The Ricoh GR IV compact camera is so popular that finding one in stock can be a challenge – but the GR series is turning 30 this year, and new details on Ricoh’s promised special edition have finally emerged.

Earlier this summer, Ricoh teased that a GR IV anniversary edition was coming, with subtle design changes that reflect how little the compact camera series has changed over the last 30 years. Now, Ricoh has announced just when that special edition is coming – October 21 – and how current GR shooters can deck out their current camera with special edition accessories.

The Ricoh GR IV Anniversary Edition feels almost like playing a spot-the-difference game. The design changes are meant to be subtle in honor of how loyal the GR series has remained to a compact, classic design over the last 30 years.

The shutter release and the buttons on the back of the special edition have been recolored in a gray inspired by the original GR1. The compact camera will also use a ring cap – a removable protective ring around the lens barrel – that has a diamond-cut texture to it. When the camera powers off, the special edition will also display the GR 30th anniversary logo.

But, the special edition camera will also be paired with several new accessories – and most of those accessories will also be available separately. That will allow photographers using standard editions of the popular camera to refresh their camera with a 30th anniversary look, without buying a completely new camera.

Those accessories include a finger strap made from real leather with the anniversary engraved into the side. A new steel gray hot shoe cover with a 30th anniversary logo engraved into the top will also be available.

Ricoh will also be launching a limited edition set of pins, with a special badge set that honors the different cameras across the 30-year history. 14 of those badges look like retro compact cameras, while there’s also a pin for the GR logo and the 30th anniversary logo.

The special edition camera – which will only have 6,000 available worldwide – will ship with all those accessories, including the strap, hot shoe cover, and complete pin set. But Ricoh says the hot shoe cover and strap will also be available separately.

The set of retro camera pins will also be available on its own, with one catch – only those who buy the camera will get the GR logo and the 30th anniversary logo, the separate pin set only includes the 14 pins shaped after each retro camera. Individual camera pins will also be sold as single badges.

While the September 16th announcement feels much more complete than the company’s teaser from July, Ricoh still has yet to reveal one detail: The price. With the limited edition restricted to 6,000 cameras, fans can expect the price to sit above the standard GR IV cost.

The special edition camera is expected to be available beginning on October 21.

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The 30th anniversary edition isn't the only camera Ricoh is working on right now – read about the upcoming Ricoh GR IVx, or compare the different Ricoh GR options.

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

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

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

Map Camera's Top 10 cameras, August 2026

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

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Browse the best full-frame cameras, the best mirrorless cameras, and the best compact cameras.

There are plenty of cameras designed for street photography, but very few have become quite so intertwined with the genre as the Ricoh GR. Spend enough time around street photographers, and you will eventually spot one: a small, almost anonymous black camera being carried in a jacket pocket, held casually in one hand, and used with remarkably little ceremony.

The latest Ricoh GR IV continues that tradition, and I think that is exactly why this little camera has developed such a cult-like following around the world. It isn't trying to look expensive; it doesn't scream for attention, and there isn't even a viewfinder sticking out of the top. Instead, the GR has become something much more interesting: a camera that photographers buy because they simply want to take photographs.

That philosophy goes back much further than the GR IV. Ricoh introduced the original film GR1 in October 1996, pairing a 28mm f/2.8 lens with an exceptionally slim body that could genuinely disappear into a pocket. The series moved into digital photography with the GR Digital in 2005 before eventually adopting the larger APS-C sensor that helped establish the modern GR formula.

Nearly 30 years later, remarkably little about the fundamental idea has changed. Ricoh itself describes the GR as pursuing the idea of the "ultimate snapshooter," built around image quality, portability, and quick response, and I think that consistency explains a huge part of its appeal. The photography industry has spent decades chasing more lenses, more buttons, more resolution, and increasingly complicated features. Ricoh has largely responded by saying: here is a small camera with a 28mm lens; now go take photographs.

The GR IV is perhaps the purest modern expression of that idea. It uses a 25.74MP APS-C sensor paired with a fixed 18.3mm f/2.8 lens, giving the familiar 28mm full-frame equivalent field of view that has defined most of the GR lineage. It measures just 109.4 x 61.1 x 32.7mm and weighs around 262g with its battery and memory card fitted.

That matters enormously for street photography because the best street camera, at least in my opinion, is often the camera that creates the least friction between seeing something and photographing it. A larger interchangeable-lens camera might technically offer better autofocus, faster burst rates, or more resolution, but none of that means very much if it is sitting at home because you couldn't be bothered to carry it. The GR IV is small enough to become part of your everyday routine, and once a camera reaches that point, it starts capturing pictures that another camera simply wouldn't have been there to take.

Then there is the way the GR encourages you to shoot. The 28mm focal length forces you to get involved with the world rather than observe it from a comfortable distance, while Ricoh's Snap Focus system has become almost tailor-made for spontaneous street photography.

