Ricoh makes one of the best, simple 360-degree cameras out there. It's gradually added better picture quality, more video skills (and cheaper models) to its Theta series, but the company's taking its tech in a different direction with a spherical vid...
This Friday, October 16th at 7PM, we're heading back to Austin, TX, for our second-to-last Engadget Live event of the year! We're taking over the Austin Music Hall to bring together gadget lovers (like you!) for a night you won't want to miss. Tick...
We're excited to be returning to Austin, TX, one of our favorite cities, on October 16th at 7PM for our third Engadget Live event of the year! We'll take over Austin Music Hall and bring together gadget lovers and tech companies for a night you don...
Ricoh’s Theta M15 is a small, pocket size camera able to take seemeless 360 degree photos in a single snap. These photos don’t just take a wide image, but include an entire 360 degree sphere, top to bottom as well. The resulting images can be viewed like other images, and Ricoh smartly provides some associated software with the camera allowing users to edit the images on a PC, Mac, Android or iOS device.
This is the second generation of the Theta that Ricoh has released with the most significant upgrade in this model being the ability to take short videos with a 360 degree view along with still images. The videos can be up to 3 minutes each, and the videos can also be edited with the included software by modifying the image itself with your finger on touch screens or your mouse.
Ricoh has also announced that they are providing an SDK for the camera so that developers can create custom applications integrating the Theta M15. The Ricoh Theta M15 is available on Amazon for $299.
It's a big week for LCD-less WiFi point-and-shoots, but today's offering is a bit more unusual than Sony's lens-camera duo. What would you pay for a 360-degree camera that's compact, easy to use and compatible with an iOS app? $100? Maybe a buck fifty? Ricoh's betting big on a figure far higher -- a "consumer-friendly" $399. And we're not sold. Sure, the Theta is a unique device, but 360-degree images have limited appeal, and the fact that you (and your friends) will need to download a dedicated app just to view them without distortion doesn't help to seal the deal. Still, we're always up for trying out something new, and we're guessing you might be a bit curious, too. Click past the break as we go full circle with Theta.
Filed under: Cameras