Ricoh Theta Explained

Ricoh Theta is a line of 360-degree cameras by Japanese manufacturer Ricoh.

All of the cameras are capable of 360-degree video and photos, with the exception of the original Ricoh Theta which can only take photos. Also, they all feature Bluetooth, Wi-Fi and USB connectivity, and are designed to work alongside a smartphone, enabling for live preview and uploading of the captured media.

Cameras

The lineup includes the following cameras:

• Ricoh Theta M15: 4 GB memory. Capable of full HD video at 15 FPS, with a maximum clip duration of 5 minutes. Available in 4 colors.^[1]
• Ricoh Theta S: 8 GB memory. Capable of full-HD video at 30 FPS, with a maximum duration of 25 minutes. Maximum exposure time of 60 seconds.^[2]
• Ricoh Theta SC: 8 GB internal memory. Capable of full-HD video at 30 FPS, with a maximum clip duration of 5 minutes. Available in 4 colors.^[3]
• Ricoh Theta SC2: 14 GB internal memory. Capable of 4K video at 30 FPS, with a maximum clip duration of 3 minutes. Available in 4 colors.^[4]
• Ricoh Theta V: 19 GB internal memory. Capable of 4K video at 30 FPS. HDR shooting capability. Four-channel microphone.^[5]
• Ricoh Theta Z1: The top-of-the-line model as of September 2019, (and remains so as-of July 2024). 19 GB internal memory. Capable of 4K video at 30 FPS. HDR and RAW shooting capability. Four-channel microphone.^[6]
• Ricoh Theta X: This is a second-line model equipped with a large touch panel on the camera body. 46 GB internal memory. Capable of 4K video at 60 FPS, and 8K and 11K still image and 8K and 5.7K low fps video modes. No RAW shooting capability. Mono microphone. Replaceable battery, and MicroSDXC Memory Card support.

Comparison of Ricoh Theta 360° cameras

			Theta^[7] & m15^[8]	S^[9]	SC^[10]	SC2^[11]	V^[12]	Z1^[13]	X ^[14] ^[15]
Image
Current
Released			^[16] m15: ^[17]	^[18]	^[19]	^[20]	^[21]	^[22]	X March 2022
Exposure modes (P, A, S, I, M)	Still		P, S, I	P, S, I, M				P, A, S, I, M
	Video		<					--m15-->P (m15 only)	P
Resolution	Still^[23]		3584×1792	L: 5376×2688 M: 2048×1024		colspan=2	5376×2688	Raw: 7296×3648 JPEG: 6720×3360	11K: 11008 × 55045.5K: 5504 × 2752
	Video	8K	—	—	—	–	—	—	8K 10 fps: 120, 96 or 40 Mbps. 8K 2 fps: 64, 32 or 16 Mbps
		5.7K5760x2880	—	—	—	—	—	?	/30fps 120, 64 or 32Mbps /10fps & /2fps
		4K 3840×1920	—	—	—	4Kp30 @ 54 or 32 Mbps	4Kp30 @ 56 or 32 Mbps	4Kp30 @ 56 Mbps	60fps: 120, 64 or 32 Mbps (*)30fps: 100, 54 or 32Mbps
		2K 1920×1080	1080p15 (m15 only)	1080p	1080p30 @ 16Mbps	–	—	—	—
		960p 1920×960	–	–	–	960p30 @ 16 or 8Mbps	960p30 @ 16 or 8Mbps	960p30 @ 16Mbps	2K: 30fps 32,16 or 8Mbps
		720p 1280×720	—	720p	720p15 @ 6Mbps	—	—	—	—
ISO	Still		100–1600			64–1600		80–6400	50–3200
	Video		100–400	100–1600		64–6400
Sensor size			?	"				1"	1/2" (×2)
Lenses	Construction		?	7e/6g				14e/10g	?
	Focus Range		10cm (00inches)—∞					40cm (20inches)—∞	40cm (20inches)—∞
	Aperture		?	2.0				2.1, 3.5, 5.6	f2.4
Shutter speed	Still		–	–	–	–
	Video		–	–		–
Memory			4GB	8GB	8GB	14GB	19GB		~46GB
Battery life	Still images		200	260			300		~220
	Video, min	8K	—	—	—	–	—	—	2fps: 60
		5.7K	—	—	—	–	<	--V-->80	<	--Z1-->60	30fps: 30
		4K	—	—	—	<		--SC2-->70		30fps: 30
		2K	?	?	?			?
Ports						μ-USB, microphone		USB-C	USB-C
Dimensions (W×H×D)			42×	44×	45.2×			48×	51.7mm (W) × 136.2mm (H) × 29.0mm (21.5mm *1) (D)
Weight			95g	125g	102g	104g	121g	182g	~170g

