The Panasonic Lumix L10. The OM System PEN. The Sigma FP2. The Sony FX5. Those newly launched cameras have a key problem in common: pre-orders were so high that the cameras became backordered, often in a matter of just days. Now, a major camera retailer in Japan is warning of a decreased supply in the camera industry.

The insight comes from Map Camera, a major camera retailer in Japan, who recently shared its latest sales figures. The camera retailer said (machine-translated from Japanese) that while demand has remained strong, sales have dropped “due to factors such as a decrease in supply from manufacturers and a delay in the launch of new products compared to initial projects.”

Between the high number of newly announced cameras that quickly became backordered, the rising costs of memory, and camera makers warning of increased difficulty with supply, 2026 has continued to hint at signs of decreased supply.

Creators in 2026 are facing higher memory costs amid the growth of AI and rapid expansion of data centers – but the rising cost of memory could be affecting the cost and availability of parts for cameras as well. Several manufacturers have warned investors of these rising costs, including Canon, Sony, Nikon, and Fujifilm.

Just last month, Canon told investors that it would raise camera prices in 2027 if higher material costs continued. At the same time, Canon said that its previous plans to increase compact camera production again before the end of the year wouldn’t reach its original goal due to supply shortages.

Viral compact cameras have had long backorders well before 2026, with the rise of the compact camera trend making popular models like the Fujifilm X100VI and Canon G7 X Mark III nearly impossible to find in stock. But many of the newly announced cameras in 2026 have quickly become backordered – and not just compact cameras like the Lumix L10 but mirrorless cameras and cinema cameras as well.

Camera launches in 2026 also seem to number fewer new models than in previous years, fueling speculation that the rising cost and increasing scarcity of memory are squeezing not just photographers but camera makers too.

An unusual number of mirrorless and advanced compact cameras launched in 2026 have faced backorders and initial supply shortages in at least one region.

Among the largest camera makers, brands have introduced eight major mirrorless announcements in 2026 so far – the Sigma FP2, Nikon Z5IIC, Canon EOS R8 Mark II, OM System PEN, Leica SL3-P, Sony FX5, Canon EOS R6 V and Sony A7R VI – and two large-sensor compact cameras with the Ricoh GR IV Monochrome and Panasonic Lumix L10. (To define “major launches,” I excluded anything with a sensor smaller than Micro Four Thirds, like the GoPro Mission 1 Pro ILS, and excluded purpose-built cameras like the OM System OM-3 Astro.)

Of those recent launches, the Sigma FP2, OM System PEN, Panasonic Lumix L10, Sony FX5, and Ricoh GR IV Monochrome have faced initial backorders in at least one region shortly after launch. That’s five out of 11, or 45 percent, of the major cameras launched in 2026 facing initial backorders in at least one region.

Some of those backorders were regional and resolved quickly. The OM System PEN, for example, was so backordered in Japan that the launch date was pushed back to November, but the camera is readily available at US retailers currently. Cameras like the Sony FX5 faced initial backorders due to popularity, but the FX5 was then further delayed to correct a production problem.

While quarterly financial reports and numbers like those from Map Camera hint that supply is a concern for the largest camera makers, what’s unclear is how severe that shortage is.

The latest numbers from the Camera and Imaging Association, for example, show that camera sales have declined slightly in 2026 to 95.7 percent of last year’s numbers, but production has seen a smaller drop at 96.9 percent. That suggests that production hasn’t declined as much as actual camera sales.

Regardless, the number of cameras facing initial backorders and the brands' warnings of supply shortages suggest that supply in the camera industry could be a trend to watch moving into 2027.

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Browse the best compact cameras or the top mirrorless cameras for more gear inspiration.

The No.1 compact camera in Japan right now costs just $89.99 / £94 – and it's the Kodak Pixpro C1. The retro-style point-and-shoot has reclaimed the top spot after nine and a half months, beating Canon's cult-favorite PowerShot SX740 HS / Lite, which comes in at No.2. Digital Camera World previously named the Pixpro C1 the "best digital camera under $100."

The Pixpro C1 is the cheapest camera in Yodobashi's ranking. The most expensive model sits at No.6 – the Leica Q3 43, priced at $7,950 / £5,890.

Sony has a strong showing, with the ZV-1 II appearing twice, in third place as the body-only version, and in ninth with the shooting grip kit. The RX1R III takes fourth place. Its 61MP full-frame sensor also earned it TIPA's "Best Professional Fixed Lens Camera" award.

Yodobashi's Top 10 compact cameras, 1st Half October

1. Kodak Pixpro C1 | Brown | Black
2. Canon PowerShot SX740 HS / Lite | Silver | Black
3. Sony ZV-1 II | Black | White
4. Sony RX1R III
5. Canon PowerShot V1
6. Leica Q3 43
7. OM System Tough TG-7 | Red | Black
8. Panasonic Lumix TZ99 / ZS99 | Black | White
9. Sony ZV-1 II Shooting Grip Kit | Black | White
10. Leica Q3

Compact cameras from $89.99/£94 to $7,950/£5,890

Yodobashi's chart includes them all: from affordable point-and-shoots to pocket-sized vlogging cameras to premium models costing several thousand dollars. Also in the Top 10 is an indestructible camera: the OM System Tough TG-7.

The No.1 Kodak Pixpro C1 is a great option for everyday photography. Its tilting LCD screen makes it easy to take selfies or capture family moments with the photographer in the frame. It's also simple to operate, with a 1/3-inch BSI CMOS sensor and straightforward controls.

The Kodak has even overtaken the Canon PowerShot SX740 HS / Lite, a long-standing compact camera favorite. Popular for eight years, the camera remains in demand. Its Lite version launched in 2024 but retains much of the original camera's technology. It's also famously difficult to find in stock, with second-hand prices sometimes higher than its original retail price of $549.99 / £549.99.

Leica has two cameras in the Top 10, and both sit firmly at the premium end of the market.

The Leica Q3 43 comes in sixth, followed by the Q3 in tenth place. Both feature a 60MP full-frame BSI CMOS sensor, but differ in their lenses.

The Leica Q3 43 is the most expensive compact camera in Yodobashi's Top 10, followed by the Q3, which is available for $7,350 / £5,650.

Compacts have come a long way in recent years. And seeing budget-friendly models sitting alongside luxury cameras in the same Top 10 is impressive. It shows how broad and competitive today's compact camera market has become.

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Browse the best compact cameras, the best point-and-shoot cameras, and the best cameras under $100.

Ever downloaded the phone app for your camera and been disappointed with how janky it is? You're not alone. In fact, this Redditor was so fed up of apps made by camera companies that he decided to make a wireless controller of his own – and the result is so good that people want to buy one from him.

"I hated having to connect my iPhone to my Lumix S9," wrote user el1asjr in the Lumix Reddit group.

"The app kept disconnecting, and I didn’t like having to give up my regular Wi-Fi connection just to use the camera. I wanted to keep my iPhone connected to the internet while recording myself, so I decided to build my own wireless controller!

"Now I can monitor myself and control focus, ISO, shutter speed, aperture, LUTs, video formats, aspect ratios, and more, all without relying on my phone. Really happy with how it turned out!"

For the physical controller, he used the Waveshare ESP32-S3 – a $40 pebble-style programmable device with an AMOLED touchscreen, which looks a bit like a smart watch without any straps.

"I’ve always liked Waveshare’s hardware, and this little device turned out to be perfect for what I had in mind," said el1asjr, but picking an input device was actually the most straightforward aspect of the project.

"Honestly, the hardware is the easy part. You could use another smartphone and build your own app, an ESP32, a Raspberry Pi, or pretty much any programmable device.

"The real challenge is how to make everything work properly. Simply asking ChatGPT or Claude to write the code isn’t enough. I’ve been working on this software for three weeks, and it’s still not finished.

"The biggest challenge was developing the software and getting everything to work seamlessly with the Lumix S9. It’s a custom-programmed device with an interface and features I designed specifically for this project."

While the device currently supports the Panasonic Lumix S9 and Sony ZV-E10, unsurprisingly the thread started filling up with requests for other camera models – as well as for specific features and controls, such as anamorphic desqueeze and open gate video settings.

Whether he'll be able to accommodate everyone's requests, he does plan to share his project with other camera users as soon as he's put in a bit more work.

"I’d genuinely love to share it with the community, and I plan to do so once it’s more polished and stable. It’s not quite as easy as it looks. There’s still work to be done!"

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Take a look at the best lenses for the Panasonic Lumix S9 as well as the best lenses for the Sony ZV-E10.

The iPhone Duo was a massive compromise in terms of photographic tech – that's what I thought, that's what everyone thought. So, logically, it follows that my photography was going to suffer.

Perhaps not. As I've been reviewing the iPhone Duo I've found my experience has been a lot more nuanced. In fact it's both delivered extra features that simply make life easier for every day photography, and actually started to push me in ways I wasn't expecting at all.

The second part of that is potentially the most interesting, especially as we live in an age where the analog deliberation of film is seeing a lot of positivity.

First, though, I'll get the bonuses that come in terms of tech out of the way. There are two, I think. The obvious one is the larger screen which can be used to compose photos and videos.

Because the inner screen is matt coated, it is soft, a little like a print preview, which is easy to like, and feels quite natural (even if you know deep down this is just Apple's way of hiding the crease – in fairness it works under most lighting).

The phone can also use its outer display at the same time so if you want your subject can participate in the experience. Despite looking amazing, my wife is prone to concern about her appearance and this has a bit of a negativity snowball; she is nervous about me taking photos, pulls a face, the photo looks bad and so on.

One use of this shared preview is that she can actually see the light and tell me if she's happy or not (also handy for me as she is a better portrait photographer than I).

Apple also have a quirky option for this display too – play cartoons to keep the kids attention – the future of 'Say Cheese!' is now.

Actually if you're enjoying a little street photography the device is a little more discrete when folded, too, than a Pro iPhone (especially those stand out orange or red ones), while the glossy outer preview screen has deep blacks so no complaints there from me.

Anyway you can read about these features in my review. The point here is that they have started to help on specific area of my photography – selfies with the wife – which were sadly lacking.

We can also let the AI decide the best moment to shoot and use the main camera for the selfies, which is, well, okay for now (here's hoping the software updates get better). Again definitely a benefit though.

The deliberation, though – the 'analog era' aspect – comes in small part from the fact that I've simply had to start developing new muscle memory because my phone is no longer essentially the same as it has been for more than a decade.

Work a bit slower and you think. Or I do. A bit.

The other aspect is that I do like to take telephoto photos and videos and now I can't do it without thinking from my phone, I'm going to have to use a camera, or at least another device more often.

For me that'll be a combination of my Sony A7 and A7iii – at least one of which often sits in the enormous backpack I like to keep with me – and a pocket camera. The Insta360 Lune Ultra is a great choice at the moment because of the Ultra Telephoto lens adapter that can give it up to 15x zoom – making up for my loss.

I am the kind of person who doesn't mind carrying a device the size of a DJI Pocket 4P or Insta360 Luna Ultra, so checking the best pocket gimbal cameras guide would be my next step after getting the iPhone Duo, and both can wirelessly transfer content to the phone. I'm still hoping that on-device editing will get the mini-iPad benefit soon too.

Finally, of course, the opportunity to review on-the-go on a decent screen is excellent, and even edit. That isn't something I've done a lot of yet – perhaps I'll want to do more when the Apple Pencil compatibility is fully up and running – but reviewing your work on the go can save time and make you think about your work more than firing off a lot of frames.

Ultimately I'm optimistic that the thought I'm being pushed into making, combined with the power of the A20 (and a bit of faith in app updates) is going to make life a good deal better.

I've already found my thought processes changing. Shooting fewer and better images. I wonder where it'll take me?

Picking up a used camera is a great way to fit high-end features into a small camera budget. The 2018 Fujifilm X-T100 is one such camera, particularly for photographers looking for a retro style on a budget.

But when I look at the X-T100, I can't help but think of another camera that's similarly priced on used markets: The Sony A6000 series, like the A6100.

The Fujifilm X-T100 is a lovely-looking camera – as are most Fujifilm rigs, for that matter – and it still packs in Fujifilm's popular film simulations.

While the 2018 Fujifilm camera does boast a 24MP CMOS sensor, just like all of the Sony A6000 models, and, admittedly, superior build quality with its sturdy aluminum top plate, I’d never peg the Fujifilm as a better device for capturing stills and video than its Sony counterparts. And I’m not just saying that because I’m a Sony shooter.

There's a key reason that I would choose a Sony’s A6000 APS-C line-up camera instead: Autofocus and video.

In terms of stills, the main difference between these two cameras is in the autofocus. The Sony A6100's autofocus system has more extensive sensor coverage and smarter features.

Sony’s specialized BIONZ X processor calculates tracking and exposure up to 60 times per second. This rapid calculation is backed by 179 phase-detection AF points. Even the earliest A6000 model from 2014 covers nearly the entire sensor, outclassing Fujifilm’s centralized, 91-point system.

Newer Sony models like the A6100 (2019) and A6400 (2019) feature advanced AI-driven AF to lock onto a subject’s eye, even through erratic motion. In contrast, the X-T100 relies on less sophisticated face-detection AF, which is more likely to lose its target if a subject blinks or turns away.

It’s not like you won’t get sharp images with the Fujifilm X-T100, but you’ve got a much better chance of consistently getting sharp images with a Sony A6000 model, especially later models.

The other big difference for me is video capability. I’ll start here by saying that the Fujifilm rig does have a better three-way tilting touchscreen than all of the A6000 models bar the most recent A6700 (2023).

This latest A6000 shooter also has a vari-angle LCD screen, while earlier generations in the lineup feature a basic up-and-down-tilting screen.

But beyond the LCD, Sony is clearly the better choice for recording. Sony introduced 4K UHD at 30fps / 1080p at 120fps back in 2016 with the A6300. Now, the Fujifilm X-T100 was released two years later with 4K UHD, but it’s strictly capped at 15fps.

Since then, Sony has only gone on to bolster the video capabilities of A6000 cameras, with later models able to shoot Full HD 1080p at 120fps, compared with the X-T100’s 24, 50, and 60fps.

The Fujifilm X-T100, which is only available used, tends to sit around the same price point as a used Sony A6100. Sony’s superior AF and video specs are enough for me to choose a Sony APS-C camera over an X-T100.

If you’re looking for a thorough breakdown of the Fujifilm rig and deep dives into the Sony shooters, then be sure to read their dedicated reviews on Digital Camera World next:

• Sony A6000 vs A6100 vs A6300 vs A6400 vs A6500 vs A6600 vs A6700: how do you choose?
• Fujifilm X-T100 review

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Here's our expert pick of the best APS-C compact cameras.

When I think of Sony cameras and professional sports, I naturally think of photographers lining the pitchside with enormous telephoto lenses. However, Sony invited me to Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London to see its NFL technology in action, and its involvement goes far beyond photographers on the sidelines.

Sony became an official technology partner of the NFL in 2024, expanding an existing relationship in which its cameras, broadcast equipment, and Hawk-Eye technology have become increasingly important to how the sport is played, officiated, and watched.

And the scale is quite remarkable. During the 2025 NFL season, Sony cameras captured more than 1,100 hours of broadcast television across over 300 games, while Associated Press photographers shot more than 130,000 images using Sony Alpha equipment. At Super Bowl LX alone, more than 175 Sony cameras were deployed on and around the field.

Cameras that can influence the game

Perhaps the most recognisable part of Sony's NFL partnership is Hawk-Eye, a name that will already be familiar to anyone who follows tennis or soccer, where cameras have become essential to officiating (love it or hate it).

In the NFL, Hawk-Eye has a similar broad role in instant replay. Across the NFL, 12 dedicated boundary-line cameras at each stadium provide additional angles to help officials scrutinize key decision moments in the game. And during the 2025 season, these cameras supported 322 replay reviews and 141 replay assists.

One of these key areas is using Hawk-Eye's camera systems to determine whether a team has gained the required 10 yards for a first down.

Traditionally, close first-down decisions involved officials bringing out a set of measuring chains, a process that could take more than a minute and interrupt the flow of the game. Sony's virtual measurement system instead uses six cameras to determine the distance between the spotted football and the first-down line.

During the 2025 season, the system was called upon for 21 virtual measurements, and Sony says these were completed in nearly half the average time required for traditional chain measurements.

