Pentax / Ricoh Theta 360 camera

**savoche** · 09-08-2013, 01:08 AM

Hmm, wonder if this thing could be of interest to real estate agents.

pinholecam · 09-08-2013, 01:20 AM

About it being $400.
A BEATS ear/headphones sell for how much?
And youngsters/hipsters are swapping them up as if they cost a bunch of candies.

The Theta sure has more tech on it than a pair of BEATS.

If it captures the imagination of the 'lifestyle' crowd, it will do well for Ricoh/Pentax.
I can see that its possible.
The device that will give you the 'one up' over other facebook 'friends' and their camera phones.

Katmandude · 09-08-2013, 01:49 AM

it's not the device that is getting the flak, it's a gadget, it's cute (can't blame the cuteness now can you??

). What most people on the forums are bitching about is the lack of something tangible that reassures pentaxians of the commitment of ricoh to the brand, to our investment in their products. We haven't seen anything really important come out of the company since 3 years. And I'm not talking about remakes, or revamps, or gadgets.
No, we looking for a new flagship camera! something that says " THIS IS PENTAX/RICOH, THIS IS WHAT WE CAN DO!" more of a "why" product ( why buy pentax or ricoh? this is why!) not some sort of "how" or "what" product (how do you take 360° pictures? ... like this, 'click'... booooooring!) how can we possibly invest and identify ourselves to some sort of fancy webcam gadget which, frankly has been done before, or can be done with software?

am i wrong?

Kunzite · 09-08-2013, 02:49 AM

You can't do it with software and I'm not aware of being done before.
But you are right, some people see any product which is not what they want as a threat; almost as if people working on that flagship were reallocated to the Theta (because a company like Ricoh Imaging could not possibly have several teams working on different projects).
Even deciding new colors would take away the people previously working on a new processing engine

**monochrome** · 09-08-2013, 04:29 AM

@Kunzite:

@Katmandude has a very real very valid point. Which might be rendered moot in a few weeks.

Think about being Ricoh. You own a segment of the B2B market, but B2B is only 30% of global GDP. You want to grow. You have a 30-year vision. What do you do?

You do in B2C what you did in B2B - buy platform companies, improve their products, re-brand their indirect ideas Ricoh and do it consistently, dependably and repeatedly for 30 years.

Kunzite · 09-08-2013, 04:43 AM - **1 Like**

What I'm saying is that the Theta is irrelevant to Ricoh Imaging showing our tangible reassurance. I'm not exactly contradicting Katmandude, but pointing out how our impatience translates into automatically rejecting everything else they do.

Kenntak · 09-08-2013, 05:01 AM

This is not something I need, but after looking at what it can do and the sample picture, it looks like a device that could be fun and useful to certain groups. About the price, that is a suggested list price--I am sure the street price will be lower. Plus, it is sometimes surprising what people will pay for gadgets they think are cool.

pinholecam · 09-08-2013, 05:22 AM

Oh yeah!

Maybe someone can flag to the US army that this thing can be very useful for FIBUA.

**monochrome** · 09-08-2013, 05:53 AM

Jeez - it's a RICOH labeled product, not a PENTAX labeled product.

Binoculars and sport optics (AKA rifle scopes that people use to KILL LITTLE BAMBI's!!) are PENTAX labeled products and that doesn't bother us one little bit.

johnmflores · 09-08-2013, 07:42 AM - **3 Likes**

The Theta is perfect for online discussions that just go round and round and round...

Kenntak · 09-08-2013, 09:32 AM

Come on johnmflores, that reasoning is so circular.

**OrangeKx** · 09-08-2013, 09:59 AM

Picture this: wedding dance floor, the Theta hanging from the ceiling about 10 off the floor and the wedding party makes a circle and look up and click away from an iPhone. Cool shot. Or...

Thanksgiving dinner (Theta in the middle of the table) with a 360 shot of the family gathered 'round. The more I think about this thing the cooler it gets.

**boriscleto** · 09-08-2013, 10:32 AM

Originally posted by monochrome

@Kunzite:

@Katmandude has a very real very valid point. Which might be rendered moot in a few weeks.

Think about being Ricoh. You own a segment of the B2B market, but B2B is only 30% of global GDP. You want to grow. You have a 30-year vision. What do you do?

You do in B2C what you did in B2B - buy platform companies, improve their products, re-brand their indirect ideas Ricoh and do it consistently, dependably and repeatedly for 30 years.

You want to know who's going to be buying these? Real Estate Agents...

If I had shown theta360.com to my uncle this weekend he would have bought one on the spot.

deadwolfbones · 09-08-2013, 10:56 AM - **1 Like**

Originally posted by OrangeKx

Picture this: wedding dance floor, the Theta hanging from the ceiling about 10 off the floor and the wedding party makes a circle and look up and click away from an iPhone. Cool shot. Or...

Thanksgiving dinner (Theta in the middle of the table) with a 360 shot of the family gathered 'round. The more I think about this thing the cooler it gets.

Seems like we think alike. That first one is the example I actually used in my review.

Gray · 09-08-2013, 10:56 AM

Originally posted by OrangeKx

The more I think about this thing the cooler it gets.

Yes, me too.

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09-08-2013, 01:08 AM	#196
savoche Master of the obvious Join Date: Jun 2011 Location: Lowlands of Norway Posts: 18,311	Hmm, wonder if this thing could be of interest to real estate agents.

09-08-2013, 01:20 AM	#197
pinholecam Pentaxian Join Date: Oct 2009 Location: North Photos: Gallery Posts: 4,706	About it being $400. A BEATS ear/headphones sell for how much? And youngsters/hipsters are swapping them up as if they cost a bunch of candies. The Theta sure has more tech on it than a pair of BEATS. If it captures the imagination of the 'lifestyle' crowd, it will do well for Ricoh/Pentax. I can see that its possible. The device that will give you the 'one up' over other facebook 'friends' and their camera phones.

