Ricoh Theta questions

[MarkusKiili]

Consider again. I have it from Google and photo quality is crap. If you really want to take good quality photos, buy DSLR and fish eye. If you are interested in about VR video, then DSLR is not ok. 

[MichelChaves]

Cool! 

[PatricL]

A theta will not produce an image like this, but it has other advantages.

Tight areas, under water, and it's small, easy to carry with you.

When you learn when to use it, it will do pretty good actually.

[MarkusKiili]

---

@PatricL wrote:

A theta will not produce an image like this, but it has other advantages.

Tight areas, under water, and it's small, easy to carry with you.

When you learn when to use it, it will do pretty good actually.

---

Yes you are right. It's fast too and you don't need a tripod for photo. Photo quality is just quite poor. 

[SteinArneJ]

@PatricL

SInce I consider both Theta S and SC first generation 360 cameras, I went for the cheapest solution - the SC while I hope and pray for something better to show up in the near future.

The SC does have HDR, but 5 level, not 12. I usually gets OK results when I take care not to burn out the brightest areas. In general it seems for HDR that it is better to make HDR photos too dark than too bright.

One improvement over the SC is that you can actually shoot spheres while recharging the camera, provided you have a monopod or similar that doesn't cover the USB slot.

Getting older and with deteriorating health, dragging around a big DSLR with a tripod is no longer a solution for me, so no matter how limited the resolution of the Theta is - that is what I will be using until they make a 2nd generation 360 camera without all the limits of todays cameras. I'm in doubt if that will be physically possible, but hope I'm wrong 🙂

When it comes to HDR, here is a Theta SC sphere shot inside a really dark silver mine not far from where I live. The 5 shots have been merged inside the camera. I have brightened the shadows a bit and removed the 2 red spots in Lightroom before uploading.

Stein Arne

My Google Maps/Street View contributions

[PaulPavlinovich]

I've got the Theta S @SteinArneJ and I have never needed the HDR function. It seems to do fine by itself. I've done shooting in forests so darkness is quite normal there.

I prefer not to post process the images because I prefer to take advantage of the direct integration with the Street View App. 

[ShashankMfim]

Hello,

I have Theta SC and it works great with HDR (Yes its there).

hdr no touch-ups https://goo.gl/zjvm4P

in hdr with photoshop touch-ups https://goo.gl/XCTSpT

---

@PatricL wrote:

Yes, posted link is done with Theta S HDR 2 sec.

A theta don't preform well in uneven lit areas, sun on one wall and shadow on the other.

It can be fixed with bracketing in the Theta S only, it has 13 steps that you manually have to set each one.

I use ptgui for putting them together, to slow, faster to grab the DSLR kit.

Other sample pictures done from me and my Theta S.

Computer Store Taken at dusk when the Theta S works best.

Texas Chicken sunlight outside is at moments to strong for the HDR.

Mountain Cabin at dusk.

Furniture Store

In a Car with heavy tinted windows and upside down.

Outside in daytime fairly evenly lit area. HDR kicks in and save the day.

Outside in daytime uneven light. the ±2.0EV HDR of the theta is not enough. Need to do some + or - to set light correct on the object you're take a photo of.

From Ricoh's webpage

SC

Still image: Auto, Shutter Priority, ISO Priority, Manual.

S

Still image: Auto (Noise reduction/ DR compensation/ HDR), Shutter Priority, ISO Priority, Manual.

Looks like the HDR is missing on the SC, or if they just forgot the () that show HDR on S, if so, why they even bother selling this camera?

But I'm not the correct person to ask about this, as I got an S.

@SteinArneJ do you got HDR on your SC?

No post processing for me on a theta, this is for budget shooting + it really isn't improving image, rather the opposite.

I use small tripods only.

Go 10 meters, set timer to 10sec and then hide/run.

If I process image, it's with ptgui (sinc256 interpolation) and photoshop. Hardly noticeable that it had been edited. But I don't do this.

---

---

@PatricL wrote:

Yes, posted link is done with Theta S HDR 2 sec.

A theta don't preform well in uneven lit areas, sun on one wall and shadow on the other.

It can be fixed with bracketing in the Theta S only, it has 13 steps that you manually have to set each one.

I use ptgui for putting them together, to slow, faster to grab the DSLR kit.

Other sample pictures done from me and my Theta S.

Computer Store Taken at dusk when the Theta S works best.

Texas Chicken sunlight outside is at moments to strong for the HDR.

Mountain Cabin at dusk.

Furniture Store

In a Car with heavy tinted windows and upside down.

Outside in daytime fairly evenly lit area. HDR kicks in and save the day.

Outside in daytime uneven light. the ±2.0EV HDR of the theta is not enough. Need to do some + or - to set light correct on the object you're take a photo of.

From Ricoh's webpage

SC

Still image: Auto, Shutter Priority, ISO Priority, Manual.

S

Still image: Auto (Noise reduction/ DR compensation/ HDR), Shutter Priority, ISO Priority, Manual.

Looks like the HDR is missing on the SC, or if they just forgot the () that show HDR on S, if so, why they even bother selling this camera?

But I'm not the correct person to ask about this, as I got an S.

@SteinArneJ do you got HDR on your SC?

No post processing for me on a theta, this is for budget shooting + it really isn't improving image, rather the opposite.

I use small tripods only.

Go 10 meters, set timer to 10sec and then hide/run.

If I process image, it's with ptgui (sinc256 interpolation) and photoshop. Hardly noticeable that it had been edited. But I don't do this.

---

[SteinArneJ]

@ShashankMfim. Sorry, I'm not visiting this forum very often - usually only when I have problems myself...

Yes. My Theta SC does have a 5 level HDR. There are no settings however, but the image will be stitched immediately in the camera.

The HDR photos seems to be slightly oversaturated and with low contrast compared to non HDR shots.

Regarding the cameras ability to deal with high contrast, f.ex. sun on one side of the street and shadow on the other I've found that for me the best solution is to try to get equally much dark and bright areas on both lenses.

When I use HDR i find that it works best if I set the EV low enough (maybe as much as EV-1.0 or lower) to avoid burning out the bright areas. Then the camera will make sure the exposure for the darkest takes the time it needs. Give some weird results with moving objects. That is why I know there is 5 exposures 🙂

Here is an example from an old silvermine near my hometown: https://goo.gl/maps/Diiogq57sjB2

I must admit I have lowered the exposure with -,45 in Lightroom and given the shadows a little boost to give more details in the darkest parts of the photo +  removed the red dots - but then I always do, particularly to remove red dots and get more details in the shadows.

I enclose an unedited copy of the shot (I had to decrease the filesize from 3.6mb to 3mb for it to be allowed here).

For me entering the mine from the sunlight on the outside I can ensure you the image was a great surprise as I could hardly see a few meters beyond the camera stand.