Ricoh Theta S vs Sony A6500

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Ricoh Theta S vs Sony A6500

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1/2.3 inch 28.1mm²
14.5 megapixels
7.30mm (35mm eq.)

Go in depth with our full Ricoh Theta S Review.
How does it shoot? Ricoh Theta S in the real world.
See real-world photos taken with the Theta S.
What’s the bottom line? Read our Ricoh Theta S conclusion.

APS-C 366.6mm²
24.2 megapixels
ISO 100 - 25,600

Go in depth with our full Sony A6500 Review.
How does it shoot? Sony A6500 in the real world.
See real-world photos taken with the A6500.
Compare Sony A6500 image quality against competitors.
What’s the bottom line? Read our Sony A6500 conclusion.

Succeeded by the Ricoh Theta V
Compare Theta S vs Theta V

Succeeded by the Sony A6600
Compare A6500 vs A6600

Compare RICOH THETA V vs SONY A6600

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Differences

Ricoh Theta S advantages over Sony A6500

Thinner
22 mm vs 53 mm
Thinner
Lighter weight
125g vs 453g
Lighter weight
Longer exposure
60 vs 30 sec
Long exposures for night shots
Faster shutter
1/6400 vs 1/4000 sec
Shoot wide open in bright light

Sony A6500 advantages over Ricoh Theta S

Rear display
Yes vs No
Review photos on the back of the camera
Focus peaking
Peaker vs Non-peaker
Your camera will highlight what's in focus
Larger sensor
APS-C vs 1/2.3 inch
More sensor area. Bigger is (generally) better.
Eye-level viewfinder
Eye-level vs Rear display only
You'll be able to frame photos even when the sun is out
In-Camera Image Stabilization
Yes vs No
Reduces the effects of camera shake at slower shutter speeds
Shoot 4K video
4K (UHD) vs 1080p
Make sure you have a fast computer
Touchscreen
Touch vs No touch
Interact with your camera just like your smartphone
Tiltable Screen
Tiltable vs Fixed
Tilt the screen for shooting flexbility
RAW file ability
Yes vs No
Gives you more flexibility to develop your photos later
NFC
Yes vs No
Simplifies pairing your camera with supported phones
Built-in Bluetooth
Yes vs No
Always-on wireless connectivity
On-sensor phase detect
Yes vs No
Usually improves live view and video AF performance
Longer stills battery life
More info

Longer stills battery life

Cameras with longer battery life can take more photos before exhausting their batteries.

Special note: The measurement standard for battery life stipulates that if a camera has an internal flash, it must be used for 50% of photos taken. For this reason, comparisons of one camera with an internal flash to another without will not be comparable

350 vs 260 shots
Capture more photos
Internal flash
Internal flash vs None
Useful in a pinch for fill flash
Manual focus
Yes vs No
AF is for the weak. Real photographers focus manually.
External Mic Jack
Jack vs No jack
Improved sound fidelity when shooting video
Shoots 24p video
Yes vs No
Gives your movies a big-screen feel
Hot shoe
Hot shoe vs None
Off-camera flashes open new possibilities
More pixels
24.2 vs 14.5 megapixels
Higher resolution photos
Shoots 60p video
Yes vs No
A faster framerate can give you more editing options
Bulb shutter
Bulb vs No bulb
Hold the shutter open manually for long exposures
Slow-motion videos
Yes vs No
Shoot slow-motion videos
Higher extended ISO
51200 vs 1600 ISO
Higher extended ISO can give more low-light flexibility

Similarities

Common Strengths

In-camera panoramas
Both provide
Stitches multiple shots into a panoramic photo
Built-in Wi-Fi
Both provide
Share your photos wirelessly
HDMI out
Both provide
Use HDMI output to monitor or review video

