Ricoh Theta SC 360-Degree Camera

@robdeez As someone who also owns a Theta S (and a bunch of other 360 cams), I agree with your points. But TBH, most of the pros (portability, shooting 360 star trails & other stuff, flexibility, etc) are not exclusive to the Theta S but apply to most other 360 cams as well. The Theta S can shoot intervals, but you're limited to 8 seconds and higher. So if you need to take shorter intervals, sorry. It's also limited to 8gb of storage which cannot be expanded (there's no micro sd slot) unless you're willing to crack it open and do some hard-modding which will break your warranty. And I cannot agree more with your comment on the fragility of the lenses. But to be fair, this applies to most other 360 cams as well (with perhaps the exception of the LG360). Speaking of which, I find it surprising how I always find myself grabbing the LG360 - the cheapest of the bunch - as my default go-to camera. So to anyone reading this, that's worth considering. You can buy it off Amazon for a price cheaper than this drop (which is just for the SC version that's a step-down from the S). It comes with a nice protective shell (which solves the lens vulnerability) that also doubles as a handle. It also has a micro sd slot so you can expand its capacity as much as you want (I plunked in a 128gb on mine and it can take really extended time lapses and it barely makes a dent on the space). Image quality-wise, I honestly can't see much difference between it and the Theta S. But don't get me wrong, I'm not ragging on the Theta S. It's a great little 360 cam, it just so happens that there are better and cheaper options. If there's anything it really excels at, it's on streaming. It's extremely easy to set up and quite portable too. The GoPro Omni (I don't own it, my company does) has much better quality but it's a bitch to set up and transport. LOL. Although if this SC version doesn't support streaming (I don't have it so I'm not sure), then it just lost its redeeming feature. Some notes on the other cameras: 360fly 4K - Best image quality out of all of them, second only to the GoPro Omni - which isn't really portable and doesn't count. No sd card slot, but at least comes with 64gb. Not full 360 degrees. I'm not a fan of its form-factor. Insta360 Nano - My first one. Probably the worst image quality. Has a micro sd card. Only works with iPhone (you can use it detached though) and will instantly turn your phone into a hand warmer. LOL Gear 360 (not the latest 2017 version) - Second to the 360fly 4K in terms of image quality. Has a micro sd card lot. Again, I'm not a fan of this form-factor. You need a Samsung phone.

Thanks for sharing your awesome experience with the Theta!

This is the Ricoh Theta SC, which is the little brother to the Ricoh Theta S. I own the S and it's freakin' amazing. I believe the major difference between the two is that the SC doesn't have a live stream option. Personally I don't care about that. What I love the most about this camera is a combination of features. It's very small and great for traveling/backpacking/camping/everyday use. You have full manual control of the ISO/aperature/shutter speed. It has a built in intervalometer. It's probably one of the smallest astrophotgraphy cameras in existence. Not only can you do star trails, but you can do 360 degree star trails. It's hard to appreciate a 360 camera until you get one in your hand and start manipulating the photo. One of the things people don't think about is that while it's capable of taking 360 photos, you don't have to end up with a 360 photo. You can bend/stretch the image however you want and crop out any part of the image you aren't happy with. My one and only complaint is the fragility of the lenses. A lens protudes from each side of the camera and if the camera tips over for any reason the odds of scratching the lens skyrockets. I wish there was a way to protect the lenses without sacrificing image quality, or even maybe making the glass removable you can replace it if it's damaged. Best best is to keep it secured to a tri pod when it's not in it's protective sleeve. The video quality isn't great but the stills are awesome. Again my experience is with the S not the SC. The SC is the little brother but based on my experience it's more than worth the pricetag What I'm looking forward to is the 4K version they're releasing later this year.