The retro tech craze has brought back cheap digicams – and some of the most iconic names in photography. A key example? Nearly half of the top ten best-selling cameras on Amazon Japan and Amazon US are Kodak-branded cameras right now.

While Eastman Kodak is alive and well and still producing film, digital cameras that carry the Kodak name come from a variety of manufacturers that license the Kodak name and not the New York-based brand that first created the point-and-shoot with the phrase “You push the button, we do the rest.”

The nostalgic tech and compact camera craze has proven to work particularly well for cameras carrying the Kodak name. The 1.6 MP Kodak Charmera went so viral at launch that stock was severely limited, while cameras like the Kodak PixPro FZ55 have continued to hit best-seller lists for mixing an affordable price point with a compact design and 5x optical zoom.

While Kodak is arguably one of the most well-known camera brands originating from the US, Kodak digicams have also done particularly well in Japan. The region housing key brands like Canon, Sony, Nikon, Fujifilm, and Ricoh is particularly fond of Kodak compact cameras based on Amazon’s best-seller lists.

According to Amazon Japan, the top ten best-selling cameras right now include the Kodak Pixpro FZ55 – which is on the list twice, once alone and once in a kit with a case and memory card – the Kodak PixPro C1 and the Kodak Charmera.

Other brands don’t come in until after the top four, but compact cameras like the OM System Tough TG-7, Canon IXY 650 (which is the PowerShot ELPh 360 HS and IXUS 285 in other regions), Canon PowerShot SX740, and Ricoh WG-80 also make the top ten.

The Kodak FZ55, Kodak Charmera, and Canon PowerShot ELPH 360 HS A also make the top ten on Amazon’s US best-seller list, but the Kodak FZ45 sits in the number one spot, and the retro PixPro C1 doesn’t come in until number 15.

Amazon’s best-seller lists tend to lean more towards affordable consumer cameras, where photography speciality stores tend to have more pro-level gear and mirrorless cameras on their best-seller charts. But the data from the world’s largest online retailer makes it clear – Kodak digicams are in high demand.

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We've tested the best point-and-shoot cameras to find out which one is worth the cash. Or, read what Kodak has coming next – a retro camera with a film simulation dial!

The compact camera trendsetters have been particularly fond of affordable Kodak PixPro cameras, but new photos suggest that a new retro Kodak with zoom and even a film simulation dial is launching this fall, alongside a new waterproof compact.

The news comes from GT Company, a France-based distributor that sells cameras like the Kodak PixPro FZ55, the Kodak PixPro C1, as well as AgfaFoto products. The brand is set to display the newest releases at the IFA show September 4-8 in Berlin – and tucked among the new launches are two new compact cameras, the Kodak PixPro P1, a waterproof compact camera, and the Kodak PixPro C10, a camera with a 10x zoom lens.

GT Company hasn’t yet shared full details about the cameras (which are made by Kodak licensee JK Imaging), but there are a few hints that can be gleaned from the photos of the upcoming cameras – including what appears to be a film simulation dial at the top of the PixPro C10.

Kodak PixPro C10

Zoom is often a headlining feature on many compact cameras – and photos suggest the Kodak PixPro will have a 10x zoom lens with an f/3.6-6/7 aperture, equivalent to a 25-250mm reach on a full-frame camera.

But one of the reasons that Kodak has surged among trends is for the nostalgia – and what’s pictured on top of the camera could be even more enticing than the zoom. Images of the top of the Pixpro C10 show what looks like a film simulation dial.

The dial has a spot for S, N, and B&W – likely for standard, neutral, and black-and-white profiles. But there are also icons that look like a roll of film with the abbreviations “Ech,” “Kch,” and “Kco” – I suspect these could be digital filters that are designed to mimic some popular Kodak film types.

Film simulations are digital color profiles that are applied in-camera – sort of like applying an Instagram filter before taking the shot.

Mimicking Kodak film types would be a smart move. Analog and simpler tech is resurging in trends, and if the new Kodak comes with retro filters built in as well as an iconic black-and-silver look on the outside, I’m predicting such a camera could be a major hit. A recent list of best-sellers in Japan is made up of 40 percent cheap Kodak-branded cameras, so there’s definitely a high demand for these compact cameras.

Without full details ahead of the September show, it’s unclear just what tech the Kodak PixPro C10 is packing inside. The company’s Kodak-branded compact cameras tend to fall under the “cheap compact camera” umbrella, so I would expect the PixPro C10 to follow suit with a more basic sensor and set of specs.

Kodak PixPro P1

A waterproof compact camera will also be unveiled at the IFA show this fall. There are a number of Kodak PixPros that already have waterproofing, but the PixPro P1 is unusual in that it looks like it has a retro design and a tilting screen similar to the Kodak PixPro C1, a popular retro compact camera.

Making a tilting screen durable and waterproof is far more challenging than working with a fixed screen, so a tilt screen on a waterproof compact camera isn’t common (though the 2014 Olympus Tough TG-860 had one, for example).

The images of the upcoming PixPro P1 offer a few more hints that can be gleaned without a spec sheet. The camera appears to be waterproof to 5m or 16 feet. The lens doesn’t list a zoom range, though there is a zoom toggle on the back (which could be for digital zoom if the P1 doesn’t have optical zoom).

Photos hint that the Kodak PixPro P1 will come in at least two color options – a black with a more retro feel and a blue and white option.

As September launches, details like the price and spec sheets are missing for both cameras. But, based on the popularity of current PixPro cameras and the teaser images, the upcoming Kodaks could have some hit features.

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Don't want to wait until September? These are the best retro cameras right now, or browse the best point-and-shoot cameras.

As the headquarters for several of the biggest camera brands, Japan is often the first region photographers look to for key trends – but the latest list of best-selling compact cameras doesn’t include any of the usual viral suspects like the Fujifilm X100VI or Ricoh GR IV. Instead, the list starts with the retro Kodak PixPro C1 and reads like a who's-who list of cheap compact cameras.

The data comes from BCN+R, a market research company that compiles data from about 40 percent of retail sales from major electronic store chains across Japan. The company recently shared a list of the top-selling compact cameras for the first half of 2026.

Kodak dominates the list with four models – more than any other manufacturer – building on another BCN+R trend where Kodak was the leading brand in sales for compact cameras in 2025. The four Kodaks on the list come from JK Imaging, a company that licenses the Kodak name.

According to BCN+R, these are the most popular compact cameras in Japan for January through June 2026:

1. Kodak PixPro C1
2. Kodak PixPro FZ55
3. Fujifilm Instax Mini Evo
4. Canon PowerShot SX740 HS
5. Canon IXY 650m / PowerShot ELPH 360 HS / IXSUS 285 HS
6. OM System TOUGH TG-7
7. Panasonic Lumix TZ99
8. Kenko Tokina KC-AF11
9. Kodak PixPro FZ45
10. Kodak PixPro WPZ2

As a photography industry expert, the first thing that struck me about the list is that it lacks some of the most viral advanced compact cameras with larger sensors, like the Fujifilm X100VI and Ricoh GR IV. But, both of these options are so popular that they are difficult to find in stock, which could be playing a key role in those cameras’ absence.

But there could be another factor at play: Price. The list is heavily dominated by budget cameras. Only three of the options on the top ten list retail for more than US$500: The Canon PowerShot SX740 HS, the waterproof OM System Tough TG-7, and the zoomy Panasonic Lumix TZ99.

The push for less time spent on smartphones and more classic retro images has sparked a resurgence among cheap compact cameras. The cheap compact category had been all but decimated by the smartphone, but as compact cameras make a return in trends, so too do the most affordable models.

The cheap point-and-shoot isn’t making a comeback for image quality. In tests, for example, we found most smartphones will outperform the Kodak PixPro C1. But, part of the comeback is the nostalgia for less perfect images – lo-fi resolution, softer lenses, and even those orange time/date stamps in the corner can all be found without spending a lot of money.

Perhaps because the cheap point-and-shoot trend isn’t about modern image technology, several of the models on the list are a few years old, like the Instax Mini Evo, a digital-instant film hybrid packed with retro special effects launched in 2021, and the 2017 Kodak PixPro FZ55.

Importantly, the BCN+R list only includes around 40 percent of electronics sales in Japan and includes major electronics retailers that may cater more towards general consumers than serious photographers. While some models like the Canon PowerShot SX740, Kodak PixPro C1 and OM System Tough TG-7 are also popular at some photo specialty stores, looking at large photo stores like Map Camera tends to create a list that leans more towards pricier, larger sensor compact cameras.

Regardless, the BCN+R rankings indicate that even the cheap compact camera has returned from the dead – it’s not just the large sensor compacts and models with more zoom than the typical smartphone that have made a comeback.

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Kodak’s viral Chamera is a throwback to early digital cameras, but the latest camera bearing the Kodak name is a full-frame 35mm film option with a similar price point. The Kodak EC35mm is a compact film frame that, unlike the Kodak Ektar H35, uses the full frame instead of a half-frame.

The Kodak EC35 comes in at a list price similar to the viral Kodak Charmera at about $35 / £35 (which is about A$55 / CA$49).

The new film camera uses a slide-out cover to protect the lens, much like some popular retro cameras like the Olympus Stylus Epic (Mju II), the Contax T3, and Fujifilm Cardia Mini Tiara.

The EC35 is a point-and-shoot style without any complex manual controls. The front cover slides open to prep the camera. Auto exposure, auto flash, and fixed focus handle the settings.

The camera uses a built-in 25mm f/10 lens for wide shots with much of the frame in focus. That lens is made with acrylic, not glass. That hints towards the image quality of a retro disposable film camera, despite the EC35 being reusable, as disposables also use plastic lenses.

The Kodak EC35 comes from Reto, the same Kodak licensee behind the viral Kodak Charmera. The EC35 isn’t Reto’s first film camera, but joins the likes of the Kodak Ektar H35 half-frame camera and the Kodak Snapic A1 35mm film camera.

While the camera is built for beginners, the film winds manually, unlike the autowind on the pricier Kodak Snapic A1. The A1, while it doesn’t have manual exposure, has two different focus zones and a double exposure option, but sits at a higher price point.

The Kodak EC35 falls under the compact camera category with a lightweight 102g / 3.6oz design and a depth of under 42mm / 1.65 inches.

The Kodak EC35 is available to order now, listing for $35 / £35 (which is about AU$55 / CA$49) for the camera only or $45 / £45 when bundled with film and a camera strap. Orders have already opened on Amazon in the US and the UK.

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For more analog inspiration, read about the best film cameras or the best 35mm film.

At the time of writing this, I’ve never pressed the shutter on a film camera. Not even once. Naturally, I also have zero knowledge of how film is processed. As a digital native, I stick to sensor-driven cameras and avoid the chemically messy business of old-school film photography.

However, although I have no experience shooting on film, that’s not to say I don’t appreciate the process – especially the science and craft that goes into turning negatives into the finished product. In fact, I was so engrossed by actress Olivia Wilde’s recent tour of Kodak’s New York film lab that I think all photographers – especially digital natives – should watch it.

ABOVE: Watch Olivia Wilde take us on a tour of Kodak Film Lab NYC

What I like the most about this peek at the inner workings of Kodak Film Lab NYC is how it reveals the process of film photography. And I don’t mean process in the literal sense of the various machines that the film gets put through, but the craft that goes into shooting on film.

Something I think digital photography will never truly replicate is the bond, if you like, that film photographers develop with the craft. It’s as much about being in the lab working with the materials and chemicals as it is taking the photo itself – at least, that’s how it seems to me.

Yes, editing in Lightroom is the digital equivalent, and you can argue that a bond with the photograph is equally developed here. But I think there’s something more immersive about physically holding a print, even just a negative, than looking at a digital file on a screen.

It’s not like I’m going to rush off to buy a film camera, but I’m certainly feeling inspired by this video tour – and have come away with a much greater appreciation for the dedication and passion film photographers have.

The video is so interesting that I actually forgot it was meant to promote Wilde’s new movie, The Invite, also starring Seth Rogen, Penélope Cruz and Edward Norton. It opened over the weekend and is playing in theaters now.

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Here’s our expert pick of the best film cameras along with the best camera film, which includes a number of Kodak stocks.

Film has made an epic return – but how much has the craving for analog impacted the price of it? The developer behind a program that tracks film prices put together a six-month analysis to find the answer – and found that film prices may not have shifted as much as many think.

The film photographer and programmer behind the blog Analog Cafe programmed a tool that tracks film stock prices across a handful of different stores. Monitoring prices from the first half of 2026, the analysis showed that film’s price change, on average, fell under the typical annual inflation rate of 3% at 2.5% – though that change was across 6 months.

While the inflation on film prices is only for half of a year, the previous six months before that had the same rate, suggesting that film prices are remaining steady. In fact the study suggests that, considering the US had a 4% inflation rate in 2025, film prices were fairly stable.

The digital camera is more of a one-time purchase than analog, which tends to make the cost of film photography feel like a luxury.

But the analysis also pointed out that a 24-shot roll of the popular Kodak Gold cost $4.60 in the 1990s. With inflation and changing wages, that’s like $11.40 in today’s dollars. Kodak Gold’s average film price over the past 6 months, however, was $10.34 – and that’s for a 36-shot roll.

While on average film prices have remained behind the annual inflation rate, price changes can vary widely by film type as well as the country. In Europe and Canada, film is on average 6% more expensive. By comparison, Europe’s June 2026 inflation rate was 2.8% and Canada’s sits at 3.2%.

According to the analysis, a handful of films are a bit cheaper than they were half a year ago, including Kodak Extapan T-Max 400, Ilford Delta Professional, Kodak UltraMax 400 and Fujifilm Neopan Across 100.

On the flipside, a handful of film stocks are now more expensive than they were six months ago. Among the worst offenders are Kodak Kodacolor ColorPlus 200 with a 10.5% price hike, followed by Ilford XP2 Super 400 and Ilford FP4 Plus 125.

For more data across more film types, visit Analog Cafe’s Film Price Index.

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The Sony A7 V has topped multiple sales charts across both the US and Japan since the mirrorless camera’s launch late in 2025 – but Sony may have just outdone themselves. Topping US photo retailer B&H’s trends chart for June 2026 is the A7 V’s newly announced big brother: The Sony A7R VI.

The 66.7MP full-frame mirrorless camera tops the overall sales charts for the retailer in June, followed by the $35 camera that just won’t quit: The Kodak Charmera. The longstanding Canon PowerShot G7 X Mark III and cheaper sibling PowerShot ELPH 360 HS A also make an appearance on the trends list, along with a new compact camera with zoom, the Panasonic Lumix L10, and a longtime zoom favorite, the Sony RX100 VII.

Looking exclusively at mirrorless cameras, another trend emerges as full-frame cameras that mix speed and resolution headline the list. Along with the A7R VI, the Canon R5 Mark II, Nikon Z6 III, and Canon EOS R6 Mark III also earn top-seller badges at the retailer.