09-08-2013, 01:49 AM	#198
Katmandude Junior Member Join Date: Jun 2013 Posts: 42	it's not the device that is getting the flak, it's a gadget, it's cute (can't blame the cuteness now can you?? ). What most people on the forums are bitching about is the lack of something tangible that reassures pentaxians of the commitment of ricoh to the brand, to our investment in their products. We haven't seen anything really important come out of the company since 3 years. And I'm not talking about remakes, or revamps, or gadgets. No, we looking for a new flagship camera! something that says " THIS IS PENTAX/RICOH, THIS IS WHAT WE CAN DO!" more of a "why" product ( why buy pentax or ricoh? this is why!) not some sort of "how" or "what" product (how do you take 360° pictures? ... like this, 'click'... booooooring!) how can we possibly invest and identify ourselves to some sort of fancy webcam gadget which, frankly has been done before, or can be done with software? am i wrong?

09-08-2013, 02:49 AM	#199
Kunzite Pentaxian Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Romania Posts: 15,132	You can't do it with software and I'm not aware of being done before. But you are right, some people see any product which is not what they want as a threat; almost as if people working on that flagship were reallocated to the Theta (because a company like Ricoh Imaging could not possibly have several teams working on different projects). Even deciding new colors would take away the people previously working on a new processing engine

09-08-2013, 04:29 AM	#200
monochrome Loyal Site Supporter Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Working From Home Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 26,276	@Kunzite: @Katmandude has a very real very valid point. Which might be rendered moot in a few weeks. Think about being Ricoh. You own a segment of the B2B market, but B2B is only 30% of global GDP. You want to grow. You have a 30-year vision. What do you do? You do in B2C what you did in B2B - buy platform companies, improve their products, re-brand their indirect ideas Ricoh and do it consistently, dependably and repeatedly for 30 years.

09-08-2013, 04:43 AM - 1 Like	#201
Kunzite Pentaxian Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Romania Posts: 15,132	What I'm saying is that the Theta is irrelevant to Ricoh Imaging showing our tangible reassurance. I'm not exactly contradicting Katmandude, but pointing out how our impatience translates into automatically rejecting everything else they do.

09-08-2013, 05:01 AM	#202
Kenntak Senior Member Join Date: May 2013 Posts: 198	This is not something I need, but after looking at what it can do and the sample picture, it looks like a device that could be fun and useful to certain groups. About the price, that is a suggested list price--I am sure the street price will be lower. Plus, it is sometimes surprising what people will pay for gadgets they think are cool.

09-08-2013, 05:22 AM	#203
pinholecam Pentaxian Join Date: Oct 2009 Location: North Photos: Gallery Posts: 4,706	Oh yeah! Maybe someone can flag to the US army that this thing can be very useful for FIBUA.

09-08-2013, 05:53 AM	#204
monochrome Loyal Site Supporter Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Working From Home Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 26,276	Jeez - it's a RICOH labeled product, not a PENTAX labeled product. Binoculars and sport optics (AKA rifle scopes that people use to KILL LITTLE BAMBI's!!) are PENTAX labeled products and that doesn't bother us one little bit.

09-08-2013, 07:42 AM - 3 Likes	#205
johnmflores Veteran Member Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: Somerville, NJ Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 5,361	The Theta is perfect for online discussions that just go round and round and round...

09-08-2013, 09:32 AM	#206
Kenntak Senior Member Join Date: May 2013 Posts: 198	Come on johnmflores, that reasoning is so circular.

09-08-2013, 09:59 AM	#207
OrangeKx Site Supporter Join Date: Nov 2011 Location: Vancouver, WA Photos: Gallery Posts: 817	Picture this: wedding dance floor, the Theta hanging from the ceiling about 10 off the floor and the wedding party makes a circle and look up and click away from an iPhone. Cool shot. Or... Thanksgiving dinner (Theta in the middle of the table) with a 360 shot of the family gathered 'round. The more I think about this thing the cooler it gets.

09-08-2013, 10:32 AM	#208
boriscleto Loyal Site Supporter Join Date: Dec 2009 Location: North Syracuse, NY Photos: Gallery Posts: 16,475	Originally posted by monochrome @Kunzite: @Katmandude has a very real very valid point. Which might be rendered moot in a few weeks. Think about being Ricoh. You own a segment of the B2B market, but B2B is only 30% of global GDP. You want to grow. You have a 30-year vision. What do you do? You do in B2C what you did in B2B - buy platform companies, improve their products, re-brand their indirect ideas Ricoh and do it consistently, dependably and repeatedly for 30 years. You want to know who's going to be buying these? Real Estate Agents... If I had shown theta360.com to my uncle this weekend he would have bought one on the spot.

09-08-2013, 10:56 AM - 1 Like	#209
deadwolfbones Veteran Member Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: La Crescenta, CA Posts: 7,450	Originally posted by OrangeKx Picture this: wedding dance floor, the Theta hanging from the ceiling about 10 off the floor and the wedding party makes a circle and look up and click away from an iPhone. Cool shot. Or... Thanksgiving dinner (Theta in the middle of the table) with a 360 shot of the family gathered 'round. The more I think about this thing the cooler it gets. Seems like we think alike. That first one is the example I actually used in my review.

09-08-2013, 10:56 AM	#210
Gray Veteran Member Join Date: Oct 2011 Location: Cape Town Photos: Gallery Posts: 536	Originally posted by OrangeKx The more I think about this thing the cooler it gets. Yes, me too.