On the GR IV, predetermined focusing distances include 0.3m, 1m, 1.5m, 2m, 2.5m, 3.5m, 5m, and infinity, while Full Press Snap lets the camera jump directly to the selected distance when the shutter is fully pressed. It is an approach that can feel refreshingly different in an era obsessed with subject recognition and increasingly intelligent autofocus.

Instead of waiting for a computer to decide what you wanted to photograph, you can set your distance, understand your depth of field, anticipate where your subject will be, and shoot. There is something wonderfully old-school about that, and it turns the GR from a small point-and-shoot into a genuinely instinctive photographic tool.

That simplicity doesn't mean the GR IV is technologically basic, either. The new camera has five-axis sensor-shift stabilization, hybrid phase-detection and contrast-detection autofocus, ISO sensitivity extending from 100 to 204800, 14-bit DNG RAW capture, a built-in 2EV ND filter, and a surprisingly generous 53GB of internal storage alongside its microSD card slot.

Yet almost none of those features interfere with the reason you bought the camera in the first place. That is important. Some modern cameras can feel like computers that happen to have lenses attached, with endless menus and features constantly reminding you what they are capable of. The GR IV feels more like a photographic notebook.

You pull it out, photograph what caught your attention, put it back in your pocket, and continue walking. It is difficult to quantify that kind of usability on a specification sheet, but for documentary and street photography it can be more valuable than another hundred autofocus modes.

Sample images

And I think that is ultimately how the Ricoh GR became a cult icon. It has never needed to be the prettiest compact camera, the most technologically extravagant, or the one hanging around the neck of every influencer on Instagram. Its appeal is quieter than that.

The GR has spent three decades building a reputation among photographers who value being able to carry a genuinely capable camera everywhere, and the GR IV keeps that philosophy alive rather than attempting to reinvent it. In a world where smartphones have supposedly made compact cameras redundant, the continued fascination with the GR proves there is still enormous value in a camera designed around one very specific purpose.

The Ricoh GR IV isn't really trying to replace your entire camera bag. It wants to live in your pocket and be there for the fraction of a second when something worth photographing happens. For street photographers across the globe, that has been enough to turn a very small black camera into something approaching an icon.

Shop the Ricoh GR IV

Looking for a rugged, waterproof, and adventure-ready compact camera for your next hike, five, ski, or biking excursion? Two great budget outdoor cameras are now available at a discount from Amazon.

The Ricoh Pentax WG-8 in green is now just £429 on Amazon – you save £55.99 off its original £479.99 price.

The OM System Tough TG-7 in red is now just £398.98 on Amazon – you save £100.02 off its RRP of £499.

• The Ricoh Pentax WG-8 in black was £479.99, now £441.28 on Amazon

• The OM System Tough TG-7 in black was £499 and is now £416.59 on Amazon

Ricoh Pentax WG-8

A real Captain Scarlet of a compact camera

The Pentax WG-8 is built tough to survive water, dust, drops, freezing temps – you name it. It's perfect if you want a camera that's truly adventure-proof, without spending big. With a 20MP sensor and 5x optical zoom (approx. 28-140mm in 35mm terms).

It shoots decent photos and 4k video at 30fps. It also shines in ultra-close-up shots, and it performs well underwater and in extreme conditions where other cameras might fail. It's a solid budget-friendly choice for anyone needing a tough, reliable camera for travel.

OM System Tough TG-7

Indestructible camera, impressive results

The OM System Tough TG-7 is built to be a companion on any adventure. It's waterproof, shockproof, and dustproof, so you never have to worry about weather or terrain. Sure, its 12MP sensor is smaller than some other cameras, but that actually helps underwater photos by capturing more light where it's often dim. Plus, it shoots RAW and bursts up to 20fps – perfect for catching fast moments.

The TG-7 has a handy 4x zoom (approx. 25-100mm in 35mm terms) with a bright aperture and a standout macro mode that lets you snap amazing close-ups and 4K video. It's simple, durable, and versatile – the perfect point-and-shoot to toss in your bag when you need a reliable camera that won't quit.

Discover more and browse the best travel cameras, best compact cameras and best point and shoot cameras

As major camera brands shifted to mirrorless, Pentax has remained, perhaps a bit stubbornly, committed to the longstanding DSLR. But now, Pentax has discontinued production of every DSLR in its lineup – in order to make way for the development of “a new series of digital SLR cameras based on an entirely new concept.”

In an announcement shared on September 09, Ricoh announced that it is discontinuing production of all Pentax K-series DSLRs “in preparation for our transition to a new stage.”

The announcement reads: “Currently, we are re-examining the value of photography and developing a product that will allow more people to enjoy the act of taking pictures itself.

“It will still take some time before this product is released, but it will be a completely new concept digital SLR camera that will make full use of the assets of K-mount lenses that we have accumulated over more than half a century.”

Ricoh did not drop many hints as to what that “completely new concept digital SLR camera” will be, but made it clear that it will use the existing K-Mount lenses, will honor the SLR design and will be a digital – not film – camera.

