Ricoh Theta m15 Review

Operation and Performance

On this page we will be looking at how to operate the Ricoh Theta while in the field.  Although the optimal user experience is centered around the dedicated Theta smartphone app, the camera can of course be used without it.  The standalone mode of operation is the simplest, so we will begin there.  Next, we will move on to the smartphone app followed by the desktop app.

Standalone Operation: Stills and Videos

The controls on the camera allow you to perform just two tasks: capture still images and record videos.

To start shooting stills, it is enough to press the power button and the camera will thereafter take a photo every time you press the shutter button.

Video mode is a bit more tricky (and poorly-documented in the manual). It is accessed by pressing the power button while holding down the wireless button (the latter must be pressed first and both should be held down for at least 1 second).  Once you're in video mode, pressing the shutter button toggles recording on and off. Recording will automatically stop after 3 minutes regardless as this is the Theta's maximum video file size.

To switch modes, you cannot get around having to power down the camera first.

The only other complaint we have here is that there is no way to shoot with a delay (i.e. no self-timer) using just the buttons on the camera.

LED Indicators

Since the Theta has no screen, it instead uses shutter sounds and LED lights to indicate its status.  The sounds cannot be disabled.

Refer to the table below for the meaning of the three LED indicator lights.

Theta Smartphone App

The Theta smartphone/tablet app (called RICOH THETA in Google Play and the Apple App Store) is free to download and gives users access to a host of additional functionality.  Most importantly, it can be used to view photos and control the camera remotely.  Other features include the ability to manually adjust exposure settings, activate interval shooting, share on Facebook/Twitter, and transfer files.

The iPhone/iPad version of the app does require iOS 7 or higher, which means iPhone 4/5 users won't be able to install it without first updating the phone's software.

We'll start by saying that parts of the English version of the Theta app are poorly-translated, as is the manual (accessible online and via the app).  Some phrasing is merely awkward, while certain other statements are unclear or ambiguous.  For example, according to the manual, one must "press the wireless button and power button together to turn on the power of the camera" to access video mode.  In fact, if the user does this, the camera will simply enter stills mode.  The power button will only put the camera in video mode if the wireless button is pressed and held down beforehand.  Fortunately, since the app is fairly simple, the poor phrasing really only contributes to a slightly longer learning curve.

Connecting

To connect the Theta to a smartphone, you must first press the wireless button on the camera's to enable its Wi-Fi.  Then, open the app and swipe downward from the center of the screen.  You will be asked to select the Theta's network and type in the wireless password.  Subsequent swipes will result in an automatic connection if both devices have Wi-Fi enabled. The swiping gesture itself doesn't make much sense, as a button would have been easier to press, but it works.

It will normally take 10 to 15 seconds in total for the app to connect to the camera.

Now that the Theta is connected to the smartphone, let's take a look at the app itself. 

Home Screen

The screenshots below are of the Android version of the app.  This first screen is what you will see when you first open the app.

Theta App - Main Menu

The app's home screen has 7 elements, from top to bottom:

1. App: lets you view spherical versions of all the Theta pictures that you've transferred to your phone
2. Gallery:  opens your phone's default gallery program and shows 2D versions of your pictures
3. Camera: lets you transfer or copy files from the Theta to your phone
4. Status indicator: just a fancy way of showing whether or not you're connected to your Theta
5. Book icon: return to home screen (lower-left)
6. Theta icon: control the camera/shutter remotely (center)
7. Cog icon: access the settings menu (lower-right)

In our opinion, (1) should have been called "View Photos" while (3) should have been called "Download Files".  (2) is fairly pointless and just confuses the user, and (5) should not be present on the home screen since it has no effect there.  (6) should have been made much larger, possibly swapping spots with (4).  Thus, the Theta app interface could certainly benefit from a facelift, but the good news is that the features themselves actually work quite well once you know how to get to them.  Note that (1) and (2) will function even when no camera is connected, and you technically don't even need to own a Theta to try out the app.

