Tutorial: How to share images and videos from the Ricoh Theta S 360 Camera (iOS)

Video by Jeff Heil with Ricoh Theta S Camera

I have been obsessed with Virtual Reality apps and Google Cardboard recently, so I was thrilled when my school agreed to buy a Ricoh Theta S Camera (Thanks, Jim Sill, for the recommendation!). Taking 360° photos and videos is a breeze with this camera, but, unfortunately, experiencing Ricoh Theta images in VR with Google Cardboard is complicated on an iPhone. In fact, Apple seems to be quite behind on the VR front, as Android users have Google Cardboard Camera to create VR images with and they also have the option to view 360° videos with VR.

However, one way you can view your own 360° photos in VR is by uploading them with the Google Street View app. Click here to learn how.

It's definitely fun to create 360° images and video with this camera and I know that my students are going to love it. My head is spinning as I think of how we will be able to use it: School tours to share with others outside our community; neighbourhood tours; home tours; hiding BreakOutEdu clues; livestreaming from it for absent students... so many possibilities!

Using the camera is pretty straightforward and there are quite a few YouTube videos explaining how. Where it gets really complicated is how you share your images and videos and it took me hours to figure it out, thus, this tutorial.

Please note that this tutorial is intended for iOS users, as I have an iPhone and a MacBook Pro. Please note also, that I am not an expert and it is highly likely that I got some things wrong in the tutorial. If that is the case, please leave a comment below!

(Click here for a Google doc version, which is more updated than this post, btw!)

My YouTube playlist with tutorials

Things you need to do before you use this camera:

1. Download the Ricoh Theta app on your Macbook
2. Download the Richo Theta app on your iPhone (different from #1)
3. Make sure you have either a Facebook account or a Twitter account.
4. Make sure you have a YouTube channel.
5. Go to Theta360.com and create an account.

NOTE: If you plan on letting your students use the camera and they are under 13 yrs. old, consider creating class accounts for #3, #4 and #5.

NOTE 2: Images and videos taken in 360° are viewable in Virtual Reality (VR) only on some platforms. More info in the tutorial.

IMPORTANT! The glass lenses on either side of the camera are very fragile and can be easily scratched. When you are not using the camera, make sure that it is resting on something soft or stand it up on its bottom (even better: put it back in its protective case).

Table of Contents:

PART 1: How to share images/videos from a MacBook

PART 2: How to share images/videos from an iPhone

PART 3: How to view your own images/videos in VR

PART 4: How to let others view your images/videos in VR

PART 5: Miscellaneous info

PART 1

How to share from a MacBook (NOTE: it’s much easier to upload via your iPhone, so I suggest you skip this part entirely and just go to Part 2).

1. After you have taken your videos/photos, attach the camera to your MacBook with the cable.
2. Photos (or iPhoto) will automatically open. DO NOT UPLOAD IMAGES. Close the application.
3. Use the spotlight and look for and open “Image Capture” app instead.
4. Under “Devices” it should detect the camera right away. If it doesn’t, eject the cable and try again.
5. Drag your images/videos onto your desktop. The video format should be MP4. The image format should be .JPG. Close Image Capture.
6. Open the Ricoh Theta app on your MacBook. Drag photo/video (only does one at a time).
7. Photo: From here you can share on Social Media by going to the top of your screen and click “Theta360.com”. It will ask you to log in. Now you need to choose between creating an account with your Facebook login or Twitter. Choose one or the other allowing permissions. Now click back on Theta360 at the top and click “Post” and it will upload to Theta360.com. (If it takes forever to post, close all your browsers, open one and log into Theta360.com with the account you created). ex: Here’s a photo of my classroom. I know my big hand in the photo is awful. That’s why I ordered a Monopod!
8. Writing a comment is optional. You can keep it public or change to unlisted (this is for posting on the Theta360 website). It will take a few seconds for it to upload your photo to Theta360. The next window gives you an option to share the photo on Facebook, Twitter, or Tumblr, but you don’t have to. You can just copy the URL link and post it wherever you want. Close the window if you don’t want to post on Social Media. If you DO post on social media, the link will take your followers/friends to the Theta360 site to view the photo.
9. Video: Once you have dragged the video into the Ricoh Theta app (#6), it will convert to an .er file. Make sure the output is where you want it (I usually just save to desktop) then click “Start”.
10. From here you can share on Social Media by going to the top of your screen and click “Theta360.com” just like for a photo. Click “Post”. It will post first on your Theta360 account (click here to see an example of my students working on a test), then a window will pop up and you can share on Facebook, Twitter or Tumblr (but viewers will still see the video on the Theta360 website). Or, you can upload to YouTube by logging into YouTube from the Chrome browser and uploading  the .er video file (not the MP4 file). Click here for the same video. You will notice that the video quality is compromised somewhat when put on YouTube.