A “completely new” concept built around the DSLR that has been around for 35 years will not be an easy task. The Pentax K-series originally launched in 2003. While the company remained committed to DSLRs as the biggest brands went mirrorless, the more recent Pentax cameras were known for sensor-shift stabilization – a design that also powered an unusual astrotracer feature.

The company’s comments also seem to hint that the upcoming DSLR will also be beginner-friendly:

“At Ricoh Imaging, we will continue to pursue the ideal style of SLR photography, and we want to deliver products that allow everyone who is interested in photography and wants to try using a camera to experience the joy of SLR photography and the wonder of photographs.”

The “joy of SLR photography” hints that Pentax’s upcoming “new concept” DSLR will likely be built heavily around the shooting experience. The idea that a camera should be fun to shoot is a growing concept amid the rise of screen-free cameras and retro camera designs. More smartphone users seem to be drawn to the idea of having a dedicated camera without the distractions of a smartphone.

While the DSLR now lags behind mirrorless technology in terms of features like resolution and subject detection autofocus, one of the DSLR’s endearing features is the optical viewfinder, rather than the mirrorless’ electronic one. The viewfinder is in the very definition of DSLR – digital single-lens reflex – as “reflex” refers to the reflex mirror that bounces the image from the lens up into the viewfinder.

With the rise of screen-free cameras and retro designs, perhaps the optical viewfinder could be poised for a comeback. But, the company is stressing that the upcoming camera will be “a completely new concept,” and new digital cameras inspired by old film cameras certainly are something that’s been done before – no matter how happy I would be to see a digital remake of the Pentax K1000.

The Ricoh brand certainly isn’t a stranger to creating a highly successful line of niche cameras. The Ricoh GR IV series of APS-C sensor compact cameras has repeatedly hit bestseller lists and sells so well that stock remains limited. But the launch was also perfectly timed amid the growing compact camera trend.

While Pentax is not the only camera maker still producing DSLRs, the brand was along in insisting that it wouldn’t move into the mirrorless space. (Or, at least, not again, as Pentax once offered the small-sensor Pentax Q mirrorless series).

Despite remaining committed to the DSLR, numbers from Japan hint that Pentax only shipped around 10,000 DSLRs last year compared to industry leader Canon’s 580,000 – a number that pales in comparison to Canon’s 2.3 million mirrorless cameras shipped.

DSLRs have been steadily declining over the last few years. In 2025, the number of DSLRs shipped out of Japan was just 11% of that of mirrorless cameras.

Pentax noted that the new concept DSLR “will take some time” and did not give an estimated arrival for the new launch.

While Pentax has now ended production of its K-series of cameras, the announcement does not include other non-DSLR cameras, like the Pentax WG-8 waterproof compact camera and the Pentax 17 half-frame film camera.

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Browse the best Pentax cameras – or read about buying used cameras as Pentax DSLRs become hard to find new.

I recently wrote about how crap cameras are being snapped up in droves by a younger audience. This appeared to confirm image quality was no longer the be-all-and-end-all when seeking a dedicated capture device, as opposed to a smartphone.

While its toughened snapshot cameras have found fans in families with children and action shooters wanting a waterproof option, Ricoh cameras have typically been more closely associated with photography specialists than generalists.

Its GR1 camera from 1996, to choose one pertinent example, was a portably lightweight 35mm film compact. Its portable size, no-nonsense design and robust magnesium alloy build, complete with 28mm f/2.8 lens, made it a favourite of street and travel photographers wanting an alternative to a bulkier SLR set up.

Image quality was the aspect that most impressed. It delivered high contrast, detail-rich results for almost a decade before its GR Digital successor arrived in 2005. That it took almost ten years to be replaced highlights just how highly photographers rated it. Ricoh only stopped servicing the GR1 in 2014.

So, it’s no surprise that the digital GR series was well received in its wake and continues to be so. Successive iterations, including even more specialised black and white capture-only spin-offs, are currently bagging multiple placings in top ten camera sales listings, edging aside the likes of Canon and Nikon.

While we’re constantly told by industry watcher CIPA that the fixed lens compact is the only camera category still growing, I can’t imagine the same youthful Gen Z audience that is snapping up cheap and cheerful point-and-shoots is routinely adding a prosumer-grade GR camera from Ricoh to their online basket.

Instead, I’m encouraged and believe there’s still a large enough number of true photography enthusiasts wanting something portably compact, which doesn’t compromise on image quality, to propel Ricoh GR cameras to the top of the best seller lists.

What was once considered niche or specialist, has, in a shrinking market, risen to the top. Or something near it. Japan’s financial institution Nikkei recently reported Ricoh had boosted its camera market share from 0.8% to 2.1%, with its 210,000-unit sales triple that of the previous year.

The GR series’ unassumingly boxy design and serious all-black finish may not be as flashy as the Fujifilm X100IV, but for street photography, it’s the more sensible option.

I’m looking forward to seeing more of Ricoh’s recently teased 40mm f/2.8 GR IVx compact, promising a 25.74MP APS-C sized sensor, when it arrives at the back end of this year. Such spec will tempt photographers looking for something with a viewpoint sufficiently close to human vision for street photography. As well as highlighting that not all digital compacts need to be plastic-y, low-res toys to find favour in challenging times.

