MARCH 2016 UPDATE Ricoh have now added a delay shutter option (as requested in the video). This is via a firmware update. To activate a 5 second countdown delay, turn the camera on by holding the WiFi button before also pressing the power button. Then when you take a picture you now get enough time to get out of the way before the picture gets taken. This makes the camera a lot more handy....and ensures that it will be coming on my next holiday.
That's excellent news, I am really interested in trying a dual 360 camera option after a reasonable experience with the fly 360 (more action cam suited). Good call on using the manfrottage monopod!
I have been looking at this camera all week and apart from your video all the reviews are useless (they all seem in too much of a rush) , so thank you. I have pre-ordered the new LG 360 camera which I believe to be very similar but am hoping due to the make the software will be more refined and UA-cam may take notice if they are told the quality is not up to scratch. Using the theta for time lapse photography then turning it into a video seems to look good btw.
+philosophicalphil Just wait till you start needing to edit the video and have to transform between rectilinear and 360 and also the 3d variants thereof. It's a horrible nightmare. Feels like we are 2 years to early with the hardware.
This is the best, most informative review I have seen of the Theta S and I've watched every English language one I could find. I just subscribed. I'd like to note 2 things. 1) The process of connecting to the camera with the phone app is faster and easier on Android devices. After manually connecting just once you can then connect any time with a single swipe within the app. 2) Google photos supports photospheres so this is another place Theta owners can share photos.
+Bryan Minnix Here Here. Yes, best video review out thus far. I got one for work and am now ordering a second for personal use. Its the best consumer true 360 camera available and I am having a blast playing with it.
I'm normally the kind of review viewer that likes to get the specs and go. Having watched many of your videos (which are all filmed and edited to a very high standard) I very much enjoy the level of detail and brilliantly articulated opinion on these technological attempts! For what my opinion is worth, I think you should have your own television show, but in the age we are in, you already have your own channel! Your view statistics already give you an idea of your success, but it would be demise of me to say that my sister and have commented that we love your work, and encourage you to keep reviving these technological gems for all to enjoy. We love your accent too, perfect for telling it like it is! Rick from Australia.
The "Ricoh Theta " is a great way to get a 360 degree view of a place. Although it has some challenges like the battery and the chassis cannot be opened and certain features which cannot be turned off, the camera does give out a great video. Improvised a few years from now we might be able to see some great gadget out of it. Great work !
i just wanted to say that you are the best reviewer i've found. very thorough, dynamic,with the attention on the product, not on yoursself like others.
5 years later and the website and galleries are still up and running! I thought for sure the link to the gallery would be dead. Also I think this might be a great camera for real estate agents, so they could properly show the rooms in a house for sale. Pretty neat stuff!
Here's to Matt.. The best reviewer, bar none. Honest, informative and as down to earth as you could wish for. All the best for 2016 Matt - your efforts really are appreciated by us plebs out in the real world wondering who we can trust for impartial advice. Over the years I've bought three products via links from Matt pages and each has fully matched my expectations. This camera is very, very tempting..
A perfect tool for budget HDRI capture for 3D composting. The ISO, exposure, shutter speed and HDR settings make it quite a complete package. I NEED to get one.
You can set the shutter sound volume via their API. Currently there's no app which has a volume setting, but you can set it via the API with various tools and a bit of fiddling. I've set mine to "0" which made it quiet.
+Numair Abbasi This one nearly finished me off - two months of work and in the end I think it's a bit over complicated. Maybe next time I'll just do a 30 second fluff piece.
I like the results and can see it as a new dimension in photo taking. Really helps show the surroundings rather than just what in front of a camera. For regular snaps is there no way to shut one lens off? I think that would help it be more versatile to more people.
Got one awhile ago in addition to a single lens 360 sports cam. Pretty impressive if you're willing to view in various smartphone vr headsets, not ideal for everything but very cool for nature shots and scenic places etc. Just keep in mind your usage will be different because you don't normally want to record everything, especially you holding camera or the people behind you when the interesting part is all in front. It's also quite different trying to sort of frame a shot, if that's even possible, with an entire sphere. Not for really shooting a main subject or portraits in front of background unless you want both directions or use a single lens half sphere or panorama system. Still amazing and I like that the single lens sports cam is incredible and particularly fun underwater, mountaintops, groups, festivals etc. and even in a drone since it has a matching waterproof shell.
I actually got mine before the firmware even allowed the wifi to work haha very early release model but I bough way cheaper once they didn't quite stick. I also have the waterproof dome case but I've yet to really test how that looks in use much but I expect it to be excellent and use is summer. I also have both of the Lytro light field cameras which are very interesting but also didn't catch on and actually the better one dropped in price from $1,600 us to under $200 I think; same but cheaper generally for the first "lipstick-style" model. Anyone else own either of the Lytro cameras, either the first model or the far more capable IIlium?
For a 1st generation release this looks pretty dame good. 2-3 years down the line I'm sure it could have 4k video and the software could have some sort of content removal to remove the user's fingers.
Most detailed UA-cam review on the theta s and thanks for that. Hopefully there is an option in the future to not show the person taking the picture. If they can remove the camera, I'm sure they can remove more
I like the last trick to rotate camera any direction also hope Ricoh guys can add the feature of delay shot as suggested. Your video did an excellent demonstration for this camera. Thank you very much.
The Theta S is the best 360 camera for the money out there, multi GoPro systems aside. I have always said that this design will become the standard for all 360 cameras in the future, and now we can see it happening with Nikon's new 360 action camera, but in 4K. The problem with the video on the Theta S is that the HD 1080p video is basically folded in half to stitch the two fisheye images together, so you really have a quality that is more like an old VHS (480) SD resolution in 16:9 format. I think once they make a 4K (or better) version like Nikon did, or update the firmware to record in 4k, it will make a big improvement in quality, the specs on the camera sensor are already there. I think you may also be able to record the two spheres using the HDMI output now, to a external 4K recorder like an Atomos Ninja, then process the files through the Theta software, this would also provide the ability to have endless record time, battery life and a live HDMI monitor viewfinder as well. All and all, I luv this camera and have used it in professional scenarios, the customer is always amazed with the WOW factor before they even notice the less than perfect video quality.