The Sony A7R VI only began shipping at the beginning of June, so the trends list offers an early glimpse at how popular the new mirrorless is. Sony’s A7R series has traditionally offered more resolution than the A7 line, but the A7R VI brings a 67.8MP full-frame sensor with a 30 fps blackout-free burst speed – that’s three times the burst speed of the A7R V.

The upgrades on the A7R VI came with a price hike – but the camera’s appearance on the top sales charts suggests photographers are more impressed with the feature mix than discouraged by the price.

The Sony A7R VI appears to have pushed the A7 V farther down the trending list, but Sony’s December 2025 launch still makes an appearance. While the camera may not have the resolution of the R series, the A7 V borrows the autofocus tech of its pricier siblings, building a reputation for its hybrid performance.

Both Canon’s late 2025 launch of the 7K open gate EOS R6 Mark III and an older pro favorite, the 45MP 8K R5 Mark II, also sit toward the top half of the top-selling mirrorless list, while the new Canon EOS R6 V also made the list.

Nikon’s full-frame Z6 III has also risen unusually high for a 2024 release – but the 24.5MP mirrorless known for its low-light autofocus also dropped to its lowest-yet price in the US during June. (The Z6 III is still $500 off at B&H).

One of Sony’s more compact full-frame mirrorless also made the mirrorless list – potentially helped by June discounts – though it's the higher resolution Sony A7CR, not the more affordable A7C II, making the list.

B&H’s list of trending cameras for June 2026 isn’t exclusive to full-frame models. Sony’s compact but quick A6700 also makes the list. Fujifilm’s mirrorless bundle that shared the most features with the trendy X100VI, the X-E5 with a 23mm f/2.8 kit lens, also makes the list, along with Canon’s budget favorite EOS R100.

A medium format model even made the top trends list, the Hasselblad X2D II 100C, a pricey but luxury 100MP model.

The top trending cameras at B&H for June 2026 include:

• Sony A7R VI
• Kodak Charmera
• PowerShot G7X Mark III
• Panasonic Lumix L10
• Canon PowerShot ELPH 360 HS A
• Canon EOS R5 Mark II
• Canon PowerShot G7 X Mark III
• Nikon Z6 III
• Sony RX100 VII
• Hasselblad X2D II 100C
• Canon EOS R6 Mark III

Broken down to include only mirrorless cameras, the top trending options for the month include:

• Sony A7 VI
• Canon EOS R5 Mark II
• Nikon Z6 III
• Hasselblad X2D II 100C
• Canon EOS R6 Mark III
• Sony A6700
• Sony A7 V
• Fujifilm X-E5 with XF 23mm f.2,8 lens
• Canon EOS R6 V
• Sony A7CR
• Canon EOS R100 with 18-45mm kit lens

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The Sony A7 V has topped multiple sales charts across both the US and Japan since the mirrorless camera’s launch late in 2025 – but Sony may have just outdone themselves. Topping US photo retailer B&H’s trends chart for June 2026 is the A7 V’s newly announced big brother: The Sony A7R VI.

The 66.7MP full-frame mirrorless camera tops the overall sales charts for the retailer in June, followed by the $35 camera that just won’t quit: The Kodak Charmera. The longstanding Canon PowerShot G7 X Mark III and cheaper sibling PowerShot ELPH 360 HS A also make an appearance on the trends list, along with a new compact camera with zoom, the Panasonic Lumix L10, and a longtime zoom favorite, the Sony RX100 VII.

Looking exclusively at mirrorless cameras, another trend emerges as full-frame cameras that mix speed and resolution headline the list. Along with the A7R VI, the Canon R5 Mark II, Nikon Z6 III, and Canon EOS R6 Mark III also earn top-seller badges at the retailer.

The Sony A7R VI only began shipping at the beginning of June, so the trends list offers an early glimpse at how popular the new mirrorless is. Sony’s A7R series has traditionally offered more resolution than the A7 line, but the A7R VI brings a 67.8MP full-frame sensor with a 30 fps blackout-free burst speed – that’s three times the burst speed of the A7R V.

The upgrades on the A7R VI came with a price hike – but the camera’s appearance on the top sales charts suggests photographers are more impressed with the feature mix than discouraged by the price.

The Sony A7R VI appears to have pushed the A7 V farther down the trending list, but Sony’s December 2025 launch still makes an appearance. While the camera may not have the resolution of the R series, the A7 V borrows the autofocus tech of its pricier siblings, building a reputation for its hybrid performance.

Both Canon’s late 2025 launch of the 7K open gate EOS R6 Mark III and an older pro favorite, the 45MP 8K R5 Mark II, also sit toward the top half of the top-selling mirrorless list, while the new Canon EOS R6 V also made the list.

Nikon’s full-frame Z6 III has also risen unusually high for a 2024 release – but the 24.5MP mirrorless known for its low-light autofocus also dropped to its lowest-yet price in the US during June. (The Z6 III is still $500 off at B&H).

One of Sony’s more compact full-frame mirrorless also made the mirrorless list – potentially helped by June discounts – though it's the higher resolution Sony A7CR, not the more affordable A7C II, making the list.

B&H’s list of trending cameras for June 2026 isn’t exclusive to full-frame models. Sony’s compact but quick A6700 also makes the list. Fujifilm’s mirrorless bundle that shared the most features with the trendy X100VI, the X-E5 with a 23mm f/2.8 kit lens, also makes the list, along with Canon’s budget favorite EOS R100.

A medium format model even made the top trends list, the Hasselblad X2D II 100C, a pricey but luxury 100MP model.

The top trending cameras at B&H for June 2026 include:

• Sony A7R VI
• Kodak Charmera
• PowerShot G7X Mark III
• Panasonic Lumix L10
• Canon PowerShot ELPH 360 HS A
• Canon EOS R5 Mark II
• Canon PowerShot G7 X Mark III
• Nikon Z6 III
• Sony RX100 VII
• Hasselblad X2D II 100C
• Canon EOS R6 Mark III

Broken down to include only mirrorless cameras, the top trending options for the month include:

• Sony A7 VI
• Canon EOS R5 Mark II
• Nikon Z6 III
• Hasselblad X2D II 100C
• Canon EOS R6 Mark III
• Sony A6700
• Sony A7 V
• Fujifilm X-E5 with XF 23mm f.2,8 lens
• Canon EOS R6 V
• Sony A7CR
• Canon EOS R100 with 18-45mm kit lens

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Small enough to slip in your pocket and affordable enough for almost any budget, these trendy compact cameras make everyday photography fun.

They don't often go on sale, but these three models are currently slightly reduced in price. The discounts are modest, but they make already budget-friendly cameras just a little more appealing.

The Kodak Pixpro C1 is now $99.99 at Adorama – you save $9.96 off its original $109.05 price.

The Kodak Pixpro FZ45 is now $99 at Adorama – you save $20 off its original $119 price.

The Chuzhao Digital camera is now $35.99 at Amazon – you save at least $49.99 off its original $14 price (the camera retails between $36 and $50, depending on the vendor).

• The Kodak Pixpro C1 in brown is $99.99 (instead of $109.95)
• The Kodak Pixpro C1 in tan is $99.99 (instead of $109.05)

• The Kodak Pixpro FZ45 in blue is $99 (instead of $119)
• The Kodak Pixpro FZ45 in black is $99.95 (instead of $119.95)

• The Chuzhao Digital Camera in red is $37.99 (instead of $49.99)

Kodak Pixpro C1

Kodak's Pixpro C1 is the brand's best budget selfie compact right now – thanks to its flip screen and wide-angle lens, making it more convenient than the FZ45 or Chuzhao for self-recording and vlogging-style clips.

However, it trades on image quality and flexibility, so if you care more about zoom or detail, the FZ45 is the stronger pick. If you want ease and selfies over everything else, the C1 is the camera for you.

Kodak Pixpro FZ45

Compared to the C1 and Chuzhao, the FZ45 is the most traditional camera here – it's the only one with real optical zoom, which makes it more versatile for travel and distance shots.

You lose the flip screen and retro charm, but gain reach and a more familiar shooting experience. The FZ45 is the camera for you if you want a simple holiday or everyday camera rather than a novelty or selfie device.

Chuzhao Digital Camera

The Chuzhao Digital Camera is the most characterful camera of the group – and all about enjoying the process of taking photos. The square format, waist-level viewfinder and TLR-inspired design make shooting feel playful – in a way none of the Kodak compacts really replicate.

While the FZ45 is about straightforward practicality and the C1 leans into selfie convenience, the Chushao is all about atmosphere, nostalgia and creative expression in your pocket.

Browse the best compact cameras, the best retro compact cameras, and the best cheap cameras.

Compact cameras are enjoying a huge resurgence, but the Canon PowerShot SX740 HS never really went away. Since launching in July 2018, Canon’s travel zoom has remained one of the brand’s most sought-after compact cameras, proving its popularity isn’t simply driven by today’s retro camera boom.

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, recently claiming the No.1 spot in Yodobashi’s latest sales rankings in Japan.

While manufacturers often use refreshed models to introduce hardware upgrades, the PowerShot SX740 HS Lite remains almost identical to the original camera released seven years ago. That unchanged formula continues to win for buyers looking for a genuinely pocketable camera with a powerful zoom lens.

Yodobashi's top selling compacts, 1st half June 2026

1. Canon PowerShot SX740 HS / Lite | Silver | Black
2. Sony ZV-1 II | Black | White
3. Panasonic Lumix TX3 / ZS300 / TZ300 | Black | Graphite Silver
4. Canon PowerShot G7 X Mark III | Black | Silver
5. Canon IXY 650 / Powershot Elph 360 HS A / Ixus 285 HS A | Black | Silver
6. Fujifilm X100VI | Silver | Black
7. Kodak Pixpro C1 | Brown | Black
8. Panasonic Lumix TZ99 / ZS99 | Black | White
9. Leica Q3 43
10. Sony RX100 VII

Why the PowerShot SX740 HS Lite is high in demand

Remarkable capable yet genuinely pocketable, the PowerShot SX740 HS Lite stays true to what compact travel cameras have always done best. It combines a 20.3MP 1/2.3-inch-type CMOS sensor with a body that’s small enough to slip into a jacket pocket.

Its standout feature remains the impressive 40x zoom lens, covering an equivalent focal range of 24-960mm – giving reach smartphones can’t match.

That reach is the camera’s defining strength, making it an excellent choice for travel, wildlife and everyday photography.

Lite vs original

Canon made just one notable change to the Lite edition: it removes USB charging.

The change comes after Europe introduced USB-C charging requirements for many electronic devices. Canon has not said whether the decision to remove USB charging was related to those rules.

There’s no larger sensor, longer zoom or new shooting modes – just the same travel-zoom formula that has remained popular for nearly a decade.

Panasonic's brief time at the top is over

Just a few weeks ago, Panasonic’s newly launched Lumix TX3 (aka the Lumix ZS300 in the US and Lumix TZ300 in the UK) reached No.1 in Yodobashi’s rankings shortly after its release.

But the latest rankings see the PowerShot SX740 HS Lite reclaim the top spot, while Sony’s ZV-1 II creator camera also moved ahead of Panasonic’s travel zoom.

Interestingly, Panasonic’s premium L10 doesn’t appear anywhere in the current Top 10, despite attracting attention ahead of launch thanks to its larger sensor and stronger stills and video capabilities.

For now, photographers in Japan prioritize portability, long zoom ranges and proven models over newer premium alternatives.

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As you probably know, mini camera keychains – especially Kodak keychain cameras – have been as popular as Pokémon cards lately. The craze first kicked off last year with the original Kodak Charmera, and since then everyone from Yashica to Insta360 has got in on the craze.

If you've somehow missed the trend, these keychain cameras are teeny-tiny compact cameras that are small enough to – you guessed it – fit on a keychain.

Their appeal is multifaceted. First and foremost, they're ridiculously cheap. Selling for about $35 in the US, they're affordable enough to be impulse buys and are perfect for gifting. Secondly, they're ridiculously cute and collectible. Coming in multiple colors and styles, there's a real "gotta catch 'em all" vibe.

But the Kodak keychain cameras added a third stroke of genius: blind boxes. Like a Labubu (or, indeed, a pack of Pokémon cards), Charmeras come in an unmarked box and you didn't know which of the six designs you were going to get (hence you're buying a box "blind").

I dunno about you but, as a child who grew up collecting things like stickers and trading cards, I'm a sucker for a blind box. And Kodak knew what it was doing by adding a "secret" seventh design – a super-rare version that you had a 1-in-48 chance of getting.

For a while, those secret Charmeras (with a transparent design) were being sold for $500 on eBay! The Millennium Edition Kodak keychain cameras also have a secret variant (in a very sexy chrome body) and Escura does the same with a "mystery" SnapRoll design.

However, while these keychain cameras are undoubtedly cute and collectible, it's fair to say that the image quality is far more about fun than fidelity.

If we take Kodak's keychain camera as an example, it packs a minuscule 1/4-inch sensor with just 1.4MP resolution. And there are some cheap knock-offs on Amazon with even worse quality.

So you're not exactly going to shoot a wedding on one of these, but it's a fun thing to have on your car keys or dangling from your bag – and they make perfect cameras for kids, too. I've tried out a bunch of them and, after some unscientific testing, these are the best keychain cameras I've used so far.

Best Kodak keychain camera

The one that started it all, the Charmera is the OG Kodak keychain camera – and thus, the one that set the bar. It's not a very high bar technically, though, with a tiny 1/4-inch sensor that maxes out at 1.6MP resolution for stills and FullHD 30p for video.

What is that good for? More than you might think, surprisingly! Obviously the images are never going to win you a photo competition, but they're about early era smartphone quality – an aesthetic which has a following among Gen Zers, for whom this is the "retro look" the same way that Polaroid and 35mm was retro for my generation.

Images are muddy but not devoid of charm, like shooting with a digicam from the late Nineties. They make for fun social media snaps, and the tinny video in particular has that vintage digital camcorder quality that some folks spend a lot of time layering LUTs and filters to replicate.

The rear screen is very small, making it tricky to compose images, though credit to Reto (the company that actually makes the Charmera) for including an optical viewfinder – which is even smaller and less useful, but is a nice nod to the old cameras like the Kodak Fling.

Something that my colleague Mike remarked on, which never occurred to me, is that the Charmera offers authentic retro charm – whereas the SnapRoll can only offer an imitation of retro brands.

Best film-style keychain camera

If you want a keychain camera that looks like a roll of film, the Escura Snaproll is by far your best bet – but there's more on offer than just looks!

The signature appeal of this camera is its design. Kodak's keychain cameras are cool just because they're small, but the SnapRoll is cool because it looks just like a canister of 35mm film.

Indeed, Escura has gone to great lengths to style the different SnapRoll variants after famous film stocks such as Kodak Gold 400 or Ilford Pan 400. Personally, I think that's even neater than a cute little rectangular box – and as someone who grew up shooting film, I much prefer the design of this to the Charmera.