Ricoh also gives credence to the belief that sometimes by specialising, rather than attempting to be all things to all men, you can generate just as much, if not more, success.

Despite the mirrorless camera takeover, DSLRs are still popular with amateur and professional photographers – and Pentax remains one of the few brands keeping the format alive.

Now, however, one of its cult favorite cameras appears to be on the way out. The Pentax K-1 Mark II, a 36MP full-frame DSLR, is now marked as "discontinued" by multiple major retailers in Japan.

While Ricoh has yet to confirm global discontinuation officially, this follows the earlier disappearance of the K1 Mark II 28-105mm lens kit. In the past, Ricoh often hasn't issued a formal announcement; instead, its products just quietly left the market.

While Canon and Nikon moved much of their focus to mirrorless, Pentax always remained a compelling alternative for photographers who prefer the traditional DSLR experience.

Saying this, the brand ended the production of multiple models in a relatively short amount of time. First it was the Pentax K-3 Mark II, followed by the Monochrome version in March 2026.

Current availability & prices

So, for anyone considering a K-1 Mark II, now is a good time to buy a brand-new DSLR rather than relying on the second-hand market, which could become the only option if global stock continues to shrink.

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Browse the best Pentax cameras and the best Pentax lenses. Also, take a look at the best DSLRs and the best full-frame DSLRs.

The pocketable design has propelled the Ricoh GR series into viral popularity – but the line's long-lensed sibling is about to get discontinued as the company makes way for a new model. In one fell swoop, Ricoh announced both the discontinuation of the Ricoh GR IIIx and the development of the Ricoh GR IVx.

The x-numbered compact cameras bring a longer 40mm lens to Ricoh’s popular GR series. With the Ricoh GR IV launched last year, fans have been eagerly anticipating the pocketable camera’s long-lensed sibling – and on August 26, Ricoh announced that the GR IVx is in development, expected to arrive in the Winter of 2026 at the earliest.

Ricoh says that the GR IVx will come with a "newly developed GR lens."

While the Ricoh GR IVx may not be coming for several months yet, Ricoh has already shared a full list of specifications. That list hints that, like the GR III to the GR IIIx, the GR IVx will have the same 25.74 APS-C sensor, but swaps out the GR IV’s 28mm equivalent lens for a 40mm equivalent one, a 26.1mm f/2.8 lens.

Like the original, the GR IVx looks to keep what makes the compact camera series so popular: The large sensor inside a small camera. The upcoming Ricoh GR IVx has nearly the same dimensions as the existing camera; it’s just a few millimeters deeper and weighs slightly more for that longer lens.

I’ve used several Ricoh GR series compact cameras, and the X model is the one that I always lean towards. A 40mm equivalent lens is close to what the human eye sees. It’s a happy-medium focal length that can still shoot landscapes but doesn’t have the ultra-wide distortion when shooting portraits. Since I’m more of a portrait photographer than a landscape photographer, I’ve always gravitated more towards models like the GR IIIx.

In the GR IIIx review, the camera is described as "a camera that should be shouted about more," and I completely agree.

Ricoh says that because certain parts are no longer available, the Ricoh GR IIIx, as well as the GR IIIx HDF and GR IIIx Urban Edition, will end production in Japan in October 2026. Ricoh says that overseas availability may differ outside of Japan, but it looks like after this fall, the GR IIIx will become even harder to find.

The announcement of a new model just around the corner will likely encourage many to wait for the GR IVx – but I think there’s actually still a good reason for going for the GR IIIx even with a new model on the horizon.

Why? The Ricoh GR IV launched at a significantly higher list price than the GR III. In the US, the difference was about a 50 percent increase.

Ricoh hasn’t shared the price of the upcoming GR IVx yet, but the GR IIIx did launch at a slightly higher price than the GR III.

The list price of the Ricoh GR IIIx has already risen above its original launch price, thanks to high demand and the increasing costs for parts. But the GR IIIx is still cheaper than the GR IV in several regions. In the US, the GR IIIx is about $350 cheaper than the GR IV right now. In the UK, the price difference is about £200.

That’s enough of a savings to sway some not to wait for the new model, considering the old one won't be around when the new one launches. The GR IV got a new processor, more internal storage, better battery life, and a slight resolution bump from the Ricoh GR III – and the GR IVx looks to follow that same list of upgrades, just with a newly designed 40mm equivalent lens.

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Learn the differences between the different Ricoh GR series compact cameras, or read about the unique black-and-white-only Ricoh GR IV Monochrome.

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

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

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

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

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

Canon's unbeatable PowerShot compact cameras

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Browse the best compact cameras, the best APS-C compact cameras, and the best point-and-shoot cameras.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Browse cameras from your favorite brand – these are the best Canon cameras, the best Sony cameras, the best Fujifilm cameras, the best Panasonic cameras, and the best OM System cameras. Or, compare the popular Ricoh GR series options.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Take a deep dive into the top-ranked compact cameras, or the best cameras with zoom.

