Best 360° Cameras for Floor Plans & Site Surveys (2026)

Why 360° Cameras Belong in Your Survey Kit

A photograph documents a moment. A 360° panorama documents a space.

For engineers and surveyors, this distinction matters. A single equirectangular capture records every surface, every angle, and every detail visible from that standpoint — without the photographer needing to predict in advance what will be relevant. Six months later, when a client queries a beam connection or a facilities manager wants to verify where a valve is located, the answer is already in the image.

The workflow has matured considerably. Modern 360° cameras are compact, weather-tolerant, and shoot at resolutions high enough to zoom into fastener details. Paired with the right software — more on that at the end — you can pin those panoramas directly onto PDF floor plans, creating a spatially indexed record of any building or site.

The question, then, isn't whether to add a 360° camera to your toolkit. It's which one.

What to Look For (Engineering & Survey Use Cases)

Before the camera list, a quick framework. Consumer reviewers prioritise action footage and social media exports. You probably care about:

• —Image resolution — enough to read signage, check weld quality, or identify a pipe bore at zoom
• —Dynamic range — interiors mix harsh window light with dim corners; you need both exposed correctly
• —Workflow speed — if stitching takes 20 minutes per image, field efficiency collapses
• —Durability — construction sites, plant rooms, and rooftops are not Instagram studios
• —Connectivity — fast offload to phone or laptop, ideally with decent app support

1. Ricoh Theta Z1 — Best Image Quality for Professional Documentation

Price range: ~£700–£800 | [Amazon affiliate link]

The Theta Z1 is the benchmark for professional 360° still photography. It uses a 1-inch CMOS sensor (the largest in any consumer 360° camera at time of writing) and shoots RAW+JPEG, giving you genuine post-processing latitude — useful when documenting interiors with mixed lighting or when image quality is contractually important.

Key specs

• Sensor: 1-inch CMOS × 2
• Still resolution: 23MP (6720 × 3360)
• RAW support: Yes (DNG)
• Video: 4K 30fps
• Weight: 182g
• Weather sealing: None — treat it carefully on site

Pros for engineering/survey use

• Exceptional dynamic range handles tricky lighting without HDR stacking
• RAW files give surveyors full control for accurate colour rendering
• Robust Ricoh ecosystem with USB-C tethering and solid API support
• Small enough to mount on a standard monopod or survey staff

Cons

• No weather sealing — a liability on exposed construction sites
• Slower burst shooting versus competitors
• Premium price point for occasional use

Verdict: The correct choice when image quality is the priority — heritage surveys, high-end commercial property documentation, anything where a client might scrutinise the images closely.

2. Insta360 X4 — Best All-Rounder for Field Teams

Price range: ~£400–£450 | [Amazon affiliate link]

The X4 is where most professional field teams will land. It shoots 8K 360° video and 72MP stills, with a workflow that is genuinely fast. The app is polished, offload is quick via USB-C or Wi-Fi, and Insta360's FlowState stabilisation means handheld shots are usable.

Key specs

• Still resolution: 72MP (11968 × 5984) — interpolated
• Video: 8K 30fps / 5.7K 60fps
• Battery life: ~135 mins video
• Weather resistance: IPX3 (splash resistant)
• Weight: 203g

Pros for engineering/survey use

• High pixel count resolves fine detail even at typical survey distances
• IPX3 splash resistance handles light rain and dust
• Invisible selfie stick effect simplifies mounting on a pole for consistent eye-level captures
• Excellent battery life for full-day site visits
• Wide accessory ecosystem (dive housing, lens guards)

Cons

• Sensor smaller than the Z1 — dynamic range is good, not exceptional
• 72MP is interpolated; native resolution lower than headline figure
• App can feel consumer-focused; less relevant to professional export workflows

Verdict: The default recommendation for most survey and inspection teams. Good enough image quality, fast workflow, and durable enough for the field.

3. Ricoh Theta X — Best for Dedicated 360° Survey Workflows

Price range: ~£700–£750 | [Amazon affiliate link]

The Theta X occupies a specific niche: it has a touchscreen, swappable batteries, and microSD card storage — features that matter when you're doing 100+ captures across a large building and don't want to tether to a phone between floors.

Key specs

• Still resolution: 60MP (11,000 × 5,500)
• Video: 5.7K 30fps
• Display: 2.25-inch touchscreen
• Storage: microSD (up to 1TB)
• Battery: swappable 1350mAh
• Weight: 240g

Pros for engineering/survey use

• Operates fully standalone — no phone required on site
• Swappable batteries mean no downtime on large-scale surveys
• Large storage capacity handles multi-day projects without offloading
• Touchscreen interface is genuinely useful in the field
• GPS tagging for site correlation

Cons

• No weather sealing
• Larger and heavier than competitors
• Video resolution lags behind Insta360 X4

Verdict: Purpose-built for professional survey workflows where phone dependency is a problem. If you're capturing 200 rooms in a hospital or a multi-storey car park, the standalone operation is worth the premium.

4. GoPro Max — Most Durable Option for Harsh Environments

Price range: ~£450–£500 | [Amazon affiliate link]

The GoPro Max earns its place here for one reason: it's the most robust 360° camera on this list. If you're working on active construction sites, in plant rooms, or anywhere dust and moisture are a genuine concern, the Max's toughness is a real differentiator.

Key specs

• Still resolution: 16.6MP (5760 × 2880)
• Video: 5.6K 30fps
• Waterproofing: 5m without housing
• Stabilisation: Max HyperSmooth
• Weight: 163g

Pros for engineering/survey use

• Waterproof to 5m — legitimately field-ready without a housing
• GoPro's ecosystem is mature; accessories and mounts are everywhere
• Light and compact; easy to carry as a secondary camera
• TimeWarp and timelapse modes useful for documenting progress

Cons

• Lowest still resolution on this list — not suitable when fine detail matters
• Older sensor technology; dynamic range behind Z1 and X4
• GoPro's subscription model required to unlock some export features

Verdict: The right call for harsh environments where the camera might take a hit, a soaking, or a dusting. Accept the resolution trade-off in exchange for genuine durability.

5. Insta360 RS 1-Inch 360 Edition — Best Dynamic Range in a Modular System

Price range: ~£650–£700 | [Amazon affiliate link]

The RS 1-Inch 360 Edition pairs a 1-inch sensor (co-engineered with Leica) with Insta360's fast workflow. It's a modular system, so the 360° lens module can be swapped for a standard action camera module — versatile if your team uses one device for multiple capture types.

Key specs

• Sensor: 1-inch CMOS (Leica co-engineered)
• Still resolution: 21MP
• Video: 6K 30fps
• HDR video: Yes
• Weight: 198g (with 360 mod)
• Weather resistance: IPX3

Pros for engineering/survey use

• 1-inch sensor delivers the dynamic range you need for challenging interior lighting
• Leica-tuned colour science is notably accurate — useful for documentation where colour matters
• Modular design means one investment covers multiple use cases
• HDR video captures interiors without blown windows or crushed shadows

Cons

• Modular system means more parts to manage and potentially lose on site
• 360° mod is physically larger than dedicated 360° cameras
• Higher price for the modular bundle

Verdict: Strong choice for teams that need both excellent image quality and workflow flexibility. The 1-inch sensor genuinely shows in mixed-light interior documentation.

Comparison at a Glance

What to Do With the Images

Capturing the panoramas is half the job. The value is in connecting them to the drawing.