Ricoh Theta S review

If you're looking to get started with 360-degree photography but don't want a huge rig with loads of cameras — and don't want to spend a fortune — then this is the camera to look at. It does very well with still images, but struggles some with video — as do many cameras of this type. Ricoh also has its own ecosystem for sharing pictures and videos, which is good since nobody else does just yet.

Less

The Theta S is the simplest and most elegant 360 camera we’ve tried, and it just works right out of the box. Photo quality is generally good, despite the issues, and video could be better, particularly if you want to share to popular sites like Facebook and YouTube or plan to use VR, but it’s the best the market has to offer.

Less

Whether you're looking to create content for your VR headset or just love cool camera gadgetry, the Ricoh Theta S is an excellent way to start creating spherical images.

Less

The Theta S is easy to use and the results are acceptable for the price. Ricoh has jumped in early and provided something that’s far from perfect, but good enough to have some fun with the rising VR trend. It’s no surprise that this device has been selling like hot cakes. So it’s worth buying right now, but will probably end up languishing in a drawer within a year as more sophisticated alternatives arrive on the market.

Less

If your primary interest is video, you'll probably want to hold out a bit longer for a camera that can capture immersive video at 4K resolution—the extra resolution is really needed for footage to hold up to spherical viewing. But for spherical imagery, the Theta S is a much more versatile tool. It opens up new creative possibilities, and images do hold up to a modicum of magnification—key when dealing with a camera that covers the entire world around it.

Less