Officials are still responsible for deciding exactly where the ball should be placed after a play. Hawk-Eye measures the distance from that position, rather than independently determining where the ball should have ended up, so there is still room for human judgment and error.

Supporting photographers with kit

Of course, Sony hasn't forgotten about the army of photographers capturing every moment, and one thing I learned during my visit was just how much support goes into keeping them shooting throughout a game.

Sony told me it typically supports around 75 to 100 photographers on game days, offering everything from loan equipment to sensor cleaning and repairs (even on cameras not carrying Sony branding).

There's also an interesting mix of cameras being used to capture the action. Sony says freelance photographers have been particularly drawn to the high-resolution Sony A7R VI; now its speed has caught up with the massive resolution, while agencies tend to favor the even faster Sony A1 and A9 series.

Lens choices are interesting too, with Sony's new, significantly smaller and lighter 400mm f/4.5 and 600mm f/6.3 G Master lenses apparently already proving popular with photographers who don't fancy lugging enormous telephotos around the sidelines all day.

Sony audio on the sidelines

Sony's partnership also goes beyond photography – the headsets worn by NFL coaches.

Sony developed a completely new headset specifically for the league, drawing upon the design of the WH-1000X consumer range of noise-canceling headphones, but adapting it to an environment where it needs to withstand humid heat to freezing temperatures, as well as some abuse from frustrated coaching staff.

Sony tested its headsets using crowd noise exceeding 100 decibels, with specially designed microphones that isolate the coach's voice from the surrounding noise. I tested this out (without the baying crowd, unfortunately), but the audio beaming between the sidelines and a box far up in the stadium rafters was crystal clear.

More than 2,300 of its headsets were deployed across all 32 NFL teams during the 2025 season, recording over 1,100 hours of game-day communication, which Sony says was done so without a single hardware failure.

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For more, check out our guides to the best Sony camera or the best camera for sports photography.

Sony’s upcoming Rialto 65 cinema camera with a sensor that’s 2.2x larger than full-frame is no secret – but the camera giant has just unveiled the first footage shot with the upcoming camera system, along with the camera’s price tag.

The Sony Rialto 65 is an upcoming camera sensor that works with the company’s existing Venice 2 camera system. First teased back in July, the Rialto 65 has a sensor that’s 53.75mm wide and 35.83mm high. That’s about 2.2 times larger than a full-frame sensor. Sony says that makes it one of the largest commercially available sensors on a cinema camera, competing with other medium-format camera systems.

The Rialto 65 isn’t an entirely new camera but rather a sensor module for the existing Sony Venice 2, so it comes with the color science, 16-bit X-OCN recording, and other features already available from the Venice 2. Currently, the Venice 2 has two full-frame sensor options, one that’s 8.6K and one that’s 6K. The upcoming medium-format sensor will support 65mm format lenses, Sony says.

The upcoming sensor can attach directly to the camera system, but it can also be used in an extension mode where the head and camera body are separate for shooting in more compact spaces.

Watch the first sample footage from the Sony Rialto 65

Sony already shared that the new sensor was coming, but now the company has shared the first official footage coming from the upcoming sensor. Naturally, YouTube doesn’t even support 9.6K, and the footage is in 4K, but the footage offers some insight into the depth of field and low-light capabilities of the upcoming sensor.

"Local People," by Cinematographer Łukasz Żal, PSC, shows off the Sony Rialto 65's low-light capabilities and colors

Sony also offered one more bit of information that it didn’t share when first teasing the Rialto 65 back in July: the price. The Rialto 65 is expected to retail for $80,000 / CA$ 113,800 – which is about £59,811 / AU$113,658 at current exchange rates.

Sony is still expecting the Rialto 65 to arrive sometime in the first half of 2027, though the company notes that the timeline is still tentative.

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Don't have a Hollywood level budget? These are the best cinema cameras and the best vlogging cameras.

This compact camera somehow squeezes a 61MP full-frame sensor and a Zeiss 35mm f/2 lens into a body that's smaller than almost anything else on the market – DCW described it as the most compelling model on the market.

Launched in July 2025, almost 10 years after its predecessor, the Sony RX1R III was a long-awaited addition to Sony's premium compact camera lineup. It has since earned two major industry honors: Best Professional Fixed Lens Camera at the 2026 TIPA World Awards and recognition in the 2026 iF Design Award.

For photographers who want high-end image quality without carrying a full camera system, the RX1R III is almost perfect. But what makes it so popular – and what are the drawbacks?

Why is the Sony RX1R III so popular?

The RX1R III features a 61MP Exmor R CMOS sensor paired with a Zeiss Sonnar T* 35mm f/2 lens – an optic that "enables you to take photos with unprecedented freedom," as IF Design Awards highlight.

The camera's design philosophy hits a nerve with photographers.

It's small, remarkably capable, has a viewfinder, and is built around a full-frame sensor – a format more commonly used in mirrorless cameras.

In the premium compact category, the Leica Q3 is one of its closest rivals.

It's lighter than you expect (498 g), sharper than it has any right to be, and its 693-point autofocus system is, frankly, leagues ahead of most fixed-lens rivals.

That built-in electronic viewfinder is another important feature. Many photographers prefer composing images through a viewfinder rather than relying exclusively on the rear screen, yet it isn't a feature found on every compact camera.

What are the Sony RX1R III downsides?

You've heard the specs, and those certainly don't come with a budget-friendly price tag.

The RX1R III is available for $5,098 / £4,199. That puts it out of reach for many photographers, particularly those who aren't earning money from photography.

Its closest competitor, the Leica Q3, features a 60MP full-frame BSI CMOS sensor and a Summilux 28mm f/1.7 ASPH lens, priced at $7,350 / £5,650.

Also to mention, the RX1R III lacks in-body image stabilization (IBIS), although how much that matters depends on your shooting style.

If you want more resolution, the Fujifilm GFX100RF takes a different approach. It features a 102MP medium-format sensor and is the highest-resolution compact camera available to date.

Ultimately, the question is how much value photographers place on combining high resolution and full-frame image quality in a compact camera.

For those who prioritize portability without wanting to compromise on sensor resolution, the RX1R III offers an almost perfect combination of features.

For others, the same budget could buy a more versatile mirrorless camera and a selection of lenses, offering greater flexibility across different types of photography.

But in the end, that money won't buy the same combination of 61MP full-frame sensor, a Zeiss 35mm f/2 lens and built-in electronic viewfinder in a body as compact as the RX11R III is.

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Browse the best compact cameras, and the best professional cameras.

The “handheld Hollywood” Sony FX5 cinema camera only existed for 24 hours before it was backordered due to the large number of pre-orders. After that initial popularity and a delay due to “production issues,” US retailers are now listing a mid-November ship date, while Sony UK’s ship date now appears to be pushed back until January.

Sony announced the FX5 on July 22, unveiling a compact cinema camera with a full-frame sensor, 5K open gate, and internal RAW recording. That puts the camera between the Sony FX3 and the FX6 in the company’s cinema lineup.

The camera was expected to be available in August 2026, but has since faced multiple delay announcements. Now, retailers in the US are listing a mid-November ship date for the camera, though Sony’s official US website doesn’t yet list a ship date.

Earlier this month, Sony UK was listing a November 16 ship date, but new orders for the camera now have a January ship date for the camera.

One day after the FX5 announcement, Sony Japan issued an apology saying that some customers could see delays due to a high number of pre-orders. Then in August, Sony Japan said shipments were delayed due to unspecified “production issues.”

Amid the production delay, some users on Reddit said they had experienced screen issues with the camera, leading to theories and rumors that the production issues could be related to the LCD screen housing.

Fans have long been waiting for a refresh of the 2021 Sony FX3, though the new FX5 doesn’t replace the FX3 but rather sits ahead of it in Sony’s cinema lineup. The initial delay suggests that the new body has been more popular than Sony expected.

The Sony FX5’s headline feature is 5K 60p open gate, recording to the full size of the 3:2 full-frame sensor for greater flexibility for formatting the video in post. At the announcement, Sony also said the FX5 would get 120p support with a future firmware update.

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Learn where to pre-order the Sony FX5, or take a look at the best cinema cameras.

In second place to Canon only, in terms of total sales and shipment numbers, yet arguably in pole position for its sensor technology with more than 50% market share, Sony is without question a massive presence in the photographic world.

But it’s rarely a brand that I get excited about, or by. You may feel the same. Why?

As part of my attempt at an answer I’ll acknowledge there is something very competent about Sony. Impressive even, given the consistent quality of its products. Pioneering too, in that it was the first company to bring a full-frame mirrorless camera to market back in 2013, when the Alpha series A7 and A7R were unveiled, following on from the previous year’s fixed-lens Cyber-shot RX1.

13 years on, however, and Canon and Nikon also have comprehensive full-frame interchangeable-lens mirrorless ranges. So that period of Sony feeling in any way special to photographers was short lived. But is that on its own why I don’t feel much love or loyalty to the brand?

Probably not.

Turning the clock back further, Sony notably purchased Konica Minolta’s imaging expertise to fast track the launch of its own Alpha DSLR series in 2006. Again, at that time this felt like a real statement of intent and display of manufacturing might. But am I subconsciously still unable to shake a feeling that Sony hasn’t quite paid its dues, by not starting from scratch itself? Brand heritage must be earnt, not just bought, surely.

Or maybe it is something more superficial. Something about the angular, utilitarian and almost at times brutalist and perfunctory design of Sony’s cameras that doesn’t give me that pang of nostalgia that say, an OM System PEN or Leica rangefinder camera does? With its consumer electronics background, Sony does appear to focus on function rather than form, and care about capability rather than craft.

And what about the output of Sony’s cameras themselves? Is there something clinical and sterile about the appearance of its images that lacks the inherent warmth of competing brands? Or is that all in my head?

It may just be it’s a combination of the above, that, when compared with legacy players, Sony feels more like a brand to admire and less like a brand to love. Recent releases including the Alpha 7R VI and the upcoming FX5 have done little to shake that feeling.

So, what now? Should Sony embrace what the others have got right? Should a usually future-facing electronics brand instead go enthusiastically retro?

Sony has released the latest firmware for the A7R VI, the newest and most powerful rig in its A7R professional lineup. While the latest firmware release, version 1.02, doesn’t bring any major general benefits, wildlife photographers in particular will be pleased.

That’s because, following the update, A7R VI users will now be able to use the camera’s Preset Focus feature with non-power zoom lenses.

Preset Focus enables users to map specific focus distances to the camera’s custom buttons, meaning users can jump straight to that focus point in the frame at the click of its registered button, rather than manually moving the autofocus ring or Flexible Spot.

For wildlife photographers, this is especially useful as it enables them to quickly snap back to a pre-measured feeding station, nest, or obstacle zone when a subject momentarily leaves and returns.

Sony Firmware Download

Firmware version 1.02 (Sony A7R VI)

It’s a good idea to hold off downloading the latest firmware for a few weeks. This should give enough time for any new issues to arise in community chatter and for Sony to address them. Keep an eye on Digital Camera World, and we'll let you know about any problems.

Prior to firmware version 1.02, the A7R VI’s built-in Preset Focus feature was restricted to power zoom lenses.

Lenses without a motorized power zoom mechanism (standard manual zoom and prime lenses) could only register and recall focus positions when tethered to a computer and using Sony's Remote Camera Tool software.

Sony says that firmware version 1.02 also fixes an issue where focusing operations may become unavailable when the movie mode is set to “Manual Focus.”

The company has also stated that the latest release fixes a bug where monitors may turn on at regular intervals despite being off, which may have minor power-saving benefits. As usual, Sony also says the new firmware boosts “operational stability.”

So, these are the goodies packed into firmware version 1.02 for the Sony A7R VI. My advice, as always, is to hold off downloading it for a few weeks, which should give enough time for any issues to arise in community chatter and for Sony to resolve them.

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Here’s our expert pick of the best Sony cameras and the best Sony lenses to pair with your E-mount rig.

All listed lens models in the latest Top 10 chart published by major Japanese retailer Yodobashi are zoom lenses. This might not be a big surprise, as zoom optics are a popular choice among photographers of all levels and all genres. While one manufacturer dominates the ranking, a third-party model, described as a "high-flying all-in-one superzoom," is the real showstopper.

Yodobashi shares that in the second half of September, the No.1 spot goes to the Sony FE 24-70mm f/2.8 GM II, followed by the Sony FE 70-200mm f/2.8 GM OSS II and Sony FE 100-400mm f/5.6-8 OSS. The manufacturer dominates the chart with a total of four models, including the Sony FE 16-35mm f/2.8 GM II at No.10.

However, the third-party lens that stands out – which is the only third-party zoom in the chart – is the Tamron 25-200mm f/2.8-5.6 Di III VXD G2 for Sony E-mount in fifth place. Here's why the optic is a great all-in-one travel solution and its catch.

Yodobashi's 10 best-selling lenses (2nd half Sep 2026)

1. Sony FE 24-70mm f/2.8 GM II
2. Sony FE 70-200mm f/2.8 GM OSS II
3. Sony FE 100-400mm f/5.6-8 OSS
4. Canon RF 70-200mm f/2.8 L IS USM Z | White | Black
5. Tamron 25-200mm f/2.8-5.6 Di III VXD G2 (E-mount)
6. Canon RF 100-400mm f/5.6-8 IS USM
7. Nikon Z 70-200mm f/2.8 VR S II
8. Nikon Z 24-120mm f/4 S
9. Nikon Z 180-600mm f/5.6-6.3 VR
10. Sony FE 16-35mm f/2.8 GM II

The "high-flying all-in-one superzoom"

Available for $899 / £729 for Sony E-mount, the Tamron 25-200mm f/2.8-5.6 Di III VXD G2 is a lens that can "genuinely replace a pair of standard and telephoto zooms," as DCW reviewer Matthew Richards states. And with the V3 firmware, you can also shoot macro subjects.

The only catch with this super-all-in-one solution is that it's only available for Sony cameras. Photographers working with other systems are missing out.

For Nikon shooters, the own-brand Nikon Z 24-200mm f/4-6.3 VR would be a great choice. While this lens is not listed in the Top 10, it adds optical stabilization and has marginally more wide-angle coverage, available for $846.95 / £879.

The Canon RF 24-240mm f/4-6.3 IS USM is an option for RF-mount, available for $949 / £959. While it features a slower aperture, it provides a wider focal length at the short end and a longer focal length at the telephoto end.

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Browse the best Sony lenses, the best Nikon Z lenses, and the best Canon RF lenses. We also curated a guide to the best standard zoom lenses and telephoto lenses.

A photographer has shared on Reddit how he was able to “reverse engineer” the firmware on his Sony A7 IV to add a shutter angle feature to the mirrorless hybrid stills-and-video camera.

Reddit user Mr_BananaPants shared the feat of software engineering in a thread, although he didn’t go into the specifics of how exactly he achieved it. “I found a path traversal bug allowing me to get the fully decrypted firmware of the A7 IV, which nobody had managed to do before,” the videographer said.

Shutter angle is a way of measuring exposure time relative to your video’s frame rate. Measured in degrees, it determines how much motion blur appears in each frame of footage.

While photographers measure exposure in absolute time – such as 1/250 second – cinematographers prefer shutter angle because it automatically scales when you change your frame rate, enabling consistent motion blur without having to do any mental math.

Although the A7 IV would be perfectly capable of calculating shutter angle, Sony restricts the feature to dedicated FX cinema-line models, which include similarly priced models such as the FX30, as well as higher-end rigs such as the FX6.

After the initial hacking success, Mr_BananaPants then tried to enable 8K video recording on the A7 IV, despite the self-professed “major risk of bricking the camera.”

Failing to heed his own warning, the videographer’s next update in the Reddit thread was simply: “camera is bricked and stuck in a bootloop.” That’s to say, the camera had become unresponsive, rendering it useless and requiring a professional service.

Luckily, as Mr_BananaPants kept the details of the firmware bug under wraps, other users in the thread weren’t able to copy him. “Thank you for not publishing full details before you proved the hack – you probably saved dozens of people from bricking their cameras too,” said another Reddit commenter, HeavyDuty_Ken.

It’s not only the risk of bricking your camera that makes fiddling around with its firmware super risky, either.

Sony Alpha Rumors also covered this story, and someone left a comment on its article claiming to have even been contacted by a law firm representing Sony after publicly sharing that they’d used a similar firmware hack to enable 30fps shooting when using a Sigma 300-600mm f/4 lens on an A1 Mark II body.