The latest cameras often come with anything but an affordable price tag, which is one reason buying used remains so popular. New data from Japanese camera marketplace Minna Camera shows that demand for some older cameras is pushing their used prices higher.

Of the 32 models with a clear price movement during the first half of 2026, 28 increased in price – around 88%. The biggest rise was a striking 24.1%, while even the tenth-placed camera increased by 7.8%.

The top spot goes to a discontinued DSLR released in 2016, the Nikon D5600, while the rest of the top 10 is made up of a trio of compacts and twice as many mirrorless cameras. The second-biggest rise came from the Sony A7 IV, which increased by 11.9%, while the Ricoh GR III followed at 10.9%

Top 10 cameras that rose most in price at Minna Cameras (H1 2026)*

*Used cameras price: Q1 avg → Q2 avg; discontinuation status and approx. used prices in USD and GBP added by Digital Camera World.

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For photographers who want something tougher than a regular point-and-shoot, there are surprisingly few options. Now, one of the most capable compact cameras for taking into the wild could be disappearing from the market – although there may be good news for anyone wanting something better.

The Pentax WG-90 is reportedly being discontinued, with remaining stock becoming increasingly difficult to find. According a new report, the manufacturer has informed authorized dealers that the camera is discontinued and that a new model could be announced at the end of the year.

The WG-90 entered the market in February 2024 and was described in DCW's review as "the compact camera you can take ANYWHERE" – and for good reason. It can go places that conventional compacts can't, from the water and sand to mud, freezing temperatures and desert heat. It survives conditions that would leave most point-and-shoots struggling.

One of the best waterproof cameras & compact cameras could be disappearing

While there's no official confirmation, Pentax & Ricoh Rumors reports that it received information saying the WG-90 is now discontinued and that a new model will be announced at the end of the year. The report also claims that this information was sent to authorized dealers.

Pentax & Ricoh Rumors is a trusted source, making this a development worth watching.

Availability: Pentax Ricoh WG-90

A new extreme compact camera is on the horizon

If the report proves accurate, a new rugged compact could be announced later this year.

The WG-90 itself was a refreshed version of the earlier WG-80, with the two cameras sharing almost identical specifications. The main difference was the available color options, which strengthens the hope of a genuinely new-generation model.

A successor could be an opportunity for Ricoh (owner of the Pentax brand) to push the concept further. As DCW's Editor in Chief James Artaius noted in his review, the WG-90's video quality is a weak point, while the rear screen could also benefit from a higher resolution.

But for stills photography, the camera does what it was designed to do: provide a simple shooting experience in places where most cameras wouldn't dare to go.

For now, we'll have to wait for official confirmation from Ricoh.

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The Ricoh-owned Pentax is one of the few camera companies still committed to DSLRs – but it’s the popularity of Ricoh’s cult-favorite compact camera that’s behind the company’s latest growth. The Ricoh GR series is the main driver behind a return to profitability for the company’s segment that includes imaging, the Japan-based company said in its latest financial report on August 03.

The Ricoh GR series has long been a favorite as a pocketable street photography camera that hides a larger APS-C inside a body that looks like a basic point-and-shoot. But the long-awaited Ricoh GR IV arrived in September 2025 amid a growing trend for compact cameras – and the mix is proving to be a popular one.

Ricoh’s cameras fall under the “Other” category in the company’s financial reports – and with that category not exclusive to imaging, the company’s financial reports don’t often indicate how well cameras are selling. But the company’s latest report attributes significant growth to the category to strong camera sales.

Compared to the first quarter of 2025 – when the Ricoh GR IV had yet to launch – the category that includes cameras has shifted from a negative 1.4 billion yen ($8.9 million / £6.6 million / 12.6 million / CA$12.5 million) operating profit to a positive .3 billion yen ($1.9 million / £1.4 million / AU$2.7 million / CA$2.68 million).

“The camera business continued to perform strongly, driven mainly by the RICOH GR series, resulting in higher sales and profit,” said Director and CFO Takashi Kawaguchi.

Excluding the impact of currency exchange, sales were up by 27.7 percent in the “other” category over the same time last year, Ricoh said.

While the GR IV series is a key highlight for Ricoh, the last few months haven’t been without their challenges – and the company noted potential price changes – but didn’t specify which products – amid increasing costs for memory driven by AI demand. “At the same time, we will mitigate cost increases stemming from rising prices of semiconductor memory, petroleum-related materials, and other inputs through pricing measures and reviews of our cost structure,” Kawaguchi said in the report.

The Ricoh GR IV that launched in September 2025 was just the start of a fresh wave of models for the popular series. That initial launch has already been followed by the Ricoh GR IV HDF – which gives the pocketable camera a built-in diffusion filter – and the Ricoh GR IV Monochrome, a pocketable camera dedicated entirely to black-and-white photography.

