Best Ricoh Theta V Black Friday and Cyber Monday Deals & Sales 2020:

The Theta V is the first 360 ° spherical camera from Ricoh to offer recording in “almost” 4K / UHD (3840 x 1920 px) at 30 fps. It also incorporates a 4-channel microphone for multidirectional audio recording, an output for an external microphone, and can accommodate various plug-ins thanks to its Android-based OS.

Presentation

Contrary to what the name suggests, the Ricoh Theta V is Ricoh’s sixth 360 ° camera. It incorporates the main characteristics of the Theta S , including two 1 / 2.3 “12 MP CMOS sensors and two lenses opening to f / 2. Its operating system based on Android, we can add various plug-ins for the It competes with the Samsung Gear 2017 (offered at a lower price), the Kodak Pixpro SP360 4K (however hemispherical) and finally the Nikon KeyMission 360 .

Best Ricoh Theta V Black Friday and Cyber Monday Deals & Sales 2020

1. RICOH Theta SC2 White 360°Camera 4K Video with Image stabilization High Image Quality High-Speed Data. Transfer Beautiful Night View Shooting with Low Noise Thin & Lightweight for iPhone, Android

2. Theta Z1 360 degree Spherical Camera with dual 1″ Sensors USA Model

3. Ricoh Theta S Digital Camera (Black)

Getting started

Using the design of the previous Theta, the Ricoh Theta V still looks like a small minimalist remote control. There are the four usual function keys to turn the camera on or off, activate the Wi-Fi, change the mode and trigger. The coating is no longer as soft, but we still appreciate the simple and effective handling as much. We always recommend that the camera be properly replaced in its case to limit scratches on the lenses, especially when it is placed flat.

The grip of the camera changes little compared to the Theta S. It therefore has the same advantages, starting with the ease of use of the device alone, but also the same faults, including the obligation to download 3 applications different for optimal use of the camera (one for remote triggering and configuration of settings and viewing, another for editing photos, and a last for editing videos). Ricoh insists on not combining all these settings in a single application, while most competitors offer it.

The shooting application offers four modes: automatic, ISO priority, aperture priority and manual. In manual mode, you can play on ISO sensitivity, white balance, as well as the shutter speed ranging from 60 s to 1 / 25,000. A self-timer, an interval timer and a bracketing mode are also available. The prominent presence of the thumb that triggers cannot be avoided, except by using time-lapse mode or by placing the camera (on the ground or on another support).

We really like the animation mode which automatically generates various types of movement in the image. By default, the display is vertical. This is handy for viewing on a smartphone, less for viewing on a computer, for example. For an animation displayed horizontally, it is mandatory to crop in the image.

More

Unlike the Theta S, the Ricoh Theta V benefits from an optional external microphone jack. A waterproof case up to 30 m deep also allows divers to extend the shooting possibilities, because unlike its competitors Samsung, Kodak and Nikon, the camera does not have any particular resistance characteristics.

The Theta V is the first camera to use an Android-based operating system. This opens up the possibilities for third-party developers who would like to optimize the camera’s functionality by adding plug-ins. The “Remote Playback” plug-in already transforms the camera into a real remote control to navigate 360 ​​° when the recording is displayed on the big screen.

Live streaming will arrive during the next firmware update , as will the possibility of storing your captures on an external storage space via a cloud . The camera does not include a slot for an external microSD card. You have to settle for the internal 19 GB for the moment, which may seem insufficient to record in 4K / UHD. Recording of images in RAW format is also planned.

Image quality

The Ricoh Theta V has two 1 / 2.3 “12 MP CMOS sensors and two relatively bright lenses opening at f / 2. Recording is now possible in almost 4K / UHD, 3,840 x 1,920 px at 30 i / s (for VR operation, for example) and in Full HD 1,920 x 1,080 px. As on the Theta S, recording is limited to 25 consecutive minutes. Although this camera is not particularly intended for recordings It’s frustrating as long as it’s. Theta V also generates 5,276 x 2,688 px images.

The gain in precision in 4K / UHD is clearly visible. This is useful for operating in VR or for cropping in the image without losing too much in definition. In addition, thanks to the manual mode and the exposure setting, the camera can face difficult conditions more easily.

The major flaw of the Theta V are the chromatic aberrations, very marked on the whole image and which result in small green and magenta borders. This phenomenon was not also present on the Ricoh Theta S. This greatly disturbs the readability of the image. The dynamic range of the sensors also seems less extensive, and generates rapidly burnt white. Manual mode makes it easy to underexpose, but at the expense of dark areas.

Audio recording takes a leap forward, thanks in particular to the presence of 4 channels. It is no longer necessary to raise your voice to be heard, the voices are clear and well rendered.

STRONG POINTS

  • Product design and minimalism.
  • Manual photo settings.
  • Video quality.
  • 360 ° spherical.
  • Almost 4K / UHD recording.
  • 4-channel microphone.
  • External microphone jack.
  • Optional accessories.

WEAK POINTS

  • Filming time limited to 25 minutes.
  • No memory card slot.
  • Three applications that could be grouped into one.
  • Pronounced chromatic aberrations.

CONCLUSION

The Theta V is a significantly improved Theta S , notably thanks to the arrival of near 4K / UHD definition and a multidirectional microphone which optimize video and audio recording. The possibility of upgrading the camera using different plug-ins is also a plus. It’s a shame that a few faults, such as the lack of a memory card slot, the limitation of filming time or the proliferation of applications are still there. There is one more step to take at the Theta V to reach the five stars.

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