“Be very cautious. I got a serious cease and desist legal letter served and several threatening phone calls,” said ScottOphoto.

I think it’s safe to say that, between potentially bricking your camera and facing legal action, it’s probably not a good idea to try to reverse engineer firmware. I know I won’t be attempting it anytime soon.

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The retro compact camera trend has driven up demand for pocketable cameras – but one camera in particular has increased in value fivefold over just the last three years. The Canon PowerShot G9, a 2007 advanced compact camera with manual modes and a 6x zoom lens, has seen the biggest surge in demand – and price increase – in the last three years, according to used camera retailer MPB.

Part of the PowerShot G9’s allure is its advanced tools inside a pocketable design. The G9 uses a 12.1MP, 1/1.7-inch sensor inside a camera that weighs 320g / 11.3 oz. But the G9 is geared towards more serious photographers, with full manual modes, a viewfinder, a hot shoe slot, a metal body, and even a built-in neutral density filter.

Now nearly 20 years old, the camera’s age shows most perhaps in its burst speed, which reaches just 1.5fps, and its video resolution, which tops out at 480p.

Three years ago, photographers could sell a G9 to MPB for up to $45. In 2026, that’s jumped up to as much as $225 (about £34-£168, AU$65-323, CA$63-318).

The PowerShot G9 leads MPB’s list of cameras that saw the biggest price increases for used models in the US – but the G9 isn’t alone in rising in demand. Four Canon PowerShots sit among the top ten.

The top ten in-demand model that fetches the highest price is the Canon PowerShot G7 X II, the predecessor to the viral Mark III. MPB says the G7 X Mark II can sell for up to $880 (about £659 / AU$1,265 / CA$1,244), more than twice its worth three years ago.

The PowerShot G12 sits just behind the G9 in second place, a 2010 model with the same size sensor but a 10MP resolution, 5x zoom, and an articulating screen that now fetches up to $535 from MPB (about £400 / AU$769 / CA$757). Its slightly older 2009 sibling, the PowerShot G11, also makes the list. The only DSLR on the list is the Canon EOS Rebel T2i.

The only compact camera on the top ten that’s not a PowerShot is the Panasonic Lumix DMC-LX5, a 2010 camera with a 10.1MP 1/1.63-inch CCD sensor. Like the G9, the LX5 also has manual modes, a hot shoe slot, and a metal build, but it shoots video at up to 720p and uses a 3.8x optical zoom lens with an f/2.0-3.3 aperture.

Four of the cameras on that top ten list from MPB are mirrorless cameras. Two of those are from the Olympus Pen series: the Olympus Pen E-PM2 from 2012 and the Pen E-P1 from 2009. Both of those Pen cameras are known for their very compact form factor, still fitting in a Micro Four Thirds sensor.

The Panasonic Lumix DMC-GF3, another compact Micro Four Thirds body from 2011, also sits on that top ten list, along with the APS-C Sony Alpha NEX-3N from 2013.

In a recent report, MPB shared that it is now recirculating 615,000 cameras, lenses, and accessories a year, which is up by nine percent from a year ago. Along with putting secondhand cameras into the hands of photographers, the company also recently reached its 100% renewable electricity usage goal.

Those who have found one of those high-demand cameras to sell – or who have other camera gear to sell – can get a free quote from MPB.com.

MPB's top 10 cameras with the biggest price increase in the US

1. Canon PowerShot G9
2. Canon PowerShot G12
3. Panasonic Lumix DMC-LX5
4. Canon PowerShot G11
5. Olympus Pen E-PM2
6. Panasonic Lumix DMC-GF3
7. Olympus PEN E-P1
8. Sony Alpha NEX-3N
9. Canon PowerShot G7 X Mark II
10. Canon EOS Rebel T2i

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The top three mirrorless cameras at major Japanese retailer Yodobashi all come from the same brand. Topping the chart is a full-frame camera that made headlines before its launch in December 2025 and has since won multiple industry awards.

The No.1 mirrorless camera in Yodobashi's ranking for the second half of September is the Sony A7 V, followed by the ever-popular Sony A7C II with a zoom lens kit. In third place is the same full-frame camera in its body-only version.

Sony dominated previous Yodobashi rankings, with its camera accounting for 50% of the Top 10. Now, the manufacturer remains in the lead, but its presence has fallen to four models. Canon follows with three cameras: the EOS R50 (No.4), EOS R6 Mark III (No.8) and EOS R10 (No.9).

Yodobashi's Top 10 mirrorless cameras, 2nds Half Sep 2026

1. Sony A7 V
2. Sony A7C II Zoom Lens Kit | Silver | Black
3. Sony A7C II | Silver | Black
4. Canon EOS R50 Double Zoom Kit | Black | White
5. Fujifilm X-T30 III XC13-33mm Lens Kit | Silver | Black | Charcoal Silver
6. Fujifilm X-M5 XC15-45mm Lens Kit | Silver | Black
7. Sony ZV-E10 II Double Zoom Lens Kit | Black | White
8. Canon EOS R6 Mark III
9. Canon EOS R10 RF-S18-150 IS STM Lens Kit
10. Nikon Z50 II Double Zoom Kit

Japan's No.1: the "Camera of the Year"

The Sony A7 V is a camera many photographers have been waiting for.

Since its launch, the full-frame mirrorless has won several awards, including Best Full Frame Expert Camera at the TIPA World Awards, Camera of the Year at the Camera Grand Prix 2026, and Camera of the Year 2026-2027from EISA.

The Camera Grand Prix 2026 praised the camera's processing power and efficiency, noting that its next-generation Bion XR2 engine integrates an AI processing unit.

It also highlighted the partially stacked Exmor RS CMOS sensor, which offers a dynamic range of up to approx. 16 stops and blackout-free continuous shooting at up to 30 frames per second (fps) in 14-bit RAW.

Designed as a true hybrid all-rounder, the Sony A7 V combines high-speed performance and advanced autofocus (AF) in a more affordable body.

Since launch, the A7 V has regularly topped sales charts across major retailers in Japan. It features a couple of headline-grabbing improvements we haven't yet seen debuted in other Sony cameras, as DCW's Reviews Editor Gareth Bevan highlights. He calls the full-frame a "more affordable jack-of-all-trades body."

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With the comeback of compact cameras, cult favorite models released years ago have been having a real moment. Now, according to the latest sales figures from major retailer Yodobashi, the Canon PowerShot G7 X Mark III – released in July 2019 – is Japan's new No.1 compact camera.

The Top 10 best-selling compact cameras in the second half of September are led by two point-and-shoots that have been popular since their release, comfortably outselling newer models. While new releases occasionally storm to the top thanks to anticipation and hype, Canon's PowerShot compacts regularly feature near the top of sales charts across Japan.

Close behind the PowerShot G7 X Mark III is the Canon PowerShot SX740 HS / Lite. First released in July 2018, the compact received an updated version in 2024, although it remains the same underlying camera technology as the original. Rounding out the top three is the ever-popular and hard-to-find Fujifilm X100VI, released in February 2024.

Yodobashi's Top 10 best-selling compact cameras, 2nd Half Sep 2026

1. Canon PowerShot G7 X Mark III | Black | Silver
2. Canon PowerShot SX740 HS / Lite | Silver | Black
3. Fujifilm X100VI | Silver | Black
4. Sony ZV-1 II | Black | White
5. Panasonic Lumix TZ99 / ZS99 | Black | White
6. Kodak Pixpro C1 Brown | Black
7. Canon IXY 650M / Elph 360 HS A / Ixus 285 HS A | Black | Silver
8. Panasonic Lumix TX3 / ZS300 / TZ300 | Black | Graphite Silver
9. Ricoh GR IV
10. Leica Q3 43

Canon's PowerShot champions

Canon first introduced the PowerShot compact camera line in 1996, with the PowerShot 600 among its earliest models.

Originally designed to bridge the gap between film and digital photography, the PowerShot line has evolved to include everything from straightforward point-and-shoots to models offering more advanced controls.

Staying true to this philosopy, both the PowerShot G7 X Mark III and PowerShot SX740 HS / Lite remained popular choices since their launches.

While the PowerShot G7 X Mark III features a 4.2x optical zoom lens (24–100mm equivalent, f/1.8–2.8) and a 20.1MP 1-in stacked CMOS sensor, the PowerShot SX740 HS / Lite comes with a 40x optical zoom lens (24-960mm equivalent in 35mm terms) and a 20.3MP1/2.3-inch-type CMOS sensor paired with a DIGIC 8 image processor.

The PowerShot G7 X Mark III offers strong video capabilities aimed at a new generation of bloggers and vloggers, while the PowerShot SX740 HS / Lite stands out for its superzoom range, making it a versatile travel and everyday camera.

Social media helped fuel the point-and-shoot revival, and the renewed interest in compact cameras drives the second-hand prices often higher than their original retail price.

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Bright telephotos tend to be heavy optics, but Sigma’s newest lens is a 50-120mm with an f/2.8 aperture that’s less than 10 cm / 4 inches long. The Sigma 50-120mm f/2.8 DC OS Contemporary is a bright, compact zoom built for APS-C cameras, debuting in Sony E, Fujifilm X, and Canon RF mounts.

The October 08 launch completes Sigma’s Contemporary “holy trinity” series alongside the 10-18mm f/2.8 and 18-50mm f/2.8. But Sigma says that even all three lenses in a camera bag together still weigh less than 1kg / 2.2 pounds.

The new 50-120mm acts as a 75-180mm lens in full-frame equivalent, trading the more standard 70-200mm range for a design that’s built to match the compact design of APS-C bodies. The lens weighs in at 390g / .85 lbs.

Sigma says that the new lens raises the standard for APS-C constant zooms. The lens uses a high-response Linear Actuator autofocus motor, alongside Sigma’s latest stabilization tech that brings 6.5 stops of stabilization at 50mm and 4.5 stops at 120mm.

The lens is an external-style zoom, which means the length of the lens changes based on focal length. But the company says that the lens was built to minimize focus breathing for video shooters.

Like the other two lenses in the trinity, the 50-120mm skips out on the focus mode switch and stabilization switch for a more minimalist design. The design still manages to fit in weather-sealing and an oil-repellent coating at the front.

Part of the allure of the APS-C format is the more compact body designs – but those smaller cameras tend to feel unbalanced with larger lenses mounted on the front. While there are plenty of first-party and third-party full-frame 70-200mm f/2.8 lenses built for full frame that will work on APS-C, there are relatively few made specifically for the more compact sensor format.

Fujifilm has the XF 50-140mm f/2.8 R LM OIS WR, but that lens is more than twice as heavy and nearly twice the cost. Sony has the 55-210mm f/4.5-6.3 OSS and the 70-350mm f/4.5-6.3 G OSS, but neither lens has a constant f/2.8 aperture. Canon’s closest APS-C lens is the RF 75-300mm f/4-5.6.

The new Sigma 50-120mm f/2.8 is notably missing a mount: the Nikon Z. While the new APS-C zoom doesn’t include Nikon’s mirrorless bodies, today Sigma also announced that the existing Sigma 16-300mm f/3.5-6.7 DC OS Contemporary will be arriving for the Z Mount in November.

Perhaps the most appealing part of the new Sigma 50-120mm f/2.8 could be the price. The 50-120mm lens is set to retail for $799 / £699 – which converts roughly to AU$1,326 / CA$1,317.

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The growth of AI has been met with trepidation among the creative community – but Japan’s biggest camera makers agree that AI-generated content is sparking an entirely different trend: the growth of the dedicated camera and a shift towards prioritizing the experience of photography over technical specifications.

Japanese business publication Nikkei Shimbun recently interviewed executives from Canon, Sony, Nikon and Fujifilm. Despite discussing camera trends with four competing brands, there’s an overarching trend that Japan’s biggest camera makers seem to agree on.

Camera makers believe that the rise of AI-generated content, along with trends towards a more retro film-like look, is actually driving more people to pick up a dedicated camera over simply shooting with a smartphone. The camera market saw healthy growth last year, but the biggest growth was in the fixed-lens compact category, which rose nearly 30 percent.

But with AI slop driving more people to pick up dedicated cameras, the reason behind choosing a certain camera is also shifting. The experience that a camera offers is becoming increasingly important in the era of AI and smartphones.

Camera makers are seeing an increased priority on the physical controls and the style of the camera. Casual photographers shifting from a smartphone are often looking for a camera that’s more fun to shoot with – and the design and physical controls are a big part of that. The rise of screen-free cameras is a key example of this trend, along with the continued rise in retro cameras.

Generated content is known for being overly perfect and inauthentic, and that’s creating a push towards a more traditional camera experience, both in the camera’s design and the look and feel of the images. More and more camera makers seem to be pushing the in-camera colors through film simulations, photo styles, and in-camera LUTs.

Camera makers have long been engaged in the megapixel race and the push to beat out competitors' specifications. Manufacturers aren’t dropping out of this race anytime soon, not for pro models geared towards serious photographers.

But the camera industry is once again welcoming the average consumer who just wants to snap some photos of daily life, and this sort of photographer may care more about the experience than the megapixel count.

Photographers have already seen evidence of this push with experimental cameras like the Fujifilm X Half and the viral success of low-resolution cameras like the Kodak Charmera.

The rise of the smartphone decimated the market for casual shooters looking to take snapshots of daily life. Thanks to wariness over AI-generated content and a rising trend for a more screen-free lifestyle, this camera category is returning with a vengeance.

Canon is looking to build a more diversified camera line, including retro styling

In the interview, Canon said that younger consumers are discovering the joy of shooting with a dedicated camera. Canon hinted that it’s been exploring more stylish compact cameras and cameras that create a more film-like look as a result.

But Canon executives also recognize that the people who are picking up cameras are becoming increasingly diverse. The camera industry isn’t solely focused on professionals and hobbyists but is shifting to welcome the customer who just wants to take photos of daily life.

Canon says it's looking to create a more diverse line of cameras in order to reach the wider range of consumers picking up a dedicated camera.

Canon also says it recognizes the growth of video and hybrid shooting, saying that it plans to expand V-series lenses.

Nikon is increasingly looking beyond just stills

Video remains a particular focus for growth for Nikon, the interview hints, particularly after the acquisition of RED. Nikon executives hinted that Nikon’s optics and imaging have opportunities to grow by looking at multiple forms of content.

On the topic of AI, Nikon says that it's exploring the possibility of using AI beyond autofocus applications, such as choosing the best images and the newly implemented AI-built tools for auto white balance.

Sony’s entertainment division could help inspire cameras

The interview suggests that Sony may be looking to take advantage of its diverse range of businesses across movies, music, and gaming and use that expertise towards future camera launches. Cameras can also be a form of entertainment – and Sony also mentioned exploring spatial experiences, such as VR spaces.

Sony also says that AI can be a creative tool to aid in tech like autofocus subject detection and pose estimation. But Sony is also pushing for a “digital birth certificate” for recognition of in-camera authenticity.

Fujifilm’s push for film simulations and retro designs is working

Fujifilm’s sales have been steadily rising, and part of that is the brand’s focus on retro camera designs and film simulations. Both features work well with the growing trend of people shifting from smartphones to cameras that are fun to shoot and carry more authenticity than AI-generated content.

As far as using AI in cameras, Fujifilm executives said that AI should be treated more like an assistant aiding in things like autofocus, and not creating images.

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Retro camera fans have long been waiting for a refresh of the PEN series – and the latest trends from Japan suggest just how excited photographers are about the new OM System PEN.

Japanese photo retailer Camera Kitamura has shared the best-selling mirrorless cameras for September, a list that’s led by the Sony A7C II, the new OM System PEN, and the Sony A6700.

Both the Sony A7C II and the A6700 have been around for a few years and are regular attendees on Japan’s best-seller lists. But the camera in second place is a fresh launch.

The OM System PEN was only announced on September 09, with pre-orders initially not scheduled to begin shipping until late October. But only two days after the announcement, OM System Japan said that there had been so many orders that some may not get their camera until November.

The new 2026 PEN’s early success isn’t unwarranted. I’ve been shooting with an early review sample for a few weeks now. The compact retro design makes it the camera that I instinctively want to grab.