Another suggestion for Ricoh would be to use the accelerometer as a trigger you would then activate the trigger by giving the camera a quick shake; possibly they could make the gesture customizable, having different gestures for stills and video.
Handheld Suggestion - Hold flat sides/edges of the camera with thumb and middle finger, as low as possible. Then use you pointer finger to reach up to the shutter button. This removes your hand, form most of the photo, and gives the impression, in the photo, that you are simply holding up a finger as to say #1, as the camera, almost entirely, disappears. Try This: Curl your you middle, index and pinky fingers into a ball. Extending you pointer finger and thumb to make an L shape. Put the bottom corner of the camera into the Curl of your middle finger. Use the tip of you thumb on the opposite corner, edge/side, press, or squeeze, the camera against you middle finger. This allows you to hold the Theta firmly at the bottom and leaves you pointer finger on the shutter button.
You have to tell security it's an antenna when using the monopod and you're trying to reach a pay-phone on Mars then let the fun begin. Great video, thanks.
+splitchest 95 No tel them they will forget everything after looking into the camera... exiledonline.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/2012_men_in_black_3_001-470x330.jpg
First of all, I think your appraisal of this camera/system is spot on. I've owned the Theta S for a couple of weeks and have, like you, thought of several simple inclusions that would significantly improve the user experience. I'm using the camera in the Windows environment and find the desktop software adequate but lacking (if that makes any sense). I have been completely unable to log into theta360.com using Facebook credentials through the Theta software, but I have been able to upload to the site by going to theta360.com and logging in via FB (can't explain why the software doesn't work). As far as HDR is concerned, because the camera has a fixed f/2 lens, the HDR function is practically useless in normal or (especially) bright daylight conditions. The camera easily reaches its minimum shutter speed and the necessary underexposed frames are simply not captured. I think HDR might be of more use in contrasty medium to low light situations. I wish that UA-cam and Flickr would (? could) improve their interfaces for the output of this camera. The inability to zoom in or out while panning takes away from the user experience. My theta360.com page is theta360.com/users/52876# - not much there, but that will change as the weather begins to improve. Thanks for all your very helpful and well thought out reviews.
+Delos Johnson Like yourself I was also unable to get the IOS app to log onto the Theta site (using my Twitter sign on). Incidentally, have you found any way to browse or search through all the uploaded galleries. I can only browse a gallery once I'm aware of the user id...I thought there would be a search option. By the way...there some great images in your gallery.
Fascinating - so it's 360 degrees in both the vertical and the horizontal axis. I'm still trying to get my head around how the camera bottom and monopod disappear - unless it just faded into your dark jacket when you panned it down over yourself. Too bad you can't disable the orientation feature when, for example, you mount it in your car - as trippy as it is to watch :)
Techmoan: Yup, only works with the Num+ and Num- keys, not the regular ones. (And you have to click into the video first.) Maybe you can use the Keyboard Viewer of MacOS to simulate those keys. Or another virtual keyboard software.
Very interesting. If they come up with a "car cam" version especially! If there is a protection mounting to mount this on top of the car, and make wrap-around recording, we could have the very first 360 car cam! Any traffic situations around the car, from any direction, even from the top, could be recorded. That would be a great car cam! Let's wait if someone will develop such a thing!
I really like the presentation type of videos you're producing lately. Surprised how well this thing worked overall, the quality isn't really there when it comes to video, but that's to be expected, 2 years ago these things were expensive as hell. By the way, that bit where you showed how it auto-orientates made me look twice if it wasn't a seperate clip that you showed from the Ricoh... really rather impressive.
Techmoan Hey totally off-topic but I was clearing out an attic from a relative and he had a Philips N4418 (You have the N4416?) reel-to-reel. I watched your video but never expected reel-to-reel to sound so great. The speakers on the thing were absolutely remarkable for the time if you ask me. I cant remember ever hearing one of these machines, I couldn't even find the name for them in Dutch when I talked about it last week... we call them band-recorders... band basically means tape here, although they're used interchangeably, English is mixed in with the Dutch language a lot. Sorry for rambling, just had to speak my mind for a bit :P
+Manny Calavera yes it's a 4414. I didn't use it much because it has an annoying click...but the sound quality was pretty surprising to me too when I heard it for the first time.
Thanks for the detailed review! Now we just need to petition for manual video mode, it would allow you to capture more interesting/tailored footage and help offset the quality dip.
Thanks for clearing up a the confusion I had on using and processing before i watched your video. you videos and reviews are always GREAT!...Thanks again! :)
+Techmoan I am sure because of youtube, many people have not good opinions about theta s! If i have not watched your video and seen the differences between the youtube and real one i wouldn't buy theta s. But now my opinion is changed. I think Ricoh needs to talk to youtube engineers about that.They are effecting negatively Ricoh's sell. Now i don't have to wait until Nikon Keymission release... And at last, you are great, thank you for all these reviews...
Like to see it with a SD card up to 128G and a replaceable battery. Like to use it on a hexacopter but needs more tuning and maybe smaller. Love what you are doing, please keep it up.
I was also disappointed in the video with youtube for another 360 camera - so i returned it - but this one I will keep once it is delivered (great video)>
Thanks for another great video! I like the evolution of 360° cameras, but I think the biggest problem at the moment is, that there isn't a common standard for videos and photos playback and format. If I'd get a camera like that, I want to share my work through the ways I want, without having to use the page of the manufacturer and/or a social media login.
The mini hdmi is for future uses yet to be invented! Anyone can write programs/ apps for this camera so having a hdmi out will allow cool features like live stream 360's etc.
