A small camera for virtual reality. The Ricoh Theta S is a versatile, easy-to-use 360 ° camera that lets you fully enter virtual reality.

While Ricoh is currently developing its 360 ° Theta camera in a 4K version, we have been able to test the previous generation, namely Theta S. A model that stands out for its small size and ease of use. What could be tempted before the beginning of the summer? Answer in this article.

Ricoh, LE specialist in 360 ° camera

If you are told Ricoh, you are probably thinking first about office equipment, printers … And you would be right. However, you would also be wrong to limit the Japanese brand to that. Because Ricoh is the first brand to have a 360-degree camera for the public. It was in 2013 and the toy was then called Theta.

Three years later and after several updates of the original version, Ricoh unveiled the Theta S. A model finally close enough to its elder, but designed to be more complete and more efficient, of course.

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The Theta S in detail

In terms of the main features, this results in two 12-megapixel CMOS sensors, capable of reproducing 14-megapixel spherical images. On the video side, full HD 1920×1080 at 30fps Stereo sound and 25 minutes of autonomy, quite satisfactory figures on paper.

In reality, it is necessary to qualify this idyllic picture. Note that the storage capacity, which is 8 GB, cannot be increased by a MicroSD card for example. This is still enough, as Ricoh announces that its camera can store up to 1600 photos and more than 50 minutes of video.

Then, the quality of image, it, deteriorates somewhat as soon as one seeks to zoom … and even more on the videos, after processing the image. The result remains quite honest, certainly, but not perfect.

A very simple to use camera

Very easy to take in hand, the Theta S first seduced by its template. Lighter and more compact than a smartphone, Ricoh’s toy can be transported anywhere.

And since we talk about the smartphone, the associated mobile application (available on iOS and Android) allows to control his camera very easily. Once the two devices are connected to Wi-Fi, you can simply take photos, videos and share them on social networks from your phone or tablet.

An indispensable accessory for virtual reality

The question that often comes up with this type of object is “But what good is it?” If, yes, I have heard it repeatedly throughout my test!

Obviously, content made with the help of Theta S allows you to enter the era of virtual reality. For example, panoramic photos will add a new dimension to your holiday memories when the videos add an “immersive” touch that you can enjoy with a VR viewer or headset.

So we buy or not?

At this point of the article, one can still wonder whether to buy a 360 ° camera like this Theta S. If you are already a fan of GoPro type cam action, if you are doing extreme sports or traveling a lot, the answer is yes! More than just embedded camera images, the Theta S plunges the “spectator” into the heart of the action and the image quality is quite satisfactory.

For others, this type of camera can still be compared to a simple gadget. In addition, at more than 300 dollars , there are still good reasons to hesitate. Especially since Ricoh will launch in the coming months a new model 4K whose image quality looks impressive.

One thing is for sure: virtual reality has not stopped inviting us into our lives and Ricoh has all the cards in hand to be part of it in turn.