While the design may have been what first drew me to the new PEN, OM System’s new Micro Four Thirds shooter is also one of the most affordable mirrorless bodies with both in-body stabilization and weather sealing. It retails for $999 / £849 / AU$1,499 body-only, or $1,099 / £949 / AU$1,799 with a kit lens (which is what’s made the Kitamura best-seller list).

But perhaps the more interesting aspect of the latest list of best-sellers from Japan is that it’s the smallest sensor camera of the three major bodies announced in September that’s in the top three. The PEN was one of three major camera launches in September. Canon also introduced the EOS R8 Mark II, and Nikon also unveiled the Z5IIC. The R8 Mark II sits in fourth place on Kitamura’s list, while the Z5IIC didn’t make the top ten.

Looking at a single retailer in Japan isn’t going to be indicative of the camera market as a whole, but it’s interesting that of the three major launches last month, it’s the Micro Four Thirds shooter that’s dominating Kitamura’s sales. The trends list will be interesting to watch as those cameras begin shipping in October and November.

The OM System PEN, however, fell just behind the first-place Sony A7C II. Sony’s more compact full-frame mirrorless has been regularly dominating best-seller lists since its launch three years ago. Its compact design that still crams in a full-frame sensor has been well-loved, despite the camera’s age.

Compact designs seem to dominate much of Kitamura’s list. The Sony A6700 comes in third place, an APS-C shooter that’s small but fast.

The R8 Mark II sits in fourth place, with a new, more angular design inspired by the film Canon T80. The R8 Mark II still follows the trend of a more compact body design as a more entry-level full-frame, but unlike the original, the Mark II includes stabilization.

Another longstanding Sony favorite, the Sony A7 IV, sits in fifth place. That camera’s successor, the Sony A7 V, which has been dominating a number of best-seller lists since its launch, doesn’t show up until 8th place.

The only Fujifilm camera on Kitamura’s best-selling mirrorless list is the compact, budget-friendly Fujifilm X-M5. The X-M5 is both one of Fujifilm’s most affordable bodies and the smallest, though it lacks a viewfinder, and many features are geared towards hybrid shooting.

Two more Sony APS-C cameras sit on the list, the ZV-E10 II in seventh place and the Sony A6400 in ninth place. Both of those cameras are on the list for two-lens kits rather than the single kit lens options.

Canon rounds out the list with the EOS R6 Mark II in 10th place. While the camera has now been replaced with the Mark III, the R6 Mark II remains available at a lower price point than the newer model.

Kitamura Camera’s best-selling mirrorless cameras for September 2026

1. Sony A7C II
2. OM System PEN with 14-42mm f/3.5-5.6 III kit lens
3. Sony A6700 with zoom lens kit
4. Canon EOS R8 Mark II
5. Sony A7 IV zoom lens kit
6. Fujifilm X-M5 with XC 15-45mm kit lens
7. Sony ZV-E10 II double zoom lens kit
8. Sony A7 V
9. Sony A6400 double zoom lens kit
10. Canon EOS R6 Mark II

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The twice-delayed popular Sony FX5 cinema camera may not begin shipping until November after two delays.

The Sony FX5 had only been around for a day before Sony announced that an unusually high number of pre-orders meant the cinema camera would be delayed. But then in August, the camera was delayed again, this time “due to production issues” with an unknown ship date.

Sony Japan updated that delay announcement again in September, changing the estimated shipping date from “unknown” to “late October or later” (translated by Google).

Now, Sony UK is listing a November 16 ship date for pre-orders. Sony’s US website isn’t currently taking pre-orders and doesn’t list a ship date, though pre-orders are open at a few retailers. In the US, Adorama lists the expected availability as October 15.

The first delay announcement was due to an unexpected number of pre-orders, suggesting that the FX5’s 5K open date and internal RAW made the cinema camera more popular than Sony first anticipated.

The second delay, however, was announced for “production issues,” but Sony didn’t specify what those issues were.

While Sony hasn’t specified what the production issues are, one Sony user based in Mexico City shared a video on Reddit suggesting that the production issue could lie in the LCD screen. In the video, the LCD screen appears to be coming loose from its housing, exposing some of the camera’s electronics inside the housing for the flip screen.

The post shared on Reddit claims that the videographer received three Sony FX5 bodies from initial pre-orders and that all three cameras are sharing the same screen issue. Another Reddit user posted a video in the comments showing a slight separation of the screen, while many Redditors are theorizing that the LCD screen could be the reason behind the delay.

While a production issue is rarely a good thing, original rumors worried that the AI-fueled memory shortage could be having an impact. Sony Rumors is hoping the LCD issue is something that's easier to correct than a global chip shortage.

Sony’s warranty against manufacturer defects varies by country, but the company has a one-year warranty on the FX5 in the US and two years in the UK.

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LK Samyang, known as Rokinon in the US, has finally announced the release date of the long-awaited 28-135mm f/2.8 Sony FE full-frame standard zoom, which the company says will come to market in February 2027.

The Korean budget lens manufacturer made the announcement on its Instagram on September 30, with a second post finally giving us the technical specs we’ve also been dying for – following the zoom's earlier appearance at CP+ in February.

Honestly, I’m impressed, and I think we’ve got a real contender that could shake up the “do-it-all” focal-length segment of the lens market for the first time in a while.

Swipe to see the Samyang AF 28-135mm f/4 FE specs

The obvious eye-catcher is the versatile 28-135mm focal length combined with the fast f/2.8 aperture.

This is a seriously versatile setup — in fact, it’s the first-ever lens to combine this specific zoom range and maximum aperture — and, on paper, I’m inclined to believe Samyang when it says the forthcoming kit will work for “every moment.”

Although, the maximum wide angle of 28mm does cut you off at a slightly awkward point. My go-to lens is the Sony FE 24-105mm f/4 G Master, and I can tell you that those extra 4mm do make a difference.

These often save me having to change to my dedicated wide-angle and I can’t see the Samyang being quite as helpful at the wide-angle end, despite the claims.

The other big deal here is the voice coil motor (VCM), which is another first for Samyang, as none of its previous AF lenses have featured this kind of motor.

VCMs can handle large-aperture glass smoothly and pretty quietly, too. It’s good to see Samyang seemingly paying serious attention to AF performance in a lens that, in theory, could be used to shoot subjects like wildlife.

The weather-sealed zoom will weigh 854g and is constructed with 20 elements in 16 groups.

Going by the announcement, I have to say this lens looks promising, to say the least. Funnily enough, I recently scratched my Sony 24-105mm f/4 and am now getting mad lens flare.

If the build quality is there and Samyang prices the lens in line with how it normally does, maybe the forthcoming 28-135mm f/2.8 could be its replacement. Though, we’ll see if this is all too good to be true in a few months time.

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The Sony A7 V has dominated best-seller charts since its launch late last year – but while the A7 V leads the latest best-seller list from a major Japanese camera retailer, another Sony hogs two spots on the list, despite being three years old: The Sony A7C II.

The insight comes from Yodobashi’s rankings for the second half of August. The first five names on the top ten mirror the same cameras from the first half of the month – so if the age of ranking cameras like the Sony A7C II isn’t enough of an indication, the consistency suggests those top five cameras aren’t short-lived trends.

The Sony A7 V takes the top spot on the list of best-selling mirrorless cameras – the fifth time in a row that the camera has done so, not to mention dominating trends at other retailers as well. The A7 V’s mix of speed, resolution and price has proven highly successful for Sony.

But the next-ranked camera, the A7C II, takes both second and fourth place. The camera ranks second in a kit with the 28-60mm f/4-5.6 lens but also ranks fourth as a body-only option. Introduced in September 2023, the A7C II has remained consistently popular, thanks to a mix of a full-frame sensor with a more compact, rangefinder-inspired design. I wonder, with body-only and kits being treated separately, would the Sony A7C II surpass the A7 V in total sales?

The Fujifilm X-M5 with its XC15-45mm kit lens takes third place. The X-M5 was initially hard to find at launch – and its popularity seems to still be going strong. Part of the X-M5’s draw is that it’s Fujifilm’s most affordable mirrorless body (without buying used), but it’s also the company’s smallest and lightest in the category as well.

The fifth-place camera on the list is a budget favorite: The Canon EOS R50 in a kit paired with two zoom lenses. The R50 is Canon’s second most-affordable mirrorless camera just after the R100, and the R50’s accessible price point makes it a regular name among Japan’s best-selling cameras.

With the first five cameras on the list matching those from the first half of August, the second half of the list hints at what cameras are moving up. The Sony A7 V with its 28-70mm kit lens takes seventh place. With more photographers picking up the number one-ranked body, but the kit still making the list, I suspect some of those buyers are newer photographers or those coming from other brands.

Yoodobashi says the seventh-place Fujifilm X-T30 III with its 13-33mm kit lens hasn’t made the list for the last three months, but the budget retro mirrorless climbed in sales for the second half of August.

The eighth-place camera likely rose in the trends for the same reason that the Sony A7C II is doing so well. The Sony ZV-E10 II uses an APS-C sensor and not full-frame, but the vlogging-focused camera prioritizes a small size and a budget price point. In the rankings, it’s the option with two zoom lenses that is selling well in Japan.

The ninth-place camera bucks the trend for small and affordable cameras for 100MP of luxury: The Hasselblad X2D 100C. Budget cameras like the Canon EOS R50 and Fujifilm X-M5 are far more common to see on best-seller lists than medium-format pro cameras. But the Hasselblad X2D 100C has done unusually well for the medium-format category and was even Yodobashi’s number one for the first half of November 2025.

The top ten list is rounded out with another repeat offender: the Canon EOS R50 is on the list a second time at spot ten, but this time with a single 18-45mm kit lens rather than the dual-lens kit. While the dual-lens kit is a regular name among the best-seller lists, Yodobashi says that this is the first time the single-lens kit has made the top ten.

The best-selling interchangeable lens cameras at Yodobashi for the second half of August 2026

1. Sony A7 V body only
2. Sony A7C II with kit lens
3. Fujifilm X-M5 with kit lens
4. Sony A7C II body only
5. Canon EOS R50 double zoom lens kit
6. Sony A7 V with kit lens
7. Fujifilm X-T30 III with kit lens
8. Sony ZV-E10 II double zoom lens kit
9. Hasselblad X2D II 100C
10. Canon EOS R50 with kit lens

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Six years after the release of the groundbreaking Sony A7S III, it's being reported that the A7S IV is finally on the way.

The Sony A7S IV has been the subject of camera rumors for the best part of half a decade, as its core architecture was used for cameras like the Sony FX3 and Sony ZV-E1.

Indeed, with the launch of subsequent models in both those dedicated video lines, it had been speculated that the A7S series might have been abandoned. After all, the "S" stands for sensitivity; with the dedicated FX and ZV lines, the A7S felt a bit like a camera without an audience.

However, it looks like the tables have been turned. Where the A7S III was the technological basis for the FX3, it's being reported that the Sony FX5 might return the favor and serve as the foundation for the A7S IV.

Sony Alpha Rumors is reporting that a camera recently registered in China, code WW261362, is a "mid- to high-end model". While a number of other bodies might fit the bill, the outlet concludes, "My bet is that this will be the new Sony A7S IV."

ABOVE: Watch a video version of the report

This is based upon Sony's typical four-year update cycle, which would disqualify successors for the other possible candidates – the A9 III (2023), A7C II and A7C R (2023) and A1 II (2024).

The site predicts that the Sony A7S IV will possess the same 16MP sensor as the FX5, with Sony's beloved 9.44 million-dot EVF and the same processor, IBIS and autofocus of the A7R VI. However, the FX5's internal RAW codecs are unlikely to be ported across.

The sting in the tail, if indeed the report is accurate, is that Sony is still struggling to fulfil FX5 orders:

"AI companies are buying all the DRAM they can, which may be why Sony cannot begin shipping the FX5 yet. So, I wonder whether Sony will be forced to delay the launch of the A7S IV until it has fulfilled the FX5 preorders. I fear that, although Sony registered the camera with the intention of announcing it in November, we may see the announcement delayed."

Part of me is highly suspicious of A7S rumors these days, as it feels the line has been too long abandoned to remain relevant. However, with Sony coming out of left field and reviving the RX1R III and RX10 V, I wouldn't be entirely surprised!

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Take a look at the best Sony cameras on the market right now, along with the best cameras for video. And it's a pretty safe bet that the best lenses for the Sony A7S III will also be ideal for the mark IV!

When the original Canon PowerShot SX740 HS launched in 2018, the compact camera market was dominated by straightforward point-and-shoots, while premium compacts like the Leica Q3 43 were far less common.

According to the latest sales data from major retailer Yodobashi, the little PowerShot triumphs again as the No.1 compact camera in Japan right now.

In 2024, Canon introduced the PowerShot SX740 HS Lite, a lightly updated version of the original camera.

Despite changing just one small feature, the model has proven just as popular. Since its original launch 8 years ago, it has become a cult favorite, with second-hand prices higher than its original retail price of $549.99 / £549.99.

Canon's unchanged formula continues to win for buyers looking for a genuinely pocketable camera with a powerful zoom lens.

While the PowerShot SX740 HS comes with a 20.3MP 1/2.3-inch-type CMOS sensor, Yodobashi's Top 10 also features models with significantly larger sensors, with the top model featuring a 60MP full-frame sensor.

Yodobashi's Top 10 best-selling compact cameras, 2nd Half Aug 2026

1. Canon PowerShot SX740 HS / Lite | Silver | Black
2. Sony ZV-1 II | Black | White
3. Fujifilm X100VI | Silver | Black
4. Panasonic Lumix TZ99 / ZS99 | Black | White
5. Kodak Pixpro C1 | Brown | Black
6. Canon PowerShot G7 X Mark III | Black | Silver
7. Canon IXY 650 / PowerShot Elph 360 HS A / Ixus 285 HS A | Black | Silver
8. Sony RX10 V
9. OM System Tough TG-7 | Red | Black
10. Leica Q3 43

The two extreme compact camera types in today's market

Yodobashi's latest Top 10 reveals the compact camera market's current state.

There are two extremes: the cheap and cheerful, straightforward models like the Canon PowerShot SX740 HS / Lite (No.1), or even simpler and more affordable models like the Kodak Pixpro C1 (No.5), available for only $99.99 / £94.

On the other side, there are premium compacts like the hugely popular Fujifilm X100VI (No.3) and the high-end Leica Q3 43 (No.10), a full-frame 60.3MP model, with a hefty price tag of $7,950 / £5,890.

Also in demand, and back in Yodobashi's Top 10, is the OM System Tough TG-7 (No.9), a 12MP adventure companion that withstands freezing temperatures of -10°C (14°F) and is waterproof up to 15 meters (50 feet).

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A "remarkably compact yet well-built" zoom lens is the No.1 best-selling lens in Japan right now, according to major retailer Kitamura. Interestingly, the most popular optics are from third-party manufacturers.

The Sigma 18-50mm f/2.8 DC DN | C for E-mount sits at the top of the chart, followed by another Sigma optic for E-mount: the 28-70mm f/2.8 DG DN | C. Close behind is the Sony FE 100-400mm f/5.6-8 OSS – an affordable telephoto zoom, available for $848 / £799.

Since I started reporting on sales charts in Japan years ago, I have never seen more than three optics sharing the same position. However, in Kitamura's latest August 2026 sales chart, five lenses from Fujifilm, Sony, Canon and Tamron are tied at No.9.

Kitamura's best-selling lenses, August 2026

1. Sigma 18-50mm f/2.8 DC DN | C (E-mount)
2. Sigma 28-70mm f/2.8 DG DN | C (E-mount)
3. Sony FE 100-400mm f/5.6-8 OSS
4. Nikon Z 24-120mm f/4 S
5. Canon RF 50mm f/1.8 STM
6. Sigma 150-600mm f/5-6.3 DG DN OS | Sports (E-mount)
7. Canon EF-S 24mm f/2.8 STM
8. Sigma 20-200mm f/3.5-6.3 DG | C (E-mount)
9=. Fujifilm XC 13-33mm f/3.5-6.3 OIS
9=. Sony FE 70-200mm f/2.8 GM OSS II
9=. Sony FE 24-70mm f/2.8 GM II
9=. Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 STM
9=. Tamron 25-200mm f/2.8-5.6 Di III VXD G2 (E-mount)

No.1 lens: Sigma's "remarkably compact yet well-built" zoom

In our review, we found that the Sigma 18-50mm f/2.8 DC DN | C is "remarkably compact yet well-built". At just approx. 290g, it punches well above its weight. It delivers impressive image quality, features weather-resistant construction, and comes with a budget-friendly price tag.