Regarding your comment on "overkill" for the other than auto settings it seems that shutter priority (goes up to 1/8000) is a must if you want to do "streetview" from a car or even what Google calls Trekker type of panoramas (ie Google backpack camera simulation, without the 23 kg!!), where auto simply gives a blur. But only just bought my Theta SC so still experimenting but I thought I would share this initial observation.
You can probably use the intervalometer to get the shutter delay that you want for overhead shots with a monopod. Set it to the minimum 8 seconds and the number of shots to 1 or 2, whichever is appropriate, and I would think that Bob would be your uncle.
The MicroHDMI outputs the so-called "Dualfish" image, i.e. the raw fisheyes side by side, in 1920x960 (with a bit of black to make it 1920x1080). Ricoh said they want to release a software to do the live stitching one day, so you could livestream 360° video.
I tried it with a beamer at work and there it also needed about 10 seconds before it displayed anything. Also make sure, the plug is completely plugged. Mine felt like it was in, but with a bit more force it suddenly went in another millimetre.
Used to use one of these cameras, and the older model (which was white) for taking inside photographs of car cabs for advertising, very useful for that.
For share, it might be possible to publish here using Koloreyes or the Vrideo platforms. Great fun for 300 quid but the native images are very noisy in low light. The noise filter does sort them well i found.
Great video and I was almost tempted to buy one. However I can't ignore the fact that whilst the camera quality seems great, the video quality is limited and exporting anything off the camera seems to be a right ball ache. For £300 it should be more user friendly. They may improve the firmware over time to fix these niggles but by then other cameras will be available.
I imagine this device would be very handy for estate agents or for holiday parks etc. For everyone else, not so much. By the way Matt I notice you have yet again changed watch or are you doing a review of a smartwatch for another video?
Good informative video...cheers! So I want to video a wedding reception in various chunks. Cake cutting, first dance, a slow dance, a fast dance, bride dancing and maybe last dance. I'm thinking that would be say 6 x 3 minute videos. Can I use the editing software to clip the videos and merge them all together to produce one video???
Your video was helpful, thank you. I have a question on the pole, the camera turns only? Or is the pole that has an automatic rotation system? And how do without pole? Thank you!
awesome video! after MORE THAN 45 VIDEOS today, I have a quiestion, how do you upload a timelapse to theta360.com? and what would you think it is the best way to share a video without using youtube?
Great product review you had. Just a quick question. Once you have transferred to the mobile phone, are you able to share(in terms of airdrop or send via email...etc) to your friends and view the 360 content(be it photos or videos)? Thanks in advance.
ah great to see the footage you captured +Techmoan, and now i can see what you meant about your hand being in every shot. still a lot cheaper than a lens and pano mount for an slr.
+Stuart Taylor yes it's taken a lot longer to get this video together than I planned. It took quite a bit of thought about how to best present 360° images in a standard flat video. In the end, screen capturing the iPhone and desktop were the solution that worked best.
Mine neither takes that long to download or to convert video. He is right about the UA-cam conversion being really soft. Connecting to WiFi with the app is not as hard as he makes it out to be. With the app you just swipe down and it connects to the WiFi automagically. Still quality he is right about too except I find it too soft as well but this is the best low end 360 camera I've seen so far.
+helenHTID I don't understand. I agreed on most everything he posted except conversion speed and WIFI connection. He complained about how long videos converted and I stated it did not take long on my PC. Sure I have a fast SSD, CPU and graphics card but my PC is still +2 years old. As for connecting to the WIFI he complained you had to connect to it first prior to running the app. That is not true. You can run the app and then swipe down (like it says) to connect. It is pretty painless... at least on an Android phone. I cannot speak for iOS. Naturally we may all experience things differently but I wanted to point out that a couple of things were going to be necessarily true.
Thank you so much. I have 2 questions please : can you add your photos to Google Street view and do you try to upload your photos to Google + as a panoramic photo?
+Michaël Bonnet Yup. The camera is compatible to Google StreetView and the photos can be uploaded to Google+ and will show up as PhotoSpheres. It'll look like this : plus.google.com/photos/114054672576929802335/albums/6221179139099791457?authkey=CIWJi-DhtdHb_QE
They should allow locking the accelerometers so you can retain a certain orientation. That's good they added shutter delay, but I think it still would be much better if they came out with a dedicated wireless shutter to take more candid-looking images. As ridiculous is it would look, I'd rather mount this on the top of a skateboard helmet and that would get rid of much of the problems with your hand or body being in the way. I wish Instagram would support 360 image and light field image interaction. I also hope they figure out what to do with that micro HDMI port, though I'm sure it's only going to be for playing back videos or photos on a TV, not sure how they'll handle rotation there. I wish they'd figure out how to use this together with something like Periscope on a phone in order to have 360 interactive live streaming. I guess I'm just dreaming now...
The best use of this camera is flat, standard, images with a Fish Eye Effect. - 1) Offload the Pics, then view them in a standard photo viewer or print them. Overhead framing becomes very important. - 2) View them in the Theta app and do a screen capture to create an amazing photo effect. Try this: Have a group of friends, 3, 4 or 5, stand in a tight circle around the camera, shoulder to shoulder. Hold the camera head high in the center. Tell everyone to look at it, and snap a photo. Then in the app look straight down and zoom out. Then do a screen capture. You get big heads in a circle. Tallest person gets the biggest head. - Don't forget, after the shutter sound, to tell everyone they had a wonderful day and They Did Not have $100 in their pocket. (ref: M in B, Neuralizer)
What version of iPhone were you using in the video - will the app work with the older iPhone 6s as long as the capacity is 64gb/128gb? You're video is one of the more in-depth & practical observations of the product. No one ever seems to talk about the ease or challenge of sharing the 360 photo/video(s) once their captured. It's all about specs all the time... so Thank you!
Given the delicate lenses on either side I don't think you really want a lanyard on the camera itself. A lanyard on the neoprene case would be good though.
