Japanese imaging and electronics company Ricoh already has the Theta S, which is a 360-degree camera compatible with YouTube and Facebook's respective services that cater to this video format. Now the company has announced that a smaller and cheaper version called Theta SC is now available in the market.
Based on Ricoh's official statement, the Theta SC is aimed at a wider swath of consumers, especially mothers, millennials and every day users in general on account of its price. It retails for $299.95, a significantly lower price point than the $349.95 cost of the Theta S. This variable puts the device in between the Theta S and the entry-level Theta m15. The camera's Oct. 12 rollout is clearly timed to take advantage of the looming holiday season.
"Our goal is that the Theta SC will introduce more people to 360-degree spherical imaging," Kaz Eguchi, Ricoh president, said. "With the growing popularity of immersive imagery, augmented and virtual reality, we wanted to produce a high-quality camera at an affordable price point that appeals to anyone."
One way to evaluate the Theta SC's value proposition is through its cost. For its price, the camera can prove attractive to consumers considering the fact that it has the same capability as its top of the line sibling. Like the Theta S, it also captures 14-megapixel, high-definition video clips.
The main difference is that Theta S can store up to 25 minutes of footage to the Theta SC's five minutes. Ricoh also eliminated the HDMI port used in the former for livestreaming. Both devices, however, have 8 GB of storage. For the Theta SC, the storage capacity can be translated to an hour of full HD video or around 1,600 photos
On the other hand, one can also say that the Theta SC is not breaking any new grounds. By inheriting a number of the Theta S's features and specifications, it is at risk of being drowned in a sea of 360-degree cameras today, a number of these already offer comparable portability but better quality.
Observers have previously noted that the Theta S has a muddy video quality and that weakness will most assuredly get carried over into the SC. Manufacturers like Kodak, Nikon and Samsung are now producing cameras that can capture better spherical footages and this is quite unfortunate since Ricoh is one the companies that pioneered the consumer 360 camera.
Aside from portability, the Theta S also comes in four different colors. The dedicated THETA+ App was also revamped and launched alongside the camera. It is now available to both iOS and Android smartphones.
