14 DAY TRIAL // When the HTC RE camera got announced, everybody was taken by surprise by its odd looking periscope design. But most of us forgot that another company had been offering a similar-looking camera for quite some time.
We’re talking about Ricoh and its Theta action camera, which albeit not being shaped like a tube retains the same vibe of the HTC RE.
It’s small, compact and doesn't have a lot of buttons and users are expected to hold it up without having a very good idea of what they are actually shooting (no viewfinder). However, their smartphone could serve that purpose if connected to the camera.
Ricoh Tetha m15 gets announced
A few weeks after HTC launched the RE, Ricoh is taking an opportunity to launch an update to the original Theta, called the Theta m15.
The device is able to capture 360-degree images and videos in just one blink and can record up to 3 minutes of video. The camera has built-in Wi-Fi and will be offered with blue, pink, white and yellow paint jobs. It will start shipping out November 14 for £269 / $398 (which is quite expensive if you ask us).
Interestingly enough, Ricoh doesn't offer so much info in terms of specs. For example, we’re not being told much about the sensor, but at least we know the ISO sensitivity ranges between 100 to 1600. Shutter speeds for still images go from 1/8000 sec to 1/7.5 sec.
The camera bundles approximately 4GB of internal memory for storing image and video footage. Ricoh says the device can shoot up to 1200 images on a single charge and shoot 40 full minutes of video.
Theta is quite simple, it features a shutter button up in the front, to be pressed when you want to capture images. On the side resides a power lamp, which lets you know when the camera is on or when battery levels are failing.
Starting with November 14, Ricoh will also release an API and SDK (in beta version) so users can develop apps to be used in concert with the new 360 camera.
Unlike the HTC RE, the Theta is not waterproof
For comparison purposes, the HTC RE camera takes advantage of a 16MP 1 / 2.3 inch sensor with ultra-wide 146-degree lens.
It can capture 1080 video and 16MP photos but also comes equipped with extra features such as slow-motion video capture and time-lapse recording.
The RE is IP57 certified, but the Ricoh Theta oddly isn't, so you better be careful with it if you use it in the vicinity of water.