I would imagine you have heard about it - but Nikon have flashed a device to the market - Nikon KeyMission 360 - can't buy them yet (and at 4k, I imagine it will be quite a price), but the videos look promising.
+CycleSmarter Before people get too excited about the prospect of 360º 4K video - it might be a good idea to see if your computer can display it. Nikon have some samples here: ua-cam.com/channels/BS5Xb5ZAPAuQ7rRuEnltqw.html I know when When I uploaded a 4K video recently, lots of people struggled to play it smoothly.
Hi awesome vídeo! Is possible to merge a normal vídeo to another in 360 and put it on youtube? Or if I wanna make a 360 video to put on you tube, it must to be full in 360?
Hello there, I recently found your channel and thinks it’s really well thought out and informative - thanks for taking the time to post various videos as it is very much appreciated. I’m thinking of getting a Ricoh Theta S partly based on your video review (the ‘V’ version is a little expensive for me at the moment), and wondered if I could ask your advice please? I have three quick and hopefully simple questions: 1. Instead of using a phone (iPhone or Android) with the app on, could you use a Samsung Galaxy Tablet with 4G and the App on? I’m a Mac user but only a Samsung Tablet with a 4G account. 2. Has the Theta Software improved since the video was shot in 2016? Does it also come with any editing features? Nice to know that Ricoh listened to your suggestion re a ‘delay function’ when clicking shoot. 3. As I will primarily only be using the Theta S for ’Still images’, is there anyway to ‘crop’ the bottom of the image (removing the Theta user), but still enabling you to pan around and up in all directions but not down so much? Any advice re the above questions would be gratefully received. Thanks again and keep up the good work. Mark
17:50 Considering how awful many MANY (most) web companies are at securing your personal login information, I actually think that's a plus that they let larger more experienced companies handle the login and password storage. I wish they would add a login with Google option as well. With all the wtf design choices, it seems like a product that was rushed to production. Methinks I'll wait for the next model when they can take their time and do it right.
Excellent video, it was very informative. Question here, is it not possible to upload the images to Google Photos and still get the 360 degree view preserved? Google's Nexus phones come with "photosphere" where you move the phone around to get a 360 degree photo and the ability to view it 360 degrees is preserved when the pictures are uploaded to Google Photos, so I was wondering if it's possible to upload photos from the Ricoh Theta S to Google Photos and still maintain the 360 degree viewability
Thank you! A great review, as always. I am wondering about the use of this Ricoh as a night sky camera, for, say auroral or meteor imaging. Any comments? Of course, 11 seconds is not very long for monitoring purposes, but as an intermittent all-sky sampler, it might be useful, if its night sensitivity is up to it. Is it?
Rather than Wifi or some kind of delay, I'd rather see a direct client-to-client bluetooth connection of some kind, either to your phone or to some kind of dedicated remote.
can you review G90 Ambarella Dash cam and is it good to buy two and put them in the rear and the front rather than having an expansive dual lens system
MARCH 2016 UPDATE
Ricoh have now added a delay shutter option (as requested in the video). This is via a firmware update. To activate a 5 second countdown delay, turn the camera on by holding the WiFi button before also pressing the power button. Then when you take a picture you now get enough time to get out of the way before the picture gets taken. This makes the camera a lot more handy....and ensures that it will be coming on my next holiday.
That's excellent news, I am really interested in trying a dual 360 camera option after a reasonable experience with the fly 360 (more action cam suited). Good call on using the manfrottage monopod!
+The Backoffice ... just a thought maybe we should kickstarter the umbrella with a camera thread on the top :)
I have been looking at this camera all week and apart from your video all the reviews are useless (they all seem in too much of a rush) , so thank you. I have pre-ordered the new LG 360 camera which I believe to be very similar but am hoping due to the make the software will be more refined and UA-cam may take notice if they are told the quality is not up to scratch. Using the theta for time lapse photography then turning it into a video seems to look good btw.
+philosophicalphil Just wait till you start needing to edit the video and have to transform between rectilinear and 360 and also the 3d variants thereof. It's a horrible nightmare. Feels like we are 2 years to early with the hardware.
+Techmoan
In a couple of weeks, Facebook will also support 360 photos from the theta s.
Been watching your vids for years, no-one comes near, this has clarified the theta s for me 100x better than anything else I can find, thanks!
This is the best, most informative review I have seen of the Theta S and I've watched every English language one I could find. I just subscribed.
I'd like to note 2 things. 1) The process of connecting to the camera with the phone app is faster and easier on Android devices. After manually connecting just once you can then connect any time with a single swipe within the app. 2) Google photos supports photospheres so this is another place Theta owners can share photos.
+Bryan Minnix Here Here. Yes, best video review out thus far. I got one for work and am now ordering a second for personal use. Its the best consumer true 360 camera available and I am having a blast playing with it.
I'm normally the kind of review viewer that likes to get the specs and go. Having watched many of your videos (which are all filmed and edited to a very high standard) I very much enjoy the level of detail and brilliantly articulated opinion on these technological attempts! For what my opinion is worth, I think you should have your own television show, but in the age we are in, you already have your own channel! Your view statistics already give you an idea of your success, but it would be demise of me to say that my sister and have commented that we love your work, and encourage you to keep reviving these technological gems for all to enjoy. We love your accent too, perfect for telling it like it is! Rick from Australia.
The "Ricoh Theta " is a great way to get a 360 degree view of a place. Although it has some challenges like the battery and the chassis cannot be opened and certain features which cannot be turned off, the camera does give out a great video. Improvised a few years from now we might be able to see some great gadget out of it. Great work !
i just wanted to say that you are the best reviewer i've found.
very thorough, dynamic,with the attention on the product, not on yoursself like others.
5 years later and the website and galleries are still up and running! I thought for sure the link to the gallery would be dead. Also I think this might be a great camera for real estate agents, so they could properly show the rooms in a house for sale. Pretty neat stuff!
