Hello everyone!
Did you know that RICOH THETA has convenient plug-ins?

● Add new features to THETA with plug-ins!

Plug-ins can add functionality to THETA Z1 and V, similar to smartphone apps. (Plug-ins are only compatible with Z1 and V.)

As of September 2020, there are 11 genuine Ricoh plug-ins and 38 plug-ins developed by companies and individuals around the world in the RICOH THETA Plug-in store. And we plan to add more in the future.
＞＞RICOH THETA PlUG-IN STORE

So, check out the RICOH THETA PLUG-IN STORE and try out a plug-in that suits your needs! You can upgrade your THETA and make it more convenient and easier to use!

●Our top 3 recommended plug-ins

Here we introduce 3 of our highly recommended plug-ins.

1. Hide your tripods with “Underside Cover”

Underside Cover is a plug-in that can easily cover your fingers and tripods that are often annoyingly in the frame.

With this plug-in, you can hide your fingers or tripod directly under the camera in a 360° photo by automatically covering them with a selected image at the moment of shooting. In addition, you can insert customized information such as a logo or text that you otherwise might have to add using other apps. So, it is a perfect plug-in for those who are using THETA for business.

You can choose to use the THETA logo, or your own images saved in your smartphone, or any text you like.

Once set, the image is saved to THETA, so when shooting with THETA not connected to your smartphone, the image or text that was previously selected will be inserted.

＞＞More details about the Underside Cover plug-in
＞＞Install Underside Cover plug-in

2. Hide yourself without leaving the camera behind with “Time Shift Shooting”

Time Shift Shooting is a plug-in that takes each half of the 360° photo at separate times.

You can set the time difference to be 2, 5, or 10 seconds.

As the camera shoots the two halves of the photo, you can move to the opposite side from the shooting lens during the delay, allowing you to effectively hide from the camera and avoid being in frame!

This plug-in is useful when it’s difficult to hide in open landscapes or buildings.


Related article：How to use THETA to shoot 360 photos without the photographer in the frame!

＞＞More details about the Time Shift Shooting plug-in
＞＞Install Time Shift Shooting plug-in
＞＞How to use

3. Easy self-timer shooting with “Self-timer Locked”

For THETA V, there are two ways to enable self-timer shooting: (1) activate THETA while pressing the wifi button, and (2) connect THETA to a smartphone and set self-timer shooting in the THETA app. (More details)（Detail）

But with the Self-timer Locked plug-in, you can call the self-timer function simply with a long press of the mode button on THETA. This means you don’t need to turn the power off and on again or connect to wifi and set it from the THETA phone app!

This plug-in is very convenient when you frequently switch between normal shooting and self-timer shooting, or when you want to take group shots easily.
Also, you can switch to the self-timer mode even when using THETA in the underwater housing case (TW-1).

＞＞More details about the Self-timer Locked plug-in
＞＞Install Self-timer Locked plug-in
＞＞How to use

●3 easy steps to use plug-ins

To use plug-ins, you need to connect THETA to your PC and install them on THETA.

It may sound difficult, but actually installing plug-ins can be done in 3 easy steps!

【 STEP 1】Connect THETA to your PC using the USB cable included with the product.

【STEP 2】　Access the RICOH THETA PlUG-IN STORE and click “Download” for the plug-in you want to install.

*Please check each plug-in page in the RICOH THETA PLUG-IN STORE for compatible models.

【STEP 3】

The basic “RICOH THETA” app will appear automatically, so follow the instructions shown on screen to complete installation. Please wait until the process finishes.

To install plug-ins, the “RICOH THETA” PC app (version 3.6.0 or higher) is required. Click here to download it. Here

● Try developing a plug-in!

If you wish THETA had some new functions…
There is a community for THETA plug-in developers, and you can develop and share plug-ins as well.

If you are interested in plug-in development, please have a look here.
https://api.ricoh/products/theta-plugin/

So in this article, we introduced our top 3 recommended plug-ins for THETA.

In addition to the ones introduced here, a wide variety of plug-ins, from funny ones to useful ones, have been released. Customize your THETA with your favorite plug-ins!

For more details, please visit the product page.