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Tim Wray is a Canadian based filmmaker and builder who transforms vans into livable spaces with his wife, Katie. Their projects convert thoughtfully, traditional vans into modern living spaces for travel enthusiasts looking for a unique adventure and simpler lifestyle.
Tim tested out our RICOH THETA X camera to capture his recent creations, providing a 360-degree view of his innovative, impressive vans.
Thanks for connecting with us, Tim! Please tell us about yourself and your background.
My wife, Katie, and I built our first van 4 years ago with the goal of using it to travel south on the Pan-American Highway. When the pandemic happened and the Canadian border closed, we decided to enjoy the van locally in British Columbia. As winter approached, we realized how much we enjoyed the process of building, so we sold that van and started another one. We now operate our business, Trio Van Conversions Inc, and share our van builds on Instagram.
What a unique business!! Who do you typically sell your vans to?
Our customers include those who work remotely and travel full-time, as well as retired and semi-retired travel enthusiasts. We have remodeled 5 vans since we started our business, and currently remodel about 1-2 per year.
How did you discover RICOH THETA? What made you want to use it for your work?
We often use both YouTube and Instagram to share content that tracks the progress of our van builds, and we thought that creating 360-degree tours would be a great way to showcase our van conversions. When researching 360-degree cameras online, I came across the RICOH THETA as one of the best options.
I hadn’t used 360-degree cameras before trialing the RICOH THETA X. I immediately found it easy and intuitive to operate. The biggest benefit that the RICOH THETA X provides to my business is that the 360-degree tour gives a more immersive and realistic representation of our van builds. It has been helpful to present our van conversion layout to future buyers. Our clients have also reported that they enjoy being able to pan and move around within the environment of the van, feeling like they’re right there in the space.
Transformed van's virtual tour ©Tim Wray
It sounds like this camera has been a great addition to your business. What are your favorite features of the RICOH THETA X? Any tips you discovered while using it?
My favorite features of the RICOH THETA X are the touchscreen display, ability to wirelessly connect to a smartphone, and high quality 60MP images. All of these make it extremely simple to use resulting in incredible content. Previously, I used smart phones and mirrorless cameras extensively to capture content, but there is a major difference in the immersive experience that the RICOH THETA X camera provides. As far as tips, I’d say that my biggest piece of advice is to use a compact tripod which will be (mostly) hidden in the final images.
Tell us more about your workflow. Once you capture images with RICOH THETA, how do you utilize them?
I use the RICOH360 Tours software to save, manage, view, and share the tours with others. I like the ability to organize the virtual tour quickly and easily in the correct order, as well as create titles and subtitles so that clients can follow along. One of the most surprising things was not only how easy the RICOH THETA X was to use, but also how simple it was to create a virtual tour using RICOH360 Tours.
That’s great to hear. In your opinion, do you think the use of 360-degree images will grow within your industry?
Yes, I suspect the integration between the 360-degree cameras, software, and social media platforms will make sharing the completed tours easier over time.
Thank you so much for connecting with us and sharing your experience with the RICOH THETA X. Follow Tim and view his exciting projects on Instagram and on YouTube.
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