Here's to Matt.. The best reviewer, bar none. Honest, informative and as down to earth as you could wish for. All the best for 2016 Matt - your efforts really are appreciated by us plebs out in the real world wondering who we can trust for impartial advice. Over the years I've bought three products via links from Matt pages and each has fully matched my expectations. This camera is very, very tempting..
+roppa7 Thanks for the positive words. Hopefully you'll continue to enjoy the videos I've got planned for 2016.
A perfect tool for budget HDRI capture for 3D composting. The ISO, exposure, shutter speed and HDR settings make it quite a complete package. I NEED to get one.
You can set the shutter sound volume via their API. Currently there's no app which has a volume setting, but you can set it via the API with various tools and a bit of fiddling. I've set mine to "0" which made it quiet.
+Markus Birth (mbirth) thanks for the info.
+Markus Birth (mbirth) For android you can use: play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.theta360.jsontest
Pj F: Nice! I did it manually with this one: play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.sourcestream.android.restclient
+Markus Birth (mbirth) I am not thát technical :)
Easy fix for being in shot - mount the cam on an umbrella. Then just have a black circle at bottom of pic.
just wanted to put this out there, you make the most detailed videos on UA-cam, love your stuff! 👍
+Numair Abbasi This one nearly finished me off - two months of work and in the end I think it's a bit over complicated. Maybe next time I'll just do a 30 second fluff piece.
The best review on this product that I've seen on UA-cam
I like the results and can see it as a new dimension in photo taking. Really helps show the surroundings rather than just what in front of a camera. For regular snaps is there no way to shut one lens off? I think that would help it be more versatile to more people.
Got one awhile ago in addition to a single lens 360 sports cam. Pretty impressive if you're willing to view in various smartphone vr headsets, not ideal for everything but very cool for nature shots and scenic places etc. Just keep in mind your usage will be different because you don't normally want to record everything, especially you holding camera or the people behind you when the interesting part is all in front. It's also quite different trying to sort of frame a shot, if that's even possible, with an entire sphere. Not for really shooting a main subject or portraits in front of background unless you want both directions or use a single lens half sphere or panorama system. Still amazing and I like that the single lens sports cam is incredible and particularly fun underwater, mountaintops, groups, festivals etc. and even in a drone since it has a matching waterproof shell.
I actually got mine before the firmware even allowed the wifi to work haha very early release model but I bough way cheaper once they didn't quite stick. I also have the waterproof dome case but I've yet to really test how that looks in use much but I expect it to be excellent and use is summer. I also have both of the Lytro light field cameras which are very interesting but also didn't catch on and actually the better one dropped in price from $1,600 us to under $200 I think; same but cheaper generally for the first "lipstick-style" model. Anyone else own either of the Lytro cameras, either the first model or the far more capable IIlium?
For a 1st generation release this looks pretty dame good. 2-3 years down the line I'm sure it could have 4k video and the software could have some sort of content removal to remove the user's fingers.
Great video! I really really like you speaking to the camera rather than watching your hands all the time.
+Ville Santikko thanks. It's a bit easier to do this than overdub everything.
Another expertly edited review! Love the amount of detail you go into. Second to none.
+VictorUnNettoyeur thanks old chap. This one was a slog and I thought I'd never get it finished. Having a drink tonight to celebrate.
Most detailed UA-cam review on the theta s and thanks for that.
Hopefully there is an option in the future to not show the person taking the picture. If they can remove the camera, I'm sure they can remove more
I like the last trick to rotate camera any direction also hope Ricoh guys can add the feature of delay shot as suggested. Your video did an excellent demonstration for this camera. Thank you very much.
+Jill Li they did add the delay feature.
+Techmoan , That's great !then I will consider buying one.
great to see something so indepth and simple to understand! :) Manchester based myself. Looking to do property 360 photos.
The Theta S is the best 360 camera for the money out there, multi GoPro systems aside. I have always said that this design will become the standard for all 360 cameras in the future, and now we can see it happening with Nikon's new 360 action camera, but in 4K. The problem with the video on the Theta S is that the HD 1080p video is basically folded in half to stitch the two fisheye images together, so you really have a quality that is more like an old VHS (480) SD resolution in 16:9 format. I think once they make a 4K (or better) version like Nikon did, or update the firmware to record in 4k, it will make a big improvement in quality, the specs on the camera sensor are already there. I think you may also be able to record the two spheres using the HDMI output now, to a external 4K recorder like an Atomos Ninja, then process the files through the Theta software, this would also provide the ability to have endless record time, battery life and a live HDMI monitor viewfinder as well. All and all, I luv this camera and have used it in professional scenarios, the customer is always amazed with the WOW factor before they even notice the less than perfect video quality.
The best review I've seen about the camera till now 👍🏼
Another suggestion for Ricoh would be to use the accelerometer as a trigger you would then activate the trigger by giving the camera a quick shake; possibly they could make the gesture customizable, having different gestures for stills and video.
Can't wait for your review of the new model with 370 degrees!
Handheld Suggestion - Hold flat sides/edges of the camera with thumb and middle finger, as low as possible. Then use you pointer finger to reach up to the shutter button. This removes your hand, form most of the photo, and gives the impression, in the photo, that you are simply holding up a finger as to say #1, as the camera, almost entirely, disappears.
Try This: Curl your you middle, index and pinky fingers into a ball. Extending you pointer finger and thumb to make an L shape. Put the bottom corner of the camera into the Curl of your middle finger. Use the tip of you thumb on the opposite corner, edge/side, press, or squeeze, the camera against you middle finger. This allows you to hold the Theta firmly at the bottom and leaves you pointer finger on the shutter button.
You have to tell security it's an antenna when using the monopod and you're trying to reach a pay-phone on Mars then let the fun begin. Great video, thanks.