It also boasts a bigger LCD screen, which makes it easier to frame and review your shots, and shoots both in a higher resolution and a square format – which is something that's always fun to challenge your compositions. Image quality is about on par with the Kodak, though I prefer the filters here – particularly the GameBoy-esque green filter, for which I have a soft spot.

However, video can only be captured in SD (720p) – though honestly, none of these keychain cameras take video that's very good by any conventional measure!

Best Kodak keychain camera for filters

The Charmera Millennium Editions are the second wave of Kodak keychain cameras, and possess the exact same technical specs as the original series.

What's different is twofold. First, where the OG Charmeras featured Eighties-inspired styling, the Millennium Editions features a Nineties aesthetic – with nods to things like pixel art as well as cult tech like Sony's MiniDisc, as you can see in the green one above.

(The "secret" chase variant even tips its hat to the iconic T-1000 from Terminator 2, with a liquid metal finish that's sure to have scalpers' eyes wide with anticipation.)

The other difference is also an aesthetic one, but for your photos: the Millennium Edition adds a new selection of frames and filters (including a neat Video Player frame, which looks like your photos are being viewed on something like RealPlayer or Media Player Classic).

While the original Charmera filters were pretty horrible (particularly the single-color options), here they're almost sophisticated. The new Pixel Filters offer a sort of duotone line art style – and the Coral in particular creates some very interesting results. If you enjoy creative filters, this is the one to go for.

Best keychain camera for creators

My hat is off to Insta360. Not only does it sell grips that turn the Ace Pro 2 action camera into a bona fide compact camera and even an instant camera, it also offers a housing that turns the Go 3S into a pro-level keychain camera!

That's what we've got here. The thumb-sized Go 3S slots into the Retro Viewfinder – a plastic sheath with a top-down optical viewfinder. And just like that, you've got a brilliant 4K keychain action camera.

Obviously this isn't the same sub-$50 proposition as the other cameras on this list, so some might see it as a cheat. However, if you want something keychain-sized that packs the power of a "proper" camera, this is the hands-down winner.

The Insta360 can shoot 12MP photos and 4K 30p video on a much larger 1/2.3-inch sensor, which delivers monumentally superior image quality. Seriously, it's in a completely different stratosphere – and also offers features like image stabilization, timelapse, slow-motion, open gate video and even pre-recording. It's even waterproof to 33ft!

Because there is no screen (although you can buy the Action Pod separately for about a hundred bucks, with a flipping 2.2-inch touchscreen) you'll need to pair the Go 3S with your phone – where there is an enormous amount of additional control available.

Best cheap keychain camera

If you just want something cute, cheap and photo-related to hang on your car keys or dangle from your camera bag, the Photo Creator Mini Cam is the one for you.

This keychain camera is essentially a glorified charm that takes pictures, but it's also ridiculously cheap. Right now you can find it for as little as $15 in the US and £6.50(!!!) in the UK, making it a perfect novelty purchase where images are a Brucie bonus rather than the point of the product.

And that's really the best way to think about the Mini Cam. Despite technically having more than double the resolution of the Charmera, the image quality is considerably worse for both stills and video.

However, there are a couple of unique upsides. For starters, this camera comes with a 1GB microSD card – so you can start playing with it right out of the packet. It also possesses a "flash" – although this is really just an LED that lights up, rather than anything that's going to illuminate a shot.

Again, that's really the case here: everything is for show. This is a cute little keychain camera that looks like a mini DSLR or mirrorless body, and it just so happens to be able to take photos and video. Ask nothing more of it and, for the super-low price, this is a fun little novelty item.

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After one seemingly innocent garage sale find, a decade later, I’ve somehow accumulated a bookcase full of retro cameras. Some of the brands that dot my vintage camera collection, however, have begun to reappear among modern digital cameras, from Yashica to Kodak.

But the brands behind new cheap compact cameras like the Kodak Pixpro C1 and the Yashica City 100, aren’t the same brands that made the cameras dotting collectors' shelves.

Case in point? There's a relatively new Praktica 35mm film camera available on Amazon UK that talks all about how Praktica started in 1949 in East Germany, but Praktica was acquired by a UK-based company a few years ago; the camera itself is made in China.

In many of these cases, these iconic brands have sold the rights to their legendary names, allowing lesser-known companies to launch cameras that come with the prestige and clout of a well-known camera brand.

Kodak, for example, still exists. The Eastman Kodak company still continues to make its iconic film stocks. But, Kodak doesn’t make digital cameras. The company does, however, license its name to five other companies. The Kodak Pixpro series, for example, is made by JK Imaging Ltd, and the viral Kodak Charmera by Retro Production.

Kodak is a company that is still very much a part of the imaging industry – albeit the analog one – but other retro camera brand names have returned from companies that haven’t been producing cameras for decades.

Yashica’s parent company, Kyocera, is still around, but the company hasn’t made cameras since 2005, selling the rights to the Yashica name to MF Jebsen Group a few years later, which eventually would allow cameras like the Yashica FX-D 100 and the Yashica City series of compact cameras to come to the market.

Other so-called “zombie camera brands” aren’t a result of licensing at all, but rather an expiration of sorts. Sony acquired Konica Minolta (formerly the two separate Konica and Minolta) and would go on to use some of that tech to launch its first DSLRs.

But while Konica Minolta has become part of a camera brand that’s very much alive and well, in some countries, a brand name that has not been used on products after a certain amount of time becomes available again, so the Minolta name eventually wound up on cheap cameras that have no actual ties with the original brand.

Kodak, Yashica, and Konica Minolta are just a few examples alongside names like Agfaphoto and Rollei.

A camera that uses a licensed name and isn’t produced by that same original company doesn’t necessarily mean that the camera itself is bad – although some are undoubtedly of a cheaper quality than what the original brands were known for.

But I do think shoppers should be aware that just because a camera carries a memorable name doesn’t mean it came from that iconic company. That doesn’t necessarily mean not to buy one of those cameras, but like understanding the Kodak Charmera is a 1.6MP camera, aligning expectations may be key to being happy with the purchase.

I know if I’m shopping for something that I’m not an expert on, and I come across a well-known name, I’m more likely to click on the well-known name over the names that I don’t recognize.

Not all of the once iconic camera brands now being produced by entirely different companies are a result of licensing and expired brand rights. The Polaroid that was first created by Edwin Land in 1937, isn’t the exact same company behind today’s Polaroid cameras, but the modern Polaroid isn’t a simple licensee either.

When Polaroid stopped producing instant film, a group of former employees saved the last factory and formed the Impossible Project. The Impossible Project eventually bought the original Polaroid brand and then essentially became the company the group had originally been working to save. With some former employees, the same intellectual property rights, and the same factory, though, the modern Polaroid still has a lot of ties with the original.

I don’t think it’s a coincidence that retro camera brand names are returning at a time when the retro camera look is resurging in trends. Companies are capitalizing on the retro craze and analog rebellion by reviving old school names. But new cameras carrying retro names may be more modern than many realize.

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Take a look at the best retro cameras, as tested by expert photographers. Or, browse the best cheap cameras.

The Kodak Pixpro FZ45 is one of the most popular point-and-shoot cameras in the world right now – and with this $30 saving, it's the perfect time to buy one. 

Right now you can snap up the Kodak Pixpro FZ45 for just $99 – a great last-minute Prime Day sale bargain (the sale ends at midnight tonight, Eastern Time)

The Kodak Pixpro FZ45 has been selling like hotcakes as the craze for old-school compact cameras kicks into overdrive. 

Whether you're looking for a pocketable point-and-shoot to take with you on trips or vacations, or you're looking to achieve that nostalgic look for your photos on social media, the FZ45 features a "Friendly Zoom" of 27-108mm – great for covering everything from wide-angle group shots and landscapes to getting close up on distant subjects on the street, at the beach or even the zoo. 

The camera packs a flash, digital image stabilization, subject detection for faces, cats and dogs, and a 16MP image sensor capable of FullHD video, and a 2.7-inch rear screen with 230,000 dots of resolution. 

A great anything, anywhere, anytime snapper!

You might also be interested in the best travel cameras, the best cameras for street photograhpy and the best waterproof cameras for summer. 

Most of us use our phones to take photos most of the time, but that's also where the pictures tend to stay: on the phone. Step up the Kodak Step Slim, a battery-powered portable printer designed strictly for printing 2x3-inch sticky-backed photographs directly from a smartphone.

Resembling a smartphone in shape and size, it's a truly pocket-sized device, making it highly portable for parties, weddings, and festivals. The device uses Zero Ink (Zink) technology, which activates embedded color crystals in the paper, removing the risk of messy ink spillages. It connects to iOS and Android smartphones via Bluetooth. And Amazon has a brilliant time-limited deal for Prime Day.

The Kodak Step Slim couldn't be easier to use. Simply select photos from phone galleries or social media accounts in the free companion app, which enables you to make basic image adjustments and add filters, borders, text additions, and digital graphics. The printer takes less than a minute to produce a physical print and delivers around 25 prints on a single charge.

It's affordable, fun, and easy to use, and makes a great gift for kids or as a memento dispenser at social events!

Most of us use our phones to take photos most of the time, but that's also where the pictures tend to stay: on the phone. Step up the Kodak Step Slim, a battery-powered portable printer designed strictly for printing 2x3-inch sticky-backed photographs directly from a smartphone.

Resembling a smartphone in shape and size, it's a truly pocket-sized device, making it highly portable for parties, weddings, and festivals. The device uses Zero Ink (Zink) technology, which activates embedded color crystals in the paper, removing the risk of messy ink spillages. It connects to iOS and Android smartphones via Bluetooth. And Amazon has a brilliant time-limited deal for Prime Day.

The Kodak Step Slim couldn't be easier to use. Simply select photos from phone galleries or social media accounts in the free companion app, which enables you to make basic image adjustments and add filters, borders, text additions, and digital graphics. The printer takes less than a minute to produce a physical print and delivers around 25 prints on a single charge.

It's affordable, fun, and easy to use, and makes a great gift for kids or as a memento dispenser at social events!

Have you still got shoeboxes or draws full of old photos that you wish you could view on your computer and phone? You are not alone - lots of us have cherished memories on negatives or slides that we wish were digitized so that they can be seen and shared with family and friends. Some great deals on Kodak scanners in Amazon's Prime Day sale could be just what you need - but be warned the sale ends midnight, and already one of the deals we highlighted earlier in the week is no longer available.

There are lots of film scanner options around, but Kodak has made its name in this area with a range of all-in-one scanners, where you don't need a computer to get your images digitized. And what's more, they have built-in screens that are great for helping you find the best frames from your collection.

Check out our guides to the best film scanners and to the best slide viewers

I'd never recommend a budget compact camera to a serious photographer who already knows they're all in, regardless of their experience. But when it comes to people who are curious about the craft but not sure if they want to drop at least a few hundred bucks on gear, then these models are ideal.

One compact camera in particular that surprised me recently with its simplicity but also how enjoyable it was to use is the Kodak Pixpro FZ55. This nifty point-and-shoot has to be one of the easiest digital cameras to use ever produced and, for the affordable price, the image quality isn't too shabby. And, even better, the FZ55 is now on sale for just $139.99.

If you're just dabbling with photography, then you'll love that the FZ55 has minimal settings to navigate. You can let the camera do all the work in auto mode and it's quite literally two clicks to switch to manual mode, which I recommend. In fact, it took me no longer than 10 minutes to figure out the Pixpro FZ55 setting without having to read the manual.

A particular feature I like is the panorama mode – which was unexpected in a camera so cheap – and all images are captured at a respectable 16MP of resolution thanks to the CMOS sensor.

Of course, there are things about the Pixpro FZ55 that I wasn't the biggest fan of, the main one being the somewhat unreliable histogram. If you don't know what a histogram is, it's the graph on the camera LCD that shows how bright your image is.

Compared to more expensive cameras, this Pixpro feature wasn't the best, resulting in some over-exposed images. However, I was testing the camera from the standpoint of a serious photographer and it's not a major issue if you're wetting your toes.

So, if you're in the market for a more serious setup, then you should gravitate towards an APS-C camera or a mirrorless, or even a DSLR. But if you're not sure if photography is for you, and want to figure this out with a cheap, simple model, then the Pixpro FZ55 is a solid option.

See our Prime Day camera deal live blog - and find more bargains

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Have you still got shoeboxes or draws full of old photos that you wish you could view on your computer and phone? You are not alone - lots of us have cherished memories on negatives or slides that we wish were digitized so that they can be seen and shared with family and friends. Some great deals on Kodak scanners in Amazon's October sale could be just what you need.

• See all of today's best cameras deals in the Prime Day sale

There are lots of film scanner options around, but Kodak has made its name in this area with a range of all-in-one scanners, where you don't need a computer to get your images digitized. And what's more, they have built-in screens that are great for helping you find the best frames from your collection.

Check out our guides to the best film scanners and to the best slide viewers

As much fun as the likes of the Camp Snap 2 or Kodak Charmera cameras are, they’re just that; a bit of fun. Slightly more expensive models, including the zoom-equipped Kodak Pixpro FZ series, or the Yashica City compact camera range, are likewise best viewed without too much of a critical eye. They’re fine for what they are: affordably priced snapshots with basic operation and feature sets, the kind of ‘stack them high, sell them cheap’ digital compacts we were awash with 15 years ago, before the smartphone boom persuaded most of the major players to simply stop making compacts.

For a while until relatively recently, if you wanted a new standalone camera to use instead of your smartphone, it was still quite a jump to the likes of the Ricoh GR IV series, the Canon PowerShot G7 X Mark III or an interchangeable mirrorless camera, which, it felt to me, were starting to get prohibitively expensive. And ever further from the reach of the simply curious, but non-expert photographer.

But the Kodak brand, or rather its JK Imaging Ltd global licensee, kept point-and-shoot cameras going at a time when, as it seemed to most other brands and consumers, compact cameras were dead. It slowly carved its own niche when most were looking the other way. Its offerings may not be five-star critical recommendations – far from it – and yet it now regularly tops the bestsellers’ list.

The above being said, I’ve still never felt the need to ‘hold my nose’ when using a pocket money-priced ‘retro’ compact. Because the very reason such snapshot cameras appealed in the early 2000s to early digital photography adopters is still the case today; albeit to a greatly reduced audience than in their mid 2000s to 2010s heyday.

A point-and-shoot camera was what you once owned before moving on to a bridge camera, and then on to a DSLR. And next, when we were told the future was mirrorless, we swapped over to a smaller-format interchangeable lens cameras.

My point is that basic snappers were – and, I believe, will again prove to be – gateway drugs to more serious photographic gear. And, hopefully, the photographers of the future with it.

It’s still quite a jump from phone snapping to interchangeable lens photography. So don’t cut out, or sneer at, whatever bridges the gap, even when that camera is a basic point-and-shooter.

Check out our guide to the best point-and-shoot cameras

The viral Kodak Charmera is no longer stuck in the 1980s. The Kodak Charmera Millennium edition brings the best Kodak keychain camera into the early 200s.

