Everyone smile! Even if you're standing behind me, because I'm shooting in 360 degrees!

This week Ricoh announced their new THETA S 360 degree camera. It's the RICOH THETA S, the newest model in the RICOH THETA series of spherical cameras that capture 360-degree scenes that surround the user and later, the viewer. The RICOH THETA S captures high-resolution spherical images of up to nearly 14 megapixels. It can also record spherical video in full HD (1920 x 1080 pixels at 30fps). Maximum recording time of  video with the new model is 25 minutes using the 8GB of built in memory. Ricoh says the better quality images are enabled by an enlarged image sensor and fast F2.0 lenses that allow more light through Ricoh’s proprietary ultra-small twin-lens folded-optical system. Spherical images can be uploaded and share via Facebook, Twitter and Tumblr, and posted to Google Maps, Google+ and YouTube 360°Channel. The application program interface (API) for RICOH THETA S is based on Google-supported Open Spherical Camera API for compatibility with Google’s services. Coinciding with the launch of the RICOH THETA S, Google Maps today introduced the new Google Street View app that allows you to capture and publish your photo spheres instantly to Google Maps for people all over the world to explore. It should be available by November and the MSRP is $349.00. The black camera in the photo is the new S model. More info on it and the lower cost models (shown in color) are on the company website. Several of us at the press event walked over to Times Square to shoot a bit of test video. The video I shot is at the link below. While watching it, use your mouse (or finger) to look all around Times Square. It's pretty amazing.

Comany website: http://www.theta360.com/

Giz Wiz 360 video: https://youtu.be/rKIFeirXfBc