Notes

External links

• Official website

Notes and References

1. Web site: Theta M15. Ricoh.
2. Web site: Theta S. Ricoh.
3. Web site: Theta SC. Ricoh.
4. Web site: Theta SC2. Ricoh.
5. Web site: Theta V. Ricoh.
6. Web site: Theta Z1. Ricoh.
7. Web site: Ricoh Theta User Guide: Specifications . Ricoh Imaging Co., Ltd. . 20 January 2020.
8. Web site: Ricoh Theta m15 User Guide: Specifications . Ricoh Imaging Co., Ltd. . 20 January 2020.
9. Web site: Ricoh Theta S User Guide: Specifications . Ricoh Imaging Co., Ltd. . 20 January 2020.
10. Web site: Ricoh Theta SC User Guide: Specifications . Ricoh Imaging Co., Ltd. . 20 January 2020.
11. Web site: Ricoh Theta SC2 User Guide: Specifications . Ricoh Imaging Co., Ltd. . 20 January 2020.
12. Web site: Ricoh Theta V User Guide: Specifications . Ricoh Imaging Co., Ltd. . 20 January 2020.
13. Web site: Ricoh Theta Z1 User Guide: Specifications . Ricoh Imaging Co., Ltd. . 20 January 2020.
14. Web site: THETA RICOH360 . 2024-07-04 . www.ricoh360.com . en.
15. Web site: Download - Firmware RICOH THETA X . 2024-07-04 . theta360.com.
16. Ricoh Theta: The world's first imaging device capable of capturing fully spherical images around the photographer . October 25, 2013 . Ricoh Imaging Company, Ltd. . 20 January 2020.
17. New Ricoh Theta model, capturing 360-degree images in one shot, is on sale soon . October 28, 2014 . Ricoh Imaging Company, Ltd. . 20 January 2020.
18. Ricoh Unveils Industry's Most Advanced Fully Spherical Portable Camera: Ricoh Theta S . September 4, 2014 . Ricoh Imaging Company, Ltd. . 20 January 2020.
19. Ricoh Theta SC: The new standard-class model of the 360-degree Ricoh Theta camera lineup, Capable of capturing fully spherical images, and available in four body colors . October 13, 2016 . Ricoh Imaging Company, Ltd. . 20 January 2020.
20. A camera that can shoot 360-degree spherical images in a single shot: Ricoh Theta SC2 . November 19, 2019 . Ricoh Imaging Company, Ltd. . 20 January 2020.
21. A camera that can shoot 360-degree spherical images in a single shot: Ricoh Theta V — The series high-end model achieving 360-degree 4K video and spatial audio recording . September 1, 2017 . Ricoh Imaging Company, Ltd. . 20 January 2020.
22. A camera that can shoot 360-degree spherical images in a single shot: Ricoh Theta Z1 — Achieving 360-degree still image photo shooting in high-quality 23MP resolution . February 25, 2019 . Ricoh Imaging Company, Ltd. . 20 January 2020.
23. Web site: THETA API Introduction: Overview . Ricoh Imaging Co., Ltd. . 20 January 2020.