Underwater photographer Jenny Stock put Insta360's new flagship 360 camera through its paces on liveaboards and reefs in the Maldives, and her verdict is that the X6 is the most convincing version yet for divers who want great footage without fussing over framing.

The big idea behind the X series stays the same: the camera records everything in every direction, so you can decide the angle later in editing. For divers, that means no squinting at a screen while a manta glides past behind you. The X6 sharpens the formula with two larger custom Sony 1/1.1-inch square sensors, an upgraded triple-AI-chip processor, 8K recording at up to 50fps in 360 mode, 120-megapixel stills, 10-bit colour and 360-degree light metering. PureVideo, refined from the X5, pushes low-light performance hard, which matters when you're filming at 21 metres under overcast tropical skies.

On a dive at Lankan Manta Point, mantas appeared within seconds of descending, and the footage back on the boat impressed even the reviewer. At Bathala Reef, orange anthias and red squirrelfish popped against the blue with minimal correction needed — she settled on the second AquaVision filter at 30 per cent in the free desktop software. Expectations should stay realistic: stitching two lenses isn't flawless, and no camera beats physics at depth.

Practical upgrades are real. The camera itself is now rated to 20m (up from 15m on the X5), and the redesigned, more compact Invisible Dive Case Pro (£158.99) takes it to 60m — use the housing even in shallow water, the reviewer says, and rinse it in fresh water after every dive. You'll need to swap the standard lenses for dedicated underwater ones before fitting the housing; handle them carefully, as one reviewer-dropped lens chipped on its first outing. Total rig weight with the 114cm invisible selfie stick is just 624g, and there's a new selfie-stick variant with a remote control built into the handle, rated to 60m.

Battery life jumps to a claimed 140 minutes of continuous 8K/30fps recording versus 93 on the X5, and there's 47GB of built-in storage as a backup. Editing is where the X6 gets clever: the mobile app's AI auto-editor can build an Instagram-ready cut while the camera charges, though it tends to frame the human rather than the marine life. The desktop Studio suite keeps full manual control for those who'd rather choose their own hero shots.

Pricing starts at £619 for the Standard Bundle, £709 for the Essentials Bundle (adding the selfie stick, spare battery and fast-charge case), and £828 for the Invisible Dive Bundle. It won't replace a DSLR rig for macro work or magazine-grade stills, but for divers, bikers, skiers and surfers wanting one compact camera that captures the whole adventure — and lets you point later — the X6 may have claimed the vlog crown.

Review via Dive Magazine.