Ricoh Theta cameras have always been the leader
when it comes to point and shoot 360 photography.
And they've come a really long way
since I bought my very first one,
the THETA m15 back in 2015.
That makes me feel old.
To today where the Z1 and X
are pushing point and shoot 360 photography to new heights.
But with these being the two major camera releases
from Ricoh over the past two years,
there's actually not that much difference between them.
And a lot of you have been asking me what's the difference?
Which has better image quality?
Should I upgrade from the Z1 to the X
or should I buy something else completely.
So in this video, I'll answer all of these questions
and do my best to cover all of the differences
between these two cameras, starting with the price,
and it's a thousandish dollars versus $800
which is important to keep in mind going forward
Comparing the two design side by side,
and while they look similar at first,
they're actually very different.
I found the X has basically fixed
all of the problems I initially had with the Z1.
For example, this tiny screen only allows
for the most basic information to be seen.
Whereas with this beauty, look at that.
You've got a massive screen
which allows you to not only change the settings
but you can look back at your photos,
navigate to the plugin store
so you could add third party plugins right here
from the camera,
as well as accessing every feature of this camera.
You can scroll through hundreds of different settings
and change anything you like.
Whereas with the Z1
you really do need to connect with the mobile app
to change every last setting of the camera.
Next problem they fix is with the USB-C charging,
with the Z1, it's on the bottom
whereas with the X, it's on the side.
I found with the Z1
the charging port was just too close to the tripod thread.
So the side is definitely a better spot for it.
Something else I consider one of the biggest flaws of the Z1
is it doesn't have any interchangeable memory
or an interchangeable battery.
It's all built-in, meaning you have to shoot, charge,
download your footage, and then start again.
Whereas with the X
look what they've added.
We have a battery door with a removable battery
and a removable SD card slot.
Meaning you can put as much memory
into this camera as you like.
So overall, the design of the X
makes it much more user friendly than the Z1.
Next, we're going to explore the big question
which of these two cameras has better image quality?
Since they are both primarily photography focus,
image quality
is one of the most important factors to compare.
Now, really quickly I wanna talk about specs.
The Theta X has 60 megapixels versus the THETA Z1s 23,
but the Theta Z1 has a 1-inch sensor
whereas the X only has 1/2 inch sensor.
Meaning despite the vastly improved image resolution,
the end quality isn't that different.
You'll see what I mean in a second
but I only say that to tell you, don't obsess about specs.
Because the end results that cameras produce
override any impressive spec sheet.
Now both of these cameras have very different shooting modes
making this comparison impossible to make fair,
but the best way I can make it fair
is by choosing the best shooting mode for each camera
and trying to produce the best result I can with each.
So let's start with the X, as you probably know,
it doesn't shoot RAW, it's only JPEGs.
And while it does have have a bracketing option,
I've never found bracketing JPEGs to be a good idea.
The final image quality
always ends up worse than it was before,
which is why I found using the inbuilt HDR function
within the Theta X was the best workflow
for producing the best image quality.
The Theta Z1 however, has the advantage
of being able to shoot RAW.
So while you can't shoot with inbuilt HDR
like the X, RAW producers a better result,
and not only can you shoot in RAW,
but you can shoot in RAW plus bracketing
using the automated plugin, the DualFisheye Plug-in
which is free to add to the camera,
and it produces 9 DNG photos,
which combine together in lightroom
into a high dynamic range RAW image.
And in my experience
shooting with this camera over the years,
this is by far the best workflow
for shooting with the Theta Z1.
So in conclusion,
the fairest way for me to compare these two cameras
is with the Z1 shooting with the DualFisheye RAW Plug-in
and the X shooting with inbuilt HDR.
Now here's the first shot I took using these two workflows
and wait a minute, isn't the Theta X
supposed to be like three times a resolution.
But the main difference I see here
which is a pretty obvious one
is the Z1 has much better dynamic range
looking out the window.
This is the difference between bracketing with RAW
and shooting HDR JPEG.
While the HDR does a really good job
it doesn't get the brightest highlights.
Whereas with bracketing, you can underexpose so much
that you capture the outside detail perfectly.
And then when merging in light room
it takes that perfect exposure
and blends it with everything else.
You don't get that with the X, unfortunately.
