Ricoh Theta SC2 4K 360 spherical camera officially announced

The THETA SC2 is capable of recording 360° 4K video thanks to its use of the same high-speed image sensors that the advanced THETA V model has. Additionally, a supporting image processing engine allows for real-time internal stitching of the 4K video. Moreover, shake correction helps stabilize the 4K image. Up to 3-minute clips of 4K video can be recorded at a time at real-time 30 fps to the internal 14GB of memory.

• Faces are detected and centered in the image—if they’re located in a high position in the image frame or are slanted in some way, the THETA SC2 corrects them and brings them to the center
• Exposure compensation and noise reduction brighten faces so the skin looks brighter and better
• Images are processed to smooth skin regardless of whether or not faces are successfully detected

• This mode combines noise reduction with dynamic range correction and face detection in order to capture shots with low image noise—this feature is intended for use with a tripod
• This preset independently controls automatic exposure (AE) and automatic white balance (AWB) for the front and rear lenses in scenes with extreme differences in contrast
• Highlight priority automatic exposure in dark scenes captures main subjects as best a possible even when they are too brightly lit

• The images captured by the front and rear lenses are placed beside each other for a side-by-side display

• In this mode, the white balance settings are specifically designed for underwater shooting in depths of 16 to 33′, in order to compensate for how colors are capture underwater

• Improvements to the HDR algorithm highly minimized and even removes chromatic aberration and fringing, as well as unnatural effects normally caused by color saturation
• Contrast is high in the highlights
• Processing time is 9.5 seconds, a huge improvement over the 23-second time of the predecessor SC model
• Three images are composited in the THETA SC2, whereas the predecessor SC model used four images; the result of the improvement is a narrower dynamic range in the highlights
• High-speed data transfer that is approximately 4x faster than that of the predecessor THETA SC model

Technical specifications:

Stitching Resolution	4K (Video)
Internal/External Stitching	Internal Stitching
Supported Spherical Projection Types	Equirectangular
Still Image Resolution	: 5376 x 2688
Number of Lenses	2
Sensor	1-Chip 1/2.3″ CMOS
Sensor Resolution	12 MP
Maximum Aperture	f/2
Built-In Mic	Yes
Wi-Fi	Yes
Tripod Mount	1/4″ – 20
Dimensions (W x H x D)	5.2 x 1.8 x 0.9″ / 13.1 x 4.5 x 2.3 cm
Weight	3.67 oz / 104 g

Additional information available here.