600 | |
White balance |
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Exposure Comp | +/-2 | |
Shooting Options | ||
Continuous shooting | No Data | |
Video | ||
Movie mode | No Data | |
Video Resolution | ||
Video FPS | No Data | |
Stereo Sound | No Data | |
Optical Zoom with Video | No Data | |
Other Features | ||
Image Stabilisation | No Data | |
Interface | ||
HDMI | No | |
USB | USB 2 | |
Wi-Fi | Yes | |
Storage | ||
Card Type | ||
File Type |
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Power Source | ||
Battery Type | Internal lithium ion battery, rechargeable via USB cable | |
Battery Life (CIPA rating) | 200shots | |
Box Contents | ||
Box Contents | No Data | |
Dimensions | ||
Weight | 95g | |
Width | 129mm | |
Height | 42mm | |
Depth | 22.8mm |
Buy Now
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