+splitchest 95 No tel them they will forget everything after looking into the camera... exiledonline.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/2012_men_in_black_3_001-470x330.jpg
+Pj F but don't forget to put on you dark glasses first!
First of all, I think your appraisal of this camera/system is spot on. I've owned the Theta S for a couple of weeks and have, like you, thought of several simple inclusions that would significantly improve the user experience. I'm using the camera in the Windows environment and find the desktop software adequate but lacking (if that makes any sense). I have been completely unable to log into theta360.com using Facebook credentials through the Theta software, but I have been able to upload to the site by going to theta360.com and logging in via FB (can't explain why the software doesn't work). As far as HDR is concerned, because the camera has a fixed f/2 lens, the HDR function is practically useless in normal or (especially) bright daylight conditions. The camera easily reaches its minimum shutter speed and the necessary underexposed frames are simply not captured. I think HDR might be of more use in contrasty medium to low light situations. I wish that UA-cam and Flickr would (? could) improve their interfaces for the output of this camera. The inability to zoom in or out while panning takes away from the user experience. My theta360.com page is theta360.com/users/52876# - not much there, but that will change as the weather begins to improve. Thanks for all your very helpful and well thought out reviews.
+Delos Johnson Like yourself I was also unable to get the IOS app to log onto the Theta site (using my Twitter sign on). Incidentally, have you found any way to browse or search through all the uploaded galleries. I can only browse a gallery once I'm aware of the user id...I thought there would be a search option. By the way...there some great images in your gallery.
As always, your videos are worth watching.
Fascinating - so it's 360 degrees in both the vertical and the horizontal axis. I'm still trying to get my head around how the camera bottom and monopod disappear - unless it just faded into your dark jacket when you panned it down over yourself. Too bad you can't disable the orientation feature when, for example, you mount it in your car - as trippy as it is to watch :)
Excellent video! Thanks for including so many details. I checked your your images. That's so cool that you can zoom in using the mouse.
the zoom in youtube is there, because the fov is adapted for google cardboard use. btw love your videos. thank you very much
+Daniel Wagner it's a pity that the viewer can't choose the level of zoom though, so the feature is more useful to more people.
+Techmoan Use the "+" and "-" keys of the numpad. (Don't know if the regular keys work, too.)
+Markus Birth (mbirth) +/- Doesn't work for me (I don't have a numeric keypad) - try for yourself ua-cam.com/video/p3yLB1_v83k/v-deo.html
Techmoan: Yup, only works with the Num+ and Num- keys, not the regular ones. (And you have to click into the video first.)
Maybe you can use the Keyboard Viewer of MacOS to simulate those keys. Or another virtual keyboard software.
+Techmoan Yes, hitting - on numpad makes it into quite watchable video :) .
One of the best review videos I have seen. Thank you very much.
Very interesting. If they come up with a "car cam" version especially! If there is a protection mounting to mount this on top of the car, and make wrap-around recording, we could have the very first 360 car cam! Any traffic situations around the car, from any direction, even from the top, could be recorded. That would be a great car cam! Let's wait if someone will develop such a thing!
love this format Matt great vid
I really like the presentation type of videos you're producing lately.
Surprised how well this thing worked overall, the quality isn't really there when it comes to video, but that's to be expected, 2 years ago these things were expensive as hell. By the way, that bit where you showed how it auto-orientates made me look twice if it wasn't a seperate clip that you showed from the Ricoh... really rather impressive.
+Manny Calaveras yes that's definitely a bit that needs to be seen twice to understand what's going on...I know I watched it more than once.
Techmoan Hey totally off-topic but I was clearing out an attic from a relative and he had a Philips N4418 (You have the N4416?) reel-to-reel. I watched your video but never expected reel-to-reel to sound so great. The speakers on the thing were absolutely remarkable for the time if you ask me. I cant remember ever hearing one of these machines, I couldn't even find the name for them in Dutch when I talked about it last week... we call them band-recorders... band basically means tape here, although they're used interchangeably, English is mixed in with the Dutch language a lot. Sorry for rambling, just had to speak my mind for a bit :P
+Manny Calavera yes it's a 4414. I didn't use it much because it has an annoying click...but the sound quality was pretty surprising to me too when I heard it for the first time.
Thanks for the detailed review! Now we just need to petition for manual video mode, it would allow you to capture more interesting/tailored footage and help offset the quality dip.
Piccadilly records!!! Was in there the other week! Still can't believe I've not bumped into you round Manchester. Haha
Just wanna say thx for all your content. Love it. Thx Donut.
An interesting camera indeed. Thanks for the demonstration and review.
Thanks for clearing up a the confusion I had on using and processing before i watched your video. you videos and reviews are always GREAT!...Thanks again! :)
The picture before they are stitched re minds me to the start of the old TV show Thriller. But the pictures did work well when we tried.
+Techmoan I am sure because of youtube, many people have not good opinions about theta s! If i have not watched your video and seen the differences between the youtube and real one i wouldn't buy theta s. But now my opinion is changed. I think Ricoh needs to talk to youtube engineers about that.They are effecting negatively Ricoh's sell. Now i don't have to wait until Nikon Keymission release... And at last, you are great, thank you for all these reviews...
+Zeki Kemal Bilici No problem, happy to help. I'm glad I could demonstrate the device's abilities properly.
Like to see it with a SD card up to 128G and a replaceable battery. Like to use it on a hexacopter but needs more tuning and maybe smaller. Love what you are doing, please keep it up.
I was also disappointed in the video with youtube for another 360 camera - so i returned it - but this one I will keep once it is delivered (great video)>
Thanks for another great video!
I like the evolution of 360° cameras, but I think the biggest problem at the moment is, that there isn't a common standard for videos and photos playback and format. If I'd get a camera like that, I want to share my work through the ways I want, without having to use the page of the manufacturer and/or a social media login.
The mini hdmi is for future uses yet to be invented! Anyone can write programs/ apps for this camera so having a hdmi out will allow cool features like live stream 360's etc.