The Ricoh GR IV arrived in a rapidly growing list of new compact cameras – yet the series is one of the few advanced compact series that fit an APS-C sensor into a truly pocketable body. The camera’s mix of size and image quality immediately won me over. The camera’s burst speed and video specs may lag behind, but the GR IV is rare in its ability to cram an APS-C sensor into a compact camera that weighs just 262g / 9.2 oz.

When I tried Ricoh’s dedicated black-and-white camera, I was surprised by the low-light boost skipping the colored filters gives the camera – and I could immediately see the compact camera being a favorite for documentary-style work.

If the company’s latest report is any indication, I’m not the only one enamoured with the GR IV series.

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Compare the differences between the Ricoh GR series cameras. Or, browse the best APS-C compact cameras.

Both Ricoh and Pentax cameras have come from the same company for fifteen years – but now records suggest Ricoh doesn’t just own the Pentax line of DSLRs and lenses, but the rights to the Pentax name itself.

When Ricoh bought Pentax in 2011, Hoya retained ownership of the Pentax name and licensed the name to Ricoh. But, record databases are now showing that Ricoh, not Hoya, owns the Pentax brand for cameras and lenses.

The change in licensing ownership was first spotted and shared in a photography forum, but both the WIPO global database and USPTO US trademark search confirm Ricoh as the record holder for Pentax digital still cameras.

The record change may seem insignificant given that Ricoh-Pentax cameras have come from the same company for over a decade. But the fact that the Pentax name was under a license agreement sparked its share of concerns and rumors over the years.

In 2019, one particular rumor said that Ricoh’s license would expire in 2020, causing panic and speculation over what that would mean for Pentax cameras. Ricoh quickly debunked those rumors with a public statement confirming that Hoya owned the trademark, but that there weren’t restrictions or limitations in place.

Now, trademark databases show that Ricoh owns not just the Pentax camera business but the rights to use the Pentax name itself – at least on cameras and lenses anyway, as Hoya still has the rights to the Pentax brand for eyeglass lenses and medical equipment.

While both Ricoh and Pentax cameras come from the same company, Ricoh continues to use the Pentax name on DSLRs, lenses, waterproof compact cameras, and the Pentax 17 half-frame film camera, where the popular GR-series of compact cameras carries the Ricoh name.

Pentax is one of the few camera brands still producing DSLRs. However, the company’s latest DSLRs – the Pentax K-3 Mark III announced in 2021, and the K-3 Mark III Monochrome from 2023 – were discontinued in Japan earlier this year. The Pentax K-1 Mark II and KF remain available on the official Ricoh US website.

Hoya bought Pentax in 2007 from Pentax Corporation, later selling the company’s photography division to Ricoh in 2011.

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Love DSLRs? These are the best DSLRs in 2026.

The Sony A7 V hit several best-seller charts in the months after the full-frame camera’s initial release. Now, the mirrorless is back on top of Japan’s sales charts – but squabbling with the Sony A7R VI in second place. Japan’s most popular cameras for June were led by Sony’s two most recent Alpha-series mirrorless cameras, while the effervescent viral Fujifilm X100VI sat in the third-place spot.

The data comes from Japanese retailer Map Camera, which recently ranked the sales for new (and used) cameras in June 2026.

June wasn’t the first time that the Sony A7 V has sat at the top of sales charts – the 33MP 30fps mirrorless has been a regular among the top camera sales in Japan since it launched in late 2025. But the launch of the camera’s higher-resolution sibling, the Sony A7R VI had the A7 V see-sawing out of the top spot in some charts.

In the latest data, the lower-cost A7 V – which Map Camera says "redefines the standard" – is winning out in sales. But the 66.8MP A7R VI – which boasts the same 30 fps burst speed despite the higher resolution – sits in the second-place spot.

With both the Sony A7 V and A7R VI regularly topping sales charts, it will be interesting to see how the two models stand at the end of the year as to whether more photographers are swayed by the lower price of the A7 V, or the mix of high resolution and speed wins out for the A7R VI.

While Sony’s two newest full-frame Alpha series are fighting for the top spot, the Sony A7C II slides into the list in fourth place, illustrating that it’s not just Sony’s newest models that tend to top the charts, as the A7C II is a 2023 launch. The A7C II’s more compact design continues to make the camera a repeat attender for monthly sales charts.

The third-place spot speaks to the staying power of the compact camera trend, as the viral Fujifilm X100VI takes the honors. Now more than two years old, the X100VI continues the viral trend of its predecessor and, despite its age, remains difficult to find in stock due to the camera’s popularity.

Map Camera notes that the supply continues to remain unstable for the X100VI and that the retro compact camera tends to sell out immediately whenever stock becomes available.

Like the top three cameras, the full top ten at Map Camera contains several regulars, including Fujifilm’s X-M5 and X-E5, Sony’s smaller crop sensor A6700, and the popular Ricoh GR IV compact camera.

Surprisingly, there are no Canon mirrorless cameras on the list for June, but unsurprisingly, the popular PowerShot makes two appearances, with the Canon PowerShot SX740 HS sitting in sixth place. Canon’s well-loved but difficult to find in stock PowerShot G7 X Mark III is also on the list in eighth place.