The refreshed Kodak Charmera trades colors and patterns inspired by the 1987 Kodak Fling into Y2K-inspired metalics and pixel art. The Y2K inspiration also influences what filters and frames the Charmera can use with the photos, adding pixel filters in four different colors. The Millennium Edition also has four different frames to choose from, including a Y2K video game theme and a TV-inspired frame.

The update arguably brings the Charmera’s exterior into better match to the electronics inside. Like the earlier edition, the Kodak Charmera maintains its 1.6MP sensor, taking snapshots that measure just 1440 pixels wide – the photos resemble those of early camera phones. That low-fi resolution better matches early digital camera tech than the 1980s disposable film camera that the original Charmera is based on.

That small 1/4 inch sensor is paired with a 35mm equivalent f/2.4 lens.

Like the 1987 Kodak Fling, however, the Kodak Charmera remains a tiny camera. The Millennium Edition Charmera measures just 58 x 24.5 x 20mm – that’s only 2.2 inches wide and less than an inch tall.

Kodak is keeping the blind-box intact for the new Millennium-inspired designs as well. The six new colors and patterns will be sold in boxes that don’t reveal what color is inside, turning the camera into a collectable game. A six-pack of all six colors will also be available.

The new Kodak Chamera Millennium Edition sells for the same price that the original is currently selling for. That’s about $35 / £35 / AU$55 / CA$55 for a single camera and $210 / £210 / AU$ 324 / CA$324.

The original Charmera quickly sold out right at launch – the Millennium Edition could potentially see the same level of popularity. Worldwide sales open on June 16 at 10 PM EDT / 7 PM PT / June 17 at 3 AM BST.

The Kodak Charmera is made by Reto Production, a Kodak licensee that also makes the Ektar H35mm half-frame film camera.

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The Kodak Pixpro FZ45 is one of the most popular cameras in the world right now – and with this $10 saving, it's the perfect time to buy one. 

Right now you can snap up the Kodak Pixpro FZ45 for just $99 – a great spring saving on this cult compact, and an early Amazon Prime Day camera deal.

The Kodak Pixpro FZ45 has been selling like hotcakes as the craze for old-school compact cameras kicks into overdrive. 

Whether you're looking for a pocketable point-and-shoot to take with you on trips or vacations, or you're looking to achieve that nostalgic look for your photos on social media, the FZ45 features a "Friendly Zoom" of 27-108mm – great for covering everything from wide-angle group shots and landscapes to getting close up on distant subjects on the street, at the beach or even the zoo. 

The camera packs a flash, digital image stabilization, subject detection for faces, cats and dogs, and a 16MP image sensor capable of FullHD video, and a 2.7-inch rear screen with 230,000 dots of resolution. 

A great anything, anywhere, anytime snapper!

You might also be interested in the best travel cameras, the best cameras for street photograhpy and the best waterproof cameras for summer. 

Small enough to slip in your pocket and affordable enough for almost any budget, these trendy compact cameras make everyday photography fun.

They don't often go on sale, but these three models are currently slightly reduced in price. The discounts are modest, but they make already budget-friendly cameras just a little more appealing.

The Kodak Pixpro C1 is now £74.99 at Currys – you save £5 off its original £79.99 price.

The Kodak Pixpro FZ45 is now £89 at Wex – you save £5 off its original £94 price.

The Chuzhao Digital camera is now £33.42 at Amazon – you save at least £1.76 off its original £35.18 price (the camera retails between £36 and £50, depending on the vendor).

Kodak Pixpro C1

Kodak's Pixpro C1 is the brand's best budget selfie compact right now – thanks to its flip screen and wide-angle lens, making it more convenient than the FZ45 or Chuzhao for self-recording and vlogging-style clips.

However, it trades on image quality and flexibility, so if you care more about zoom or detail, the FZ45 is the stronger pick. If you want ease and selfies over everything else, the C1 is the camera for you.

Kodak Pixpro FZ45

Compared to the C1 and Chuzhao, the FZ45 is the most traditional camera here – it's the only one with real optical zoom, which makes it more versatile for travel and distance shots.

You lose the flip screen and retro charm, but gain reach and a more familiar shooting experience. The FZ45 is the camera for you if you want a simple holiday or everyday camera rather than a novelty or selfie device.

Chuzhao Digital Camera

The Chuzhao Digital Camera is the most characterful camera of the group – and all about enjoying the process of taking photos. The square format, waist-level viewfinder and TLR-inspired design make shooting feel playful – in a way none of the Kodak compacts really replicate.

While the FZ45 is about straightforward practicality and the C1 leans into selfie convenience, the Chushao is all about atmosphere, nostalgia and creative expression in your pocket.

Browse the best compact cameras, the best retro compact cameras, and the best cheap cameras.

A recently launched compact camera has wasted no time making an impact in Japan. Just weeks after its release, the Panasonic Lumix TX3 (aka the Lumix S300 in the US and Lumix TZ300 in the UK) has climbed to number one in Yodobashi's latest compact camera sales rankings, overtaking some of the most sought-after models on the market.

While the Fujifilm X100VI and the Canon PowerShot G7 X Mark III have become cult favourites among photographers and content creators, Panasonic's tiny new travel zoom has beaten them all to the top spot.

Such is the demand for these portable cameras that even a lack of availability hasn't dampened consumer appetite for them. Five of the top ten models are currently on backorder, yet still rank among Japan's best-sellers after limited restocks reached stores.

It will be interesting to see how the launch of the Panasonic Lumix L10 – a premium compact offering a more modest zoom range but far superior stills and video capability – affects the rankings next month.

Yodobashi's top selling compacts (2nd Half May 2026)

1. Panasonic Lumix TX3 / ZS300 / TZ300 | Black | Graphite Silver
2. Fujifilm X100VI | Silver | Black (backordered)
3. Canon PowerShot G7 X Mark III | Black | Silver (backordered)
4. Canon PowerShot SX740 HS / Lite | Silver | Black (backordered)
5. Kodak Pixpro C1 | Brown | Black
6. Panasonic Lumix TZ99 / ZS99 | Black | White
7. Canon IXY 650 / Powershot Elph 360 HS A / Ixus 285 HS A Black | Silver
8. Ricoh GR IV (backordered)
9. Ricoh GR IV Monochrome (backordered)
10. Canon PowerShot V1

Trendy travel zoom compact camera

The Lumix ZS300 / TZ300 arrives at a time when the demand for compact cameras is at its highest level in years. Unlike many of today's most sought-after compacts, which focus on large sensors and fixed lenses, Panasonic has opted for a different formula: maximum versatility.

The camera combines a 20.1MP 1-inch back side-illuminated CMOS sensor with a Leica-branded 25-360mm equivalent 15x zoom lens, delivering a focal range that few genuinely pocketable cameras can match.

That flexibility helps set it apart from rivals such as Sony's RX100 Mark VII and Canon's G7 X Mark III. While both remain popular choices, neither offers the zoom reach, giving the Lumix a clear advantage for travel, wildlife and everyday photography.

Half of Japan's best-selling compacts are sold out

The compact camera boom shows little sign of slowing down. Five of the ten cameras currently featured in Yodobashi's top ten ranking are listed as backordered, highlighting the gap between demand and available supply.

The trend isn't limited to Japan. Many of these models are difficult to find in the US and UK as well, with shortages continuing to push buyers towards waiting lists and, in some cases, online scalpers and grey-market listings.

Whether the Lumix ZS300 / TZ300 can hold onto the top spot remains to be seen. If Panasonic can maintain supply while rival models continue to face stock shortages, the Lumix ZS300 / TZ300 will be well placed to build on its strong start.

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Fresh sales data from Japan suggest that one of photography's most unexpected trends is showing no signs of slowing down. While smartphone cameras continue to become more advanced – consumers are increasingly turning to compact cameras that come cheap.

According to the latest sales figures from Japanese retailer BCN, many of Japan's best-selling compact cameras are the most affordable ones on the market. The Kodak Pixpro FZ55, which once again tops the chart, costs $139.99 / £114. The Kodak Pixpro C1, which is in both second and third place, is even cheaper, available for $99.99 / £79.

Japan's best-selling compact cameras aren't premium models packed with advanced features – they're inexpensive point-and-shoot models that prioritize simplicity and ease of use and feature something smartphone cameras can't.

BCN+R compact camera ranking (May 26)

1. Kodak Pixpro FZ55 | Black
2. Kodak Pixpro C1 | Black
3. Kodak Pixpro C1 | Brown
4. Fujifilm Instax Mini Evo | Black
5. Canon IXY 650 M (aka Elph 360 HS A / Ixus 285 HS A) | Silver
6. Fujifilm Instax Mini Evo | Brown
7. Panasonic Lumix TZ99 / ZS99
8. Canon IXY 650 M (aka Elph 360 HS A / Ixus 285 HS A) | Black
9. OM System Tough TG-7 | Red
10. Kenko Tokina KC-AF 11 | Black

Sales data compiled by BCN+R, which aggregates nationwide sales figures from major electronic retailers and online platforms across Japan.

The rise of smartphone fatigue

The popularity of these compacts may also reflect a growing trend often referred to as "smartphone fatigue."

Smartphone cameras have never been more capable. Flagship devices now feature larger sensors, advanced computational photography and image processing developed in partnership with established camera brands like Leica and Hasselblad.

Yet, for some users, taking photos on a smartphone no longer feels like using a camera at all.

A dedicated compact camera – even a 'simple' one – offers a different experience no smartphone can give shooters. There's a physical shutter button, a separate device devoted entirely to photography, and a more intentional shooting process.

Many of the top-performing models feature simple interfaces, physical controls, and retro-inspired styling. Unlike enthusiast cameras, they require little photographic knowledge and can be picked up without knowledge of shutter speeds, aperture settings, or ISO settings.

For many buyers, that's the appeal.

In Japan, compact camera buyers are not chasing the latest technology; affordable, straightforward models win again – and this trend is not expected to change.

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The Kodak Charmera, one of the best keychain cameras, has become one of those strange little photo products that make almost no sense on paper, yet somehow makes perfect sense the second you see it. It is tiny, retro, a little bit ridiculous, and exactly the kind of camera people seem to be losing their minds over.

The problem is, because of that, it has also been one of those cameras that appear online, sell out, disappear again, and then sends everyone hunting around for stock like it is some kind of secret photography treasure.

Right now, you can get the Kodak Charmera keychain camera 6-pack for $199.95 at B&H, which gives you six blind-box cameras in one go and, more importantly, six chances to see which designs you end up with. Half the fun of the Charmera is not just shooting with it, but opening the box and discovering which version has landed in your hands.

For those who have somehow missed the madness, the Kodak Charmera is a tiny digital camera designed to clip onto your keys, bag, or jacket and go everywhere with you. It is inspired by Kodak’s retro throwaway camera styling, but instead of film, it gives you lo-fi digital images, 1440 x 1080 output, video recording, built-in frames, filters, and USB-C charging. It is not pretending to be a serious camera, and that is exactly why people love it.

This is photography stripped back to pure fun. No menus that feel like a flight deck, no endless firmware updates, no lens decisions, and no worrying about dynamic range, bit depth, or whether your autofocus subject detection is set to animal, human, car or bird. You press the button, you get a weird little nostalgic-looking image, and you move on. In a world where every camera seems to want to be a hybrid cinema machine, the Charmera feels wonderfully silly.

The 6-pack also makes a lot of sense because the Charmera is sold as a blind-box collectible, with different retro designs and the chance of landing the rarer mystery edition. Buying one is fun, but buying six gives you that proper collector thrill. You can keep your favorites, give a few away, split the pack with friends, or just enjoy the chaos of seeing which designs turn up. It is part camera, part toy, part collectible, and part nostalgia hit.

At $199.95, this is not the kind of deal you buy because you need another camera. You buy it because photography should still be fun, and the Kodak Charmera understands that better than a lot of far more expensive gear. It is small, silly, collectible, and constantly in demand, and if you have been waiting for stock to appear again, this 6-pack might be the best way to get involved before it vanishes once more.

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As I recall, the year was 1964. I was still a teenager, but a teenager with a camera. It was just a basic fixed-lens SLR, a Nikkorex 35/2, but it made me the family expert. My mother wanted a new camera and said to me, “I don’t want one that’s foolproof. I need one that’s mother-proof!“

My solution was a Kodak Instamatic. A better-quality, basic box camera. A point-and-pray camera with a plastic 35mm f/9 Kodak lens that was quite sharp in the center, if not so sharp at the edges.

She loved it, and used it frequently until she passed away a few years later. It was expensive, at $27.50 (about $245 in today’s dollars) and I still have it. But, I’m getting ahead of myself.

Back in 1934, Dr August Nagel at Kodak AG in Germany invented what we now know as the standard 35mm film cartridge. It eliminated the need to load film into either Leica or Contax-style cassettes in total darkness.

This new 135 film made 35mm cameras usable for the masses – and, thus, popular. But there were many people who still found loading 35mm film awkward. And my mother was one of them.

At Kodak, Hubert Nerwin (formerly the chief designer at Zeiss Ikon) and Frank Zagara had been hard at work solving this problem. Newin's solution was a strip of 35mm film with a single perforation per frame, backed with a paper strip and tucked into a plastic cartridge that held both the feed and take-up spools.

Film speed could be set by a notch in the plastic, and the whole thing became a simple ‘open back, drop in the film and close the back' operation. Anybody could it, even my mother!

Zagara designed the camera to go with this new 126 film cartridge. It was a very basic box-style camera that took 28 x 26mm square photos.

His Instamatic 100, and its matching Kodapak 126 film, were introduced in 1963 at a retail price of $15.95, (or roughly $160 today), making it an affordable entry-level snapshot camera with the new 126 cartridge system.

This new format really did revolutionize the point-and-shoot camera market. The Instamatic 100 offered a fixed-focus 43mm f/11 acrylic lens, with shutter speeds of 1/90 second or 1/40 with flash, and sunny / flash selector made it point-and-shoot ready for anyone, much like the earlier Brownie series from Kodak.

It also featured a built-in pop-up flash for AG-1 bulbs (powered by two AAA batteries), and a compact metal-and-plastic body with wrist strap. Later models (from 1965) would feature the flashcube, while the X series (starting in 1970) used the Magicube, eliminating the battery and reducing costs even further.

All along, the Instamatics were intended for the “beginner” or “consumer” market. Four firms (Minolta, Rollei, Yashica and Zeiss Ikon) made a few high-end models, but none of them met with great success.

By 1970, Kodak had sold over 50 million Instamatic cameras! Millions more were made and sold by other companies. But the quality of the plastic cartridges was uneven, making it difficult to keep the film flat, which resulted in lower quality images – and the 126 format was almost dead by 1972.

Kodak’s last Instamatic was the X-15F, last made in 1978. Film production ended in 1999, though Ferrania (Italy) periodically made batches until 2008.

