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First 360º Camera I've owned, after having thought of the idea independently many years ago. I'm glad to have seen it developed so well. It's really a refined design, excellent quality photos and videos, and a very simple shooting experience. Holding it feels natural, and it's a surprisingly light feeling to know you don't have to aim before shooting. It comes with a classy pouch to keep it in when not taking photos, which is both light and easy to get the camera into and out of. Much appreciated touch.
Sharing photos is very simple, sharing videos I've not yet figured out (Updated, figured it out!). Connecting to WiFi is simple, though it never connects to your home WiFi – instead it hosts its own network that you connect to when you want to download photos and videos (which works well when you're out and about). Photos download pretty fast, videos can take some time. You can also download both via USB, though surprisingly not via their (OS X, at least) app. You need to first download using any other photo app (Photos recognized it and popped open automatically on my Mac), then copy them to a folder, then copy the contents of that folder into the app to see them. Seems very convoluted for something that should be simple. Also, you cannot import videos to this app. Very strange, so I have yet to find a way to view videos except for on the app, having downloaded via WiFi from the camera.
Maybe my only complaint is that I cannot turn off the sounds on the camera, so you can't be too stealthy with it. The sound is fun, but a bit cartoony (like a laser gun shooting off), so it'd be nice to be able to silence it if desired. Also, the live streaming isn't so useful because it just shows two hemispheres on a screen, which is hard to wrap your head around.
Be sure to download the "Theta S" app and NOT the "Theta" app, as the latter will not work.
Overall, very happy to own this thing. It's a head turner, people love it, and I really enjoy knowing I've grabbed the whole scene and left nothing out. A few rough edges to iron out software-wise, though nothing so bad as to depreciate its awesomeness. If you have the cash, and are interested, get this great toy!
UPDATE 1: Figured out video, and some thoughts...
YouTube : Figured it out!! Okay two things, firstly let it be noted that the raw video format is .MP4, though if you import into OS X Photos, then export, it's M4V, which will mess you up. To get the raw .MP4 from the camera, use the "Image Capture" app on OS X. Then, this video can be dropped into the Theta app on your Mac, which will convert the video to standard 360º format which can be shared via their app, or automatically detected by YouTube. Sweet. Using their app, though, you can only upload 5 Mb worth of video, which is ~11s long (YouTube has no limit, though give it a few minutes after it's live before it's detected as 360). A trade-off, it appears the quality of the video on theta360 ends up being much more crisp, see for yourself :
Example using theta360 : https://theta360.com/m/j9kGfEUCFatdUePld3w7qhRrs
Example using YouTube : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O6fAPTSkGqI
Live Streaming Mode : This is NOT live streaming to the internet via their app or local wifi, but instead it's live streaming via HDMI or USB. HDMI streams to a TV, USB streams to an app like VLC which knows how to receive a Live Stream from an attached device. From an app like this, you could then stream to the internet via your computer. I've also realized what the HDMI is for now – it's not for playback of recorded video, but only for live streaming video. The video that comes out is the same as what's exported, two hemispheres.
Live Preview : Live preview to the iOS controller is also cool, though limited. It's a lower resolution image at 10 fps. When in photo mode, you get a live video preview, and can tap the screen to take a snapshot. When in video mode, you get no live preview, and can only start/stop recording.
WiFi : I really wish this thing would connect to my home Wifi while I'm home so that I don't need to take my iPhone off of my home wifi while interacting with the camera. Seems like it'd be easy for Ricoh to implement by allowing me to enter my WiFi credentials in their app.
Update 2 : Mastered video formatting and more tips...
Video metadata is unfortunately discarded during the conversion process using the Theta app on your computer. To restore the original metadata, I've created a script that uses Exiftool. Follow these steps to have perfectly converted videos (written for OS X) :
1. Download & install exiftool from http://www.sno.phy.queensu.ca/~phil/exiftool/
2. Import a video from your Theta S using Image Capture (NOT Photos.app)
3. Drag/Drop the video into the Theta app, converting w/ default naming scheme.
4. Repeat steps 2 & 3 for as many videos as you have, the next steps do bulk processing.
5a. Download this bash script : http://pastebin.com/51VYga4c
5b. Put it somewhere on your computer (ex. ~/Desktop/moveMetadata.sh)
5c. Make the bash script executable w/ : cd ~/Desktop && chmod u+x ./moveMetadata.sh
6a. Change to the directory of your videos, for example : cd ~/Desktop/Videos
6b. Start the script! Execute : ./moveMetadata.sh
The bash script will move over the metadata and modify the new video to have the same creation date as the original video. You can now discard the original video, confidently knowing that all metadata is still in place.
Also discovered that when capturing images via the app, GPS data and vertical image correction is automatically applied to images!
APPS!
I've figured out what I believe to be the best apps for interacting with content from the camera. Here you go:
KIRORU 360 - View images from the camera roll easily, designed to be used with Google Cardboard.
https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/kiroru-360/id954157416
Round.me - Best place for uploading sets of spherical images. Supports Google Cardboard and has a solid web interface. Creating "spaces" is easier on the desktop than within the app. Has iOS and Android apps.
https://round.me (Example : https://round.me/tour/20157/view/49383/)
Google Street View - Automatically connects to Theta S and allows you to take geotagged pictures and quickly publish them onto Street View. Strips images of metadata, though, and too specific of a use case for casual image capture. In addition to realtime capture, you can also import previously-captured images into this app.
https://itunes.apple.com/en/app/photo-sphere-camera/id904418768
Theta S - Obligatory. Somewhat basic, but essential.
https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/id1023254741
Developer Toys :
The Ricoh Theta S is compatible with the Open Spherical Camera API created by Google :
https://developers.google.com/streetview/open-spherical-camera/
This python implementation is an example of how to easily interact with the camera in your own application :
https://github.com/florianl/pyOSCapi
There is a newer model of this item:
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From the manufacturer
360° experience.
