The Ricoh Theta V 4k 360 Spherical Camera is a must-have for anyone looking to capture immersive, 360-degree videos and photos. The camera offers a compact and user-friendly design, making it easy to use and perfect for both professionals and casual users alike.
With its new image sensor and processor, the Theta V produces realistic content that transports viewers to the environment in which the video or photo was shot. The camera’s high-speed data transfer allows for quick sharing of high-resolution 4K videos and 14-megapixel stills. Additionally, the Theta V features omnidirectional audio recording, which enhances the realism of any scene.
Using the Theta S app, users can control the camera with any Android or iOS device via Bluetooth Low Energy or Wi-Fi. The camera also has a unique feature where Ricoh will create new functions for the camera via software plug-ins. With a 4-channel microphone that supports 360-degree spatial audio recording, the Theta V reproduces sound and video as it was in the environment where the video was shot.
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mark caswell-daniels –
Have been a big fan of Ricoh Theta cameras for some time and have a good experience with 360 media and equipment.Here are the Pro’s of the V in my experience, compared with the S and other cams:- 4k video is really good quality and copes with low lighting well (far far better than the Nikon KeyMission).- 4k video can be streamed to youtube via a PC (a driver, currently in beta, is needed to do this but it does it well).- the transfer speeds over wifi are very fast (a big step up over the Theta S)- The app is still really great.- It can be charged with any charger (Theta S would refuse to charge with a high amp usb charger)- Ability to run apps on it seems promising (edit: This is being rolled out soon 2018)- Ability to sense tilt seems promising (edit: now auto stabilises video)- Small deadzone. the lenses are close together, there’s very little dead space in the image.- images every 4 seconds with timelapse mode rather than 7- can stream to a tv that has an amazon firestick.The Cons:- Same image sensor as the Theta S. The camera has a faster processor and you should get less noise on the images, but the resolution is the same.- Image stitching seems worse.. maybe due to the new lens system.. Imagine a firmware update will fix this. (edit: some way to being fixed)- Still no SD Card slot. Don’t feel like opening this one up just yet, but all the others have had SD cards hidden inside them.. these have probably been kept hidden as they’d need a fast SD card to work well with 4k video.. perhaps people would complain their card didn’t work all the time if they put an access slot in? insta, samsung, mija all have this.- Still has a plastic tripod thread, this was a bit fragile and actually broke on my S.- There’s no autostabilistion like on Mija or insta360 cameras, despite it having sensors to do so.. this should at least be able to be applied in post production on the app. (Edit: the autostabilisation now works)- Bit pricey really.
andrej stefanovski –
Absolutely love this camera. The spherical photos are higher quality than I expected, though there is more noise at low light than I thought there would be. I purchased this along with a monopod + tripod so I put it in full manual and control exposure within the app to minimize the noise (in photos). Not a big fan of the Theta V’s built in Noise/HDR filters; I found it creates artifacts within the photo that negate their usefulness.Only negatives to this camera are the apps (iOS app has better performance than Android app; neither are fantastic) and the lack of removable storage. The ~20GB internal storage holds a good number of photos and videos, though I’d love to be able to put in an SD card if only to keep photos/videos from one day or event separate from others. I prefer to start the day with a fresh card in all my cameras and with this I have to go in and delete everything from the internal storage, which is less than ideal.The new higher quality sensor definitely make this camera acceptable (Theta S photo/video quality was not) if you want to test or play around with this new immersive medium. It won’t replace a traditional camera or even a smartphone, but it is an amazing extra to keep in your bag to capture moments in a very unique and fun way.
Brandi Farrow –
I own a theta S and after reading some of the reviews on here I was very hesitant to purchase this new one, even though I was very excited about the upgraded 4K video recording. I am SO glad I went ahead and made the purchase! This is a serious upgrade from the Theta S. The video quality is so much better. No comparison. Video on the theta S was so blurry I felt it was pretty unusable. It was more of a gimmick. This is actual quality video with a clear enough resolution that you can see not only people and objects near the camera, but even items far away. It’s almost HD quality no matter where you look in the 360 shot. The pictures are also crystal clear and I have not had any issues with the stitching as noted above in other reviews. If you are looking for a high quality 360 camera for video and pics that is super easy to use, this is a must buy. The upgrades in the app too that allow you to upload directly to Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube are fantastic! You used to have to upload as a 360cities link, but now it uploads to these platforms as a direct 360 video. No need to transfer and edit on any other device. Great product!!