According to Map Camera, these are the best-selling new cameras for June 2026:

1. Sony A7 V
2. Sony A7R VI
3. Fujifilm X100VI
4. Sony A7C II (tied)

4. Fujifilm X-M5 (tied)
5. Canon PowerShot SX740
6. Sony A6700
7. Canon PowerShot G7 X Mark III
8. Fujifilm X-E5
9. Ricoh GR IV

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Technology tends to have a short lifespan, but the Canon EOS R6 series is so popular in Japan that both of the older models are in the top three for used camera sales.

The data comes from a popular Japanese camera buy-and-sell app, Minna Camera, which recently tallied the most popular cameras sold on the app for the month of June. The list is led by the Canon EOS R6 Mark II, followed by the Sony ZV-E10 and the original Canon EOS R6.

The Canon EOS R6 Mark II was replaced in November 2025 by the new R6 Mark III, a 32.5MP full-frame 7K open gate camera that has been listed among several new camera top ten lists since its launch. But the 24.1MP Mark II and original 20.1MP R6’s inclusion in Minna Camera’s list suggests solid used camera sales across the camera’s history.

However, the data also highlights how rapidly the used camera market can shift, with five of the cameras in the top ten list all cameras that hadn’t made the previous month’s list. The Ricoh GR IV, for example, was in 35th place the previous month but jumped up to 6th place – Ricoh’s announcement of a price increase coming in July – which has now also been implemented outside of Japan too – likely influenced the used sales for the relatively new compact camera.

Two of those five cameras that have popped into the top ten from the lower rankings are DSLRs, the Nikon D7500 and the D750, suggesting the larger interchangeable lens format remains well-traded among used camera marketplaces.

The top-traded cameras on Minna Camera for June include:

• Canon EOS R6 Mark II
• Sony ZV-E10
• Canon EOS R6
• Nikon D7500
• Nikon Z50 II
• Ricoh GR IV
• Canon EOS R10
• Nikon D750
• Sony A7C II
• Sony A7 IV

For lenses, shoppers seemed to have a healthy craving for telephoto glass. The workhorse Nikon 70-200mm f/2.8 VR S topped the June list. While Canon took two of the top three camera bodies, Z Mount glass is the most popular mount on the platform at 30 percent of sales. The Canon EF, Canon RF, and Sony E all trailed at 20 percent each – so combining Canon’s DSLR and mirrorless lenses would bring it to the top spot – with Fujifilm X capturing the other ten percent.

Zooms make up much of the top ten list, with just three prime lenses on the list, and many of those optics hit a focal length longer than 100mm.

The most popular lenses in June on Minna Camera were:

1. Nikon Z 70-200mm f/2.8 VR S
2. Canon RF 24-105mm f/4 L IS USM
3. Canon RF 100-400mm f/5.6-8 IS USM
4. Canon EF 100mm Macro f/2.8 L IS USM
5. Nikon Z 24-120mm f/4 S
6. Fujifilm XF 35mm f/1.4 R
7. Nikon Z 180-600mm f/5.6-6.3 VR
8. Sony FE 24-105mm f/4 G OSS
9. Sony FE 200-600mm f/5.6-6.3 G OSS
10. Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 STM

Used trends don’t directly match the trendiest new cameras from Japan, and data from Japan doesn’t necessarily match other regions. But, with Japan the home to several major camera brands, the data offers an interesting look at what cameras are selling well in the home of major camera brands like Canon, Sony, Nikon, Fujifilm, Ricoh, and others.

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I once shot with two different Ricoh GR IV compact cameras in each pocket – the HDF and Monochrome variants – and after pulling them out of the box, differentiating between the two felt like one of those “Spot the Difference” puzzles that I used to do as a kid. Now, the Ricoh GR IV is getting a limited edition makeover this fall, and in a nod to subtle, minimalist design, fans may be hard-pressed to spot the difference.

The Ricoh GR IV 30th Anniversary Edition, teased today, July 09 in Japan, looks like this:

Compared to the original Ricoh GR IV:

Did you spot the difference?

The Ricoh GR IV 30th Anniversary Edition – which Ricoh Japan says is only a tentative name – refinishes the camera’s shutter button and rear controls to a metallic gray that’s a nod to the color of the very first camera in the series released in October, 1996, the Ricoh GR1.

The special edition camera will also ship with a metal hotshoe cover with a 30th anniversary design and a finger strap, both of which will also be sold separately, so fans who already have a GR series camera can add a subtle new update.

The 30th Anniversary Edition is a subtle change, but that minimalism ties directly into the Ricoh GR series design history. The camera is well-loved by many specifically for the fact that it doesn’t look like a camera hiding an APS-C sensor; it looks like a basic black point-and-shoot.

Inspired by the minimalist anniversary design, I dug up photos and specs of the 1996 Ricoh GR1, and my first thought was that the camera’s design hasn’t really gone through a radical change, considering the fact that the first camera was 35mm film and the current camera is an APS-C digital sensor.