Taking Photos

If a camera is connected and in stills mode, the image capture screen below will be accessible by pressing (6) on the home screen.  It allows you to release the shutter and change all available exposure parameters. 

Image Capture Screen

The various elements, again from top to bottom and left to right, include:

1. Exposure mode: switch between auto, shutter priority, and ISO priority
2. Postview: opt to instantly review your photos
3. Shutter button: captures an image
4. Remaining images
5. Exposure compensation: a slider that lets you brighten or darken the image by up to 2EV
6. Battery meter
7. Shooting settings

Pressing either of the arrows by (1) will pull up an expanded menu with white balance and either shutter speed or ISO settings.  The white balance cannot be changed in auto mode.

Advanced shooting settings

The "Postview" button allows you to choose whether or not to instantly review each photo.  Regardless of your choice, interestingly, the app still locks up for about 4 seconds with a message that reads "now image synthesizing" after you capture a photo.  But if you do enable postview (which is on by default), you'll be shown the image you just captured and you'll be able to pan, zoom, and even save it. The photos will always be saved on the camera and can be transferred later.

Postview Example

The cog icon (7) on the image capture screen screen takes you to a short image shooting menu that is currently only used to set up interval shooting:

Interval Shooting Settings

This interval shooting mode is a handy way to create a time lapse of more than one thing at once (you'll see what we mean on the following page).

Taking Videos

To capture videos using the Theta app, you first have to put the camera in video mode by turning it off, holding down the wireless button, and only then pressing the power button.  Once the camera is on, pressing (6) from the home screen will show a video capture screen that's very similar to the image capture screen, albeit more barren.

Video Capture Screen

The procedure to switch to video mode is rather confusing and it's evident that video support in the Theta m15 was an afterthought.  There is no way to switch from stills to video mode without powering down the camera, and consequently you have to reconnect the camera to the app before continuing use.  Perhaps a future update will bring a video/stills switch to the app.

Transferring Images

After taking some photos, the natural next step is to transfer them over to your phone forviewing and sharing.  To do this, head back to the home screen and select (3) "Camera".  You will then be taken to a screen listing all the files on the camera.  The tabs at the top of the screen allow you to filter photos by those that have already been transferred and those that have not.  This can be helpful for deleting files.  The app menu (discussed later) also includes a setting to automatically delete images from the Theta after they are transferred to your phone.  By default, files are merely copied.

Camera File Screen

This screen lets you transfer files individually or select a group of files by tapping on "Select" in the upper-right corner, choosing the desired images, and pressing a button, as shown below.  Each individual file transfer takes roughly 4 seconds if the Theta is nearby.

We'd like to point out that the "postview" screen we discussed previously also allows you to save photos via the phone's menu button (or by holding your finger on the screen).  However, these photos are saved in your phone's default photo album and won't show up in the Theta app, since it uses a separate folder.

Mass Selection

You can also upload images to theta360.com and share them on social networks via this screen.  Simply tap on any round thumbnail to enlarge it, tap the image again to bring up the sharing icon in the upper-right, and follow the on-screen instructions.  You will need to create an account on theta360.com (the app will guide you through it) to proceed.  Facebook and Twitter sharing can be enabled via the app settings.

Sharing Menu

The net result of the share is that the image will be uploaded to theta360.com and liked to from Facebook and/or Twitter.  Your friends can then view the entire image interactively in a web browser and pan as desired.  You cannot crop the shared image, although the thumbnail shown on Facebook will correspond to the visible part of the image at the time you pressed the share button.

Viewing Images

Tapping on (1) "App" from the home screen brings up a gallery containing all the spherical images you've transferred over from the Theta.  They are sorted by date.

Theta Image Gallery

Tapping on any image will enlarge it and allow you to pan and zoom.  Photos can be shared in the same way as from the "Camera" screen.  If you just want to share a cropped portion of the image in 2D, we found capturing a phone screenshot to be the best approach.

You can also save these files to your phone's image gallery.  They will only be available at a reduced resolution (2048x1024); to obtain the full-size versions, a PC must be used.