5 lenses come ninth – from Fuji to Canon, Sony and Tamron

Five lenses are tied at No.9 in Kitamura's best-selling chart for August 2026. From Fujifilm to Canon and Sony to Tamron, the five optics cover a broad range of focal lengths and uses.

Fujifilm's XC 13-33mm f/3.5-6.3 OIS launched in 2025 as the smallest and lightest zoom lens in the Fujifilm X-mount lineup, adding just 125g to the camera bag.

The Sony FE 70-200mm f/2.8 GM OSS II is a light workhorse, while Canon's EF 50mm f/1.8 STM remains a compelling value option that delivers impressive image quality. Lastly, the Tamron 25-200mm f/2.8-5.6 Di III VXD G2 is an all-in-one superzoom.

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I’ve been shooting stills on my Sony A7 III for roughly four years now. And when you combine that with the fact that I spend my days researching and writing about cameras, I think it’s fair to say I know a thing or two about them – at least Alpha cameras.

However, sometimes, even photographers in my position need a little help choosing the right gear. This time, I’m not switching to a new brand, like I did when I upgraded from my Nikon D3500 – an excellent beginner’s camera, by the way – to my current A7 III.

I’m sticking with an Alpha model, but, as one of the main reasons for the upgrade is that I’m planning to get into videography, I can’t decide between the Sony A7R IV or A7 IV.

Now I know that, according to Sony, the A7 lineup is the true hybrid series geared toward both shooting stills and filming. And I’ve also taken the time to read my colleague Rod Lawton’s expert opinion on the whole A7 IV vs A7R IV debate.

But despite Sony’s and Rod’s respectable thoughts, I need more to make my decision. So, I’m asking all who read this plea and who have real-world experience with the A7R IV and/or A7 IV to chime in with your thoughts in the comments section below.

To some people, it might seem obvious: if I want to shoot both stills and video, then go with Sony’s own guidance and get an A7 IV. But my predicament is that I don’t want to forgo the A7R IV’s monster 61MP sensor, even more so as the two cameras are now priced fairly equally.

Sensor resolution isn’t everything for me. After all, I’ve happily been making do with my 24MP A7 III for some time now. Plus I shoot with top-tier G Master glass; lens quality arguably being the more important factor in this respect.

But I do want to take advantage of the monster image fidelity on offer, especially as this would enable me to crop images aggressively while retaining the quality, something 61MP would much better enable than the A7 IV’s 33MP.

Although, as I’m planning on getting into video, I also know that I need to consider how a 61MP sensor would affect filming.

I’m aware that higher MP counts degrade video quality, as downsampling can produce visual artifacts and slower sensor readout speeds can introduce harsh rolling shutter distortions. I also know that forcing a 61MP sensor, for example, to compress resolution into a 4K stream 60 times per second can strain camera hardware and cause overheating.

And then there are the LCD screens. Obviously, the A7R IV only boasts tilting, rather than the A7 IV's vari-angle movement. This is something that, at the moment, I don’t think would bother me too much when it comes to recording video, but perhaps I’m being naive.

Hopefully, though, as people with real-life experience of shooting videos with either of these cameras, you can tell me how often the potential issues I’ve mentioned occur and how much they affect your workflow.

Will I really see negative artifacts and degraded performance in all of my videos if I buy the Sony A7R IV? Or am I living in a fantasy land even thinking about risking it? I’d appreciate your first-hand, experience-based thoughts below.

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Known as "probably the best 70-200mm zoom in the world. Ever.", the Nikon Z 70-200mm f/2.8 VR S is the top-ranked product in the zoom lens category on the Japanese marketplace Minna Camera during the first half of 2026. The telephoto lens is now discontinued following the arrival of its successor, the Nikon Z 70-200mm f/2.8 VR S II.

In the ranking, Minna Camera classifies lenses by their longest focal length. Zoom lenses reaching 200mm or longer accounted for 51.2% of all zoom-lens transactions, while 200mm was the single most common telephoto-end category, accounting for 17.9% of transactions. In this category, the best-selling model in 2026 so far is Nikon's popular 70-200mm f/2.8 VR S lens. While US stock seems empty, UK retailers still offer the zoom brand-new, with discounts available.

Zoom lenses covering up to 70mm make up 15% of the transactions, with the Sony FE 20-70mm f/4 G being the most purchased option. Close behind are lenses covering up to 400mm, with 12.5%. The top zoom in this category is the Canon RF 100-400mm f/5.6-8 IS USM.

Top 10 zoom lenses by telephoto end market share at Minna Camera (H1)*

*Source: Minna Camera, based on zoom lens transactions completed January 1 - June 30, 2026.

"Probably the best 70-200mm zoom in the world. Ever."

The Z 70-200mm f/2.8 builds on the legacy of the popular Nikon AF-S 70-200mm f/2.8E FL ED VR DSLR lens, a go-to for pro Nikon shooters worldwide. This optic of the mirrorless S-line goes even further: it handles better, delivers sharper images and performs at a consistently high level.

Nikon packed this lens with some serious glass: 21 elements in 18 groups, AF (autofocus) is fast,accurate, smooth and super quiet. Unlike many S-line lenses, this one doesn't rely solely on the camera body for stabilization. It features a built-in optical VR (vibration reduction).

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I’ve been fortunate enough to temporarily rent a luxury telephoto prime that welcomed pixel-peeping while melting backgrounds into oblivion – but the lens cost more than my first two cars combined and felt like carrying around a third leg.

When Sony announced that it had turned two luxury lenses into portable and semi-affordable lenses with the 400mm f/4.5 and 600mm f/6.3 GM OSS lenses, I knew I had to take a hike at one of my favorite spots for wildlife photography – a nearby wildlife refuge.

Hiking with the new Sony 400mm f/4.5 and 600mm f/6.3 felt more like carrying around two 70-200mm f/2.8 lenses rather than two extreme reach telephoto primes. The lenses slide in at just under a kilogram and just over two pounds. That certainly added a little weight to my hands and my backpack, but that’s about three times lighter than Sony’s brighter 400mm f/2.8 and 600mm f/4.

I started out with the 400mm, but immediately spotted a bird that I couldn’t recognize and quietly swapped it out for the 600mm for a closer look. I watched the little fellow sit on a branch and peer into the water for prey for several minutes.

I used the 600mm on the Sony A7 V, not one of the highest-resolution full-frame bodies, but the 600mm lens was still impressively sharp and detailed. Cropping in on my shots, I realized that I had a hard time identifying the bird because it was a juvenile black-crowned night heron with an entirely different feather pattern from the adults.

I was able to photograph several more birds with the Sony 600mm f/6.3 GM OSS. The lens doesn’t melt the background quite like an f/4, and I had to use a slightly higher ISO. But the trade-off is that the lens is still very much hike-friendly rather than sitting and waiting inside a wildlife blind.

The biggest surprise from my shoot with the two new Sony telephotos, however, came after I returned home and blew up the photos on my screen. I had captured this very distant egret, knowing he would be very small in the frame, but liking how his features were backlit anyway.

But when I looked at the photo on my screen, I realized that the same branch also held a perfectly preserved spider web. Even cropping in from the 33MP, there’s still an impressive level of detail in that spider web.

I tend to crave more reach when out photographing wildlife, so I was also surprised when I actually ended up with more photos that I marked from the 400mm f/4.5. With a bit less reach, the 400mm has that brighter aperture and is still very lightweight.

As I made my way back to my car, I had to watch my step as dozens of frogs leapt out of the path. Just before the parking lot, I watched this egret fish, which, with the f/4.5 aperture on the 400mm, I was still able to freeze the water droplets at 1/5,000 and ISO 400.

The launch of the new Sony 400mm and 600mm brings a sort of happy medium to the E-Mount telephoto family. Sony has luxury wildlife lenses like the 600mm f/4 and cheap optics like the Sony 100-400mm f/5.6-8 OSS. The new Sony 400mm f/4.5 and 600mm f/6.3 GM OSS slot in as a Goldilocks, just-right balance between price, weight, and image quality.

Sony FE 400mm f/4.5 GM OSS

Sony FE 600mm f/6.3 GM OSS

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More than half of the zoom lenses traded on the Japanese camera marketplace Minna Camera in the first half of 2026 had a focal length of 200mm or longer, according to new data from the retailer.

Minna Camera's analysis of zoom-lens transactions shows: lenses reaching 200mm or longer accounted for 51% of all zoom-lens transactions, narrowly exceeding the 48.8% share for lenses whose longest focal length was below 200mm.

Importantly, Minna Camera classifies lenses by their longest focal length, rather than their 35mm-equivalent field of view. A 24-200mm and a 70-200mm lens therefore both fall into the 200mm category, while lenses designed for different sensor formats are not converted to a common 35mm equivalent.

Top 10 traded zoom lenses by focal length at Minna Camera (H1)*

*Approx. used prices in USD and GBP added by Digital Camera World.

Canon accounted for the largest brand share

Among the five manufacturers for which Minna Camera supplied brand figures, Canon accounted for 38.1% of zoom-lens transactions, followed by Nikon at 27.2% and Sony at 16.6%.

Sigma accounted for 4.1% and Tamron 3.4%.

Looking instead at the proportion of each brand's zoom transaction that reached 200mm or longer shows a different picture. Tamron had the highest figure at 65.6%, narrowly ahead of Canon at 64.2%. Nikon stood at 49.7%, Sony at 39.7% and Sigma at 37.8%.

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Bright telephoto primes tend to sit at a luxury price point only the most serious wildlife and sports photographers can reach for – but Sony’s new telephoto prime lenses are nearly 4x cheaper than the brand’s brightest. Unveiled on September 15, the Sony FE 400mm f/4.5 GM OSS and FE 600mm f/6.3 GM OSS bring two popular telephoto focal lengths to a more reasonable price point – and a lighter profile.

Sony already has both a 400mm f/2.8 and a 600mm f/4, but the new primes narrow down the aperture by around 1 and ⅓ stops in order to create a more portable – and less pricey – optic.

The 400mm comes in at 994g / 35oz – and the 600mm is only 1g heavier. That’s a major weight loss over the 2895g / 102.2 oz 400mm f/2.8 and the 3040g / 107.3 oz 600mm f/4. Both lenses are also designed with more glass towards the rear of the lens in order to create better balance on the camera body, with the 400mm using 22 elements in 16 groups and the 600mm using 24 elements in 17 groups.

I’ve worked with 600mm f/4 lenses before – and immediately scheduled a chiropractor adjustment afterwards. The new Sony primes don’t quite have the melt-like-butter background of an f/2.8 and an f/4, but it’s far more feasible to hike with.

In fact, I hiked two miles, and I had both the 400mm and the 600mm on me at the same time. Time constraints – and not exhaustion – only prevented me from going farther. Working with the two new prime lenses felt more like carrying around a 70-200mm f/2.8 than a luxury telephoto prime.

While both lenses are lighter and more affordable than Sony’s brightest telephoto primes, the optics are still stabilized – and still a card-carrying member of the more high-end GM series. I found they were still plenty sharp, and still had room to crop even when mounted on the A7 V and not an R-series model.

That sharpness is going to be a key deciding factor on these lenses. After all, the Sony FE 200-600mm f/5.6-6.3 G OSS matches the 600mm’s aperture rating and comes in at a lower price than the prime. But, in our lab tests, the 600mm prime won in sharpness, particularly at the corners.

The 400mm is even sharper than the 600mm, even when shooting wide open.

Sony says that both lenses use two linear XD motors and are capable of keeping up with bodies that have 120 fps autofocus calculations. I didn’t find anything to the contrary on my hike – a few birds had too many branches in the way for the autofocus to pick up on, but even birds in flight had relatively few misses.

While the new telephotos are compact, they still carry a set of controls that will feel familiar to photographers who have used other Sony telephotos. There’s a large set of switches including the focus range limiter, four focus hold buttons, and a custom function ring.

As part of the GM series, both lenses are also built with dust and moisture seals, along with a fluorine coating on the front element.

Sony says that both optics are still compatible with Sony’s 2x and 1.4x teleconverters.

The Sony 400mm f/4.5 GM OSS is set to retail for $2,699 / £2,579 / AU$3,999 – while that’s certainly not a cheap lens, that’s nearly a quarter of the cost of Sony’s 400mm f/2.8, which sits at $12,999 / £10,490 / AU$16,999.

The Sony 600mm f/6.3 comes in slightly higher for that added reach at $3,699 / £3,609 / AU$5,599. Again, that’s not cheap unless it’s being directly compared to the 600mm f/4 GM OSS, which goes for $14,099 / £11,999 / AU$19,299.

Both lenses are expected to begin shipping in October.

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Japan's camera market is an important one to watch for photography industry trends. Now, major retailer Map Camera has published its latest camera popularity ranking for August 2026, and four compact cameras feature in Japan's Top 10 alongside the latest mirrorless models.

Sony's A7 V takes the No.1 spot, continuing its strong run since launching in December 2025. But just behind is the Ricoh GR IV – a cult compact available in three versions tailored to different photographic styles: the standard GR IV, GR IV HDF and GR IV Monochrome. Another variant, the Ricoh GR IVx, is currently under development.

The Fujifilm X100VI is also near the top despite ongoing supply constraints. Meanwhile, Canon's PowerShot SX749 HS / Lite and PowerShot G7X Mark III make the Top 10 – compacts that have been around for years but are still proving popular with buyers, offering a genuinely straightforward shooting experience. Interestingly, a twin-lens pocket gimbal camera also made the chart.

Map Camera's Top 10 cameras, August 2026

1. Sony A7 V | Mirrorless camera
2. Ricoh GR IV | Compact camera
3. Fujifilm X100VI | Compact camera
4. Canon PowerShot SX740 HS / Lite | Compact camera
5. Sony a6700 | Mirrorless camera
6. Fujifilm X-M5 | Mirrorless camera
7. DJI Osmo Pocket 4P | Pocket gimbal camera
8. Fujifilm X-T30 III | Mirrorless camera
9. Canon PowerShot G7X Mark III | Compact camera
10. Canon EOS R6 Mark II | Mirrorless camera

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As a portrait photographer, I tend to avoid ultra-wide lenses like I avoid crowds in flu season. But when Sony introduced the first native E-mount fisheye, I felt strangely inspired to combine my favorite photography genre – portraits – with the wild world of a lens that can see in 180°.

The Sony FE 8-14mm f/3.5 Fisheye G captures an unusually wide 180° view, creating the classic circular "fisheye lens look" at 8mm but filling the frame and still getting that classic fisheye distortion at 14mm.

Portraits are perhaps an unusual genre – though certainly not unheard of – for a fisheye. But, inspired by the wacky perspective, I wanted to shoot in an equally wild location.

Grabbing the new 8-14mm f/3.5 Fisheye G and the Sony A7 V, I drove to the most colorful location I could think of and headed to a brightly-colored mural painted across a set of silos.

The mural, Shine Bright Saginaw, is actually the second-largest in the US, painted by Okuda San Miguel along with a team of local artists.

I was drawn to the location by both its size and wild colors – after all, why shoot with a 180° lens without an oversized scene?

Fisheye lenses embrace the barrel distortion of an ultra-wide view, rather than trying to correct that “imperfection.” Straight lines warp into a curve and, when angled just right, the lens creates almost what looks like the reverse of a 360 camera’s “tiny planet” effect.

Along with embracing barrel distortion, the 180° view succumbs to a lot of perspective distortion – but when used appropriately, that distortion can create kooky images that feel more fun than warped.

Anything up close to the lens will look far larger than anything even just slightly farther away. The 8-14mm f/3.5 Fisheye G can shoot as close as 150mm / 5.91 inches, so there’s plenty of room for exaggerating that fisheye look by getting in close.

Fitting a 180° view into one frame is a challenge in that there’s very little ability to crop any distractions out of the scene.

I had to be careful posing and angling the camera to embrace the distortion where I wanted but not where I didn’t. I also had to be careful not to get my own feet in the frame, as 8mm is so wide that even the lens hood will show in the shot.

Aside from resisting the itch to clone out background litter, I didn’t even feel like I had to edit the photos – the images here are all JPEGs. (The header image has a black border added, as a 16:9 will crop into the circle – something for videographers to take note of.)