So I think we can agree
the Theta Z1 with the DualFisheye Plug-in
produces far better dynamic range than the Theta X.
I always like to look at blank walls when doing comparisons
because they're always a good indication
of how sharp the lines are
and how smooth the gradient is on the wall.
And this is where the Theta X shines.
That is a fantastic gradient, very little noise.
And the line in the corner of the room
is definitely sharper.
Looking at my plant and points if you know what it's called.
Well, do you?
It's called Sansevieria, aka mother-in-law's tongue
and they look really similar.
They both capture the highlights
and the shadows of this area of the room really nicely.
Next, let's look at a higher contrast room,
my en-suite bathroom
and wow can you believe how well the DualFisheye Plug-in
with the Z1 performed here?
That blows my mind seriously.
That is such good dynamic range.
If you wanna learn how to do this, by the way
I have hours and hours of tutorials
inside my Virtual Tool Pro course
that teach how to shoot and edit
with the DualFisheye Plug-in using light room
and my other top recommended softwares.
And with this side by side,
if you were to look at the Theta X without seeing the Z1,
you'd think, "Hey that's actually quite good dynamic range."
Then when you look over to the Z1,
you realise what's possible.
So I do think both cameras past the test here,
but the Z1 with bracketing
is definitely the superior camera for dynamic range.
I have found that parts
of the image can be sharper with the Theta X
especially when the detail in that scene
is found in front of either lens.
Now here's something they definitely differ on
and that is stitching.
As you can see, the Z1's lens
is roughly twice the size of the Theta X,
which means it has a greater view
of the full 360 surrounding.
Meaning, when you stitch that full 360
from the two double Fisheyes,
the detail close to the slimline
is going to be slightly sharper.
And that absolutely shows
around the stitch line of the image.
So here I deliberately put this to the test.
The stitch line was facing
in between the yellow and orange pot.
And with the X it's blurry as...
It almost looks like a stitching error, which it isn't.
It's just lacking
a fair bit of detail around the slimline.
Now, to be fair, when you zoom out
you don't notice it that much.
And stitching is usually the kind of thing
that photographers notice more than viewers.
But that said, that does also translate over to other things
like lens flares.
So as you can see up the top here
there's a bit of a flare on one lens, but not the other.
And the slimline has blended it together really awkwardly.
Whereas with the X and bracketing,
you barely notice that.
Speaking of lens flares, while we're on the topic
one big point I wanna make
is that the X performs much better around window frames
when it comes to chromatic aberration or purple fringing.
I've not touched any sliders here
to remove chromatic aberration from either camera.
And it's pretty noticeable with the Z1
and barely at all with the X.
Here's a low light and shot I took
and again, these images look really good.
Zoom in to the chandelier
and the Z1 has better dynamic ranges
especially in those highlights.
And both of them generally have a low level of noise.
I can't think of any other 360 cameras
that would perform this well in low light.
In terms of sharpness,
again, they look really similar.
I guess you could say the X looks slightly sharper,
and look in the very darkest part of the shot.
And they're both performing well
but I'd say the Z1 definitely has the edge.
This is because of the biggest sensor.
It makes the camera much better in low light
especially really low light.
And when it comes to shooting outdoors in bright sunlight,
again, they're basically identical.
They both shoot extremely crisp images.
Look at those leaves,
they're not real, but they are crispy sharp.
So I'd say if you're shooting outdoors
the differences are very, very minor
aside from the fact that you can obviously shoot
with inbuilt RAW with the Z1,
whereas you can't with the X,
meaning you can edit these shots a bit more.
Also the Z1 has handheld HDR.
And as you may remember
this was one of my biggest complaints with the X,
is it doesn't have that yet,
but supposedly they will be adding it at some point.
Now, something I need to address
is the fact that these cameras do shoot 360 video.
The Z1 shoots 4K 360 video, the X shoots 5.7K.
Both have surprisingly good image quality
and retain the great colour spectrum
that you see in the photos.
However, video isn't the primary function
of either of these cameras.
Therefore they're not as optimised to shoot it.
Right now, you could say
the X is a fantastic 360 video camera
but it has an inexplicable shaking
even when it's on a monopod.
And in general,
the stabilisation isn't on the level of Insta360 cameras.
