Ricoh THETA Review

Key features

The Ricoh Theta comes with Full HD recording capabilities, and it can also take high resolution photos. Of course, taking the 360-degree shots is the greatest selling point of this niche digital camera. The internal memory is enough for more than a thousand shots, and there would still be room for a short 1080p video. You can also take remote images with the aid of the dedicated smartphone app.

Introduction

The Ricoh Theta is a niche digital camera that you will definitely enjoy if you want to take unique shots of your environment. Taking 360-degree photos is something many people would enjoy to do, but they are limited by regular cameras. Investing in such a camera might not be your initial plan, but if you decide that such photos are the way you want to express yourself, then the money will be well spent. This camera is probably like nothing you have used before, but it becomes highly enjoyable in no time.

What is the design ?

The Ricoh Theta has a unique design which hardly gives away the true nature of the object you are purchasing. The device does not really look like a camera, and it is only when you see the lens that you actually understand what is going on. The design is extremely straightforward: below the lens you find the shutter button, which you can simply press to take a photo. There are a couple other buttons on the sides, such as the power on/off and the reset buttons. The Ricoh Theta is available in four colors : white, yellow, light blue and pink.

What is the overall performance ?

Despite looking like a gimmick camera, the Ricoh Theta packs quite a bit of power. You can take macro photos by placing objects as close as 10cm from the lens, and you can adjust the ISO value between 100 and 1600, or to 400 when you record videos. Still images can be taken with a shutter speed ranging from 1/7.5 sec to 1/8000 sec. The Ricoh Theta waterproof aspect is not something on the checklist of the camera, so you should avoid it. The camera has only an internal storage available and the 4GB you have at your disposal should be more than enough for your needs.

What is the image quality ?

The Ricoh Theta resolution is quite good, 5376 x 2688 pixels being the maximum size at which images can be outputted. Video quality is also above-par, as you can record Full HD videos. However, such a recording is limited to give minutes maximum. In total, you can record around 65 minutes of content until the storage is full. Moreover, the internal battery of the camera will last for about 200 shots.

Conclusion: should I buy it ?

Although the Ricoh Theta release date has passed, the product is still fresh and intriguing, so you might want to give it a go. The price might feel a bit high for a digital camera like this one, but if you truly like the way images and videos are created, then the investment will not become a regret, and you will surely enjoy the Ricoh Theta.