When we tested the THETA, it was one of the world’s first 360° consumer cameras. By now it’s no longer running solo, with several brands now pushing for immersive video. Last time we said this about the THETA:
When was the last time you could describe a camera as fun
With the upgraded THETA S it’s now possible to take 14 megapixel pictures and 1080p HD video. The outside has been upgraded with a great rubber coating making it much easier to grip. Using one couldn’t be easier! Just turn it on, with a great new mode-switch between video and photo you can capture all of your memories with the switch of a button.
With the same fun you can even put it on a selfie-stick and trigger the camera from your phone, or even put it on a quadcopter and create 360 pictures from the sky for a truly unique vantage point.
What I still miss is a battery indicator, with the THETA just shutting down halfway our trip in Disneyland Paris with no reason given why. Also an internal memory indicator would be great. Despite a 4x wireless upgrade, importing pictures is still a painful process,
The THETA S is a fun device, but somehow it feels like 2008 again. When I first got my iPhone, I didn’t have any music on it. The 8GB was after a bit filled with apps and picture, while my iPod Classic was filled with more than a hundred gigabytes in music. But now … where’s your iPod now? Just like the camera on the original iPhone was okay for snapshots, it wasn’t suitable for anything else. These days you can shoot full events and campaigns with one.
Reviewing the THETA S – Spherical Image – RICOH THETA
So, where does that leave the THETA? It’s an extremely fun of photography, but it will not take off just yet. You know where we need this technology? On our phones. If we have 360° camera’s on our phones we can just natively view and and enjoy our pictures, and stream them to our VR glasses. (Or at least if that technology ever takes off. Remember the last time you put on 3D glasses on your TV? Me neither). But no-one is waiting for another app or website to watch our pictures, not even if it’s 360.
If you can’t wait to capture your memories in VR, the upgraded THETA S is available for 349 USD or comparable value worldwide.
