One small external upgrade from its predecessor is the addition of a small OLED display. Although smaller than the screen on the Theta Z1, the OLED display can be used to keep tabs on settings and battery life. There’s also a new self-timer button.

Having said that, and despite all its great new features, the Insta360 X3 does feel like an evolution of the concept rather than a giant leap forward. For us, that’s only likely to come with 12K capture and the ability to reframe and export 4K movies. Most of the time, though, 360 is more about action than ultra-resolution (which might prove challenging to process for most). The following functions can be used with the RICOH THETA V firmware update scheduled for release soon.In low light the Theta X’s videos are better than expected, though still too noisy to be usable, but we were impressed by its low light photos. We got much cleaner images from a dusk shoot than we’ve seen on other 360º cameras. It’s just a shame that the Theta X can’t save images in any RAW formats for easier post-processing, which would be particularly useful for low-light and night shots. We did list some negative points in our review, most notably that it does have an audible fan, however, the battery life isn't great and it's not waterproof without a housing. It was also pretty expensive.

Ricoh has added three new shooting modes to the SC2: a ‘Face mode,’ which recognizes human faces in the frame and automatically applies skin smoothing; a new ‘Night View’ mode that helps to shoot low-noise footage in low-light environments; and a lens-by-lens exposure mode that controls the cameras independently for situations where one side of 360-degree exposure might be brighter than the other.Videos shot with all RICOH THETA models are supported (excluding videos shot with the file size “1280 × 720”). Videos may not be converted depending on the shooting environment and conditions. Spherical images can now be created with slant correction and with Photo Sphere XMP meta data added by selecting "Write with top/bottom correction" in the "File" when the spherical image is displayed.

We test cameras both in real-world shooting scenarios and in carefully controlled lab conditions. Our lab tests measure resolution, dynamic range, and signal-to-noise ratio. Resolution is measured using ISO resolution charts and quoted in line widths/picture height, which is independent of sensor size. Dynamic range is measured using DxO Analyzer test equipment and the results are expressed as EV values. DxO Analyzer is also used for noise analysis across the camera's ISO range, with results quoted as a signal-to-noise ratio. We typically choose three competing cameras to offer a performance comparison and some context. The Z1's magnesium body also feels solid, though the camera is not water-resistant, as is the case with the GoPro Max. RICOH THETA offers mobility, a compact and easy-to-shoot design, and auto exposure so that you can fully experience the features and charm of the 360-degree camera! Fun to edit 360-degree imagesIn that regard, the X3 is still just about the best, friendliest, and most exciting 360 camera on the market, and the software tools on phone, Mac & PC (as well as plugins for the likes of FCPX) have come a long way. We tried the X3 on a real vacation successfully, and another benefit of this camera's dominance is the range of accessories, including dive cases and more. Image processing has been improved for video conversion, and the differences in brightness in stitched sections of the image have been reduced.