Experience a new world of images with the Ricoh Theta S. With one touch of a button, spherical images and videos are created which are unlike anything you've ever seen. The Theta S offers capabilities not previously attainable in past models including a new, a larger image sensor, which gives you approximately 14 megapixel, high-quality spherical images and Full HD movie recording up to 25 minutes. Improvements have been made for low light shooting including the addition of a newly developed bright f/2.0 lens along with the option to shoot in Manual Mode and set shutter speeds up to 60 seconds, built-in memory to store up to 8GB of data, as well as live view and live streaming functionality. Discover 360-degree images and videos, the future of digital photography.
Highlights
- 360° Spherical images and videos
- New enlarged sensor - 12MP
- Output Size - 14MP
- Full HD video at 30fps
- Live streaming (USB/HDMI)
Overview
capture spherical images and videos
Easily capture and share everything in your environment with the Theta S. Featuring a twin-lens folded-optical system, view and share completely spherical images.
improved image quality
Equipped with a larger (1/ 2.3-inch) image sensor, enjoy high-quality spherical images at approximately 14 megapixels, the best quality of all Theta models. The Theta S features a newly designed lens, optimized for the new sensor, providing sharper images than previous models.
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improved ui with more functionsAdded to the Theta S is an LED status notification on the body of the device, which allows you to switch between still image and movie mode more easily than previous models. Wi-Fi speed has also been upgraded to 8Mbps, as well as built-in memory to store up to 8GB. |
high movie qualityImproved hardware enables 30fps of Full HD original data. Recording time is also improved to a maximum of 25 minutes. |
dedicated applicationThe Theta applications allow for easy shooting and sharing of your spherical images and videos. From the applications you can capture still images and videos, employ full command and control over various shooting modes, and share your spherical images and videos directly to social media. Additional Theta applications will allow you to edit your spherical images to the way you want them to be. |
live view and live streaming functionalityLive View function is added with still images. With this new function, 10fps images are displayed as a preview on your smartphone. Enjoy live streaming when your device is connected to either a USB or HDMI cord. |
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Straight to the point - The beginning of more immersive photos and videos. Best tech right now
Reviewed in the United States on February 24, 2016
First off, the reason I bought this is because of my interest in the latest tech. I've recently been getting into virtual reality (VR) and more immersive experiences. I heard about this item and couldn't help myself. Overall, I love my purchase and would buy it again. Hope this review helps you decide whether or not to purchase the camera.My video is segmented into 4 different parts:1: Design - how it looks and feels compared to others2: Simple button functions3. Phone connection and use with the app (VR and 360 preview)4. Pictures with a video at the end ( unfortunately Amazon doesn't render the 360 video experience so you can't use it like its meant to be used. However, you get to see a bit of what its like.) 360 video capturing used to be a very expensive and tedious task- that is you had to purchase several cameras and align them then stitch the video together.That is where Ricoh came in. Ricoh started their 360 cameras several years ago and has seen much improvement since.This Theta s is a big improvement from the previous m15 model. Why?1. Full 1080p HD video and pictures at 14MP.2. Less stitched up looking videos as experienced with the m15.3. You get 25 minutes of video recording in one sitting vs 6 minutes on the m15.4. Internal memory has been extended to 8GB5. You get live preview with this model prior to taking your picture.6. Sound quality has improved immensely - giving you more immersion.7. Battery life has been extended. Albeit not by much.This is a great introductory product for getting into the VR revolution that is predicted to boom this year with the release of VR headsets everywhere. It has a very sleek design with 2 cameras front and back that use fish eye view to stitch the photos and give a 360 experience. It comes with a case so as to protect the lenses when stored. They do have cases for this camera online so no worries there if you feel you need a better one. Underneath the device you can attach a stand that will be necessary as you'll see blurred pictures if you're moving too fast. The video has no problem with this. As far the tech goes, its still in its early stages and the quality of video is at its best without breaking the bank. Unfortunately, when uploading to Youtube you do get loss of quality which due to Youtube compression itself. Again, the tech is still climbing and this is where the standard is right now. The camera is at its best when taking pictures. The pictures are amazing and really good quality. To take pictures is simple. You click and voila the picture is stitched in the camera itself. If you do not want to be in the picture you can simply download the free app (iOS and Android) and use that to take the picture. You can connect to the camera using wifi and you get a distance of about 30 feet depending on how many walls are in between you and the camera. The app also allows you to preview the picture before its taken so you don't have to worry about not getting what you want. Additionally you can tweak the cameras settings to get an optimized image. The app software also allows you to experience your photos in Virtual Reality. Although it achieves this by giving you the same image twice - so you don't get a parallax effect. Thought there is software that allows you this opportunity. Overall, If you're looking to get started with the boom of VR and don't want to invest too much money this is the way to go!Comment with questions if you need clarification or if I missed something. Hope I helped in your decision.
Reviewed in the United States on February 24, 2016
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