Ricoh Theta SC Review

Review

This Ricoh Theta SC review is structured differently than our normal reviews, with a bigger focus on the "meat" and fewer sections overall. If you're looking for tech specs, you'll find them on the next page.

Hand-held, processed 270-degree panorama shot with the Theta SC

I've Never Heard of the Theta!

As most of our readers are DSLR fans, it's possible that you don't have a clue what we're talking about right now. But we think that this read will be worth your while! Otherwise, skip to the next section.

Our first glimpse at spherical imaging camera all the way back in Photokina 2012, back when Ricoh Imaging was still known as Pentax-Ricoh. Shortly thereafter, the company managed to miniaturize its 360-degree camera through an ultra-compact, patented system that uses prisms and lenses internally, similar to a DSLR.

The commercial Ricoh Theta line has been around since late 2013, and it enables one-press capturing of 360-degree spherical photos (and now also videos). The buttons on the Theta allow the camera to be used in standalone more with basic features, while connecting a smartphone or tablet over Wi-Fi enables things such as remote live view, file transfers, and settings changes. Thetas save .JPG files which can of course also be transferred to a PC over USB and edited with traditional photos editors. The Theta desktop application can then convert the files for

In the summer of 2016, the Theta S became Amazon's #1 best-selling compact digital camera in numerous regions including the US and UK. A key improvement over previous models was resolution, which took the image quality to a whole new level.

The "big picture" behind the Theta is that it changes the way we approach photography. The spherical image format lets you do so much more than a rectangular frame, and opens up new creative opportunities. It makes photographers think differently about each scene, and gives a lot more possibilities in post. Despite this, photos from the Theta can be printed just like traditional photos and displayed in a large format or in photo books.

Theta SC vs. Theta S

Let's start with the differences between the Theta S and SC. Support for an HDMI connection (and thus desktop video streaming) has been removed. In addition, video clips are limited to 5 minutes rather than 25 minutes each (this is just a software tweak allow for the lower price point). Lastly, and most importantly, the Theta SC's LED lights are considerably brighter than those in the Theta S or the newer Theta V.

Theta V vs Theta SC light intensity

While the brighter lights may seem harmless at first sight, they do get in your way when shooting in the dark. Not only does the Theta SC itself appear very bright, but the lights can illuminate your fingers, which in turn show up photos and can throw off the exposure. Fortunately, there's an easy DIY fix for this: just tape over the lights with masking tape! If you want to be extra fancy, you can open up the camera and put some tape or film between the casing and the lights.

That's it as far as differences go. Not a big sacrifice given the $130 drop in price, in our opinion.

Video

While the Theta SC can shoot videos in full HD, there are similarly-priced devices (such as Samsung's 2017 Gear VR) that can record in 4K. The Theta V, launched in September 2017, can also record and stream in 4K. Given the field of view that needs to be covered, we feel that 4K is the bare minimum for serious 360-video applications. We thus won't be focusing on video in this review, you could can expect a comparison of video quality when we post our Theta V review.

Of course, if you're mainly interested in still 360-degree photos but also want to be able to record video clips from time to time, the Theta SC will get the job done. As with still photos, you can pan and zoom in 360-degree videos, which makes the feature great for capturing memorable events.

Still Photos

Like the Theta S, the Theta SC has two fast lenses with a maximum aperture of F/2. Each lens captures a 14-megapixel image, which is automatically synthesized by the camera into a single 12-megapixel 360-degree image, saved as a traditional JPG. This reduction in effective resolution improves noise levels and overall image quality

JPG files from the Theta SC are very clear in daylight, even when hand-held. Distant signs and buildings are easily discernible. In low-light, hand-holding is viable, though for the best image quality, you will want to put the camera on a tripod and trigger it remotely using your smart device. This also ensures that your hand/fingers won't show up in the frame. Manually setting the ISO is possible and recommended in this case to keep noise to a minimum.

A picture says a thousand words, so here are some unedited samples from around the world shot with the Theta SC:

Eiffel Tower (download originals: 1 | 2):

Theta Image

Santorini (download original: 1):

Theta Image

London (download originals: 1 | 2):

Theta Image

With 8Gb of on-board memory and only using around 4Mb per photo, the Theta is great for vacation photos. It can store well over 1,000 photos at once. Furthermore, if you do most of your shooting in standalone more, the battery can last for weeks.

Other perfect uses of the Theta include real estate, vehicle, and interior photography thanks to the ease of capture combined with the field of view.

For a more technical look at the image quality, please refer to the image quality page in our Theta S review.

Connectivity

The Theta SC can be controlled using the Ricoh Theta S app available in the Google Play/Apple app stores. These apps see regular updates, so user-friendliness has improved over time. To connect the Theta, all you have to do is connect to its Wi-Fi network and enter the password, which is stamped underneath the camera and also the trailing part of the network name. Click here to learn more about the mobile app functionality.

Third-party support for the Theta is also growing, as the camera uses an open API provided by Ricoh.

We've observed that newer versions of the Theta app a little bit more resource-hungry than the original version, so older phones may struggle a bit in terms of performance, especially if the Wi-Fi signal is weak. Also, the Theta SC's remote live view resolution and framerate isn't stellar when compared to the latest and greatest offered in the Theta V, but then again that camera is more than double the price.

Ricoh Theta S mobile app (10/2017 release)

On the PC, the Theta app allows you to view spherical photos, but it lacks the excellent file browser feature of its mobile counterpart. The PC app does not allow for remote live view/triggering.

Since the Theta requires Wi-Fi to connect to your phone, your internet connection gets disrupted while you're connected to the camera. This makes sharing Theta photos to social media a little but quirky, but it seems that Ricoh plans to fix this in the future by offering Bluetooth connectivity instead.

All in all, the mobile apps get the job done pretty well, though it may take some time for you to get accustomed to they way they behave.

Conclusion

Largely overlooked alongside the more prominently advertised Theta S, The Theta SC is the perfect starter camera for photographers interested in entering the 360-degree/VR scene. At just $199, we feel it's one of the best values currently on the market. If you're mainly interested in 360-degree photos rather than videos, and if you value the ergonomic, hand-holdable form factor, this camera is right for you. On the other hand, you may want to consider other cameras if you plan to do a lot of spherical videos, or need streaming/4K capabilities.

If you want to extend the capabilities of your Theta, consider accessories such as the waterproof housing or a selfie stick.

Pros

Affordable
Easy to use, smartphone optional
Excellent still image quality
Patented ergonomic, hand-holdable compact body
Live view, video/image capture, and file transfers over Wi-Fi
Long battery life and plenty of memory

Cons

Desktop app support lacks features
Bright indicator lights can be distracting
Fingers can show up in hand-held photos due to button placement
Not optimal for video
Mobile app can be slow

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Rating

The Theta SC delivers the core features and performance of the Theta S at a fraction of the price. This makes it an exceptional value and a highly-reliable camera for spherical photography.