I’m a portrait photographer whose 50mm – which has a 75mm equivalent look on my APS-C camera – rarely ever leaves my mirrorless body. But shooting with Sony’s first E-mount fisheye was a lot more fun than I expected.

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Sony has made just about every conventional lens you could ask for at this point, so perhaps it was inevitable that things were going to get a little more niche.

The Sony FE 8-14mm F3.5 Fisheye G is Sony’s first fisheye lens for its full-frame E-mount system, and rather than starting with a straightforward prime, Sony has gone straight for a zoom capable of switching between circular and diagonal fisheye perspectives.

At 8mm, the lens offers a 180-degree field of view with the familiar circular fisheye image, and zoom up to 14mm, and the image gradually expands until it fills the whole frame. It's definitely more flexible than the typical fisheye prime, but it's still a unique perspective and is going to complement rather than replace any of the best Sony lenses already in your bag.

Specifications

Price

The Sony FE 8-14mm F3.5 Fisheye G is set to cost $1,599 / £1,499 / €1,700 at launch.

Calling $1,599 cheap would clearly be stretching things, but I actually think Sony pitching this as part of the G series is a smart move, rather than being transformed into a G Master lens with a corresponding price tag. Fisheyes are maybe a lens that comes out more occasionally for most photographers, so perhaps not worth dedicating a large portion of a lens budget to.

If you do only want to dip a toe in extreme wide-angle, there are plenty of much, much cheaper fisheyes from third-party manufacturers. The Laowa 8-15mm f/2.8 FF Zoom Fisheye lens offers a nearly like-for-like focal length (albeit without autofocus) for around $700, or 7Artisans will sell you a fixed 7.5mm f/2 Fisheye lens for about $150.

Sony’s advantage is that this is considerably more sophisticated than most of those alternatives, particularly thanks to its autofocus, internal zoom, and flexible focal range, but you'll pay for those advancements.

Design & Handling

The first thing that struck me when the Sony 8-14mm arrived was just how impressively small it is. I knew the dimensions beforehand (314g and 82.8mm long), but I was still shocked when I actually pulled it out of the box. Mounted on the Sony A7 V, it looks petite.

Fortunately, Sony hasn't achieved that by stripping everything useful from the barrel. This has the usual reassuring G-series build quality with dust and moisture resistance. Alongside the zoom ring, there is an aperture ring that can be de-clicked for video, a manual focus ring, a zoom lock switch, a customizable button and a focus-mode switch.

The lens also uses an internal zoom, which is particularly welcome for videographers, as nothing changes externally as you move between 8mm and 14mm, which makes balancing the lens on a gimbal considerably easier.

My only irritation with the design is the lens hood. At 8mm (up until around 11mm), it has to be removed entirely because otherwise it would encroach on the circular image. That is understandable because, well, physics, but repeatedly taking the hood on and off becomes a little frustrating. You could leave it off permanently, but I would be reluctant to, as that large curved front element looks extremely vulnerable without anything protecting it.

That bulbous front element also rules out conventional screw-in filters, so Sony has included a rear filter holder instead. I’m glad it is there, although anyone already invested heavily in conventional circular filters may find themselves having to buy a few more accessories.

Performance

A fisheye lens is always a unique one to review, as it really comes down a lot to how much you like the fisheye look. Fisheyes also can't really be so easily judged by the same metrics as other lenses – distortion is basically the entire point.

At 8mm, the Sony produces the full circular fisheye effect, surrounded by the characteristic black border around the image area. As you zoom through the range, the image circle expands until it fills the frame, hitting the corners at around 13-14mm. Basically, there is still an obvious fisheye look through most of the zoom range, although the effect becomes progressively less dramatic toward the long end.

Optically, I was pleasantly surprised. Sharpness in the center is very good, but what impressed me most was how well detail holds together toward the edges. Given how aggressively the lens is bending the scene, I expected considerably more of a drop-off.

At 8mm, zooming right into images reveals slightly less crisp detail than I saw at 14mm around the edges, especially wide open, but in real-world viewing I don't think most people would notice. Fringing and chromatic aberration are also remarkably well controlled for something this wide, although there is a telltale blue ring around the outside of the circle, but this can be tackled in post if you don't like the look.

One thing to note: at 14mm, the lens is a diagonal fisheye by design. This lens does not have the flat rendering of a conventional rectilinear 14mm prime. So there is still noticeable distortion toward the corners. Lightroom can pull some of this back, although not completely.

Autofocus is excellent. It feels every bit as quick and reliable as any other recent Sony G lens I have used, and it had no issue tracking human subjects in my testing. Sony also says it can keep up with 120fps stills shooting and 240p video autofocus on compatible cameras.

The 0.15m minimum focusing distance also lets you get extremely close. Whether you actually want an extreme fisheye close-up is another question entirely, but if it works for you creatively, then it's possible.

My only minor disappointment is when it comes to video. While I can't fault the autofocus speed or the image quality, video cropping does spoil the perfect circular fisheye look.

Slow to embrace open gate, most Sony cameras use a 16:9 crop for video, which cuts off the edges of the image circle at 8mm – and that's without any electronic image stabilization on.

If you do need Sony's Active or Dynamic Active stabilization – for example, shooting sports like skateboarding, which this lens is perfect for – then it cuts into the circular image much further. You still get a unique look, but I wish I could preserve that perfect circular image.

Note: If you are looking for our usual lab testing results, unfortunately, we are unable to test fisheye lenses, as it's impossible to frame our testing chart with a 180º field of view!

Verdict

Sony's first-party full-frame lineup has been sorely missing a fisheye, but it has finally delivered one, and I think it was worth the wait. The Sony FE 8-14mm f/3.5 Fisheye G is surprisingly small, reassuringly well built, quick to focus, and optically much better than I expected from such an extreme design.

The real advantage, though, is the zoom. Being able to move from a circular fisheye at 8mm to a full-frame perspective at 14mm gives it considerably more creative flexibility than a fixed fisheye prime. I found that made it much easier to experiment with different compositions, and it was just a lot of fun to shoot with.

Although there is no getting around the fact that this remains a niche optic. At $1,599, it is a significant investment for something many photographers may only pull out occasionally, and there are far cheaper ways to experiment with fisheye photography. But I am glad Sony resisted the temptation to turn this into an even more expensive G Master.

For photographers, filmmakers, and content creators who genuinely want/need these extreme perspectives, the FE 8-14mm f/3.5 Fisheye G is a compact and impressively polished addition to Sony's lineup.

Alternatives

Sony’s early push into full-frame mirrorless means the E-Mount lens family has a wealth of different options, but one category has remained suspiciously absent until now: A fisheye. The Sony FE 8-14mm f/3.5 Fisheye G is the first Sony-branded fisheye for the mirrorless E-Mount system.

Announced on September 8, the Sony 8-14mm brings the ultra-wide distortion the lens type is known for into the E-Mount system with a bit of control. At 8mm, the lens shoots the classic round fisheye image on a black border, but at 14mm, the zoom becomes a rectilinear fisheye that fills the frame yet still has that extreme curved barrel distortion.

The lens can also shoot two different looks – equidistant or equisolid. Under the default distortion compensation-off settings, the lens is more “equidistant,” with a more even image distribution and less enlargement at the center. The lens creates an ”equisolid” look where the center looks larger, and the edges look more compressed with distortion compensation set to auto. (Shooting in RAW, the distortion settings can be adjusted after the shot with Sony Imaging Edge Desktop.)

The E-Mount system has a small handful of third-party fisheye options, but the lenses that mix a circular and rectilinear look in one using zoom are manual-focus-only options like the Laowa 8-15mm f/2.8 FF Zoom Fisheye.

That’s not the case with Sony’s first mirrorless fisheye, which uses two autofocus motors that Sony says are capable of keeping up with cameras with 120fps autofocus readouts.

The lens can focus as close as .15m / 5.91 inches from the front of the lens, creating some .22x closeup opportunities mixed with unusual fisheye distortion.

The Sony 8-14mm Fisheye is unusually narrow and compact, considering the optics needed for an ultra-wide view tend to create bulky lenses. But Sony’s streamlined design for the new fisheye is very much on purpose.

Besides the 314g weight making the lens easier to carry around – and smaller and lighter than the Laowa fisheye zoom – the lens is unusually narrow. That’s in part because Sony built the lens to also work with the Venus extension system to create a 3D VR setup with two lenses side-by-side.

For video, a 16:9 aspect ratio will crop the top and bottom of circular images, but cameras with 3:2 Open Gate can preserve the full circle.

The lens’ design also includes a focus lock switch for shooting astrophotography, as well as a zoom lock switch and seals for dust and moisture resistance.

I was able to shoot a few photos on the new Sony 8-14mm Fisheye mounted on the A7 V. Fisheye lenses create a bit of a quirky look that doesn’t work for every genre, but I found shooting with Sony’s fisheye to be far more fun than I expected.

Images are sharp and colorful, but mixed with the highly exaggerated perspectives of a fisheye. The only problem that I ran into is that the hood does need to be removed for shooting at 8mm – that and, as someone who doesn’t normally shoot with a fisheye, I had to constantly check the edges and make sure I didn’t accidentally get my own feet inside the ultra-wide 180-degree perspective.

The Sony FE 8-14mm f/3.5 Fisheye G will begin shipping in early October, with an expected list price of about $1,599 / £1,499 / CA$1,999.

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The big three camera market leaders are Canon, Nikon, and Sony. Now, fresh sales numbers from major Japanese retailer Kitamura are in, and one global player accounts for 50% of the Top 10 best-selling cameras in August 2026, while one brand is nowhere to be found.

According to Kitamura, Sony takes 5 out of the Top 10 spots. Nikon didn't make the ranking with a single camera.

At No.1 sits the Sony A7C II, "recommended for users who want to carry a full-frame camera with them at all times and don't want to compromise on performance," as Kitamura explains. Right behind is Sony's A6700 in No.2, followed by the A7 IV. Sony's latest full-frame release, the A7 V, takes No.6 and the ZV-E10 II comes ninth.

Canon has two models: the Canon EOS R6 Mark II and Canon EOS R6 Mark III, placed fourth and tenth.

OM System and Fujifilm fill the remaining three spots in the sales ranking. The OM System OM-5 Mark II 12-45mm f/4 Pro Lens Kit comes fifth; the OM System OM-1 Mark II is seventh, and the Fujifilm X-M5 XC15-45mm Lens Kit is eighth.

Kitamura's 10 best-selling cameras, August 2026

1. Sony A7C II
2. Sony A6700 High-Magnification Zoom Lens Kit
3. Sony A7 IV Zoom Lens Kit
4. Canon EOS R6 Mark II
5. OM System OM-5 Mark II 12-45mm f/4 Pro Lens Kit
6. Sony A7 V
7. OM System OM-1 Mark II
8. Fujifilm X-M5 XC15-45mm Lens Kit
9. Sony ZV-E10 II Power Zoom Lens Kit
10. Canon EOS R6 Mark III

Sony's chart-topping cameras

No.1 Sony A7C II
Kitamura says, "The successor to the A7C, which debuted as the world's smallest and lightest full-frame mirrorless camera. Packed with the latest features into a compact body, it delivers performance that exceeds its appearance."

No.2 Sony A6700
"This kit includes the A6700 camera and the high-magnification zoom lens "E 18-135mm F3.5-5.6 OSS".

"Despite its compact size, this lens can zoom up to the equivalent of 202.5mm, allowing you to shoot a wide range of subjects, including landscapes, snapshots, flowers, animals, and sports, all with just this one lens," explains Kitamura.

No. 3 Sony A7 IV
Kitamura says, "This camera is Sony's most standard full-frame mirrorless camera. With high-precision real-time tracking, it keeps track of your subject, ensuring you never miss a moment for both still images and videos."

No.6 Sony A7 V
"The A7 series has finally reached its 5th generation.

"By adopting a newly integrated partial-stacked sensor and the next-generation image processing engine "BIONZ XR2," it achieves highly accurate AI subject recognition and blackout-free continuous shooting at up to approximately 30 frames per second.

"It is a high-performance camera that is hard to believe is a basic model," explains Kitamura"

No.9 Sony ZV-E10 II
Kitamura says, "This is the successor to the ZV-E10, which has gained popularity as a video camera for shooting vlogs and YouTube videos.

"It features the same BIONZ XR image processing engine as higher-end models, resulting in improved video capabilities and autofocus performance. It's a recommended camera for anyone who wants to shoot cinematic videos."

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Browse the best mirrorless cameras, the best Sony cameras and the best Sony lenses.

The latest mirrorless cameras often come with anything but an affordable price tag, which is one reason buying used gear remains so popular. New data from Japanese camera marketplace Minna Camera shows that one DSLR in particular has risen in popularity over the last month, skipping 31 positions in just 4 weeks, to landing at number 1.

This camera is the Canon EOS 7D Mark II, launched back in November 2014, making it nearly 12 years old. Part of Canon's high-end APS-C DSLR line, it performs well in harsh conditions and its AF (autofocus) system gets moving subjects sharp quickly, making it a favorite among sports and action photographers.

Another notable success was achieved by a mirrorless camera, as the Sony ZV-E10 lands at number 9 after previously ranking at 65. Released in 2021, the very likeable little APS-C camera is not discontinued – which is a rarity in the top 10, as 70% of the models on the list are no longer in production.

Top 10 traded cameras at Minna Cameras (Aug 2026)*

*Release year, discontinued status and approx. used prices in USD and GBP added by Digital Camera World.

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Browse the best DSLR cameras, the best mirrorless cameras, and the best compact cameras.

As a tech reporter and photographer, I find some of the top trending camera lists easy to predict – but I never would have predicted the unusual mashup leading the top trending cameras in the US right now. Newly launched cameras like the Sony RX10 V bridge camera and popular mirrorless Canon EOS R6 Mark III are sitting mixed in with the strange Godox C100 compact viewfinder camera and even an eight-year-old DSLR, the Canon EOS Rebel T7.

The insight comes from US retailer B&H, who recently shared the list of top trending cameras for August 2026 with Digital Camera World.

The Sony RX10 V leads the top trending list for the second month in a row. The newly launched bridge camera revives the popular one-inch sensor paired with a 25x zoom lens. The bridge camera feels like the opposite of the compact camera trend with its beefy bridge-style design, but the camera is built to replace multiple lenses with its 24-600mm equivalent lens.

The RX10 V is followed by what reviewer James Artaius says is the “weirdest camera ever,” the Godox C100. The camera is 50 percent screen and doubles as a light meter, but the 2MP resolution, $45 / £39 price point, and the slim design also feel reminiscent of the trend behind the Kodak Charmera. The unusual design for the C100 is proving to be quite popular, with the C100 also appearing on the trends list for July.

The list isn’t without high-end mirrorless cameras, however. The Canon EOS R6 Mark III ranks high on the list of August trends. Launched late in 2025, the R6 Mark III was dubbed the “new yardstick by which other hybrids will be measured,” thanks to its mix of 32.5MP 40fps stills and 7K 60p open gate.

Perhaps the most unusual camera to hit the trends list, however, isn’t a fresh launch but an aging DSLR: the Canon EOS Rebel T7 (EOS 2000D). DSLRs have been steadily declining in popularity in recent years, so it’s unusual to find one hitting the trends list. The T7, however, still has a key feature going for it – it only costs $500 with a kit lens right now.

Still, while the T7 has an excellent price, Canon isn’t without similarly priced mirrorless kits like the EOS R100 – which has the same resolution in a smaller design with a more advanced autofocus system.

The DSLR is followed by another Canon mirrorless, this one even more pro-level: The Canon EOS R5 Mark II. The R5 Mark II, launched in 2024, brings a 45MP resolution with 8K 60 video, and yet still manages a speedy 30 fps burst mode.

The Sony mirrorless that has been hitting top trends lists in Japan since its launch continues to make an appearance on trend lists in the US. The Sony A7 V brings 33MP and 30 fps capabilities to Sony’s more affordable member in the full-frame Alpha series, along with upgraded subject recognition autofocus and stabilization up to 7.5 stops.

Several viral compact cameras also continue to impact camera trends in the US. The Fujifilm X100VI – which is still currently out of stock at B&H – makes the list with its compact retro design and 40.2MP sensor.