Common Weaknesses

Tilt-swivel screen
Neither provide
Tilt and swivel the screen for maximum shooting flexibility
Built-in GPS
Neither provide
Geotag your photos
Top deck display
Neither provide
Check settings with a screen on top of the camera
Integrated ND filter
Neither provide
Shoot in daylight with a large aperture or slow shutter
Dual card slots
Neither provide
Gives you more storage flexibility
Headphone jack
Neither provide
Monitor audio recording while you shoot video

User reviews

Amazon
Adorama
Read Theta S User Reviews

Amazon
Adorama
Read A6500 User Reviews

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Ricoh Theta S (Black)

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Body Only

Body Only
Kit with 18-135mm lens

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Review Excerpt

360-degree spherical panoramas at the click of a button; Puts you back in the moment like no other camera; Good ergonomics and control layout; Great still image quality, and can shoot videos too; Upload panoramas to Google Street View
Very reliant on your smartphone or tablet; Battery and storage can't be replaced or upgraded; Handheld shots suffer from Gigantic Hand Syndrome; Hard to get yourself out of the shot; Video image quality is only modest; Interval timer has a long shot delay
Read our Ricoh Theta S Express Review

Comfortable, premium body with good controls; Touch-screen for subject selection; Hybrid image stabilization system; Excellent image quality; Better high ISO JPEGs than the A6300; Extremely fast 11.1 fps burst capture; Very deep buffers for raw and JPEG alike; 4K video capture with no pixel binning
Pricey for an APS-C camera; JPEG colors aren't the most accurate; Very slow buffer clearing; Laggy touch-pad AF function; Poorly-placed movie button; No headphone jack; Mediocre battery life
Read our Sony A6500 Review

The Competition

Compared to Samsung NX500

Ricoh Theta S

Samsung NX500

$290
1/2.3 inch

Less expensive
Thinner

$1600
APS-C

Rear display
Focus peaking

Compare Ricoh Theta S vs Samsung NX500

Sony A6500

Samsung NX500

$1216
APS-C

Lens selection
Eye-level viewfinder

$1600
APS-C

More pixels
Lacks anti-aliasing filter

Compare Sony A6500 vs Samsung NX500

Compared to Canon EOS M3

Ricoh Theta S

Canon EOS M3

$290
1/2.3 inch

In-camera panoramas
Thinner

$700
APS-C

Rear display
Focus peaking

Compare Ricoh Theta S vs Canon EOS M3

Sony A6500

Canon EOS M3

$1216
APS-C

Lens selection
Larger sensor

$700
APS-C

Less expensive
Bigger JPEG buffer

Compare Sony A6500 vs Canon EOS M3

Compared to Fujifilm X-Pro2

Ricoh Theta S

Fujifilm X-Pro2

$290
1/2.3 inch

In-camera panoramas
Thinner

$1300
APS-C

Rear display
Focus peaking

Compare Ricoh Theta S vs Fujifilm X-Pro2

Sony A6500

Fujifilm X-Pro2

$1216
APS-C

In-Camera Image Stabilization
Touchscreen

$1300
APS-C

Higher max flash sync
More dots on screen

Compare Sony A6500 vs Fujifilm X-Pro2

Compared to Sony A6300

Ricoh Theta S

Sony A6300

$290
1/2.3 inch

Thinner
Longer exposure

$846
APS-C

Rear display
Focus peaking

Compare Ricoh Theta S vs Sony A6300

Sony A6500

Sony A6300

$1216
APS-C

In-Camera Image Stabilization
Touchscreen

$846
APS-C

Less expensive

Compare Sony A6500 vs Sony A6300

Compared to Sony A6400

Ricoh Theta S

Sony A6400

$290
1/2.3 inch

Thinner
Longer exposure

$798
APS-C

Rear display
Focus peaking

Compare Ricoh Theta S vs Sony A6400

Sony A6500

Sony A6400

$1216
APS-C

In-Camera Image Stabilization
Fast startup

$798
APS-C

Less expensive
Higher extended ISO

Compare Sony A6500 vs Sony A6400

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