An action camera that shoots 360, against a stills camera built for interiors.
Verdict
The Theta Z1 makes better still panoramas; the X4 is the better all round camera and costs less than half as much. Virtual tours are built from stills, and the Z1's two one inch sensors handle the bright window and dark corner in the same frame far better than the X4's smaller sensors. That is the whole argument, and at roughly a thousand dollars it is an expensive one. The X4 shoots 8K video, works handheld for walkthroughs, and at around four hundred is the sensible first 360 camera for most agents.
| Insta360 X4 | Ricoh Theta Z1 51GB | |
|---|---|---|
| Sensors | Two small sensors | Two 1 in sensors |
| Still panorama quality | Good | Noticeably better in mixed light |
| Video | 8K 360 | 4K 360 |
| Raw stills | Limited | DNG supported |
| Handheld walkthrough use | Excellent | Workable |
| Price | Around four hundred and twenty five | Around one thousand |
You want one camera that shoots tours, walkthrough video and social clips. The X4 does all three, survives being carried around, and the invisible selfie stick trick means the tripod does not appear in the shot. For a normally lit house photographed at a sensible time of day, the resulting tour is perfectly saleable.
You shoot tours as a service and the interiors are difficult: heavy window light, dark panelled rooms, twilight bookings. The larger sensors and raw output give you room to recover a blown window, which is the single most common failure in interior panoramas. It is a specialist purchase and it will not do anything else well.
Check Ricoh Theta Z1 51GB on Amazon
Not necessarily. A well shot set of stills with a wide lens still carries most listings, and buyers look at photos far more than at tours. A 360 tour earns its keep on out of area buyers, on higher price points, and on properties where the flow of the rooms is the selling point.
Most platforms accept equirectangular images from either, but support for direct camera integration varies and changes. Check with your platform before buying, since the workflow difference between supported and merely compatible is large.
Effectively yes for stills. Both cameras see in every direction, so anything you hold appears in the image, and a slim monopod or tripod plus a delayed shutter is how the shot gets taken with nobody in it.
Comparison based on published manufacturer specifications and the general consensus of owner reports. We have not tested these units side by side. Confirm current prices and specifications before buying. As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases, at no extra cost to you.
Deciding on a specific model? We review the Ricoh Theta Z1 review for virtual tours, Insta360 X4 review for real estate agents and DJI Osmo Pocket 3 review for real estate agents in full.