The Instamatic name was used again, in 1972, when Kodak introduced its Pocket Instamatic with more compact, "pocket-sized" cameras. Advances in finer-grained film enabled smaller 13 x 17 mm frames on 16mm-wide stock, versus 126's bulkier 28 x 28 mm on 35mm-wide film.

But similar problems with film flatness in the plastic cartridge and the lack of resolution from the very small negatives and plastic lenses meant that the 110 format was essentially dead by 1994. Kodak ended 110 film production by 2006, though Fujifilm continued color negative film until September 2009.

In the 1980s, both formats lost ground rapidly to the Japanese 35mm camera makers who offered better image quality, automated film loading (think Canon’s QL system) and fully automatic exposure control at ever-decreasing prices.

Today, collectors and enthusiasts can find both “print-it-yourself” cartridge designs (using 3D printers) or ready-made, reloadable ones from specialist retailers.

One firm, the Film Photography Project, is currently offering both black-and-white and color (Kodak Gold 200) films as “126 hand-perforated rolls in a black canister”, which you can load, in total darkness, into older or newer reloadable plastic cartridges.

Certainly neither convenient nor cheap. But doable, if you’re dedicated. And anyone using these cameras today certainly is that!

Read more of David Young's ongoing series on classic cameras, as well as his book A Brief History of Photography.

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I keep reading reports suggesting some of the best-selling cameras in the world right now are ones which I, and most others, discounted from consideration back in the mid-2000s? By which I mean small 1/2.3-inch sensor point-and-shoot cameras incorporating non-interchangeable lens snapshots with a modest 3x optical zoom, that, while able to conveniently fit in my pocket, don’t offer the ability to do much more than point and shoot.

And which, let’s be honest, deliver an image quality superseded by the camera we now always have with us, namely our smartphone.

The basic snapshot-style best sellers I refer to aren’t Canon, Nikon, Fujifilm or Sony-branded cameras either, but rather those from Kodak. However, it’s not the once great American photography pioneer pumping out low-cost compacts, but rather a long-term licensee of the Kodak name. Headquartered in LA, JK Imaging has been marketing products the public would widely assume as coming directly from the original source for well over a decade. Now compacts are king again, and it’s undertaken a wildly successful Trojan horse-style infiltration of the mass market.

Another familiar brand now also manufactured under licence is the once Japanese-owned Yashica. While nowhere previously as big as Kodak worldwide, the name was nevertheless once globally respected when it came to high-performing compacts. Yet the Yashica brand originally disappeared altogether in 2005 when parent company Kyocera ceased production on all Contax, Kyocera, and Yashica cameras, choosing to focus on more profitable areas of its business.

In 2008, the rights to the Yashica brand were bought by the Hong Kong-based MF Jebsen Group, which in turn licensed out the name, and, more than a decade on, we’ve recently seen retro-styled Yashica point and shoots entering the UK and US markets, principally the City 100, City 200 and City 300 models.

Both Kodak and Yashica’s options are plastic-y yet affordable fixed-lens snappers suitable for anyone who doesn’t otherwise want to invest in any entry-level mirrorless camera. There’s nothing new about the technology involved with either, but that’s not the point.

The point is that JK Imaging kept going with both Kodak and AgfaPhoto compacts when the bigger camera companies pulled out of compact cameras completely. That seemed a somewhat eccentric and ambitious move – at least, until the past couple of years.

Being the biggest and practically only player in a market that almost everyone else had exited meant that the Kodak brand was perfectly placed to reap the reward of renewed interest in compact digicams when they became fashionable again post-pandemic. By contrast, the major players have been reluctant to get involved, fearing a passing fad. And then there’s the fact that getting previously discontinued compact camera lines up and running at volume again involves considerable expense and investment.

This is why we’re seeing cheap, basic digicams now beating the bigger boys and more sophisticated options at their own game. Who’d have thought it?

The names of popular Kodak film stocks have just changed – and they're being distributed by a different branch of Kodak.

Two lines of Kodak Alaris film, Portra and TMax, have been rebranded as Ektacolor and Ektapan by Eastman Kodak. Which means that Kodak Portra 400, for example, is now called Kodak Ektacolor 400 and so on.

Confused?

Let me try to give you the crib notes version. Essentially, Eastman Kodak – the branch of the company that actually manufactures camera film – is now distributing stock directly.

Previously, Eastman Kodak film stock was distributed by Kodak Alaris – a private equity-owned division that was divested from Eastman Kodak in 2013, following the company's bankruptcy.

As part of bringing the distribution back "in-house", Eastman Kodak has rebranded two of the best camera film stocks according to its old naming conventions – but, crucially, the emulsions will remain the same.

As described by 35M Pro lab in Los Angeles (based in my old stomping ground, Sherman Oaks):

"Before Portra, Kodak's professional film line was called Ektacolor. This 'Ekta' was a distinguishing premium from the consumer lines like Kodacolor or Gold. The other professional film lines associated include Ektar, Ektachrome and Ektapan."

So that explains the rebranded names themselves, but why the rebrand and change in distribution in the first place?

"After over a decade of Kodak Alaris distributing Kodak’s pro films, Eastman Kodak is bringing distribution back in-house. Shorter supply chain and potentially more stable pricing and same legendary quality.

"… rather than profits going to private equity (Alaris), film profits will be reinvested back into the company making film manufacturing more sustainable."

If for some reason you love or trust the old Alaris branding more, fear not – it looks like Portra and TMax versions will still be available. Though it's likely that they will carry at least a somewhat higher price than the alrternatives distributed directly by Eastman Kodak.

Flip through the slides on 35M Pro's Instagram post for more info, but here's a quick guide to the film stocks that have been rebranded:

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I recently took the Kodak Charmera on vacation, and I can say with some confidence that it is the worst camera I have ever used. I mean, not a fun end-of-year list bad, properly, fundamentally bad.

The Kodak Charmera is part of the new wave of keychain cameras, although created as more of a novelty toy than an actual serious photographic tool, and costing only around $35 / £35, I can't be too harsh on this adorable little thing.

Despite all the blown-out skies, smudgy detail, and the wildly unpredictable color, I actually quite like it. The results are, by any normal measure, terrible. But that is really rather the point (although Kodak probably still objects to me using the word terrible). It's not about replacing a proper camera, or even replacing a phone, but about making images that feel less polished.

There are a dozen reasons why less clinical photos are making a comeback; a rejection of the unhealthy idea of perfection pushed by social media, a desire to capture more “authenticity” in images, a way to go back to when technology was fun and not an existential threat to privacy and livelihoods, or like me, it just is a nostalgic trip back to how I remember pictures looking when I was young.

While its photos might not look technically good, they do look like memories. They have that late-1990s, early-digital-camera quality and are somehow more emotionally convincing for it. A beach shot taken on one of the best camera phones will look perfect, but the same scene through a camera like this can look like a photo from a childhood holiday pulled from an old relic of a hard drive.

Is it just poserism? Maybe partly. Deliberately choosing bad image quality when you have a far better camera in your pocket is performative, and there is no point pretending otherwise.

But as a tiny camera for making deliberately imperfect, nostalgic snapshots, I understood it, and enjoyed it more than I expected to. The photos are dreadful, but in an age where every image is being made cleaner, sharper, and more computationally perfect, maybe there is room for a camera that gets almost everything wrong.

It’s no wonder the Kodak Pixpro FZ55 has topped camera sales charts for so many years. It fits into almost any pocket, takes about 10 minutes to figure out how to use, packs a respectable 16MP sensor, and typically costs less than $160 ( £120 / AU$240).

In fact, I recently spent a week or so mulling around with this fun little point-and-shoot camera and, to my surprise, I really liked it. On a couple of occasions, I even chose to head out with the Kodak instead of my Sony A7 III.

I had a lot of fun with the point-and-shoot, and would certainly recommend it to anyone who wants a really cheap camera and cares more about capturing memories than megapixels. But personally, I’d invest a couple of hundred more and go for something slightly more premium — perhaps an older Canon PowerShot series model, or even a budget APS-C camera like the Sony a6400.

See, the two big things that bugged me about the Kodak PixPro FZ55 were the poorly rendered colors on its tiny LCD screen and the inaccurate exposure metering I experienced when relying on the histogram.

I know the old saying “you get what you pay for” kind of comes into play here but, cheap or not, at least give me a camera that doesn’t consistently blow out my highlights. In layman's terms, I was frustrated with how many times my photos were ruined by bright white sections.

To avoid these issues, I often found myself intentionally underexposing with the PixPro FZ55, which I don’t think would’ve been the case with something like the Canon or Sony models I just mentioned, thanks to their larger screens and better metering systems, albeit at higher prices.

When the PixPro got it right, I was more than happy with the results, some of which you’ve been looking at in this article, so I can’t complain too much about Kodak’s most-loved compact camera. I’d just like to see slightly more reliable performance.

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A highly sought-after compact camera has claimed the top position in Japan's latest sales rankings – even as availability remains extremely limited.

The Fujifilm X100VI has once again surged to No.1 in Yodobashi's best-selling compact camera chart for the second half of April, despite being widely out of stock and frequently sold out since launch.

In many regions, the camera is still only available through backorders, making its top ranking even more notable – but it's not the only "hard-to-get" compact on the chart.

Yodobashi's top selling compacts (2nd half Apr)

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

A best-seller you can't easily buy

The Fujifilm X100VI has become one of the most in-demand compact cameras globally since its release in 2024, consistently selling out shortly after stock arrives.

Its popularity has been driven by a mix of retro styling, strong image quality, and premium build quality, making it a standout in the compact camera resurgence.

Just recently, I reported that the compact camera was rated at No.2 of Japan's best-selling cameras by Map Camera – including APS-C, MFT, and full-frame cameras.

It also won awards like the 2025 Red Dot Award. The jury noted: "With a 40.2 MP sensor and in-body image stabilisation, the FUJIFILM X100VI delivers high image quality even in low light conditions. The camera’s retro aesthetic is achieved through a tactile, analogue feel reminiscent of classic film cameras."

Stock shortages are shaping the rankings

Several other models in the top 10 are also affected by availability issues, including the Canon PowerShot G7 X Mark III (3rd), the Canon PowerShot SX740 HS Lite (4th), and the Ricoh GR IV (9th).

These models continue to appear in rankings partly due to backordered shipments, highlighting the ongoing supply constraints across the compact camera market.

The surge in demand for these compacts is not limited to Japan. Across the US and UK market, models like the X100VI and PowerShot SX740 HS Lite are sold out at major retailers.

However, the Ricoh GR IV is in stock at Amazon for $2,196.99 / £1,199.99, and the Canon PowerShot SX740 HS Lite is available at Amazon for $749 / £545.

With demand still outpacing supply, it remains to be seen how long the Fujifilm X100VI can maintain its top position – and whether competitors can regain ground once stock levels stabilize.

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We all know that compact cameras are enjoying a resurgence. And in one of the world's most competitive and fast-moving markets, the trendiest models were released years ago – and high-resolution compacts such as the 102MP Fujifilm GFX100RF are nowhere to be found.

The latest BCN+R rankings for April, which track retail across Japan's major electronic stores, show that best-selling compacts are not necessarily the newest – or the most advanced.

Sitting at the top of the chart is a three-year-old model, followed by a camera that costs as little as $99 / £79. These little point-and-shoots don't feature high specs, but their appeal lies in something different.

BCN+R compact camera ranking (Apr 26)

1. Kodak Pixpro FZ55 | Black
2. Kodak Pixpro C1 | Black
3. Canon PowerShot SX740 HS Lite | Black
4. Canon PowerShot SX740 HS Lite | Silver
5. Kodak Pixpro C1 | Brown
6. Instax Mini Evo | Black
7. Canon Ixy 650 M (Elph 360 HS A / Ixus 285 HS A) | Silver
8. Canon Ixy 650 M (Elph 360 HS A / Ixus 285 HS A) | Black
9. Kodak Pixpro WPZ2
10. Instax Mini Evo | Brown

Sales data compiled by BCN+R, which aggregates nationwide sales figures from major electronic retailers and online platforms across Japan.

Popularity despite camera age

Looking at the top ten best-selling compacts, it's clear that most are not genuinely new releases.

The Kodak Pixpro FZ55 arrived in 2017, the Pixpro C1 is the newest model, having entered the market in 2025, while the Canon PowerShot SX740 launched in 2024 but is essentially a refreshed version of the 2018 model. Similarly, the Canon Ixy 650 M is also a renewed version of the 2016 model.

Japan's best-selling compact cameras are nearly four years old on average. While that may not seem particularly old for a camera, it's a striking figure in a market known for rapid product cycles.

What makes these 'older' releases so popular?

In the compact camera segment, Japanese buyers seem not to chase the latest technology but to prioritize familiarity, simplicity and value.

Even among newer entries, such as Kodak's budget-friendly models and Fujifilm's instant-style hybrid cameras, the focus remains firmly on accessibility rather than cutting-edge innovation.

Affordability plays a major role, with the Pixpro C1 starting at $99.99 / £79 and higher options such as the PowerShot SX740 HS Lite costing $549.99 / £499.99 – even so these cameras remain far from entering the four-figure price bracket.

Ease of use is another key factor, with point-and-shoot designs remaining highly attractive in an era where smartphone fatigue is growing.

There is also a strong element of nostalgia and retro appeal, with compacts increasingly seen as fun, lifestyle-oriented devices rather than professional tools.

And finally, familiarity matters. Established models have proven themselves over time and continue to sell steadily, even without major updates.

For many buyers, simplicity and affordability still win out over specification sheets – and that's unlikely to change in the near future.

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Eastman Kodak has just made one of its biggest film announcements yet, confirming that large-format films and 100ft bulk rolls are now part of the new line-up of emulsions it distributes directly.

The news follows the gradual return of Kodak-branded 35mm and 120 films in fresh packaging, and in some cases under new names, which began last October. Now, Kodak is going bigger, with its Still Film section on Kodak.com carrying a new “Time to go big” promotion that reveals the next stage in its film revival.

For photographers who still love the slower, more deliberate magic of sheet film, this is a major moment. Kodak has confirmed that Ektapan 100 and Ektapan 400 will be available in 4x5in, while Ektacolor Pro 160 and Ektacolor Pro 400 will be offered in both 4x5 and 8x10in formats.

The legendary Tri-X 320 is also joining the line-up in 4x5, 5x7, and 8x10 inch sizes, giving large-format black-and-white photographers another reason to get excited.

Bulk loaders are getting some love, too, with Kodak confirming 100ft rolls of Ektapan 100, Ektapan 400, and Tri-X 400 in 35mm. For anyone who still enjoys rolling their own film, saving money per roll, or simply having that satisfying sense of being more connected to the photographic process, this is exactly the kind of announcement that keeps film photography feeling alive and kicking.

Kodak’s own line, “Look for the new box and you’ll know you’ve found us,” says a lot about what is happening here. This announcement effectively marks the end of Eastman Kodak’s move to bring its film distribution back in-house, around 14 years after it was outsourced to Kodak Alaris following the company’s 2012 bankruptcy protection.

