When comparing Samsung Gear 360 vs Ricoh Theta SC, the Slant community recommends Samsung Gear 360 for most people. In the question“What are the best 360-degree cameras?” Samsung Gear 360 is ranked 4th while Ricoh Theta SC is ranked 11th. The most important reason people chose Samsung Gear 360 is:
Samsing Gear 360 is extremely easy to use. The software experience is excellent and intuitive with minimal (if any) bugs or issues. It's so easy that even an absolute beginner can use it without any problems.
Specs
Ranked in these QuestionsQuestion Ranking
Pros
Pro Very easy to set up and use
Samsing Gear 360 is extremely easy to use. The software experience is excellent and intuitive with minimal (if any) bugs or issues. It's so easy that even an absolute beginner can use it without any problems.
Pro Can connect and edit wirelessly
When connected to a Galaxy device, you can use the familiar Samsung camera apps with the same buttons and settings in the same places.
There are a few new buttons such as the one that lets you select which Gear 360 lens to use (front, back, or both), and another one for the live view.
Pro No seam artifacts
Offers dual F2.0 lenses at 195° FOV each. The amount of overlap in theory should reduce seam artifacts (even if it isn't perfect) and the F2.0 aperture will make shooting in low-light a breeze.
Pro Straightforward updating experience
Updating the firmware on the camera is pretty easy. You don't have to download a binary on your computer and transfer it to the camera or anything like that. Instead, it's all done through Wi-Fi directly from the camera itself.
Pro Will feel very familiar for users who have used a Samsung mobile device in the past
The camera and sharing applications are very similar to Samsung's camera and gallery apps (with minor differences). Anyone who has used a Samsung mobile device in the past will find it very easy to get used to these apps as well.
Pro Can shoot videos at 60 frames per second
There's an option to shoot 360-degree videos at 60 frames per second. Unfortunately, the resolution drops to 2560 x 1280 when you choose that option.
Pro Straightforward to use
This device is very easy to use. Simply switch between photo or video capture by pressing a toggle on the side of the camera and then press the button on the front of the camera.
Pro Comes with a protective sleeve for carrying and storage
The protective sleeve is not only highly practical, but it also looks very sleek and doesn't add much bulk.
Pro Reasonable stitching quality
The Ricoh Theta app is reasonably successful at stitching. While artifacts and splicing issues can occur, they will usually not be noticeable during a casual viewing, only revealing themselves upon closer inspection.
Pro Highly portable
The camera is small, making it easy to carry around. It can easily fit into a trouser pocket.
Pro Offers good degree of manual control over image capture
Allows manually tuning ISO, white balance, shutter speed, noise compression, and exposure compensation.
Pro Perfectly placed shutter button
The shutter button is placed far from the power button in order to avoid accidentally turning off the camera instead of pressing the shutter button.
Cons
Con Blatant image stitching
Virtually all photos and videos that have been published present blatantly poor stitching: it is clear to see where the images were taken and digitally stitched together.
Con Only compatible with Samsung flagships
This camera can only be paired with the latest Samsung flagships which are S7, S7 edge, Note5, S6 edge plus, S6 edge, and S6.
Con Soft focus or blur quality
Distant objects will be blurry in the final result, whether it is a still picture or a video.
Con Difficult to carry around
While most 360-degree cameras are small enough to fit inside a pocket, it is not the case for the Samsung Gear 360. The round shape makes it uncomfortable to fit inside a pocket and you need a bag to carry it around.
Con Video not stitched in camera
Better cameras give you finished video, ready to use. Samsung's need post processing to render viewable 360 video. Not only inconvenient, but a very slow process and subpar results with very raw stitching.
Con Pre order only
Con Non-removable battery
The device's battery cannot be replaced.
Con No expandable storage
The camera is limited to the 8 GB of storage that it comes with.
Con Doesn't support live streaming
Con Short recording time
One charge can only record for 5 minutes.
Con Low resolution video
Videos are recorded at 1080p and 30fps, which is relatively low as far as 360-degree cameras go.
Con The device can be easily damaged
You have to be extra careful in how you store the device due to its protruding lens design and the fact that it can easily fall over.