Ricoh's early 360 camera — full spherical stills and video for immersive content creation.
The Ricoh Theta S launched in 2015 as one of the earliest consumer 360-degree cameras, capturing full spherical images and video from two fisheye lenses. It pioneered the consumer 360 market before Insta360 and GoPro entered the space.
Records 1080p 30fps 360 video and 14MP 360 photos. Two fisheye lenses capture the full sphere — stitched in-camera. Live streaming capability via USB. The equirectangular output can be viewed in VR headsets or as interactive content.
Compact stick-shaped body at 125g. OLED status display. USB micro-B. WiFi for smartphone control and preview. 1/2.3-inch sensors. 25-minute continuous video recording. No weatherproofing.
Available used very cheaply. The Theta SC, Z1, and X improved significantly. The 1080p 360 video feels low-resolution now. Pioneered the consumer 360 camera category. For budget 360 experimentation or VR content creation practice.