There is one important detail, though. The new Eastman Kodak-distributed films do not include Portra or TMax, as those brand names are currently owned by Kodak Alaris. That means Portra films have effectively become Ektacolor Pro, while TMax films are now Ektapan in this new Kodak line-up.

Kodak Alaris continues to sell some Kodak film in its own updated packaging, including large-format Ektachrome slide film and Ektar 100 color negative film, which are not currently part of Eastman Kodak’s new range. Still, for film photographers, especially those shooting large format or bulk-loading 35mm, this feels like a very welcome sign that Kodak is not just keeping film alive, but going big with it.

Compact cameras are selling so well right now that finding one in stock is a challenge – but the newest list of bestsellers from Japan carries a common theme: Zoom.

Japanese retailer Yodobashi recently shared the list of bestselling compact cameras for the first half of April 2026. With a number of major camera brands headquartered in Japan, sales data from the region often hints at trends in the camera industry.

The latest list is topped by cameras that offer a zoom lens. Zoom has been traditionally much harder to find from smartphone cameras – though there are an increasing number of smartphones with big zoom ranges, like the Leica Lietzphone.

Vlogging cameras, budget options, and large sensors are also common themes in Japan’s current best-selling compact cameras.

Compact cameras with zoom are among the trendiest options

The list is topped by the Canon PowerShot SX740 HS, a point-and-shoot that mixes a 40x optical zoom with a 20.3MP 1/2.3-inch sensor and a pocketable design. While the retailer delivered enough backorders for the camera to sit at the top of the listings, the compact is out of stock. The camera is similarly out of stock at Canon’s US and UK webstores, hinting at high demand.

The Panasonic TZ99 / ZS99, which sits in the fifth place spot on the best-seller list, is also heavy on zoom. The camera puts a 30x optical zoom into a pocketable camera with a 1/2.3-inch sensor – and unlike Canon’s 40x compact zoom camera, it’s easy to find in stock.

Pairing a larger sensor with a zoom lens is a challenging balance, but it’s one that the Sony RX100 VII, which sits in eighth place, balances well. The camera is a 2019 launch, but the pocketable camera has an unusual mix of a larger one-inch sensor with a versatile 28-200mm equivalent optical zoom and 20 fps burst speeds. Another rare feature is that it still has a hidden pop-up viewfinder.

The OM System Tough TG-7 – one of the most recommended waterproof cameras – offers an entirely different feature that’s hard to find on smartphones: a waterproof and shockproof design. The camera also has a 4x optical zoom – and a fantastic macro mode. It sits in 6th place.

Vlogging cameras are selling well

The zoom theme continues – albeit to a lesser extent – with the second-place model on the list, the Sony ZV-1 II. The ZV-1 II’s zoom lens is a smaller 2.7x, 18-50mm equivalent range, but it’s paired with a larger one-inch sensor. The ZV line is geared towards vloggers with its 4K video features, though it can still snap still photos as well. Unlike the SX740, the ZV-1 II is easier to find in stock.

Canon’s more video-oriented PowerShot also makes the list, as the V1 slides into 7th place. Yodobashi notes that it’s the PowerShot V1’s first time back on the after dropping out of the top ten for two months. While geared more towards video, the PowerShot V1 balances a 1.4-type with a lens that still has a bit of zoom with a 16-50mm equivalent.

Budget cameras remain popular

Canon’s most affordable compact camera slides in third. The Canon IXY 650, which is called the PowerShot 360 HS A in the US, is the brand’s most affordable point-and-shoot. While it doesn’t have the zoom of the SX740 HS or the larger sensor of the G7 X Mark III, the more affordable PowerShot slides in with a 12x optical zoom and 20.2MP 1/2.3-inch sensor.

Budget cameras remain a popular option within the compact camera category – the Kodak PixPro C1 also slides into the top five. The affordable compact has a retro pocketable design, but the zoom is only digital, and image quality – and versatility – is limited.

Large sensor compacts are still in demand, but hard to find

Two Ricoh GR series cameras round out the list in the ninth and tenth place spots: The GR IV and the GR IV Monochrome. Both of the APS-C sensor compact cameras are out of stock at Yodobashi – suggesting that if availability weren’t so limited, those cameras perhaps could have appeared higher on the list.

The full list of best-selling compact cameras for the first half of April 2026 at Yodobashi includes:

1. Canon PowerShot SX740 HS
2. Sony ZV-1 II
3. Canon IXY 650m / PowerShot 360 HS A
4. Kodak Pixpro C1
5. Panasonic Lumix TZ99 / TS99
6. OM System TOUGH TG-7
7. Canon PowerShot V1
8. Sony RX100 VII
9. Ricoh GR IV
10. Ricoh GR IV Monochrome

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The ultra-popular Kodak Charmera, the most popular and one of the best keychain cameras, has now won both the iF Design Award and Red Dot Design Award – two of the industry's most recognized design honors.

Despite its deliberately low-resolution 1.6MP 1/4-inch CMOS sensor, the camera has gone viral for embracing a playful, nostalgic approach to photography rather than technical perfection. Weighting only 30g and measuring 58x24.5x20mm, it can be attached to a keychain, making it more of a portable creative gadget than a traditional camera.

The Charmera launched in 2025 for $30 / £30 and has since risen slightly in price to $34.99 / £35. It quickly became a surprise hit, with demand far exceeding supply and photographers facing long waiting lists. On resale platforms like eBay, prices climbed to over £60 in the UK and up to $180 in the US – even for open-box units.

Two major awards for the Kodak Charmera

iF Design Award states, "Inspired by the Kodak Fling and the carefree spirit of point-and-shoot photography, the Kodak Charmera reimagines retro charm with a modern digital twist.

"This keychain digital camera offers both photo and video capabilities, featuring customized Kodak frames, vintage filters, and date stamps in photo mode. Its keychain function adds convenience, allowing users to hang it around for easy access.

"With seven unique retro styles available in blind boxes, it adds an element of fun and collectibility for users and their friends."

Receiving both the iF Design Award and the Red Dot Design Award highlights Kodak's playful approach to the Charmera.

Why the Kodak Charmera is so popular

So why has a deliberately low-spec camera become one of the most sought-after compacts of the last year?

It's simple, it's straightforward, and it taps into the early days of digital photography rather than chasing technical perfection. There's no thinking about aperture, shutter speed, or ISO – it's just there to capture everyday life as it happens.

You could do the same with a camera phone, but the Charmera adds a tactile, physical shooting experience that makes its shooting more playful – and the images are full of character.

Younger photography-minded users have clearly picked up on it, and social media has amplified that interest further. TikTok and Instagram have helped push the Charmera into the mainstream.

Then there's the blind-box concept. Each camera arrives as a surprise, with six colorways and a rare edition, turning a simple compact into something closer to a collectible – and thanks to its low price, it encourages impulse buys.

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As a child of the 80s, I’ve been charmed by the Kodak Charmera, with its blind-buy lucky dip of retro graphics. Which kid, big or small, doesn’t love a lucky dip? Its key fob sized dimensions also remind me of the Digital L’Espion – French for ‘spy’ – camera from Digital Dream two decades ago. That similarly came with key ring attachment.

Further providing a current and powerful hit of that drug called nostalgia is the Chuzhao digital TLR style camera, resembling something I might have seen on a shelf at my grandparents. They were also one-time big users of the Kodak Box Brownie. The next thing we know we’ll all be fashioning pinhole cameras from paper and card.

Add in the recent toy camera likes of the Camp Snap, Flashback ONE35, Rewindpix, Snapic A1, and, arguably, the fun-leaning Fujifilm X Half and Instax Mini Evo Cinema, despite the latter’s price tag being not especially pocket money orientated, and I think we’re seeing a new trend emerge.

If Gen Z is really buying up old, used point and shoot digicams at £30 a pop from eBay because they like the low-tech approach and rougher results, then the plastic-y and mostly very affordable nature of the above new(er) examples is likewise going to strongly appeal.

And if it’s true, the rest of us have now peaked when it comes to smartphone and social media obsessiveness – and are, increasingly, seeking out ways to disconnect – then the market for these cheap and cheerful camera toys is wider still.

When most ‘proper’ interchangeable lens digital cameras or even re-issued compacts cost around a grand, these photographic trinkets also offer an entry point into smartphone-free photography for those who want it – and one that the majors stopped offering when they (mostly) culled all their lower-priced snapshot models a decade ago.

Thus, digital cameras have become affordable, cute, and, most importantly, viral fashion accessories for the TikTok generation.

So, rather than being totally dismissive of toy digicams, or low-cost 20-year-old point and shoots once consigned to household drawers with other outdated ephemera, I welcome them.

Getting dedicated cameras into people's hands in greater numbers is not only good for the practitioner, but for the present and future health of the photo industry.

And, encouragingly, it only takes a minute before we want to put away the toy version and pick up the real thing.

Unsurprisingly, cheap and cheerful compact cameras continue to rule Japan's market for another month, as the latest sales figures from BCN+R reveal – and two Kodak Pixpro models have held their ground at the top for months.

The Kodak Pixpro FZ55 and Kodak Pixpro C1 are almost always constantly high up the best-seller charts.

What both cameras have in common is incredible affordability: the FZ55 retails for only $139.99 / £119 / AU$197, while the C1 is even cheaper at $99 / £79.99 / AU$140. But beyond their price tag, these two compacts are actually quite different, making the choice more about style, use, and what kind of shooting experience you want.

BCN+R compact camera ranking (Mar 26)

1. Kodak Pixpro FZ55 | Black
2. Kodak Pixpro C1 | Black
3. Fujifilm Instax Mini Evo | Black
4. Canon PowerShot SX740 HS | Black
5. Kodak Pixpro C1 | Brown
6. OM System Tough TG-7 | Black
7. Fujifilm Instax Mini Evo | Brown
8. Canon PowerShot SX740 HS | Silver
9. Panasonic Lumix TZ99/ ZS99 | Black
10. Canon IXY 650 M (aka Elph 360 HS A / Ixus 285 HS A) | Silver

Sales data compiled by BCN+R, which aggregates nationwide sales figures from major electronic retailers and online platforms across Japan.

5x zoom vs. retro compact camera charm

Both compact cameras are highly affordable – but their differences are quickly visible to the naked eye, and in real-world use.

The FZ55 follows a more traditional point-and-shoot design, echoing early digital compacts, while the C1 leans into retro styling and a more lifestyle-oriented appeal.

Specs-wise, the FZ55 uses a 16MP 1/2.3-inch sensor while the C1 drops to a smaller 13MP 1/3-inch chip. While neither sensor is large by modern standards, the FZ55's slightly bigger sensor allows for capturing more light, resulting in better low-light performance and improved dynamic range.

One of the key dividers is the lens – the FZ55 offers a 5x optical zoom (28-140mm equivalent), whereas the C1 has a fixed wide-angle lens that relies on a 4x digital zoom , limiting detail and compositional flexibility.

The FZ55 is a proven user-friendly device since its launch in 2022 – something for travel, casual shooting, or learning basic compositions. The C1, which appeared last year, on the other hand, targets a younger, more social-first crowd – its flip screen makes operational and technical control just incredibly easy.

March's top 10

The BCN+R best-selling compact camera chart has remained relatively stable. Models like OM System's Tough T-7 or Canon's PowerShot SX740 HS Lite version are familiar faces.

The most notable shift comes from the Fujifilm Instax Mini Evo, with the Black version climbing from 7th to 3rd place, while the Brown variant makes an even bigger jump from 14th to 7th in March rankings.

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Have you still got shoeboxes or drawers full of old photos that you wish you could view on your computer and phone? You are not alone - lots of us have cherished memories on negatives or slides that we wish were digitized so that they can be seen and shared with family and friends. Some great deals on Kodak scanners in Amazon's Big Spring Sale could be just what you need.

• See all of today's best camera deals on Amazon

There are lots of film scanner options around, but Kodak has made its name in this area with a range of all-in-one scanners, where you don't need a computer to get your images digitized. And what's more, they have built-in screens that are great for helping you find the best frames from your collection.

Three of Kodak's models are now in the sale - with the key difference between them being the size of th viewing screen…

Check out our guides to the best film scanners and to the best slide viewers

If imitation is the finest form of flattery, then Kodak Portra is one of the best color film emulsions. When it comes to color films that are so iconic that digital photographers try to replicate them, Kodak Portra sits near the top of that list. The film is known for it’s beautiful colors and forgiveness at exposure errors – but now that film may be known by another name.

Earlier this week, Eastman Kodak – otherwise known as the “original Kodak” – announced the release of six new films, three different Ektacolor Pro and three different Kodak Ektapan. Each of the two film types will come in three speeds, creating the six total new films announced this week. Five of those films are available in 135 and 120 formats, while Ektapan P3200 is exclusively for the 135 format, of

But while Kodak announced them as “new” films, film fanatics were quick to point out that Kodak Ektacolor sounds a lot like – and looks a lot like – Kodak Portra. Portra is so popular that even digital photographers try to emulate it with filters and presets, and at times in its history, it’s been hard to find. (Although thankfully, that’s not currently the case).

The Kodak Ektapan is a black-and-white film that revives a name that disappeared around 25 years ago. But Kodak fans here were also quick to point out that the description of the new film sounds a lot like the T-Max line.

To be clear, Eastman Kodak hasn’t directly said that Ektacolor Pro equals Portra nor that Ektapan equals T-Max – that’s all film fans reading the description and looking at the sample images and saying that the “new” film looks quite similar to existing Kodak films.

While the name change may be confusing, if Ektacolor Pro is in fact Portra, that’s good news for film photographers. Why? Because when Kodak originally started selling its films directly through distributors, the brand said the move was “in an effort to increase supply and help create greater stability in a market where prices have fluctuated.”

Sure, learning the new names may be a minor annoyance, but as someone who occasionally shoots film myself, I think I can speak for all film photographers when I say that greater supply and fewer price swings is fantastic news.

So does the rebranded film help with film prices? That’s still unclear at this point. At US retailer B&H for example, both Portra and Ektacolor have similar prices. But Portra seems to have more limited stock – I can’t find a single roll of Portra 400 at the retailer, just a five-pack, but Ektacolor appears to be available in single 35mm rolls – and at a price that’s lower than the third-party sellers on Amazon at least.

So why is Kodak changing the names of iconic film formats? It has to do with the rights to those names, which stems from a messy bankruptcy in 2012.

Kodak is a longstanding photography company, but the modern company feels rather like it needs a map to understand what’s Kodak and what’s Kodak-adjacent. Eastman Kodak has continued to produce films for cinema, but previously Kodak Alaris owned the distribution rights to sell Kodak films for still photography after bankruptcy proceedings from 2012. That appears to be changing, as Kodak has recently begun re-releasing film stocks directly from Eastman Kodak, just under different names.

