Ricoh Theta S Review
Specifications
Many of the traditional digital camera specifications that photographers are accustomed to either don't apply to the Theta, or haven't been specified by the manufacturer.
The table below lists the Ricoh Theta S specifications compared to the previous model, the m15.
| Product Information | ||
| Product Name | Ricoh Theta S | Ricoh Theta m15 |
| Manufacturer | Ricoh Company, Ltd. | |
| Announced | September, 2015 | September, 2014 |
| Launch Price (USA) | $349 | $299 |
| Sensor | ||
| Effective Resolution | 5376 x 2688 pixels 2 CMOS sensors 12 megapixels per sensor 14 effective megapixels combined | 3584 x 1792 pixels 2 CMOS sensors 3.2 megapixels per sensor 6.4 megapixels combined* |
| Sensor Size | 1/2.3" | Not specified |
| ISO Range | 100-1600 in all modes | 100-1600 100-400 in video mode |
| Image Capture | ||
| Lens Type | 2 bird-eye lenses 360-degree combined horizontal field of view | |
| Maximum Aperture | F2 | Not known |
| Shooting Modes | Auto, Shutter Priority, Sensitivity Priority, Manual | Auto, Shutter Priority, Sensitivity Priority |
| Shutter Speeds | 1/8 - 1/6400s 60 s - 1/6400s in manual mode 1/30 -1/8000s in full HD video mode 1/15 -1/8000s in HD video mode | 1/7.5 - 1/8000s 1/15 -1/8000s in video mode |
| File formats | JPEG (flattened spherical images) | |
| Focusing | Fixed focus, covering the range from 10 cm to infinity | |
| Drive Modes | Single shot, interval shooting | |
| Exposure Compensation | +/- 2EV, 1/3 EV steps | |
| Metering | Auto | |
| Movie Mode | ||
| Resolution/Framerates | 1920x1080 @ 30 FPS 1280x720 @ 15 FPS (10 in live view) | 1920x960 @ 15 FPS |
| File format | H.264 MOV | |
| Exposure Modes | Auto | |
| Built-in Microphone | Mono | |
| External Microphone | N/A | |
| Max. Clip Length | 25 minutes, max. 4 GB | 5 minutes |
| Total Recording Time | Full HD: 65 minutes, HD: 175 minutes | 60 minutes |
| Interface | ||
| Buttons | Power, still/movie, wireless on/off, shutter release | Power, wireless on/off, shutter release |
| Display | 4 indicator LEDs, no display | 3 indicator LEDs, no display |
| Connectivity | HDMI 1.4 Micro USB 2.0 (power and data) Wi-Fi (802.11b/g) | Micro USB 2.0 (power and data) Wi-Fi (802.11b/g) |
| Wireless Features | With smartphone: Live view, image capture, image review, image/video download, exposure adjustments | With smartphone: Image capture, image review, image download, exposure adjustments |
| Smartphone Software | Camera control and tethering: "Ricoh Theta S" Editing of still images: "THETA+" Editing of videos: "THETA+ Video" Available for Andriod & iOS 8+ | Camera control and tethering: "Ricoh Theta" Available for Andriod & iOS 7+ |
| Desktop Software | Windows and Mac OS | |
| General | ||
| Storage | 8GB built-in memory ~1600 still photo capacity in high resolution, 9000 in low resolution No media slot | 4GB built-in memory ~1200 still photo capacity* No media slot |
| Body Material | Plastic panels, metal frame | |
| Available Colors | Black | White, Red, Yellow, Blue |
| Dimensions (WxHxD) | 44 x 130.0 x 22.9 mm (1.73 x 5.12 x 0.9 in.) | 40.6 x 127.0 x 22.9 mm (1.6 x 5.0 x 0.9 in.) |
| Battery Life | 260 stills (with Wi-Fi on and photos transferred to a smart phone) | 200 stills (wwith Wi-Fi on and photos transferred to a smart phone) |
| Battery | Built-in rechargeable li-ion | |
| Weight (Loaded) | 125g (4.4 oz) | 95g (3.35 oz) |
| Origin | Made in China | |
*based on our tests
The Theta S has a lot of customizable settings, but it should be noted that an Android or iOS smartphone or tablet is required to configure these.
