Real Estate: Matterport Camera vs. Ricoh Theta S

There is no argument that 360 degree cameras are here to stay. As the technology becomes more relevant and integrated with the real estate industry, there begins to be more and more options available. In this article we will be comparing the industry standard Matterport Cameras vs the consumer ready Ricoh Theta S. Our categories of comparison will be Features, Cost, Reviews, Ease of Use, and Initial Thoughts.

Matterport Camera

The Matterport camera was first developed in 2011. Since it's inception, it has become the most recognizable camera in real estate and the company has added features tailored towards touring real estate properties.

Features:

The Matterport camera features a "google street view" style of property tour with 360 degree view while also giving you the ability to virtually walk through the house. It also has proprietary features such as its dollhouse view, and floor plan view. This camera isn't just taking 360 photos but actually mapping the property

(try it out here: https://matterport.com/try-it/​)

Cost:

With all the features Matterport has packed into it's product its safe to say it comes at a cost. The Matterport currently sits at a starting cost of $3600. The camera also requires an iPad to sync with the camera. After purchasing the camera you will also NEED to use the Matterport cloud plans that are priced at:

$49/month for 100 properties

$99/month for 200 properties

$149/month for 300 properties.

Reviews:

It has been reported that Matterport has had a very large presence at real estate events to showcase their camera. This has lead to a lot of recent purchases by agents. The reviews of the camera are overall very good and it is hard to find a bad review about the build and features of the camera. However, many agents experience a buyer's remorse with the camera because of it's expensive cost and limited abilities so I believe we will tend to see these cameras fall more into the hands of real estate photographers than actual agents.

Ease of Use:

The Matterport website boasts of the camera only containing one On/Off button. Because the camera is used through an app on the iPad it is very intuitive and easy for anyone to use. The camera also shoots in HDR which means you wont need any additional lighting but you also wont be able to use this camera for many other uses, as movement will show up very blurred.

Initial Thoughts:

I believe without a doubt that Matterport will stay a staple within the industry for quite some time. The dollhouse mapping and floor plan features are just another added bonus. I think this could also replace video tours in the near future and give the consumer an opportunity to walk through and tour a house at their own pace. My one problem with the Matterport is figuring out who it is for. The price is obviously too high to make sense for agents. But the lack of certain advanced features a Photographer would like don't seem to be available. I would expect agents to utilize these cameras by having a Matterport tour of the property made by their photographer at the same time.

Ricoh Theta S

At IFA 2013, Ricoh launched the Theta , a pocket-sized camera that, with a single button press, could capture a 360 degree spherical image. Fast forward to 2017 and the Theta has become the most appraised consumer 360 degree camera on the market.

Features:

The Ricoh Theta S features a front and back facing 12 megapixel cameras in a size smaller than a cellphone. It can also record 1080p video unlike the Matterport which is nice for adding a little movement into shots like fans, fireplaces, ect..

Cost:

The Ricoh Theta currently is listed on Amazon for a mere $299 dollars. You are also not required to host your 360 content on a cloud service. The only additional cost to the camera is a small tripod to leave the camera on which is frequently bough on Amazon with the Theta S for $22.99.

Reviews:

The Theta S currently has a 4 star rating with some praising its portability, price point, and relatively ease of use. Others have complained about it's lack of internal storage, slow upload time, and loss of quality on objects further away.

Ease of Use:

The Theta S has a relative ease of use, highlighting a one button shutter design on the body. The video and photos will need to be processed in the a smartphone app or a computer app. Because there is no cloud hosting for your content you will need to upload your 360 video to sites that will host it like YouTube or Facebook.

Initial Thoughts:

The Theta S doesn't offer the quality that the Matterport offers but it does offer a pretty good product at such a low price point. It appears to be relatively easy to use and something that an agent could use with relative ease and save a lot of money. Additionally, the ability to put your videos on other sites and social networks is a huge bonus as well.

Final Comparison:

I think the Matterport wins in overall quality of photos and additional features that map the property. However, the price point means you will have to probably hire a photographer with prices averaging $250/shoot for a property under 1,000 sq/ft and going as high as $625/shoot up to 7,000 sq/ft.

The Theta S wins in the price category. Just think- one shoot with a Matterport photographer would cost as much as a brand new Theta S. I think any agents selling properties under $250,000 would be better off making their own tour to save money. You also have the opportunity to put your video on all social networks and use the video as your virtual tour link in the MLS, Trulia, and Zillow. I think that is a big advantage over the forced cloud hosting that Matterport forces to use.

I personally think the Matterport is the overall winner as long as you don't buy one yourself. Your team can offer a service to your sellers that most agents really haven't begun to use yet. Let me know your thoughts at Dillon@firstpersonvisuals.com. I would love to hear your feedback or if you have used 360 degree technology before.