That, of course, doesn’t include the dozens of compact cameras, printers, and other accessories that bear the Kodak name, but these aren’t created by Eastman Kodak nor Kodak Alaris, but rather by third-party companies through a licensing agreement.

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Kodak is about to launch a new bridge camera, that has a built-in optically-stabilized 65x zoom that can cover an equivalent focal length range of 24–1560mm. Originally teased last year, the Pixpro AZ653 will now go on sale from April 2026.

The DSLR-shaped compact camera has a 20.68MP 1/2.3" BSI CMOS sensor and can record video at 1080P (so not 4K).

The new model joins Kodak's existing bridge camera line-up offering photographers a huge telephoto reach which appeals to those who want to shoot subjects such as sports and wildlife without the bulk and investment needed from a mirrorless or DSLR camera system.

The AZ653 offers the benefit of both a fixed 3in 460k-dot rear LCD, as well as an electronic eyelevel viewfinder. It also comes with a built-in pop-up flash. It also offers a built-in 15MB memory, in addition to an SDXC card slot.

Although all settings can be automated, the AZ653 provides a wide range of manual overrides for creative control. As well as program exposure, you can opt for shutter priority, aperture priority or manual mode use. ISO can be manually set from ISO 100 to 1600. And there is exposure compensation offering ±3 EV in 1/3 steps adjustment. There are also a range of 'intelligent' shooting modes to suit different subjects, as well as a 360° panoramic mode.

A burst made can fire off sequences at five frames per second, and there is a shutter speed range that stretches from 1/2000sec – 30 seconds.

Weighing 568g, the rechargeable battery claims to offer you 400 shots or 90 mins of video @1080/30p (based on CIPA standard testing) between charges, and can be recharged via a USB-C socket.

The Kodak Pixpro AZ653 will cost $449.99 / £349.99 / AU$750.99.

See our rundown of the best bridge cameras currently available, and our rundown of the best Kodak cameras

Japan's newest compact camera charts are in, and Yodobashi's latest top 10 reveals some familiar favorites – and models that we haven't seen in a while... or ever before.

Leading the pack once again is the Fujifilm X100VI, rated as the best retro camera in the compact category. Since its release two years ago, it has been in constant stockout, leaving photographers worldwide with empty hands.

The previous top-seller has dramatically dropped to No.10. The Ricoh GR IV Monochrome couldn't maintain momentum, as high demand and limited stock created challenges for buyers.

Yodobashi's Top 10 compact cameras (2nd half Feb)

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

The King is back: the Fujifilm X100VI

The Fujifilm X100VI is famously hard to find.

If it's not fighting chronic stock shortages, photographers get a classic rangefinder styling with modern APS-C performance, a 35mm equivalent prime lens, and intuitive dial controls.

Its blend of style, performance, and nostalgia keeps it coming back to No.1 whenever stock allows.

Leica celebrates first listing triumph

Making its first appearance in Yodobashi's best-selling compact cameras this year, the Leica Q3 43 ranked No.6.

While premium pricing keeps it from the very top, Japan's growing appetite for high-end quality is evident – and not only in the compact camera category. In Yodobashi's top 10 best-selling mirrorless cameras, the Hasselblad X2D II 100C has been in top positions over the past months, yet it hasn't reached No.1.

The Leica Q3 43 is based on the original Q3, but with a longer 43mm lens, it offers a fresh perspective. The camera features a 60MP sensor, color and monochrome styles, and Leica's renowned build quality, available for $7,950 / £5,890.

Canon dominates & Ricoh struggles

Canon rules the ranking, with three compact camera models in the top 10: the Canon PowerShot SX740 HS / Lite, Canon PowerShot G7 X Mark III, and PowerShot Elph 360 HS A (aka Canon Ixy 650 M or Ixus 285 HS A).

Kodak's Pixpro C1 and Panasonic Lumix's TZ99 / SZ99 remain steady further down the list, but Ricoh's GR IV and GR IV Monochrome couldn't maintain their positions, landing on No.9 and No.10.

The Ricoh GR IV Monochrome had shot to No.1 upon release, but high demand and stock shortages probably prevented it from holding the top position.

What's next?

While a new contender has entered the top 10, familiar models continue to dominate rankings months after month.

Standout examples include the Canon PowerShot SX740 HS / Lite, Panasonic Lumix TZ99 / ZS99, or the Kodak Pixpro C1.

Both the Canon and Panasonic Lumix models are priced around $550-$690 / £480-£520, while the PowerShot SX740 HS / Lite remains a long-standing updated version since the camera's original launch in 2018.

The most affordable camera is the Kodak Pixpro C1 – standing out as a budget compact camera available for $99.99 / £79. It frequently claimed the top spot at Yodobashi last year, and there's a strong likelihood it could climb back into the top three.

It will be interesting to see if the Fujifilm X100VI can defend its top spot in March – or if stock shortages once again hinder its momentum.

For now, both silver and black versions are still available at Yodobashi...

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Kodak has reported its financial results for the fourth quarter and full year of 2025, revealing solid revenue growth alongside a year-end net loss driven largely by one-off financial impacts.

The historic imaging company posted consolidated revenues of $290 million in the fourth quarter, up from $266 million during the same period in 2024, marking a 9 percent increase and signaling continued momentum in several of its key business divisions.

A significant portion of that growth came from Kodak’s Advanced Materials & Chemicals (AM&C) division, which generated $85 million in revenue during the quarter, an increase of 25 percent compared with $68 million in Q4 2024.

Meanwhile, the company’s print segment also delivered steady gains, bringing in $195 million in quarterly revenue, up from $187 million a year earlier. Gross profit climbed to $67 million in the fourth quarter, compared with $51 million in the same period in 2024, pushing the company’s gross profit margin to 23 percent, up from 19 percent.

Despite these improvements, Kodak reported a GAAP net loss of $108 million in the fourth quarter, compared with net income of $26 million in Q4 2024. Operational EBITDA, however, rose sharply to $22 million, up from $9 million a year earlier, an increase of 144 percent that highlights improving operational efficiency across the business.

For the full year, Kodak reported total revenues of $1.069 billion, a modest increase of $26 million, or 2 percent, compared with 2024. Growth was again led by the AM&C segment, which generated $316 million in revenue, up 17 percent year-over-year.

Print revenues came in slightly lower at $715 million compared with $737 million the previous year. Gross profit reached $232 million, representing a 14 percent increase from 2024, with the company improving its gross margin to 22 percent.

Jim Continenza, Kodak’s Executive Chairman and CEO, had this to say at the announcement:

“Kodak ended 2025 with a strong fourth quarter, which has created a foundation for growth in 2026. We continue to execute the long-term plan we began in 2019, which focuses on de-levering the company while continuing to invest in our infrastructure and new product innovation. Those investments are now paying dividends. Today Kodak has a stronger balance sheet than we’ve had in years, and we have reduced our annual interest expense by approximately $40 million.

Our print business has launched 14 new products in the past few years, and our AM&C unit has introduced a range of still films and developed a number of growth initiatives in promising new businesses. We have updated our internal IT and reporting systems which allow us to streamline processes, reduce operating expenses and better serve our customers. I am optimistic about taking the next step by operating and selling our way to sustainable growth.“

Over the last few months things have been changing when it comes to Kodak film. After the bankruptcy proceedings of 2012, Kodak was split, with Eastman Kodak developing and manufacturing films, while Kodak Alaris marketed and distributed it. Now however Eastman Kodak has started to distribute certain film stocks again, which could be exciting for photographers, with possible price drops and more stability in the market.

It’s a slightly confusing situation though, as Eastman Kodak hasn’t taken back all film stock. As it stands it is now handling development of all stocks, in addition to marketing and distribution of Kodacolor 100 and Kodacolor 200, which were both released last year, with the packaging and branding of Kodacolor, rather than the Kodak Professional that Alaris was using.

Gold 200 and Ultramax 400 have also had the branding update to Kodacolor but, confusingly however Ektar, Tri-X, Portra etc still appear to have the Kodak Professional branding, which Alaris has been selling for over a decade. I know, it’s hard to keep up!

What does this mean for us as photographers? Well, it’s hard to say as both Eastman and Alaris flavours of Kodak are pretty tight lipped about things but my hope is that Eastman Kodak becomes the distributor of all stocks, bringing some stability and hopefully, with fewer cogs in the machine, some price drops.

Whether this will happen or not remains to be seen but Eastman Kodak is clearly being proactive, recently releasing Ektar 100 and Tri-X 400.

Looking at their financial reports for the last year or so it’s clear that revenue and profit are both increasing, making the company more interesting for investors, as well as consumers.

This is very much a case of wait and see but if you, like me, are a film photography enthusiast it looks like the future might just be a little brighter. With the cost of film increasing over the last decade or so, that’s an attractive proposition and my film fridge could well be stocked to capacity again!

At the same time, the amount of film photography showing up on social media, not just in imaging but in celebrity feed is increasing. This has an inevitable knock on effect, as the influence does its job and people rush to ebay to get the gear their heroes use. Of course this could hike the price of the cameras but the expanding user base means a larger market and with that even more possibility for stability and (fingers crossed) reductions in pricing.

Film is dead, long live film!

The 4th 'Digital Camera 30th Anniversary Event' takes place on March 14, 2026, in Tokyo's Chuo City, and promises a rare glimpse into the origins of digital photography. Organized by pioneers from Kodak and Casio, the event highlights how these two companies shape the cameras we carry today – even if Casio wasn't meant to be a camera manufacturer.

Kodak experimented with digital imaging as early as the late 1970s and 1980s, eventually launching its first professional digital camera, a DSLR, the Kodak DCS-100, in 1991. Casio followed in 1995 with the QV-10, a compact point-and-shoot that revolutionized consumer digital photography.

The event is a rare chance to hear directly from the engineers and developers who made digital photography a reality, tracing the journey from dream to product. While the full talks are exclusive to attendees, selected material is expected to appear on YouTube later, giving the international audience a glimpse of this historic celebration.

4th "Digital Camera 30th Anniversary Event"

The event celebrates the start of digital cameras entering the consumer and professional mainstream.

When digital cameras were just a dream
by Kenji Toyoda, Fellow of the Society of Photography and Imaging of Japan
Toyoda is expected to explore the pre-commercial era of digital imaging, when engineers were imagining digital cameras in the late 1970s and 1980s. The talk will likely cover the technical challenges of the time – tiny sensors, limited memory, and early image processing – and show how these experiments eventually led to Kodak's DCS series and Casio's early consumer models.

Kodak's professional digital cameras
Harufumi Omori, former head of development at Kodak
A rear opportunity to hear from someone who was at the center of digital photography's commercial breakthrough. Omori will likely provide a behind-the-scenes look at Kodak's transition from film to digital, focusing on professional-grade cameras. Attendees can expect insights into the innovations, challenges, and milestones that shaped Kodak's early digital SLRs, including the DCS-100 (1991).

Casio wasn't a camera manufacturer after all (provisional)
Takashi Niida / former Casio Computer Co., Ltd.
A reflection on Casio's surprising entry into digital cameras. Niida's talk will likely explore why a company known for electronics ventured into cameras, the challenges they faced, and the innovations that helped push the boundaries of compact consumer digital imaging, such as the QV-10 (1995)

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Japan's latest compact camera sales data is in, and one thing hasn't changed: the US$139.99 point-and-shoot champion is still on top.

According to BCN Ranking's figures for February 1-28, the Kodak Pixpro FZ55, once again secures first place in Japan's nationwide compact camera sales, having led the ranking for months – after being crowned the most popular camera of 2025 (by MapCamera), beating pro mirrorless cameras... right behind the always-popular Kodak Pixpro C1.

But while Kodak maintains familiar dominance with its Pixpro line, February's list brings an interesting twist: the rugged OM System Tough T-G7 is back in the top 10 ranking – and in two color variants.

BCN+R compact camera ranking (Feb 26)

1. Kodak Pixpro FZ55 | Black
2. Kodak Pixpro C1 | Black
3. Kodak Pixpro C1 | Brown
4. Canon PowerShot SX740 HS / Lite | Black
5. Canon PowerShot SX740 HS / Lite | Silver
6. OM System Tough TG-7 | Black
7. Fujifilm Instax Mini Evo | Black
8. Canon IXY 650 M (aka Elph 360 HS A / Ixus 285 HS A) | Silver
9. OM System Tough TG-7 | Red
10. Panasonic Lumix TZ99/ ZS99 | Black

The Pixpro effect: Why these two compacts win

At $139.99 / £114 / AU$250, the Kodak Pixpro FZ55 hits a sweet spot many brands no longer target. While manufacturers have shifted focus to premium compacts and mirrorless systems, the FZ55 doubles down on straightforward operation, pocketable design, no complex menus or learning curve, and an affordable price.

For many buyers in Japan, that formula clearly works. The continued No.1 ranking suggests volume sales driven by accessibility, not advanced specs.

And it's not just the FZ55. The Pixpro C1 (available for only $99.99 / £79 / AU$200), once again takes both second and third place in different colorways, reinforcing Kodak's grip on the ultra-budget segment.

The comeback story: Tough TG-7 returns

February's most interesting shift isn't at the top – it's further down the charts. The OM System Tough TG-7 re-enters the top 10 in both Black (no.6) and Red (No.9), climbing from 15th and 19th place last month – that's a significant jump.

Launched in October 2023, the TG-7 remains one of the most rugged compacts on the market, offering waterproof, freeze-proof, and crush-proof construction, advanced macro capabilities, and outdoor-focused shooting modes.

Its return points to renewed interest in durable, adventure-ready compacts – a very different buyer profile from the FZ55's casual everyday audience.

With the Tough TG-7 back in the game, March's ranking could get more interesting....

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The average compact camera now costs roughly three times more than five years ago, according to Nikkei newspaper's latest publication. The contrast in pricing and features is stark, and it perfectly illustrates how the compact camera market has evolved.

Paying significantly more for a camera you can't even swap lenses seems excessive – at first glance – because the story isn't that simple. In fact, the rising price often reflects the astonishing technological achievements packed into these small devices.

Back in the 1990s, you could pick up a decent film compact camera for around US$50-150. Today, while budget models like the Kodak FZ55 13MP still retail for around $139.99 / £114, manufacturers are also producing high-end compacts with 102MP medium-format sensors, such as the Fujifilm GFX100RF, costing $5,599.95 / £4,499.

Compact camera revival and growing concerns

Nikkei's newspaper writes, "CP+2026, Japan's largest camera trade fair, kicked off on the 26th in Yokohama. Compact digital cameras made a strong presence at the booths of Canon and Sony.

"While compact digital cameras are driving the market, their average unit price has tripled in five years as their functionality has increased. They are becoming unattainable, and the sustainability of their growth is a challenge."

In other words
While ultra-premium compact cameras showcase incredible technology, their high prices push up the market's average cost, making some models inaccessible for casual photographers.

If manufacturers focus too heavily on these expensive releases, the compact camera segment risks becoming niche and unsustainable, reducing diversity in the market and limiting long-term growth.

