360-degree, interactive selfies with Ricoh’s bug-eyed Theta S (REVIEW)

Remember taking panoramic photos in the pre-iPhone 5 days? Apple’s seamless swipe-to-shoot feature, which eliminated the need for multiple exposures and the wait time for image stitching, was revolutionary (the tech behind it even required five individual patents). Still, you have to be careful not to swing the phone around too fast or deviate from a straight line to capture a good panorama.

Ricoh’s Theta S 360-degree camera, an upgrade to the original Theta that debuted at IFA 2013, takes the excitement of shooting a perfect panorama and multiplies it exponentially. With the press of a single button – either on the device itself or your connected smartphone – the Theta S captures all of your surroundings, in every direction, in the blink of an eye.

From landscape photography that will transport you back to that precise moment in time, unlike any “normal” shot you’ve ever captured, to the most epic selfies imaginable, the Theta S feels ahead of its time. And at the same time, it’s a completely logical progression, given the rise of virtual reality and the recent adoption of 360-degree video on Facebook and YouTube.

(See the above image in interactive 360-degree view here.)

The Theta S is by no means perfect, and its usefulness is almost entirely tied to third-party platforms’ support. If the VR buzz dies off, the camera’s wings will be clipped. But if VR takes off, the Theta S will be a powerful tool in the hands of content creators. If you simply love taking interesting photos – and don’t mind shelling out US$350 for a niche gadget – the Theta S will put a smile on your face unlike any other camera out there.

Design

I spent two weeks with the Theta S (Ricoh lent a demo unit to Tech in Asia for this review), bringing it along with me just about everywhere. It’s small and lightweight, somewhat reminiscent of a taller, more narrow version of the Flip video cameras that were popular before smartphone cameras rendered them irrelevant (even down to the lens position and one-button interface). I either tossed it in my briefcase or carried it in my jacket pocket. Even inside the included neoprene slip case – gotta protect those gigantic, bulging fisheye lenses – it didn’t feel bulky.

The Theta S is balanced despite the protruding glass half-domes on top (the heavier guts, like the battery, must be at the very bottom). That being said, I highly recommend using a tripod or a selfie stick, as the Theta S has a tendency to fall over when propped up on its small base (which is thankfully threaded). Before purchasing one of those bendy tripods that can be wrapped around railings or the back of a chair, I had an unfortunate experience when shooting a video on the local train platform – the wind generated by the passing express train knocked the camera over, nicking the fragile optics (see the embeded YouTube videos below). Because the Theta S sees just about everything, holding it will capture a closeup of your hand and make it look like a huge, deformed claw – hence recommending a selfie stick, something I otherwise loathe.

The camera, available only in black, has a matte rubber coating that makes it slip-resistant and generally comfortable to hold on to – but the smooth finish causes it to pick up handprints and dust very easily. It made me wish there was an option similar to the OnePlus 2’s textured rear cover, though that would admittedly be much harder to wipe clean.

Out in the wild

(See the above image in interactive 360-degree view here.)

Patience, young grasshopper

The verdict