Canon’s pocketable zoom camera, the PowerShot SX740 HS, is also trending. Leica’s luxury Micro Four Thirds compact camera, the D-Lux 8, is also trending, but it's the new Metal Gray colorway that made the trends list. The more pocketable sibling to the RX10 V, the Sony RX100 VII, also makes the list of August trends.

Finally, the top performer from Sony’s crop sensor still camera series, the Sony A6700, also hit the trends list for August.

Top trending cameras at B&H for August 2026

• Sony RX10 V
• Godox C100 Mini Camera
• Canon EOS R6 Mark III
• Canon EOS Rebel T7 / EOS 2000D with 18-55mm lens
• Canon EOS R5 Mark II
• Sony A7 V
• Fujifilm X100VI
• Canon PowerShot SX740 HS
• Leica D-Lux 8
• Sony RX100 VII
• Sony A6700

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One of the key pieces to Sony’s mirrorless success is the speed made possible by the world’s largest sensor manufacturer’s stacked designs. But while Sony makes stacked sensors for full-frame mirrorless and stacked one-inch sensors in cameras like the RX10 V and RX100 VII, Sony’s APS-C mirrorless lineup skips the layered sensor built for speed.

Fresh reports are circulating that Sony’s sensor division is working on a 26MP APS-C stacked sensor. While Sony has yet to confirm the existence of such technology, the report is fanning the flames of rumors for potential new cameras such the Sony A6900 or a cinema-grade APS-C camera like the Sony FX30 II.

Sony’s stacked shutter design is the reason why cameras like the new Sony A7R VI can shoot at 30fps and 67MP when high-resolution cameras have traditionally been far slower than lower-resolution models.

The stacked design isn’t relegated only to Sony’s high-end mirrorless cameras either, with the layered sensor design also popping up in cameras like the RX10 V bridge camera and the RX100 VII compact camera – not to mention the stacked sensors inside some Sony smartphones. In fact, Sony first brought a stacked one-inch sensor to compact cameras in 2015.

Ten years after bringing the stacked design to compact cameras, I think it’s a fair question to ask when Sony could fill the gap between compact and full frame with an APS-C sensor.

Stacked sensors give the imaging chip dedicated layers for memory in order to speed up processing times. The result is faster burst speeds for stills and faster video frame rates.

Such an upgrade would make sense for the theoretical update to the A6700, as Sony’s more advanced stills-focused APS-C model is a good budget option for genres like sports and wildlife. But the rumors are calling for Sony’s upcoming sensor to be 26MP, which wouldn’t offer a resolution boost over the current model.

Without confirmation from Sony, it’s unclear if the brand’s next mirrorless camera could feature a stacked sensor design. Sony is the world’s largest sensor manufacturer, and even if the rumored sensor exists, there’s still a good chance that it isn’t destined for one of Sony’s mirrorless cameras.

But, having used the Sony a6400 as a budget birding camera and having also shot with the A7 V and A7R VI, I would love to see Sony’s stacked sensors come to the A6000 series.

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The top three camera makers in Japan have shifted – but a new report is hinting why. Earlier this year, a tally of the top camera makers in Japan showed that Fujifilm had pushed Nikon out of the top three in a major industry shakeup. But a new report reveals that, when it comes to mirrorless cameras, Nikon still sits in the top three.

The new data from Toyo Keizai Inc. takes a different approach than the Nikkei report that first hinted that Fujifilm is now one of the top three camera makers in Japan. The new report shows different numbers for one key reason: The report breaks down the cameras by category.

Comparing the two industry reports reveals that, while Fujifilm has risen up the ranks to spot three, narrowing down the list to just mirrorless cameras doesn’t have the same shakeup. Looking at the number of mirrorless cameras shipped, Canon, Sony, and Nikon are still leading the list.

According to the mirrorless camera report, Canon led with 2.3 million mirrorless cameras, followed by Sony with 1.8 million, Nikon with 860,000, Fujifilm with 750,000, Panasonic at 270,000, and OM System at 120,000.

The two contrasting reports suggest that it’s Fujifilm’s compact cameras like the X100VI and X Half that have pushed the brand into the top three, as when considering just the mirrorless cameras, Fujifilm still sits in fourth.

But while Fujifilm needs the sales of the viral X100VI in order to overtake the longstanding Nikon, the data also reveals just how much growth the company has had in the past two years for mirrorless alone. From 2023 to 2025, Fujifilm has almost doubled the number of mirrorless cameras shipped, moving from 380,000 to 750,000.

Based on the numbers in the overall report, that leaves Fujifilm with a whopping 410,000 compact cameras shipped in 2025 – though that number could include Instax as well as popular models like the X100VI.

Canon still leads even when doing a bit of math to see how many compact cameras were shipped last year. With 4.5 million cameras sold, 2.05 million of those were mirrorless cameras, and 580,000 were DSLRs. That suggests that Canon sold around 1.87 million cameras that didn’t fall into either interchangeable lens category.

Sony sold 2.42 million cameras, according to the report, with 1.8 million of those as mirrorless, leaving around 620,000 fixed lens cameras.

Breaking down the camera shipments by category also shows just how small the DSLR numbers are. Canon shipped around 580,000 DSLRs and Nikon 60,000. While the shrinking DSLR market is expected as brands focus remains on mirrorless, Canon’s DSLR numbers still remain above half a million.

Pentax, the camera brand that remains committed to DSLRs over mirrorless, shipped just 10,000 DSLRs, according to the report.

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Chris Burkard says that sometimes getting ready for the shoot is half the battle – but there are a few pieces of gear that the adventure photographer always has in his bag.

In a quirky video series for Sony Alpha’s YouTube Channel, Burkard kits out a new photographer as if he’s building a character inside of a video game. The humorous short starts with weather-appropriate clothing, including closed-toed shoes, a puffer jacket, and a rain shell oversized enough to tuck a camera inside in the event of a downpour.

Burkard is a Sony Artisan of Imagery and, naturally, as part of Sony’s ambassador program, the photographer isn’t shy about sharing what gear he uses. He’s previously shared kits that include three mirrorless cameras along with a compact camera and several lenses. But the video shares some insight into what kit Burkard would build for a more streamlined setup, along with what lens is always in his bag, and what lens is his favorite.

The lens that Burkard says is "always in my bag" is a 24-70mm f/2.8 workhorse zoom – more specifically, he uses Sony’s second generation of the workhorse, the Sony FE 24-70mm f/2.8 GM II. The second generation improves the workhorse lens’ handling with a lighter design and more robust weather-sealing, while also improving sharpness and reducing chromatic aberration.

His favorite lens, however, is even wider than that workhorse: the Sony FE 16-35mm f/2.8 GM II. DCW Reviews Editor Gareth Bevan noted that the second-generation lens isn’t just lighter and more compact than the original, but is also sharper, with noticeable improvements in distortion and vignetting.

Beyond those two favorites, the streamlined kit that Burkard builds finishes what’s commonly referred to as the “holy trinity” of lenses, adding the Sony FE 70-200mm f/2.8 GM OSS II to the trio of zooms in the kit.

Burkard chooses just one prime lens for the streamlined kit: the Sony FE 24mm f/1.4 GM, which he says he grabs for night photography and a shallower depth of field than the f/2.8 zooms.

As for the camera body, Burkard builds the kit around the Sony A7R V, which the photographer calls his “high-resolution workhorse for shooting landscapes in the field.” While Sony now has the newly launched A7R VI, the A7R V remains available at a lower price point than the latest model.

The video is part of a new Sony and Burkard video collab, Inside, Out There, a series of short videos that’s about “learning to see the world with more intention.”

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The Sony A7 V has made a major impact since launching, taking the top spot at Japan's biggest camera retailers month after month and quickly establishing itself as one of the most popular mirrorless cameras.

Now the full-frame camera has added another major industry award to its growing collection – having previously won Best Full Frame Expert Camera at the TIPA World Awards and Camera of the Year at the Camera Grand Prix 2026 – with EISA naming the A7 V Camera of the Year 2026-2027.

The Expert Imaging and Sound Association, EISA, is a major consumer technology awards group comprising 51 technology-related publications and announces winners across a range of technology product categories, including hi-fi audio, home theater and photography.

EISA Camera of the Year 2026-2027

EISA says, "The Sony Alpha 7 V is a weather-sealed full-frame camera that’s suitable for virtually any application. It combines tried-and-tested features such as 5-axis image stabilization with cutting-edge photographic technology.

"Its partially stacked Exmor RS CMOS image sensor delivers 33 megapixels while enabling shooting at 30 frames per second to provide blackout-free continuous shooting.

"It employs Sony’s latest BIONZ XR2 processor, with an integrated AI processing unit that supports autofocus with real-time subject recognition including human pose estimation.

"It’s also a very good video camera that’s capable of 4K recording at 60fps, or 120fps with a Super35 crop. Whether in the studio or outdoors, the Sony Alpha 7 V is a reliable and high-performance camera for discerning photographers."

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Japan's latest compact camera sales figures from major retailer Yodobashi are in – and in the Top 10 chart for the first half of August 2026 are many cult point-and-shoot cameras that are years old. At the top of the ranking sits a compact first released eight years ago, then relaunched in 2024 with essentially the same technology.

The Canon PowerShot SX740 HS / Lite takes the crown despite the wave of new compact camera launches lately, including Panasonic champions like the Lumix L10 or ZS300 / TZ300. It is hard to find stock, with second-hand prices often climbing above its original RRP of $699.95 / £549.99.

Yodobashi also reveals just how high demand is for some of the cameras on the list: four of the Top 10 are currently on backorder, including the No.1, the Canon PowerShot G7 X Mark III (No.2), Ricoh GR IV (No.4), and Fujifilm X100VI (No.5) – all made the ranking due to previously placed orders. Sony's ZV-1 II also made the Top 10, despite being currently out of production.

Yodobashi's Top 10 best-selling compact cameras, 1st Half Aug 2026

1. Canon PowerShot SX740 HS / Lite | Silver | Black backordered
2. Canon PowerShot G7 X Mark III | Black | Silver backordered
3. Sony ZV-1 II | Black | White currently out of production
4. Ricoh GR IV backordered
5. Fujifilm X100VI | Silver | Black backordered
6. Sony RX10 V
7. Panasonic Lumix TZ99 / ZS99 | Black | White
8. Canon IXY 650M / Elph 360 HS A / Ixus 285 HS A | Black | Silver
9. Kodak Pixpro C1 | Brown | Black
10. Panasonic Lumix TX3 / ZS300 / TZ300 | Black | Graphite Silver

Canon's unbeatable PowerShot compact cameras

When the original Canon PowerShot SX740 HS launched in 2018, the compact camera market looked very different from today. Straightforward point-and-shoots were popular, while premium compacts (now found across the category) were far less common.

Canon clearly found a winning formula with the SX740 HS, and the Lite Edition keeps that formula largely intact. It uses the same core camera technology as the original, with the main difference being the removal of in-camera USB charging in favor of an external battery charger.

The appeal is easy to understand: a genuinely pocketable camera, a huge 40x optical zoom (24–960mm equivalent), and a familiar, straightforward shooting experience – a combination that remains difficult to replace, even as newer compacts arrive with more advanced technology.

Another Canon model making the list is the PowerShot G7 X Mark III, also a model that is years old. It launched in 2019, yet remains one of the most sought-after compact cameras on the market.

Compared with the SX740 HS / Lite, the G7 X Mark II has a 1-inch sensor and a bright 24-100mm equivalent f/1.8-2.8 lens with 4.2x optical zoom.

Featuring a sensor format that is used in many of the best compact cameras, it gives users a big step up in image quality from most camera phones or action cams, also when compared to the smaller 1/2.3-inch sensor of the SX740 HS / Lite.

The Canon G7 X Mark III is more expensive second-hand

Used prices are now often higher than the G7 X Mark III's original retail price.

While this might seem unusual for an older camera, renewed interest in compact cameras and the dedicated shooting experience that differs from shooting with a smartphone are key factors. Social media also helped fuel the point-and-shoot revival.

With the camera now difficult to find in stock, that popularity has collided with limited supply – pushing second-hand prices well above what you'd normally expect from a camera release in 2019.

So while newer compact cameras continue to arrive with more advanced technology, the latest Yodobashi chart shows that buyers are still driven to get one of the established Canon cult models, winning with their proven formula.

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Japan's latest camera sales figures by major retailer Yodobashi are out – and the No.1 is a full-frame mirrorless that many photographers have been waiting for. Since its release in December 2025, the Sony A7 V has regularly topped the sales charts. But the real all-rounder camera champion sits at No.2 and No.4: the Sony A7C II, a compact full-frame that has been on the market for almost three years.

The A7 V is a multi-award-winning camera, having been named Camera of the Year twice by EISA and the Camera Grand Prix, and was also awarded the title Best Full Frame Expert Camera at the TIPA World Awards. When it entered the market around eight months ago, it quickly became one of the most popular cameras in Japan.

But the more interesting success story is the A7C II. Announced in August 2023, it continues to appear among Japan's best-selling mirrorless cameras, beating newer releases more often than some might expect – and there's a good reason why.

Yodobashi's Top 10 best-selling cameras, 1st Half Aug, 2026

1. Sony A7 V
2. Sony A7C II Zoom Lens Kit | Silver | Black
3. Fujifilm X-M5 + XC15-45mm Lens Kit | Silver | Black
4. Sony A7C II | Silver | Black
5. Canon EOS R50 Double Zoom Kit | Black | White
6. Hasselblad X2D II 100C
7. Canon EOS R5 Mark II
8. Canon EOS R10 + RF-S18-150 IS STM Lens Kit
9. Canon EOS R6 Mark II
10. Sony ZV-E10 II Double Zoom Lens Kit | Black | White

The Sony A7 V vs. Sony A7C II

So why is a nearly three-year-old camera still selling alongside Sony's newest full-frame model?

Both the A7 V and A7C II are full-frame mirrorless cameras, but the A7C II has two major advantages: price and portability.

At 514g, it is considerably lighter than the 695g A7 V. The A7C II is currently available for $2,498 / £2,099, while the newer A7 V costs $2,898 / £2,799.

The A7C II is a compact all-rounder that champions performance and portability. It already delivers advanced AF, high-resolution imaging, and solid video capabilities – meaning some users may not see a compelling upgrade in newer models.

That's why, even three years later, the A7C II is still a competitive player in a competitive market that's known to move fast.

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Eight of the Top 10 best-selling lenses in Japan right now come from third-party manufacturers, according to the latest BCN Raking data.

Sigma and Tamron dominate the chart, with four lenses each, while only one Nikon and one Sony lens make the Top 10 – and there isn't a single Canon optic in sight.

The biggest winner is Sigma, whose 18-50mm f/2.8 DC DN | C takes the No.1 spot for Sony E-mount. The same lens also appears at No.2 in Canon RF-mount and No.4 in Fujifilm X-mount, making it one of the most successful individual lens designs in the ranking. Sigma's 28-70mm f/2.8 DG DN | C also takes third place, giving the brand four spots in total.

BCN's Top 10 best-selling lenses, July 2026

1. Sigma 18-50mm f/2.8 DC DN | C (E-mount)
2. Sigma 18-50mm f/2.8 DC DN | C (RF-mount)
3. Sigma 28-70mm f/2.8 DG DN | C (E-mount)
4. Sigma 18-50mm f/2.8 DC DN | C (X-mount)
5. Tamron 17-70mm f/2.8 Di III-A VC RXD (E-mount)
6. Tamron 25-200mm f/2.8-5.6 Di III VXD G2 (E-mount)
7. Nikon Z 24-120mm f/4 S
8. Tamron 70-180mm f/2.8 Di III VC VXD G2 (E-mount)
9. Sony E 70-350mm f/4.5-6.3 G OSS
10. Tamron 50-400mm f/4.5-6.3 Di III VC VXD (E-mount)

Sigma's third party lens success in Japan

Launched for Canon RF in 2024, the Sigma 18-50mm f/2.8 DC DN | C was Sigma's first AF (autofocus) lens for the mount – a long-awaited release for Canon EOS R users.

It's an ideal choice for APS-C cameras such as the EOS R7, R10, R50 and R100 and is priced relatively affordably at $659 / £468 (RF-mount).

It offers a useful standard zoom range equivalent to roughly 27-75mm in full-frame and is lightweight, weighing 290g in Sony E and L-mount versions, 285g for Fujifilm X and 300g for Canon RF.