Balancing high-end innovation with affordable, accessible models is essential to ensure the market remains healthy and sustainable for all types of photographers.

Why higher prices aren't necessarily bad

Yes, compact cameras are more expensive – but currently, that doesn't mean casual photographers are priced out. Budget-friendly options, such as the Pixpro compact series (US$150-250), remain accessible.

Meanwhile, high-end models offer technology that was previously impossible in a pocketable camera, providing an enormous leap in image quality and flexibility.

Example: the Fujifilm GFX100RF
Medium-format image quality in an approx. 13.5 x 9.4 x 7.6cm device, weighing 735g. Compare this to a traditional medium-format setup (e.g., Fujifilm GFX100 with 32-102mm lens), which costs around US$12,000-14,000 and is significantly heavier.

Average price up, driven by premium releases

So, while compact cameras may cost more than they did five years ago, their value proposition has grown dramatically, with their price reflecting the cutting-edge technology packed into these tiny bodies.

Professional features, medium-format sensors, and remarkable portability now fit in a picket – things that previously required heavier and more expensive camera systems.

BUT for casual shooters, affordable options are out there, delivering great image quality for everyday use, keeping compact photography accessible without breaking the bank.

For typical everyday use, the cost of ultra-premium compacts may seem hard to justify – but for those who want the absolute best performance, the option is there. Whether a 100MP+ sensor is truly necessary is another question entirely...

So, in short: yes, compact camera prices are higher – but with today's wide spectrum of options, there's a camera for every budget and purpose, from casual snapshots to professional-quality imagery.

The market now 'simply' needs to continue offering choices for photographers at different skill levels and price points, ensuring that compact cameras don't become a niche category dominated solely by ultra-premium models.

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In late 1981, Sony surprised the photographic world with the first electronic still camera – the Mavica. The Mavica (which stood for Magnetic Video Camera) was not a digital camera, but an analog one, which recorded a single frame of a TV picture on a small 2-inch magnetic disk, awkwardly perched atop the camera.

Resolution was roughly 0.28 megapixels, with images being saved in the form of analog scan lines, in the same manner as what we now call a standard resolution television image. These early electronic cameras met with modest success.

In 1988, these early Mavica’s gained a competitor with Canon launching the Q-Pic (Japan), iON (Europe) and Xap Shot (USA) cameras. All three Canon cameras were essentially the same – the different names (and model numbers) designated their markets, due to the different TV broadcast standards (NTSC, PAL & NTSC-J) in each area.

These Canon cameras had a rather sleek, horizontal shape, similar to the later Kodak DC series and Apple Quick-Take digital cameras, but more stylish than either. The Canons were sold in extremely limited numbers and, like the Mavica, recorded a television-grade still on to a special 2" Video Floppy disks.

Of the Mavicas and the Canon stills video cameras, DCW Content Director Chris George remembers that “Both were uttterly awful!“

16 years, on, Sony finally came up with their first, true, digital Mavicas – the FD5 and FD7, both introduced in 1997. While they were not the first consumer-level digital cameras, (there were earlier models, starting in 1994 by Logitec, Apple, Casio and Kodak with the Apple Quick-Take 100 being the first sub-$1000 one) they were the first truly successful digital cameras, quickly capturing 40% of the market.

Sony priced them aggressively, at $599 (£500 in the UK) for the FD-5 with a fixed focal length lens of 4.8mm f/2.0 (equivalent to about 47mm in 35mm terms) and $899 for the FD-7 which came equipped with a 10X optical zoom lens spanning 4.2-42mm f 1.8-2.9 (equivalent to 40-400mm on a 35mm camera).

Curiously, these digital MAVICAs recorded their images on 3.5” floppy diskettes, the most common form of digital storage at the time. Compact flash cards had been introduced in 1994 but their cost was horrifically high. SD cards would not become available until late 2000, and were also expensive. Floppy disks were the lowest cost option, at the time.

Resolution was a mere 640 x 480 pixels or roughly 0.3 megapixels. The images were stored in standard JPEG format, and depending on the complexity of the scene and the amount of compression selected, you can record about 20 photos on a 1.44MB diskette.

Your scribe was recently given an FD-73, a slightly improved FD-7 from 1999 featuring better auto-focus and a brighter LCD screen. It is in near mint condition and it’s been a blast, using this early technology.

My first impressions were the camera is boxy (5.5 x 4 x 2.5 inches or roughly 14 x 10 x 6.4 cm), but rather pleasant to hold, and not too heavy at 570 grams (1 lb, 4 ounces) including the diskette. The fit and finish is up to Sony’s standards, and the camera feels solid in the hand.

The power zoom lens is fairly sharp at most settings, but it seems fairly soft at full telephoto. That could, of course simply be from camera shake, as it was made long before image stabilization was “a thing”. Images take 4 to 5 seconds to be recorded onto the diskette and a similar amount of time is needed to move between images when playing them on the ”large” 2.5 inch [diagonal] colour screen.

The screen is, of course, both the viewfinder and the playback device, but I found that in bright sunlight the camera (or at least the rear screen) became absolutely unusable. Under cloudy skies, it worked OK. Indoors, it was just fine. Transferring the images to a computer was bog simply, with no cords, docks or other paraphernalia common to early digital cameras. At least it was, back at the turn of the century when 3.5 inch floppies were standard on every computer. I had to order an external floppy drive from Amazon ($26)!

Its battery is a Sony NPF-550 lithium-Ion, and battery life is given as 2.5 hours, or 2000 photos; though at 20 per diskette, that number would take 100 diskettes! Your mileage may vary.

It’s a good thing that the cameras were equipped with relatively fast lenses, as the ISO sensitivity of the CCD sensor was fixed at around 100.

Sony's Mavica line transitioned from analog still-video cameras to digital models in the late 1990s. Production spanned from 1981 prototypes to the early 2000s.
The final floppy disk-based Mavica was the FD200, released in 2002 with a 2-megapixel sensor, a Memory Stick slot, and 6x optical zoom.

It is estimated that just over 1 million Mavica cameras were made, in various types and variations. And they were, without a doubt, the most influential of the early digital cameras.

Read more of David Young's ongoing series on classic cameras.

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Japan's compact camera segment is shifting. While ultra-budget US$100 point-and-shoots remain popular, a specialist black-and-white camera has surged straight to the top.

The Ricoh GR IV Monochrome launched last month, featuring an APS-C CMOS sensor designed exclusively for black-and-white photography at a rare price point of $2,196.95 / £1,599 / AU$2,999.95

The monochrome landscape has traditionally been dominated by Leica models – exceptional, but often priced far beyond the reach of many... costing around five times more than Ricoh's newest release.

Yodobashi's 10 best-selling comacts (2nd half Jan)

1. Ricoh GR IV Monochrome
2. Canon PowerShot SX740 HS / Lite Silver | Black
3. Sony ZV-1 II Black | White
4. Ricoh GR IIIx
5. Panasonic Lumix TZ99 / ZS99 Black | White
6. Canon Ixy 650 M / PowerShot Elph 360 HS A / Ixus 285 HS A Black | Silver
7. Kodak Pixpro C1 Brown | Black
8. Nikon Coolpix P1100
9. Canon PowerShot V1
10. Ricoh GR IV

Sales data collected between January 16-31, 2026, from Yodobashi.com and 24 Yodobashi Camera stores nationwide.

Ricoh vs. Canon
Ricoh's dominance extends beyond the monochrome model. The Ricoh GR IIIx ranks at No.4, while the standard Ricoh GR IV appears at No.10 – giving the brand three positions in the Top 10.

The Ricoh GR Monochrome is not only proving popular in Japan – it went into short supply in Europe just days after launch, with similar demand now reported in the UK and US.

Canon also places three models in the Top 10, led by the PowerShot SX740 HS / Lite at No.2 – a device that features the same technology as the original PowerShot SX740 HS that was released in 2018.

Budget compacts stay popular
While the GR IV Monochrome leads the charts, the middle of the Top 10 reveals a familiar trend – affordable, easy-to-use cameras remain hugely popular. The Kodak Pixpro C1 is the ranking's most affordable model ($99.99 / £79.99 / AU$198), frequently climbing in the top positions thanks to its ultra-low price and simplicity.

Japan's compact camera market: less is more

Japan's compact camera market is split – on one side: dedicated creative tools built with intent – on the other: straightforward cameras designed for convenience and value.

The real test is now momentum. Can Ricoh maintain supply and demand – or will availability issues shift the rankings next month?

I've seen hype cycles before, including the surge around the Fujifilm X Half, which cooled after its launch buzz faded.

While the GR IV Monochrome isn't chasing a trend, it is a dedicated tool built for a niche. But at this price point, it becomes an accessible entry into true monochrome photography, opening the door for more photographers to experience shooting on a specialist black-and-white sensor.

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The digital camera revolutionized the photography industry, but photography’s transformation from film to digital started with a 24-year-old engineer just two years out of college. Steve Sasson was just 24 in 1975 when he built a device that mixed several pieces of technology into an eight-pound device: The first-ever digital camera.

Sasson was an engineer working at Eastman Kodak’s Applied Research Department just two years out of college when he was given a task: see if there was anything Kodak could use the new charge-coupled device, or CCD for.

“Hardly anybody knew I was working on this, because it wasn’t that big of a project,” the now-retried engineer said in a 2015 interview. “It wasn’t a secret. It was just a project to keep me from getting into trouble doing something else, I guess.”

Sasson will be sharing his development of the first all-electronic digital still camera in a free lecture open to the public on Tuesday, March 3 at Nott Memorial at Union College in Schenectady, New York.

At the time when Sasson was tasked with investigating the CCD, the technology was in its infancy. The CCD was invented in late 1969 by Willard Boyle and George Smith at Bell Labs as a form of semiconductor memory, with their colleague Michael Tompsett later exploring the tech’s capabilities in imaging.

The CCD converted light into electrical signals, but at the time when Sasson set out to see what it could do for a camera company, the signal dissipated quickly without any way to store an image. Digitization was in its infancy, but Sasson decided to try storing those signals into numeric code.

Each solution led to another challenge until Sasson was left with an eight-pound digital camera that used an assortment of pieces, including a lens from a Super 8 camera, a cassette tape to store the digital images, and 16 batteries.

The resulting image was a .01 megapixel black and white image, which the young Sasson presented to Kodak executives on a TV – as the prototype came before even the first personal computer, which arrived the following year.

While the technology eventually drastically shifted photography’s trajectory, Sasson’s creation wasn’t initially well-received. As Sasson explained it: “Print had been with us for over 100 years, no one was complaining about prints, they were very inexpensive, and so why would anyone want to look at their picture on a television set?”

Sasson would later go on to lead the efforts behind ten patents before retiring from Kodak after 35 years.

Sasson’s presentation on March 3 is open to the public, with additional details available from Union College.

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Nagel-Werke was a short-lived German camera maker. But its owner and chief camera designer, Dr August Nagel, would change the photographic world forever.

Born in 1882, the young August Nagel was constructing cameras even when he was a boy. By 1908, at just 26, he and his friend Carl Drexler had started Drexler & Nagel in Stuttgart to produce their Contessa No 1 – a well-made, compact camera that used 127 film.

It became such a success that, the next year, the company was renamed Contessa Camera Works Stuttgart. In all it developed 23 models that were exported worldwide and, in 1918, the University of Freiburg awarded the 36-year-old inventor the honorary title of Doktor.

In 1926, Nagel merged Contessa-Nettel with three other firms – Ernemann, Goerz and Ica – and with financial backing from Zeiss formed Zeiss Ikon. But, just two years later, he left to form Dr August Nagel-Factory, and produced the Librette, Recomar, Vollenda and Pupille cameras among others – another success story.

Then, in 1931, Kodak made him an offer he couldn’t refuse and he sold his company to Eastman Kodak, forming Kodak AG. With this new backing, Nagel began to develop a high-quality yet affordable 35mm camera to compete with Leica and Contax. And that’s where this story gets really interesting.

Up to this point, the giants in 35mm photography were Contax and Leica; each one required the use of its own special film cassette and they were not interchangeable.

Other makers simply made their 35mm cameras to use one or the other system. Photographers would load their cassettes from bulk rolls in a darkroom or dark bag – which, while doable, was less than convenient. Now, with Kodak’s funding, Nagel set out to solve this dilemma.

His brilliance was in developing a simple film cartridge that would fit both the Contax and Leica cameras. It was marketed as Kodak size 135 film, meaning 1 roll of 35mm film. It was the first pre-rolled 35mm film cartridge and it quickly became the 35mm standard that is still used today.

Dr Nagel’s most popular camera, the Vollenda 48, had been launched in 1929 before Kodak acquired the company in 1931. A well-made and compact folder, it produced 16 exposures of 3x4cm on 127 roll film, with either Schneider Radionar or Zeiss Tessar lenses in Compur shutters.

He quickly modified his Vollenda to use this new 135mm film, thereby creating the Kodak Retina – which begat a long line of successful Retina cameras. In 1934, both the new Kodak Retina and its matching film cassette were released and quickly became almost the only way to buy 35mm film.

Removing the need for photographers to load their own film cassettes gave the 35mm format a boost as big as the invention of the Leica camera itself. Photography was finally convenient!

Originally Kodak offered 18 and 36-exposure rolls, but in the 1950s that slowly shifted to 20 and 36 exposures. In the 1980s, it became 12, 24 and 36 exposures – though the 12-exposure rolls were not well received by the public and soon faded away.

There were other, rival, daylight-loading systems, but none were particularly successful. One of the more prominent ones was Agfa’s Karat system, which was introduced in 1936 and produced until 1950. It used two cassettes, eliminating the need to rewind the film.

In 1964, Agfa revived the Karat 35mm cartridge system, calling it the Rapid to compete with 135 film's mightiest rival: Kodak’s own 126 Kodapak cartridge.

The 126 film system, with its plastic cartridge and convenient drop-in loading, boosted the market for beginner cameras for nearly two decades. But it could not compete with the image quality delivered by regular 35mm cameras. Agfa’s Rapid cameras were gone by 1971, and its film by 1980. Kodak’s 126 film fared better, but was discontinued in 1999.

The frugal photographer can still buy black-and-white 35mm emulsions in 100-foot lengths and spool his or her own cassettes.

This involves putting the roll of film into a bulk loader in complete darkness. Re-loadable cassettes are then filled with film using a crank on the loader. The film is then cut and a leader cut into the tail of the loaded cassette. All this can be done in daylight.

Today, Dr Nagel’s 35mm film cartridge remains the dominant – in fact, the only remaining – pre-loaded film cassette.

But there remains one problem – a problem that neither Dr Nagel, nor Kodak, nor anyone else has ever managed to solve: the flocked-felt light traps at the film gate forever remain the most expensive part of the 35mm film cassette, costing more than the metal canister, its printing, the cardboard box or even the film itself!

Read more of David Young's ongoing series on classic cameras.

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