How to share from MacBook with Google Photos app

1. Download Google Photos for your MacBook.
2. If you sync your photos from your iPhone to Google Photos, you can share your photos from there (Click on your photo, then click the Share button at the top right of your photo). The quality is excellent, and viewers will see the images directly (not via the Theta360 website.)
3. NOTE: 360 videos do not get uploaded on Google Photos.
4. NOTE: These Google 360 photos may not be viewable on someone else’s iPhone.

PART 2

How to share from iPhone

1. To Facebook/Twitter

• Make sure the Ricoh Theta camera is on. Hit the middle button so that the wifi icon starts to flash. Open the wifi settings on your iPhone and under “Choose a network”, tap on your camera (Mine is called THETAXSOO135…)
• Now open the Theta S app on your iPhone. Tap Camera. It will open to “Not transferred”. Tap an image/video to transfer. This transfers the images/videos to your iPhone camera roll.
• Tap on the image you just transferred, then tap the Share button (top right corner). Tap “Share” and you can now share on Facebook or Twitter by turning on buttons to green. Tap “Done” top right corner (This does take some time)
• Note: If you are having problems sharing this way, on your phone, go to “Settings > scroll down to Facebook > THETA S > turn on. Then, in the Ricoh Theta S app itself, click on the gear and enable your FB app. (Thanks Kathy Schrock for this tip!)

If you are still having problems and you get this message:

Tap: Done: Check in Safari, then tap the upload button and tap on the FB icon.

• Uploading videos to Facebook also works well and it will upload directly onto FB without having to view on Theta360 site (however, it takes a while to upload). The quality is much better, too, than uploading from laptop to YouTube as described above “How to share from a MacBook”.

2. To Google Maps via Google Street View app

• Click here to learn how to do this. Once uploaded to the Google Street View app, you can share your image by clicking on it, then tapping the “Publish to Google Maps” icon.
• (Click here to see my photospheres. Click here to see Jeff Heil’s). NOTE: When you share this way these photos are viewable by others on a laptop only (or maybe an Android device). However, if you label the image with an address or a landmark, someone else can find your image by opening Google Street View app on their phone and searching the address/landmark (They will find it under “Results”).

3. To Round.me

Download Round.me app and upload 360° images (after taking photo with Theta S. app and transferring to camera roll).

4. To YouTube (videos)

1. Transfer video(s) to camera roll in the Theta S app.
2. Open the YouTube app on your iPhone
3. Tap the video button, bottom right hand corner:

4. Tap on the 360° video you want to upload.
5. Voila!

5. To Spinnable app: See description of this great app in PART 4.

PART 3:

How to view your own images/videos in VR

1. Upload image in Google Street View app, then tap “Profile”, then tap a photo and tap the Cardboard icon (as described in PART 2). OR:
2. Open the Theta S app on your iPhone, tap “App”, then tap a photo, then click this icon:

Tap VR view (twin lens). OR,

3. Upload videos to YouTube and view with an Android device. OR,

4. The Kiroru App for iOS will let you view your own photos and videos in VR if you click the gear in the app and turn on “Side by Side”. OR,

5. Upload your 360° images with the Round.me app and tilt phone to the side to see Cardboard option. NOTE: you can see tons of other images that other people uploaded in this app in VR as well. OR,

6. Upload images and 15 sec. videos to Spinnable app (see PART 4)

PART 4

How to let others view your images/videos in VR

1. Spinnable app for iOS (Thanks Kathy Schrock for this great find!)

• This is Instagram for 360 images and 15 sec. videos
• Can upload photos already taken, or connect to RT camera and take them on the spot (Theta Capture/Theta upload/Gallery upload)
• Android and desktop versions available soon
• Can view all images and videos in VR!
• follow me! sylviaduckworth
• 

2. Upload images with the Google Street View app and give someone the address/landmark to find on their own phone within the Google Street View app. All images in this app can be viewed in VR. Click here to learn how.

3. Upload images to Round.me. (Must first take and transfer images in Theta S app). Viewers can see 360° images on iPhones and laptops and in VR, too! (Tilt phone to side to see Cardboard icon). (NOTE There’s an Embed feature too!)

4. Upload videos to YouTube (viewable in VR only with an Android device)

PART 5

Miscellaneous info

How to delete pics/videos from Ricoh Theta camera

1. Turn on the Ricoh Theta camera and click on the middle button until the wifi icon flashes.
2. Open the wifi settings on your iPhone and tap on the camera.
3. Open the Ricoh Theta app on your phone and tap on “Camera”, then tap on “Select” and tap on the pics/videos you want to delete.

How to livestream an event I can’t seem to get this to work (would love some direction here if anyone has been able to do it). Here’s some info if you are really geeky and want to give it a try.

Monopod - for better pictures/videos (ie. without your hand in it). You will need to take the photo/video from the Ricoh Theta app in your iPhone within when you use this.