Can't wait to see Nikon's 360 action cam. Especially the 4K 360.
Regarding your comment on "overkill" for the other than auto settings it seems that shutter priority (goes up to 1/8000) is a must if you want to do "streetview" from a car or even what Google calls Trekker type of panoramas (ie Google backpack camera simulation, without the 23 kg!!), where auto simply gives a blur. But only just bought my Theta SC so still experimenting but I thought I would share this initial observation.
You can probably use the intervalometer to get the shutter delay that you want for overhead shots with a monopod. Set it to the minimum 8 seconds and the number of shots to 1 or 2, whichever is appropriate, and I would think that Bob would be your uncle.
The MicroHDMI outputs the so-called "Dualfish" image, i.e. the raw fisheyes side by side, in 1920x960 (with a bit of black to make it 1920x1080). Ricoh said they want to release a software to do the live stitching one day, so you could livestream 360° video.
+Markus Birth (mbirth) thanks for the info. I couldn't get the it to do anything, but perhaps my display couldn't sync with the signal.
I tried it with a beamer at work and there it also needed about 10 seconds before it displayed anything. Also make sure, the plug is completely plugged. Mine felt like it was in, but with a bit more force it suddenly went in another millimetre.
Used to use one of these cameras, and the older model (which was white) for taking inside photographs of car cabs for advertising, very useful for that.
What a great video. Not one of my must have devices but looks great fun! Thanks for the review.
For share, it might be possible to publish here using Koloreyes or the Vrideo platforms. Great fun for 300 quid but the native images are very noisy in low light. The noise filter does sort them well i found.
Great video. Thank you so much for taking the time to do it!
Happy new year! I always watch your reviews
Great video and I was almost tempted to buy one. However I can't ignore the fact that whilst the camera quality seems great, the video quality is limited and exporting anything off the camera seems to be a right ball ache. For £300 it should be more user friendly. They may improve the firmware over time to fix these niggles but by then other cameras will be available.
I imagine this device would be very handy for estate agents or for holiday parks etc. For everyone else, not so much. By the way Matt I notice you have yet again changed watch or are you doing a review of a smartwatch for another video?
This is definitely what I've been searching for. Great review indeed, Thanks!
Good informative video...cheers! So I want to video a wedding reception in various chunks. Cake cutting, first dance, a slow dance, a fast dance, bride dancing and maybe last dance. I'm thinking that would be say 6 x 3 minute videos. Can I use the editing software to clip the videos and merge them all together to produce one video???
Does it record the magnetic heading as well as "down"? It would be quite neat for videos, with the app perhaps supplying GPS based location.
Just got a Theta S & thanks for the review.
Any chance you could do a review on your white screen setup that you used in the video?
Cheers!
would you say this is the best camera for showrooms and virtual tours?
Thanks Peter!
Your video was helpful, thank you. I have a question on the pole, the camera turns only? Or is the pole that has an automatic rotation system? And how do without pole?
Thank you!
awesome video! after MORE THAN 45 VIDEOS today, I have a quiestion, how do you upload a timelapse to theta360.com? and what would you think it is the best way to share a video without using youtube?
Great product review you had. Just a quick question. Once you have transferred to the mobile phone, are you able to share(in terms of airdrop or send via email...etc) to your friends and view the 360 content(be it photos or videos)? Thanks in advance.
I'm. It even interested in this thing but your videos are so entertaining.
ah great to see the footage you captured +Techmoan, and now i can see what you meant about your hand being in every shot. still a lot cheaper than a lens and pano mount for an slr.
+Stuart Taylor yes it's taken a lot longer to get this video together than I planned. It took quite a bit of thought about how to best present 360° images in a standard flat video. In the end, screen capturing the iPhone and desktop were the solution that worked best.
That "pain" came across without whingeing 😄
I following your videos for long time..!!always great reviews !
Mine neither takes that long to download or to convert video. He is right about the UA-cam conversion being really soft. Connecting to WiFi with the app is not as hard as he makes it out to be. With the app you just swipe down and it connects to the WiFi automagically.
Still quality he is right about too except I find it too soft as well but this is the best low end 360 camera I've seen so far.
+Dennis Mabrey When someone tests a product, It may not mean every single person will get exactly the same results.
+helenHTID I don't understand. I agreed on most everything he posted except conversion speed and WIFI connection.
He complained about how long videos converted and I stated it did not take long on my PC. Sure I have a fast SSD, CPU and graphics card but my PC is still +2 years old.
As for connecting to the WIFI he complained you had to connect to it first prior to running the app. That is not true. You can run the app and then swipe down (like it says) to connect. It is pretty painless... at least on an Android phone. I cannot speak for iOS.
Naturally we may all experience things differently but I wanted to point out that a couple of things were going to be necessarily true.
HAL? Is that you?? Great review! Keep up the good work!
nice trip through Standish!!!
Thank you so much. I have 2 questions please : can you add your photos to Google Street view and do you try to upload your photos to Google + as a panoramic photo?
+Michaël Bonnet I haven't tried either of those things...but by all means try some experiments with the files I've provided.
+Michaël Bonnet Yup. The camera is compatible to Google StreetView and the photos can be uploaded to Google+ and will show up as PhotoSpheres. It'll look like this : plus.google.com/photos/114054672576929802335/albums/6221179139099791457?authkey=CIWJi-DhtdHb_QE
yes. you can upload photos to Google maps
+Techmoan thanks that's a good idea i will check
+Markus Birth (mbirth) thanks the link does not work with me.
They should allow locking the accelerometers so you can retain a certain orientation. That's good they added shutter delay, but I think it still would be much better if they came out with a dedicated wireless shutter to take more candid-looking images. As ridiculous is it would look, I'd rather mount this on the top of a skateboard helmet and that would get rid of much of the problems with your hand or body being in the way. I wish Instagram would support 360 image and light field image interaction. I also hope they figure out what to do with that micro HDMI port, though I'm sure it's only going to be for playing back videos or photos on a TV, not sure how they'll handle rotation there. I wish they'd figure out how to use this together with something like Periscope on a phone in order to have 360 interactive live streaming. I guess I'm just dreaming now...
