For a good virtual tour you don’t need professional equipment costing thousands of euros. A 360-degree camera, a tripod and a few simple steps are enough. Which camera to choose depends on how often you shoot and how much image quality in dark rooms is worth to you. Here is our overview, as of October 2026.

What matters for property

  • Sensor size before megapixels. Interiors are darker than they seem. A larger sensor captures more light, the images have less noise and the colours stay natural. Lots of megapixels on a small sensor won’t help you much in a dark kitchen.
  • HDR. The camera takes several exposures and merges them. That way windows don’t blow out and dark corners stay visible. For flats, this matters more than almost anything else.
  • Panorama in 2:1 format as a JPG. This is the usual format for tours. REALONAUT 360 accepts photos from any 360-degree camera in this format.
  • Shooting via an app. That way you are not in the picture yourself and you see the result straight away on your phone.
  • Tripod thread. So the camera stands steady and at the same height in every room, at about 1.50 metres.
  • Battery and robustness. If you photograph several properties in one day, you need a battery that lasts and a camera that can take a knock.

The cameras at a glance

Insta360 X6 (since August 2026). Two 1.1-inch sensors, 360-degree photos of up to 120 megapixels in 2:1 format. It has a touchscreen, so you can also take the shot without a phone. 64 GB of internal storage (of which around 47 GB is usable) plus a slot for microSD cards. The battery is removable. Waterproof to 20 metres (IP68) and with replaceable lenses: if a lens gets scratched, you replace it yourself instead of sending the camera in. Retailers quoted around €690 at launch. The newest camera on this list, and interesting for estate agents because it combines large sensors with a rugged body.

Ricoh Theta Z1. Two 1-inch sensors, 360-degree photos of around 23 megapixels (6720 × 3360 pixels), also in raw format. A proven camera for interiors, especially in low light. But it has a few years under its belt: introduced in 2019, with no successor announced. The battery is built in, so on long days only a power bank will help. At around €1,300 in the Ricoh shop, it is the most expensive on this list.

Ricoh Theta X. Two smaller 1/2-inch sensors, but up to 60 megapixels. It has a touchscreen, so you can also take the shot without a phone, and a removable battery. Around €880 in the Ricoh shop. A simple camera for everyday use, but weaker than the Z1 and X6 in low light.

Older and second-hand models. The X6’s predecessor, the Insta360 X5, came onto the market in April 2025 at €589 and is now often offered for less. Second-hand Ricoh cameras are another way to get started. For a first tour, almost any current 360-degree camera with HDR will do.

Among our customers, the Ricoh Theta was the most used camera for years. We already use the Insta360 X6 ourselves, and the first shots look promising. We will show a direct comparison with the Theta Z1 in a separate post soon.

Which one suits you?

  • You shoot often and want the best image quality indoors: a camera with large sensors, so the Insta360 X6 or the Ricoh Theta Z1. The X6 is newer and cheaper, the Z1 has proven itself over many years.
  • You are out and about a lot and the camera has to take some punishment: the Insta360 X6, waterproof and with replaceable lenses.
  • You also want to take the shot without a phone: the Insta360 X6 or the Ricoh Theta X, both with a touchscreen.
  • You want to try it out first: a previous model or a second-hand camera. With the REALONAUT 360 Free plan, you can create your own 360-degree tour without paying anything.

What else you need

  • A tripod with a narrow base, so it is barely visible in the panorama.
  • A memory card or enough internal storage, depending on the model.
  • A second battery, if you photograph several properties in one day and your model has a removable battery.

Even the best camera won’t help much if the shot isn’t right: doors open, lights on, HDR on, white balance on automatic, tripod at about 1.50 metres. And anything that isn’t quite right you can correct in REALONAUT 360 in the ‘Enhance images’ tab.

Sources

Retrieved on 14 October 2026. Prices vary by retailer and over time. Insta360 X6: DPReview, announcement of 12 August 2026, Insta360 product page, Insta360 manual (technical specifications), euro price according to WinFuture. Ricoh Theta Z1 and X: Ricoh shop Europe, Digital Camera World, fotoMAGAZIN. Insta360 X5: Macerkopf.