In our review, we highlighted its lightweight design and constant f/2.8 aperture as its major strengths. We also found its AF to be fast and virtually silent, while build quality and weather resistance were further strengths.

Tamron also claims four spots

Tamron accounts for four of the Top 10, with the 17-70mm f/2.8 Di III-A VC RXD at No.5, followed by the 25-200mm f/2.8-5.6 Di III VXD G2 at No.6, the 70-180mm f/2.8 Di III VC VXD G2 at No.8 and the 50-400mm f/4.5-6.3 Di III VC VXD at No.10. All four are Sony E-mount lenses.

Together, Tamron's lenses span everything from fast standard zooms to all-in-one travel lenses and long telephoto zooms – great alternatives to often larger or more expensive first-party options.

That leaves just two first-party lenses in the chart. Nikon's Z 24-120mm f/4 S comes in at No.7, while Sony's E 70-350mm f/4.5-6.3 G OSS takes ninth place.

Canon, meanwhile, is completely absent from BCN's July Top 10 – despite its hugely popular RF 100-400mm f/5.6-8 IS USM previously claiming top spots across different Japanese retailers, like Kitamura.

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The Expert Imaging and Sound Association (EISA) has announced its 2026/27 winners and, unlike last year, which saw Sony win the sweepstakes across the best lens and best camera categories, this year Nikon has mixed things up.

Each year, EISA – a major consumer technology awards group currently formed of 51 technology-related publications – announces winners across a range of technology product categories, including hi-fi audio, home theater and photography.

2026/27 has seen a new “Lens of the Year”: the Nikon NIKKOR Z 24-70mm f/2.8 S II. The Nikon lens, which has already made a name for itself for producing sharp images across the frame, dethroned the Sony FE 50–150mm f/2 GM.

EISA particularly praised the internal zoom construction for bolstering its video-making abilities, calling the Nikon lens professional glass “without any weaknesses.”

The Nikon win meant that there was no Sony clean sweep like last year, but the mirrorless camera giant did retain its “Camera of the Year” crown, which EISA awarded to the Sony A7 V. The latest installment in Sony’s coveted prosumer range, the A7 V has dominated sales charts in Japan since its release just shy of one year ago.

It has been praised for its 33MP hybrid stills-video performance, thanks to the partially stacked 33MP sensor and BIONZ XR2 processor, which deliver fast readout speeds and reduced rolling shutter artifacts.

EISA – whose expert member publications’ editors test all awarded products – commended the A7 V for its “cutting-edge photographic technology”, making it a suitable rig for “virtually” all kinds of shoots.

Sony also captured the “Professional Camera” award with its A7R VI. The 67MP full-frame beast is Sony’s latest release and combines a new dedicated AI processing unit and a fully stacked sensor. EISA said the professional rig boasted “dramatically improved” subject recognition and tracking compared with the previous model, the A7R V.

In other categories, Fujifilm won the “Best Buy Camera” award with the X-T30 III, while the cropped-sensor giant was also recognized as the best APS-C camera producer thanks to the X-E5.

Tamron captured a pair of awards, too, including “Wide-Angle Zoom” with the 16-30mm f/2.8 Di III VXD G2 and “Standard Zoom Lens” for its 35-100mm f/2.8 Di III VXD.

To see all of the 2026/27 EISA Award winners, head to the awards website.

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New cameras often sit at the top of the best-seller list, but this three-year-old mirrorless camera is still so popular that it ranks in the top three on both the new and used sales lists in Japan: the Sony A7C II.

In the latest data from Japanese retailer Map Camera, the Sony A7C II sits at the very top of the used camera rankings. But the camera also ranks third among the new camera sales for July 2026.

The data highlights the A7C II’s longstanding popularity. Released in 2023, it puts a full-frame Sony sensor into a smaller, rangefinder-inspired camera body.

Mixing parts from other Sony cameras into a smaller body, in his Sony A7C II review my colleague Gareth said it's “still one of your best bets” for creators looking for pro features in a small body.

While the A7C II isn’t cheap, the $2,499 / £2,099 / AU$2,999 / CA$2,999 price point makes it not only a more portable option but also a more affordable one than full-frame cameras like the new Sony A7 V or the A7R VI.

While the A7C II continues to trend in Japan, it isn’t the only camera that hits both new and used lists: joining it are the Canon EOS R6 Mark II and Fujifilm X-E5.

Perhaps even more interesting, however, are the cameras that are trending used – but not as popular among new-in-box sales. The Fujifilm X-T5 sits in the second-place spot on the used list, but not on the new list despite being a current model.

Map Camera, however, says that Fujifilm is facing some supply issues in Japan. The X-T5, the store says, is readily available used.

The Nikon Z50 II sits in the third-place spot on the list of trending used cameras, but doesn’t feature among the new options – though its full-frame sibling, the Z5 II, does.

The Z50 II is one of Nikon’s most affordable mirrorless cameras, but it adopts some of the autofocus features of Nikon’s pricier bodies in a smaller crop-sensor camera.

While Nikon only appears once in the top ten list for new cameras, it hits three times on the used trends list. Besides the Z50 II, the Nikon Zf ranks eighth. And appearing on the used top ten for the first time is the Nikon Z8, which Map Camera says has always tended to be overshadowed by the retro Zf.

The list also highlights how new releases bring older models back into the spotlight among shoppers looking for a used deal. The DJI Osmo Pocket 3 ranks in seventh place on the list, in part due to some users trading up for the newly announced DJI Osmo Pocket 4 and Osmo Pocket 4P.

Trending used cameras at Map Camera for July 2026

1. Sony A7C II
2. Fujifilm X-T5
3. Nikon Z50 II
4. Canon EOS R6 Mark II
5. Sony A7 III
6. Fujifilm X-E5
7. DJI Osmo Pocket 3
8. Nikon Zf
9. Canon EOS R7
10. Nikon Z8

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Japanese electronics retailer Yodobashi Camera has released its top-selling camera rankings for the second half of July 2026. The Sony A7 V reigns at the top spot and, for the first time, its kit bundle featuring an FE 28-70mm f/3.5-5.6 OSS II cracked the chart, landing in the tenth spot.

Yodobashi releases its top 10 best-selling cameras report twice monthly, for the first and second halves of each month, compiling sales data from its online store as well as 24 brick-and-mortar locations across Japan.

Positions 2 to 8 remained the same as for the first half of July, with the 100MP medium format Hasselblad X2D II 100C continuing its unexpected Japanese momentum in third place with the renowned Canon EOS R5 II in seventh.

But the dominance of the A7 V, the latest in Sony’s prosumer A7 lineup, is worthy of note. According to Map Camera, another major Japanese retailer, following its release in late 2025 the A7 V “swept through the market,” dominating Map’s charts for 4 months consecutively.

Yodobashi top 10 digital cameras (second half July 2026)

1. Sony A7 V
2. Sony A7C II kit (FE 28-60mm f/4-5.6)
3. Hasselblad X2D II 100C
4. Sony A7C II
5. Fujifilm X-M5 kit (XC 15-45mm f/3.5-5.6 OIS PZ)
6. Canon EOS R50 double zoom kit (RF-S 18-45mm f/4.5-6.3 IS STM + RF-S 55-210mm f/5-7.1 IS STM)
7. Canon EOS R5 Mark II
8. Nikon Z50 II double zoom kit (Z DX 16-50mm f/3.5-6.3 VR + Z DX 50-250mm f/4.5-6.3 VR)
9. Canon EOS R10 kit (RF-S 18-150mm f/3.5-6.3 IS STM)
10. Sony A7 V kit (FE 28-70mm f/3.5-5.6 OSS II)

It’s no wonder Sony has topped sales charts, considering how well the A7 V is geared toward both stills and video.

The hybrid camera features a 33MP partially stacked sensor, up to 30fps blackout-free shooting, 7.5 stops of in-body image stabilization, plus oversampled 4K 60p video with 4K 120p in a Super35 crop.

However, the Sony rig sits at the higher end of the prosumer hybrid setup price range, with an RRP of $2,899 / £2,799 UK / AU$3,999.

Currently a Sony A7 III shooter, I certainly recommend the A7 V – but there’s an alternative that doesn’t appear in Yodabshi’s best-selling list I’d look at before deciding: the Panasonic Lumix S1R II.

This is Panasonic’s flagship full-frame mirrorless hybrid, featuring a 44MP sensor, Phase Hybrid AF with AI tracking and internal 8K video recording.

Since moving away from the old Depth From Defocus (DFD) contrast-based AF system to the newer Phase Hybrid AF system, Lumix cameras have seen their performance bolstered and popularity grow.

What’s more, not only do the S1R II’s specs rival the Sony A7 V’s, but it’s a flagship model for just $100 more in the US (£100 less in the UK / AU$1,000 more in Australia). So, just because Lumix doesn’t make Japan’s top-10 sales ranking doesn’t mean it isn’t worth considering.

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The leading camera brands have seen another shakeup in rankings, according to a report by Japan’s largest financial newspaper. Retro-camera maker Fujifilm’s viral fame has propelled the company into third place, dropping longstanding Nikon out of the top three.

The insight comes from the Nikkei Industry Map 2027, an annual report coming from the region’s largest financial media outlet, analyzed and shared by Digital Camera Life. The report examines Japan’s camera makers and ranks each brand by the number of cameras shipped.

Canon continues to lead in terms of market share and has strengthened that lead by adding nearly a million camera shipments compared to 2024’s data. That leaves Canon with a 45.7% share – that means nearly half of all digital cameras shipped from Japan bear the Canon name.

That’s followed by Sony, which has now held the number two spot for seven years, thanks to the rise of the Alpha mirrorless series. Sony saw slight growth from 2024’s numbers, moving from 2.33 million cameras shipped to 2.42 million.

But the real shakeup comes in third place: Fujifilm. Nikon has held the third spot since the Sony Alpha series pushed the company down to third in 2019. Nikon’s drop to fourth place is affected somewhat by lower sales – dropping from 960,000 to 880,000 – but Nikon would have held onto the third place spot if Fujifilm hadn’t also seriously jumped up in sales at the same time.

The report suggests that Fujifilm shipped 1.16 million cameras in 2025, up from 740,000 the year before. The data gives concrete insight into Fujifilm’s viral fame.

Fujifilm, known largely for its retro-inspired cameras and color science, started seeing accelerated growth after the X100VI went viral, a two-year-old camera that is still in such demand that it’s hard to find in stock without a wait list.

The X100 series' success has bled into other models, like its mirrorless sibling the Fujifilm X-E5, while more budget-friendly models like the X-M5 and X-T30 III have also sold well for the brand.

Neither Nikon nor Fujifilm has announced a new mirrorless camera yet in 2026.

Although Nikon revised its 2026 projections for slightly lower sales during the last investor report, the company says it expects the interchangeable lens market to remain solid over the medium and long term.

While the numbers drop Nikon out of the top three, that’s not the only unusual shakeup. Ricoh has surpassed OM System, moving from seventh to sixth, behind Panasonic. The reason? Ricoh’s camera shipments tripled over the last year.

While the report doesn’t specifically detail how many of each camera were shipped, Ricoh’s growth is likely due to the success of the Ricoh GR IV series.

The pocketable camera that packs an APS-C sensor has long been a popular option, but Ricoh’s refresh of the series last August and the growth of the compact camera segment is likely giving the brand a significant boost.

That puts OM System in seventh place, the last on the rankings, with 150,000 cameras shipped, which is about 10,000 less than the year before.

Panasonic hasn’t changed rank, in the fifth-place spot, but the numbers show a steep growth from 280,000 cameras to 430,000.

While a majority of the largest camera-makers are based in Japan, the Nikkei report’s regional focus means that brands like Leica (Germany) and Hasselblad (Sweden) aren’t tallied and ranked in the report.

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Compact cameras have been rapidly rising in trends, but the latest list of trending cameras from Japan hints at another trend that may be prevailing over size: zoom. Some 40% of the best-selling compact cameras in Japan have at least 15x zoom, including the newly launched Sony RX10 V bridge camera.

The data comes from Japanese camera retailer Yodobashi’s list of best-selling compacts for the second half of July. While the list includes several repeat offenders – like the top-ranked Canon PowerShot G7 X Mark III, the Canon PowerShot SX740 HS and the viral Fujifilm X100VI – one camera on the list is so new that sales were only open for a single day in July.

The RX10 V only became available on July 31, but the bridge camera came as a surprise announcement after Sony had previously discontinued the 1-inch sensor zoom series without a sign of a replacement.

The RX10 V is hardly a “compact” camera; it weighs about 2 lbs / 1,111g, thanks to a highly versatile 24-600mm equivalent lens. As a bridge camera, it looks more like a small DSLR than a point-and-shoot camera, but Yodobashi defines anything with a fixed, non-removable lens as a “compact camera,” so the superzoom made the list.

The Sony RX10 V sits squarely in the middle of the top ten at spot number five, but that’s quite an impressive ranking for a camera that, technically, only had one day of sales compared to the other cameras on the list that were available during that entire time period.

The RX10 V is one of four cameras on the list with a versatile zoom lens. The PowerShot SX740 HS (second place) has the longest of the bunch with a 40x lens, followed by the Panasonic Lumix TZ99 / ZS99 with a 30x zoom (eighth place), the RX10 V with 25x (fifth place) and the Panasonic Lumix ZS300/TZ300 with a 15x zoom lens (tenth place).

The list hints that zoom remains a key feature for compact cameras – even when that zoom makes the camera no longer pocketable, as is the case with the Sony RX10 V.

While the list is dominated by cameras with zoom, compacts with oversized sensors remain highly popular. The Fujifilm X100VI sits in third place, but is out of stock and likely could have ranked even higher had more been available.

The Ricoh GR IV – which, like the X100VI, has an APS-C sensor – is also so popular that it’s out of stock at the retailer, but still manages to earn a sixth-place spot in the rankings.

While much of the list leans towards cameras with zoom, the GR IV and X100VI use lenses without optical zoom, instead fitting a larger sensor and brighter aperture into a portable design.

The list also includes one popular vlogging camera, the Sony ZV-1 II, which has an 18-50mm equivalent lens.

The list also highlights the popularity of point-and-shoots that sit on the more affordable side, with two budget models on the list, the Canon PowerShot Elph 360 HS A (known as the Canon IXY 650m in Japan) and the Kodak PixPro C1.

The best-selling compact cameras at Yodobashi, second half of July 2026

1. Canon PowerShot G7 X Mark III
2. Canon PowerShot SX740 HS
3. Fujifilm X100VI
4. Sony ZV-1 II
5. Sony RX10 V
6. Ricoh GR IV
7. Canon PowerShot ELPH 360 HS A
8. Panasonic Lumix TZ99
9. Kodak Pixpro C1
10. Panasonic Lumix ZS300/TZ300

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Sony’s latest cinema camera, the FX5, was announced back in July to enormous fanfare, huge excitement and massive sales. However, those who put their pre-orders down are going to have to wait – as the previous warnings of shipping delays until September have now turned into an indefinite postponement, with no official release date.

In a statement on its Japanese website, Sony announced that the release of the FX5 and its related accessories – an OLED viewfinder, an XLR handle unit and a timecode adapter cable – will be postponed due to unspecified "production issues".

The announcement comes pretty close to the last-minute, shortly before the camera’s stated release of August 21. And Sony has been unable to specify a new release date, meaning it could be a while before filmmakers can get their hands on the new camera.

The FX5 is billed as a lightweight cinema camera for professionals, slotting into the range between the Sony FX3 and FX6. Its headline feature is its capacity to shoot 5K 60p open gate video that uses the full 3:2 sensor area – though many features like 5K 120p open gate and cropped 4K 240p modes have been confirmed as coming along later, via firmware, and won't be present on the camera as released.

Billed as 'handheld Hollywood', the FX5 proved much more popular than Sony anticipated, with pre-orders flying in immediately after the camera was announced on July 28. It’s unclear whether the delay is related to the huge volumes of pre-orders, or some other unanticipated issue – Sony is remaining pretty tight-lipped about the specifics.

The Sony FX5 costs $4,898 / £4,700 / AU$7,849 body-only, or $5,498 / £5,200 / AU$8,849 in a bundle with the XLR handle. Pre-orders are still open – but I’d say it might be worth holding off for the time being. There are plenty of other excellent Sony cinema cameras you can get your hands on instead…

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