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
- Canon PowerShot G9
- Canon PowerShot G12
- Panasonic Lumix DMC-LX5
- Canon PowerShot G11
- Olympus Pen E-PM2
- Panasonic Lumix DMC-GF3
- Olympus PEN E-P1
- Sony Alpha NEX-3N
- Canon PowerShot G7 X Mark II
- Canon EOS Rebel T2i
You may also like
Browse the best compact cameras or the best retro cameras.