Dennis Mabrey –
Update II: Camera is now working again. But of a pain but it seemed the firmware was messed up.UPDATE: This camera WAS working well but it now will no longer boot up. Called Ricoh and was on hold for hours. Tried suggestions off the net but to no avail. I can contact Ricoh support over a webform but they won’t get back to me for 3 days. So much for taking it on vacation.I liked the Theta S it was a solid camera but this one has too many bugs they need to iron out.Camera works as expected. Probably the biggest problem is the “red flare” that happens in images in sunlight. The same problem existed in the Theta S.Software works well but the video doesn’t playback well on some PC’s. I thought it was the 4K but if you upload it to Youtube and then playback at 4K it looks great. I suspect it is the encoding that is performed by the program.The mobile apps work well too. At least the Android version does.The great thing about this camera however is it is easy to use and very very portable. The Gear 360 (which only works with Samsung phones) is not the most easy to carry.
KS Photog –
Wonderful entry into 360 cameras. The best audio capture on the market. You will not find anything better. The only shortfalls are the storage, WiFi and the mobile app.At 19gb it is laughable as to what you can actually record in 4K. You can work around this by attaching the camera to a computer and offloading images. Confusing as to why this is in the day of SD cards, etc. The WiFi implementation is a complete joke but not a deal breaker. The work around for this is simply manually starting and stopping the camera. The WiFi connection is limited to less than a foot before it disconnects. This is horrible but not a deal breaker. The mobile app is a complete waste of time space and effort. Don’t even bother using it. Instead connect it directly to a computer to download images. IF the mobile app will even start up it will always crash on you. The connected WiFi speeds (when working) are abysmal at best, a 300 MB file will take up to 45 minutes to transfer, so use the direct connection to the computer.With these shortcomings this is still one of the best 360 cameras on the market right now. Reliable and the results in both video and audio are stunning. I am already purchasing additional units. With the name Ricoh attached to it, it had better be top notch and it almost is. Highly recommended for both entry level photographers as well as commercial/professional applications. Can’t wait for the next model, hopefully it will have more storage!
Pete E –
Things you need to understand about this camera.1. It takes 360° Spherical images.2. It does not spin around3. You need to use two apps. The Ricoh Theta App and the Ricoh Theta+ app.4. You need to learn how to remove the Nadir. Check YouTube for tutorials on this. The nadir is the image that remains of the tripod mount you use when you take a picture.5. You need to learn about Tiny Planets. These are app made filtered images that are pretty cool. Again check Instagram this time for examples.6. Learn how to take images using the self timer function.7. You will also need a monopod with a tripod base suitable for this camera. The Ricoh one is overpriced. I bought a carbon fibre one and a separate base. You don’t need one straight away – but as you develop your 360° photo taking skills it will be a requirement.Essentially this is the latest model of the Theta family. (UPDATE MAY2019 THE Z1 IS NOW THE LATEST MODEL) It has a faster processor and offers 4K 360° video as well as spherical sound (with added microphone) (UPDATE- I USED THE EXTERNAL MICROPHONE AND IT ADDED NOTHING IMHO – OTHER THAN A WIND NOISE SUPPRESSING FOAM, THERE WAS NO BENEFICIAL INCREASE IN SOUND CLARITY)The theta has the best examples of stitched in camera stitching of all the cameras out there. For the money you can’t really get better. So there’s one reason to get it.The camera uses its in house Wi-fi to connect to your smart phone and you take the photo using the theta app. You can extend the connection by connecting the camera to your home or any router – a feature only V can do.I would also advise getting a silicon skin straight away. Cheap enough to buy. (UPDATE – A SILICON SKIN CREATES A SHADOW IN THE IMAGE, SO BUY A CASE INSTEAD)There is a more technical side to manipulating and displaying 360° photos so you do need to do your research otherwise you will be disappointed.However if you’re set on joint the 360° revolution (pun intended) this is the best camera you can get for the money.Both the little sister and brothers of this camera the S and the SC are equally good at taking still photos – you just lack the 4K and a few other features. So if you don’t want to spend £300+ I would advise getting one of those. They’re a bit slower due to the processor but they are pretty brilliant too.