Ricoh Company, Ltd. and Ricoh Imaging Europe S.A.S. are pleased to announce the release of the RICOH THETA SC2. The SC2 is the “Enthusiast” level model of the RICOH THETA 360° camera series, capable of capturing 360° still images and video footage. The RICOH THETA SC2 is easy to use, simple to operate, and features a variety of functions.

Since its release in 2013 as the world's first hand-held 360° camera 1, "RICOH THETA" has been used in a multitude of environments and offers unlimited potential for image expression. 360° photography has become increasingly relevant, due to the rapid growth of the Virtual Reality market, the increasing number of social media services that are compatible with 360° images, and the growing demand for 360° images in the business market.

The new RICOH THETA SC2 is an easy-to-use model, perfect for the 360 enthusiast, allowing anyone to capture high-quality spherical images. It snaps photos at approximately 14 megapixels, as well as smooth, immersive 360°spherical video at 30 frames per second in 4K (3840 x 1920 pixels). Additionally, the RICOH THETA SC2 comes with a variety of shooting modes such as "Face" mode, which recognizes human faces and applies skin smoothing, and "Night View" mode for shooting low-noise footage after the sun goes down. These modes allow the photographer to configure the camera with minimal effort.

The status OLED display (Organic EL display) in the lower section of the RICOH THETA SC2 body, allows at-a-glance checking of a range of information such as setting modes and remaining battery power. RICOH THETA SC2 also features a new button that lets the user switch to self-timer mode, making the camera much easier to operate in a standalone manner. Staying true to the product concept of a compact, lightweight body, the RICOH THETA SC2 can be used as a live blogging camera that people can carry with them to record the events of their day. The line-up features four different Fresh Colours, allowing users to select a colour of their choice. This is the perfect camera for people who enjoy sharing pictures and videos on social media, or for those who wish to start using a 360° camera.

Price and Availability RRP: £269.99

Availability: Mid December 2019

New strange "business version"

Ricoh Theta SC2 for Business is a new version of Theta SC2 with two new features specifically for virtual tours.

1. Default photo mode is the new “Room” preset, which is an HDR mode optimized for photos of rooms and car interiors.
2. New self-timer mode called “time shift,” which is designed to enable the user to take a photo without the user being visible in the shot. With this feature, the user can take half of a 360 photo, move to the other side, and take the other half of the photo. The user will then not be visible in the stitched 360 photo.

Ricoh will release the remote control "Remote Control TR-1" for the 360-degree camera "RICOH THETA" series on March 19th. The price is open. The selling price at the company's online shop is 3,980 yen (tax included).

Remote controller with Bluetooth (Ver.4.2) connection. By pairing directly with each compatible THETA series model, remote shooting becomes possible without using a smartphone app. The communication range is about 10m.

Compatible cameras are THETA Z1, V, and SC2.