For years, the Ricoh Theta Z1 was the camera of choice for property tours. Since August 2026, the Insta360 X6 has been challenging it, with larger sensors and five times the resolution. We shot both from the same spot in the same room and put the images side by side.
How we tested
- Location: a large room with windows onto the street, a seating area and dark passageways. Exactly the mix of backlight and shadow that causes problems in flats and houses.
- Time: 12 November 2026, around 2:40 pm, an overcast afternoon, ceiling lights on.
- Set-up: the same tripod at the same height, both cameras one shortly after the other.
- Settings: HDR photo on both cameras, using the camera’s automatic mode.
- Editing: none. We show the images exactly as they came out of the camera.
One room is not a lab test. But it shows what you can expect at your next property.
The panoramas
At first glance the two images look similar. The difference shows when you zoom in. And that is exactly what viewers do in a tour.
The comparison in detail
Each crop shows the Theta Z1 on the left and the X6 on the right. Tap to open it at full resolution.
1. View out of the window
This is where the difference is biggest. With the X6, the sign across the street is pin-sharp, and you can make out window frames, doors and even the notice next to the door. With the Z1, the same spot is soft, with slight colour fringing along the edges. Both cameras handle the bright window well, nothing is blown out.
2. Wall with mirror and lights
Direct light sources are difficult for any 360-degree camera. With the Z1, the light tubes glare more into their surroundings and the reflection looks flat. The X6 renders the tubes more clearly and the reflection with far more detail. In return, it shows a slight pink fringe along the edge of the mirror.
3. Seating area in front of the windows
Here the two cameras show their different character. The Z1 lifts the shadows more and looks warmer, almost as if it had already been edited. The X6 stays cooler with more contrast, the floor is darker, and the blinds and plant are sharper.
4. Passage into the next room
In the dark room at the back, the X6 leaves the shadows darker. The Z1 brings out a little more there, but loses sharpness. With the X6, the next room is rendered more cleanly, just darker.
Measured across the whole panorama: the X6 has more areas that are completely dark (around 6% compared with 2.5% for the Z1), but fewer blown highlights. The Z1 delivers a flatter, warmer image.
What we noticed in everyday use
- Resolution: the X6 delivers 15,520 × 7,760 pixels (120 megapixels), the Z1 6,720 × 3,360 pixels (around 23 megapixels).
- Watch out when transferring to your phone: with the default settings of the Insta360 app, the photo arrived on the iPhone at only 8,000 × 4,000 pixels (32 megapixels). We only got the full resolution when we took the image straight from the memory card. For a tour, 32 megapixels are usually enough. If you want to show details, read out the card.
- File size: an X6 photo at full resolution is around 23 MB, a Z1 photo around 8 MB. You notice that when uploading 20 or 30 rooms.
- Connecting to your phone: child’s play with the X6. Hold your iPhone against the camera and it connects straight away via NFC. With the Z1 you connect the classic way, through the camera’s Wi-Fi in the app, which takes a few extra steps every time.
- Handling: the X6 has a touchscreen and can be triggered without a phone. The Z1 has a small status display, and you need the app for a preview.
- Robustness: the X6 is built as an action camera. It is waterproof to 20 metres without a housing (IP68), so rain or an outdoor area in bad weather is no problem. You replace the lenses yourself: if one gets scratched, you screw on a spare lens instead of sending the camera in. The Z1 is not waterproof and its protruding lenses are delicate. A scratch there means a repair by the manufacturer.
- Battery: in our experience, the X6 battery lasts much longer than the Z1’s. The manufacturers’ figures confirm this: Ricoh states around 300 photos or 60 minutes of video per charge for the Z1. Insta360 gives no photo count for the X6, but around 88 minutes of 8K video, and up to 140 minutes in endurance mode. And if the X6’s 2,600 mAh battery does run flat, you simply put in a second one; it fully charges in around 35 minutes. On the Z1 the battery is built in, so on long days only a power bank helps.
- Price: X6 around €690, Z1 around €1,300 (as of October 2026).
| Ricoh Theta Z1 | Insta360 X6 | |
|---|---|---|
| Sensors | 2 × 1 inch | 2 × 1/1.1 inch |
| Photo resolution | approx. 23 MP (6,720 × 3,360) | up to 120 MP (15,520 × 7,760) |
| Image character in our test | warmer, lifted shadows, softer | cooler, more contrast, much sharper |
| Display | status display | touchscreen |
| Connecting to your phone | via the camera’s Wi-Fi | NFC: hold your phone against it, done |
| Battery | built in, approx. 300 photos / 60 min. video | replaceable (2,600 mAh), approx. 88 min. 8K video, up to 140 min. in endurance mode |
| Waterproof | no | yes, to 20 m (IP68) |
| Lenses replaceable yourself | no | yes |
| On the market since | 2019 | August 2026 |
| Price approx. | €1,300 | €690 |
A small bonus: worth it after work too
The X6 is not just a work camera. It is huge fun privately and on holiday too, whether on a city break, swimming in the sea or mountain biking. With its waterproof body and replaceable lenses, you don’t need to treat it gently. The Z1, by contrast, is purely a tool for interiors.
Our verdict
The Insta360 X6 is clearly ahead of the Theta Z1 on sharpness, and at half the price. It is also waterproof and much more robust. You can replace a scratched lens yourself in a minute. If you show a tour in which viewers zoom in, the X6 gives you visibly more detail: the view out of the window, surfaces, reflections.
The Z1 has earned its reputation. Its images look brighter and warmer straight out of the camera. With the X6, it is worth brightening dark rooms a little or switching on more lights.
Our recommendation: if you are buying today, get the Insta360 X6. If you already own a Theta Z1, there is no need to switch right away. For new tours with lots of detail, though, the change is worth it.
Which other cameras are worth considering is covered in our overview 360-degree camera for estate agents.