Action & 360 cameras
Insta360 X6: buy it or rent a X5?
The question has changed in nature: X6 is no longer a rumor. Insta360 launched it on August 12, 2026, and it is on sale on the manufacturer's official store for €699 in a standard pack. The real question is no longer “should we wait?” ", but "should we buy it, or rent a X5 for this trip? ".
What X6 brings, officially
Insta360 announces two 1/1.1 inch Sony sensors – larger than those of the X5 – and 360 video in 8K, or 7680 × 3840 pixels, up to 50 frames per second. The official sheet also gives a 2600 mAh battery for around 140 minutes in 8K at 30 fps, a 196 g case waterproof to 20 meters without housing, and a 2.32 inch OLED screen.
Beware of a confusion already circulating: the sensor measures 1/1.1 inch, not 1 inch. The gain is real, it is not of that order.
The real gap with X5
The X5 remains in the Insta360 catalog, at €589.99 in a standard pack. On the manufacturer's sheet, it records in 8K at 30 frames per second with two 1/1.28 inch sensors opening at f/2.0, and it goes down to 15 meters underwater without a housing.
Two differences will really be seen. The frame rate in 8K, which goes from 30 to 50 frames per second: in 360 you always reframe afterwards, and a high frame rate lets you slow down a passage without mush. And light, where a larger sensor pays off at dusk, in the forest or in a reception room. These are exactly the two known weak points of 360 cameras.
What X5 already knows how to do today
The X5 is not a consolation prize. This is the camera that introduced user-replaceable lenses, which is precisely the part that gets scratched first when filming while mountain biking, surfing or in the bottom of a backpack. Its announced autonomy, measured in the laboratory at 25°C with the screen off, is public:
- 8K at 30 fps: approximately 93 minutes
- 5.7K at 30 fps: approximately 135 minutes
- 5.7K at 24 fps: approximately 208 minutes
- 2400 mAh battery, recharged to 80% in approximately 36 minutes
- advertised operating range of −20°C to 40°C
Concrete translation: on a day of hiking, a snorkeling outing or a wedding, a Insta360 X5 rented will not leave you in the lurch, provided you provide a second battery and do not film in 8K from morning to evening.
A camera for sale is not a rental camera
This is the point that we systematically forget. Between the day a camera goes on sale and the day a rental company can put it in your hands, there are the first arrivals, the availability of compatible accessories, and the time to test the equipment before entrusting it to a customer. The X6 is not yet in our fleet: what you can rent today is the X5 or the X4.
Three situations, three answers
- Your departure is near. Rent the X5. It is tested, revised, accompanied by its accessories, and available immediately.
- You hesitate to buy. €699 for the X6 compared to €589.99 for the X5: the difference is approximately €110. Before you decide, rent a X5 for a few days to find out if the 360 format is really right for you — many people discover they prefer a classic action camera.
- This is your first 360 camera and the budget matters. The Insta360 X4 remains an excellent learning experience: 5.7K at 30 fps for around 135 minutes, the same invisible boom logic, a lower price.
The correct way to ask the question
“Is X6 better than X5? " Yes. This is the principle of a new generation, and it will still be true next year. The useful question is different: “What do I lose by filming this trip with a X5? »
The honest answer comes down to two lines: a little image cleanliness in dark scenes, and the ability to slow down a shot in 8K. You will not lose the invisible boom, nor the after-the-fact reframing, nor the 15 meters of waterproofing, nor the replaceable lenses.
The X6 joins our fleet: its sheet is open, rental starts on September 1, 2026, from €51.90 per day and €150 security deposit (prices in the catalog as of August 20, 2026: the sheet for each product is authentic).