The Ricoh Theta S is a refined version of the original Theta. Presented in a simple design, this upright, 360-degree camera, it might at first seem tricky to mount, but getting the shot will not be the issue with the 360-degree field of view. The resulting video is recorded at 1920 x 1080 at 30 fps, in clips of 25 minutes or less to 8GB of onboad memory. The USB port at the base to allows you to offload your media — or stream live via the HDMI-micro port. Alternatively, if you’re shooting stills, you can pull off a long exposure to play around with small amounts of light. Check exposure and white balance through the Theta S app, which also allows you to view your spherical image in real time.
Lightweight upright cameras like the Theta S can be a little strange to handle, so we’d love some additional feedback on how easy this one is to use. As our devices tend toward doing more and more different tasks, it’s a bit refreshing to see a camera with dedicated buttons and no menu to swipe through. The applications for 360-degree video have not yet been fully mastered, so for making it simple and maintaining the joy of video, we award the Theta S our Best 360 Camera of CES 2016.
Here's a look at what it can do:
