Ricoh finally has a 360 cam travelers will want to use
Ricoh's Theta series of 360-degree cameras have made their way into TPG's gear arsenal from time to time over the last few years. But I've never been very impressed by the image quality, especially when it came to shooting in low-light — in a fancy new airplane cabin, for example.
I did bring a previous generation of the camera along to review Emirates' new first-class suite, but I was only able to capture high-quality shots with the lights turned up:
The new @Emirates first-class suite, in 360 degrees. #theta360 – Spherical Image – RICOH THETA
Monday, Ricoh introduced a brand-new cam, the Theta SC2. It's a massive upgrade, in my opinion. I just never felt compelled to travel around with a 360 cam that couldn't shoot in dimmer cabins, or in the evenings during my travels. This one can.

I managed to get my hands on the SC2 a few days early, and brought one along to the Dubai Air Show — I figured there was no better place to try out that low-light option than in an extra-dim Emirates first-class suite.
The new @Emirates first-class suite, in 360 degrees. #theta360 – Spherical Image – RICOH THETA
I also used the separate (and free) Theta+ app to give the same image a brightness boost — feel free to zoom in and poke around to admire the limited noise, even with the shadows bumped up.
The new @Emirates first-class suite, in 360 degrees. #theta360 – Spherical Image – RICOH THETA
It's easy to upload photos to Theta's website via the Theta and Theta+ apps, and you can share 360 videos via Facebook and YouTube. You can also easily share your 360s with family and friends using the Google Photos app on Android and iOS, and you can crop photos and videos as you see fit to share them anywhere else you'd like, too.
The SC2 will run you $299 when it launches Nov. 29, and comes in some fun colors, too (I prefer inconspicuous gadgets, though, so my favorite is white). It can shoot 14-megapixel stills and 4K video at 30fps. Evening shooters will need to activate a special "Night View" mode for those low-light shots.
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Annual Fee
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Rewards Rate
| 2X miles | 2 miles per dollar on every purchase |
| 5X miles | 5 miles per dollar on flights and vacation rentals booked through Capital One Business Travel |
| 10X miles | 10 miles per dollar on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Business Travel |
Intro Offer
Earn 200K miles when you spend $30K in the first 3 months, and an additional 200K miles when you spend $150K in the first 6 monthsLIMITED-TIME OFFER: Earn up to 400K bonus milesAnnual Fee
$395Recommended Credit
Credit ranges are a variation of FICO® Score 8, one of many types of credit scores lenders may use when considering your credit card application.740-850Excellent
Why We Chose It
The Capital One Venture X Business Card has all the Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card has to offer and more. It offers an incredible welcome bonus and requires an equally impressive spend to qualify. In addition, the card comes with premium travel perks like annual travel credit. (Partner offer)Pros
- The Capital One Venture X business card has a very lucrative welcome offer.
- In addition, the card comes with many premium travel perks such as an annual $300 credit for bookings through Capital One Business Travel.
- Business owners are also able to add employee cards for free.
Cons
- The card requires significant spending to earn the welcome offer.
- Another drawback is that the annual travel credit can only be used on bookings made through Capital One Business Travel.
- LIMITED-TIME OFFER: Earn up to 400K bonus miles: 200K miles when you spend $30K in the first 3 months, and an additional 200k miles when you spend $150k in the first 6 months
- Earn unlimited 2X miles on every purchase, everywhere—with no limits or category restrictions
- Earn 10X miles on hotels and rental cars and 5X miles on flights and vacation rentals booked through Capital One Business Travel
- With no preset spending limit, enjoy big purchasing power that adapts so you can spend more and earn more rewards
- Empower your teams to make business purchases while earning rewards on their transactions, with free employee and virtual cards. Plus, automatically sync your transaction data with your accounting software and pay your vendors with ease
- Redeem your miles on flights, hotels and more. Plus, transfer your miles to any of the 15+ travel loyalty programs
- Every year, you'll get 10,000 bonus miles after your account anniversary date. Plus, receive an annual $300 credit for bookings made through Capital One Business Travel
- Receive up to a $120 credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck®. Enjoy access to 1,300+ airport lounges worldwide, including Capital One Lounge locations and Priority Pass™ lounges, after enrollment
- Enjoy a $100 experience credit and other premium benefits with every hotel and vacation rental booked from the Premier Collection
- This is a pay-in-full card, so your balance is due in full every month
- Top rated mobile app