But if you did wanna shoot a little bit of 360 video
on the side of virtual tours or 360 photography,
then clearly the Theta X
is going to produce far better results.
Next, I wanna cover another big difference
between these two cameras and that is workflow.
In fact, I'd even say
this is potentially the biggest difference between them
and due to the best workflows I discussed earlier,
this results in vastly different shooting and editing times.
Firstly with the Z1, to shoot with the DualFisheye Plug-in
requires putting it on a monopod
and waiting for the sequence
to fire off over 30 to 45 seconds.
Whereas, the X shoots a photo in less than one second,
then when it comes to editing
RAW bracketed 360 photos with the Z1,
it's gonna take you on average five to 10 minutes per photo
to merge the bracketed shots and colour correct.
Whereas with the Theta X,
the images are good to go straight away.
You don't need to colour correct them.
The colours look great.
The contrast is good.
The dynamic range is good enough.
Meaning the workflow with the X can be literally one second,
if you want it to be.
If you do wanna colour correct
it will take you one to two minutes
since you're not having to bracket
and sort through hundreds of photos from a single shoot.
So I think we have a pattern emerging here.
The Theta X is the right camera to use.
If you don't wanna spend long on your shoots and edits,
if you just wanna shoot a photo quickly
and be done with it, no editing needed,
then this is going to be the better option.
If you're someone that prefers to take more time
shoot and editing to get a higher quality result
then the Z1 is going to be the better choice
because the end results are in fact better than the Theta X,
but not that much, they are better
but it depends on your use case for your 360 photos.
If it's for a medium to high end professional shoot,
of course you need to take the time
to shoot and edit properly.
But if you just wanna shoot quickly
for a real estate shoot or even just for fun,
then you don't wanna be spending hours editing your shots
and dealing with a longer workflow.
The shooting workflow is also made much easier
by the big touch screen.
Meaning you don't need to connect the X to your phone.
You can change all the settings on the camera
including accessing the plugin store,
if you wanna use a plugin
and you can even view your shots as well.
Whereas with the Z1,
there's a lot more toing and froing
between the camera and your phone,
and the camera and your computer.
Also another smaller one when it comes to workflow
is that the Theta X stitches in camera
both photos and videos, whereas the Z1,
especially if you're using the bracketing technique
you're going to have to stitch them
in Ricoh Theta Stitcher
after you've done all of your editing and colour correction.
Again, you can learn this entire workflow
in my Virtual Tour Pro course.
So the main differences I see
between the Theta Z1 and the Theta X
is the shooting and editing time.
The X is shorter, the Z1 is longer.
The dynamic range in quality is better with the Z1,
the X shoots better 360 video and has a far better design.
Also it's currently $200 cheaper.
So you need to ask yourself
which of these things is most important to you
because that should influence your decision
between these two cameras.
I've had a lot of people ask me
should I upgrade from the Z1 to the X?
And I think you can tell after watching this video
that my answer will be no.
Unless you wanna speed up your workflow,
the Z1 is going to produce better shots than the X.
I do think though, if you're upgrading from anything else
like an old Gear 360,
then either of these cameras would be a massive upgrade.
These are two of the best point
and shoot 360 cameras you can buy,
if you're shooting virtual tours.
The image quality is really, really good.
The workflow is generally pretty fast,
and they really are the perfect weapon of choice,
especially if you're shooting
the small to medium-size clients.
I'm gonna finish this video by answering the question.
Should you buy something else?
I probably wouldn't choose
any other middle of the range cameras
because while some of them boast high resolution
and great features, they often have some fatal flaws
that make the camera a nightmare to work with.
So if you're at the point where you wanna shoot
even higher quality images,
then you may want to consider shooting 360s with the DSLR.
Otherwise, I think the Theta Z1
is going to be the best you can get
from a point and shoot 360 camera.
If you're on a budget of under $500,
clearly neither of these cameras fits that.
So I'd recommend this, the Trisio Lite 2.
I've got a full review on my channel,
which you can watch about that.
Or if you shoot mostly 360 video and not so much 360 photo,
then obviously Insta360 cameras
are going to be the right choice.
So, which is your camera of choice between these two?
The Z1 or the X, let me know down below. Peace out.