The best use of this camera is flat, standard, images with a Fish Eye Effect. - 1) Offload the Pics, then view them in a standard photo viewer or print them. Overhead framing becomes very important. - 2) View them in the Theta app and do a screen capture to create an amazing photo effect. Try this: Have a group of friends, 3, 4 or 5, stand in a tight circle around the camera, shoulder to shoulder. Hold the camera head high in the center. Tell everyone to look at it, and snap a photo. Then in the app look straight down and zoom out. Then do a screen capture. You get big heads in a circle. Tallest person gets the biggest head. - Don't forget, after the shutter sound, to tell everyone they had a wonderful day and They Did Not have $100 in their pocket. (ref: M in B, Neuralizer)
Very informative! Any chance this would suffice as a body am?
great review, very informative! keep up the good work :)
What version of iPhone were you using in the video - will the app work with the older iPhone 6s as long as the capacity is 64gb/128gb? You're video is one of the more in-depth & practical observations of the product. No one ever seems to talk about the ease or challenge of sharing the 360 photo/video(s) once their captured. It's all about specs all the time... so Thank you!
best test video.u are an authority man.good work.keep on.
Hi, love your review of Theta S.
Do you have any plan to review Samsung Gear 360?
Given the delicate lenses on either side I don't think you really want a lanyard on the camera itself. A lanyard on the neoprene case would be good though.
I would imagine you have heard about it - but Nikon have flashed a device to the market - Nikon KeyMission 360 - can't buy them yet (and at 4k, I imagine it will be quite a price), but the videos look promising.
+CycleSmarter Expected to costs $1000
+CycleSmarter Before people get too excited about the prospect of 360º 4K video - it might be a good idea to see if your computer can display it. Nikon have some samples here: ua-cam.com/channels/BS5Xb5ZAPAuQ7rRuEnltqw.html I know when When I uploaded a 4K video recently, lots of people struggled to play it smoothly.
Techmoan Great point. I know mine will struggle, and also, 4k is excessive in my opinion (my needs).
Thing is 4K in 360 degrees is less then 1080p in your point of view...
Pj F Good point. That will be how they form the 360, by cutting and merging from the full available right?
Would the David Lynch hair I.E. the Micromuff wind noise protector be visible in the films if used on the microphone on the top?
Excellent info as usual. Thanks.
How do the images/video look if you link a video you uploaded from the Ricoh website?
Hi awesome vídeo! Is possible to merge a normal vídeo to another in 360 and put it on youtube? Or if I wanna make a 360 video to put on you tube, it must to be full in 360?
20:23 is this also possible with the LG 360 cam?
The pictures are amazing! I think to have a less softer image it needs more lenses.
And the hits keep on coming. Great work, thank you very much. Do they publish a list of excuses I could use to 'need' one?
+MrAtheHun on Amazon it's got 99p off the price, so you can buy one and say that it was in a sale. amzn.to/1n46s93
Hello there,
I recently found your channel and thinks it’s really well thought out and informative - thanks for taking the time to post various videos as it is very much appreciated. I’m thinking of getting a Ricoh Theta S partly based on your video review (the ‘V’ version is a little expensive for me at the moment), and wondered if I could ask your advice please?
I have three quick and hopefully simple questions:
1. Instead of using a phone (iPhone or Android) with the app on, could you use a Samsung Galaxy Tablet with 4G and the App on? I’m a Mac user but only a Samsung Tablet with a 4G account.
2. Has the Theta Software improved since the video was shot in 2016? Does it also come with any editing features? Nice to know that Ricoh listened to your suggestion re a ‘delay function’ when clicking shoot.
3. As I will primarily only be using the Theta S for ’Still images’, is there anyway to ‘crop’ the bottom of the image (removing the Theta user), but still enabling you to pan around and up in all directions but not down so much?
Any advice re the above questions would be gratefully received.
Thanks again and keep up the good work.
Mark
17:50 Considering how awful many MANY (most) web companies are at securing your personal login information, I actually think that's a plus that they let larger more experienced companies handle the login and password storage. I wish they would add a login with Google option as well.
With all the wtf design choices, it seems like a product that was rushed to production. Methinks I'll wait for the next model when they can take their time and do it right.
Excellent video, it was very informative. Question here, is it not possible to upload the images to Google Photos and still get the 360 degree view preserved? Google's Nexus phones come with "photosphere" where you move the phone around to get a 360 degree photo and the ability to view it 360 degrees is preserved when the pictures are uploaded to Google Photos, so I was wondering if it's possible to upload photos from the Ricoh Theta S to Google Photos and still maintain the 360 degree viewability
Good video! Thanks for sharing your thoughts and opinions.
Thank you! A great review, as always. I am wondering about the use of this Ricoh as a night sky camera, for, say auroral or meteor imaging. Any comments? Of course, 11 seconds is not very long for monitoring purposes, but as an intermittent all-sky sampler, it might be useful, if its night sensitivity is up to it. Is it?
Many thanks for this great in depth review. Any chance for a review the Samsung 360 camera? Cheers.
Can you print the images in different views, I.e. round, flat, zoomed in/out etc. Would love a 360 sphere wall art
Awesome explanation about this product! really really thank you so much
any chance of a review on the samsung gear 360?
ps loved this review
I'm eager to try out that new 360fly 4K myself. I want to stick it to one of my quadcopters and see what's what.
Rather than Wifi or some kind of delay, I'd rather see a direct client-to-client bluetooth connection of some kind, either to your phone or to some kind of dedicated remote.
can you review G90 Ambarella Dash cam
and is it good to buy two and put them in the rear and the front rather than having an expansive dual lens system