| Latest Review Posted | Ricoh Theta
**Edited on 8/22/14**
The Ricoh Theta is a unique little camera. It's very lightweight, pocketable (in its included soft case, that is), and is very easy to use. It's more responsive than most compacts - you can turn it on and shoot pretty much right away. The fact that you can control the camera with your smartphone through its built in wifi connection really adds to its potential: you need not hold or stand next to the camera in order to get interesting shots, although the Theta's wifi has somewhat limited range and the connection sometimes drops (this could be fixed in an app or firmware update, though). A recent firmware update added ISO and shutter priority modes to the Theta mobile app, and they work like a charm although it takes some getting used to.
Image quality is pretty decent for a compact. It's not the best, but it's definitely not bad. This camera is not advisable in low light situations, though - unless mounted on a tripod and fired via the smartphone app, you're going to end up with a blurry mess. The battery lasts a long while, and given that the Theta is reserved for special situations where a 360-degree panorama is needed, it's likely you'll be able to use it for a very long time before needing another charge.
In order to view the images to their fullest, you have to create an account on the Ricoh Theta website or on Microsoft Photosynth (a Microsoft website for 360-degree panoramas). The Theta website has become much easier to use lately - all you ne... |