Settings

Icon (7) in the lower-right corner of the home screen takes you to the Theta app's settings menu.

App Settings

The most important setting here is "Transfer method", which can be set to either move or copy (default).  If you select move, images that you transfer over to your phone or tablet will be deleted from the camera.  Otherwise, they will remain on-camera until deleted manually.

This screen also provides access to the manual ("User Guide", opens in a web browser) and social sharing settings.

iOS vs Android

While both versions of the Theta App support the same features, there are some subtle differences in how they are implemented.  The majority of these are documented in the manual.  For example, when sharing from an Android phone, the app must first disconnect from the camera's Wi-Fi to be able to upload over the cellular network.  The iOS version does not have this restriction.

USB File Transfer

Like most other cameras, the Theta can be connected to a computer via USB for transferring files.  Its internal memory will show up as a mass storage device, allowing you to drag and drop photos as desired.

Theta Desktop App

The Ricoh Theta desktop app (available for download at https://theta360.com/en/support/download/) is essentially an image viewer with sharing support and some auxiliary functionality.  It has very few overlapping features with the smartphone app and it cannot be used to control the camera remotely.

If you plan on shooting videos with the Theta, though, you will need the desktop app.  It is the only way to convert and view spherical videos, which we will discuss in more detail on the following page.

Another feature unique to the desktop app is the ability to perform firmware updates.  As of the writing of this review (January, 2015), no firmware updates have been posted for the Theta m15.

Theta Desktop App

Images can be viewed in the app by dragging and dropping them onto the canvas, or opening them via the file menu.  The app does not show a listing of the files on the Theta even if one is connected via USB, but those files can of course be accessed via the "File > Open" system dialog.

Performance

When used without the app, the Theta's overall performance is quite good.  In stills mode, there is no appreciable shutter lag and the camera can take 5-10 photos in rapid succession (about 1 frame per second) without having to pause to save them.  Thus, during everyday use you should never encounter any slowness.  In video mode there is a bit of shutter lag, but it still isn't something that will ever get in your way.

The Theta's wireless range is roughly 30 meters in a direct line of sight, and 10 meters with obstructions (i.e. indoors).  The actual range will vary based on the factors such as the type of phone/tablet you are using and its height above the ground.  The range we experienced in practice was sufficient for setting the Theta up on a tripod and getting far enough away to not be in the image.  It isn't a device you'll want to control from afar, though, as file transfer time and shutter lag increases considerably near the limit of the camera's wireless range.  The overall wireless performance is comparable to what we've seen in other compact cameras: good with room for improvement.  It would have been nice if file transfers were faster; currently each photo takes about 4 seconds to download over Wi-Fi.

Battery Life

The Theta uses a great deal of power when the Wi-Fi is enabled, and it also generates a considerable amount of heat.  This reduces the overall battery life when compared to shooting without a smartphone.  Expect to be able to take between 100 and 200 photos on a single charge.  Fortunately, the Theta charges about as quickly as a phone; it doesn't require hours like many other cameras do.

File Storage

The Theta has 4Gb of internal storage, 3.7Gb of which is available to the user.  Our daytime ISO 100 photos were typically between 2.2 and 2.4Mb in filesize, which means that the internal memory is good for around 1,500 photos.

Each minute of video is roughly 90Mb, so you can capture up to approximately 40 minutes of video without having to copy it over to your PC to free up space.

Verdict

The Theta is easy and intuitive to use.  The fact that it requires no configuration and has built-in memory means that it is ready to shoot out of the box.  One of the very few annoyances is the tedious way in which the video mode is accessed.

The accompanying smartphone app works well but could benefit from some polishing (especially the Android version).  It's a little slow to use because parts of it haven't been programmed in a user-friendly way and it has some quirks here and there.  Similarly, the desktop app is a little basic and might not appeal to users who aren't tech-savvy because it lacks a centralized image gallery.

But they are certainly a good start for a brand-new product.  The apps let you enjoy and share the Theta's unique images, which is ultimately all that matters.