Yes, there are, of course, significant changes – the digital camera doesn’t have a viewfinder, for example. But the Ricoh GR has stayed surprisingly loyal to the original design inspiration. The grip looks similar, the mode dial and shutter release have the same placement. Even the size of the camera hasn’t changed much, with both the GR1 and the GR IV measuring 2.4 inches / 61mm high, and the depth and width only a few millimeters off.

But, most importantly, the GR series has stayed loyal to the purpose of the original – to put a high-end camera made for serious photographers into a pocket. While 35mm film may have become a digital APS-C sensor, even the lenses are similar – a 28mm f/2.8 on the original, renowned for its sharpness, and a 18.3mm – which is 28mm in 35mm equivalent, f/2.8 lens on the current model.

The Ricoh GR series, 30 years later, is a lesson in the longevity of a well-loved design – so a subtle refresh feels entirely appropriate. The Ricoh GR IV 30th Anniversary Edition is planned for the fall of 2026. The price has not yet been announced, but Ricoh says only 6,000 of the special edition cameras will be available worldwide, which makes a price increase over the base model expected.

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For more pocketable options, take a look at the best compact cameras. Or, read about the differences between the different GR series cameras available today.

The compact camera trend has brought a number of price hikes as demand exceeds supply, but a popular compact camera series has jumped in price due to the cost of raw materials. The Ricoh GR series, including the Ricoh GR IV and GR IIIx, has jumped in official list price in multiple regions.

Last month, Ricoh Japan announced that the list price of the popular series would increase in July due to a rise in raw materials and manufacturing costs. However, it wasn’t clear at the time if the announcement was meant only for Japan or if other regions would follow suit.

Now that the date has passed, photographers finally have the answer: that GR series price increase wasn’t just for Japan, as the price of the popular compact camera has now increased across several regions, including the US, the UK, Australia, and Canada.

The list price increase spans several models from the GR series, including the base model GR IV, the longer lens GR IIIx, and the HDF variants.

In the UK, the GR IV Monochrome has also increased in price, but the US, Canada, and Australia list prices appear to have remained the same.

US 🇺🇲

• Ricoh GR IV: Was $1,499, now $1,599
• Ricoh GR IV HDF: Was $1,599, now $1,699
• Ricoh GR IIIx: Was $999.95 (September 2021), now $1,249
• Ricoh GR IIIx HDF: Was $1,149, now $1,349
• Ricoh GR IV Monochrome: Unchanged

UK 🇬🇧

• Ricoh GR IV: Was £1,199, Now £1,299
• Ricoh GR IV HDF: Was £1,299, Now £1,399
• Ricoh GR IV Monochrome: Was £1,599, now £1,699
• Ricoh GR IIIx: Was £999, now £1,099
• Ricoh GR IIIx HDF: Was £1099, Now £1199

Australia 🇦🇺

• Ricoh GR IV: Was AU$2,099, now AU$2,199
• Ricoh GR IIIx: Was AU$1,779 at launch, dropped to AU$1,599 in 2024, now AU$1,699
• Ricoh GR IIIx HDF: Was AU$1,899, now AU$1,999
• Ricoh GR IV HDF: Unchanged
• Ricoh GR IV Monochrome: Unchanged

Canada 🇨🇦

• Ricoh GR IV: Was CA$1,899, now CA$1,999
• Ricoh GR IV HDF: Was CA$1,999, now CA$2,149
• Ricoh GR IV Monochrome: Unchanged
• Ricoh GR IIIx: Unchanged

The compact camera trend has created a rise in demand that means several trendy options are hard to find in stock, the Ricoh GR IV series included. However, Ricoh Japan said that the reason for the cost increase was due to a rise in the cost of materials and manufacturing.

Ricoh may not be alone in facing rising costs of manufacturing cameras. AI’s pressure on digital storage has caused the price for digital storage components to increase, not just for SD cards and hard drives but for camera components as well.

Other brands have also recently discussed an increase in manufacturing costs, including Canon and Nikon. Fujifilm also noted not only the rising costs of memory, but the increase in cost for silver as well.

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Confused about all the different models? These are the differences between the Ricoh GR IV, GR IIIx, HDF, and Monochrome models. Or, browse the best compact cameras.

Japan has long been one of the world's biggest camera markets and is used as an indicator of wider photography trends. Now new data from Minna Camera suggests a more complex picture than the familiar "mirrorless takeover" narrative.

Between November 2025 and June 2026, the most-traded camera on the platform was the Ricoh GR IV – a 228g compact camera and the lightest and only model of its kind in the Top 20. Despite its 2025 release, it sits at No.1 in the rankings, a position supported by strong demand and frequent stock shortages.

At the other end of the scale, heavier DSLR models continue to appear in the rankings. The Nikon D500 still appears in the Top 20 at 760g, making it the heaviest camera in the rankings, alongside long-standing models such as the D750 and D7500.

The Top 20

Top 20 most-traded cameras at Minna Cameras (Nov 6, 2025 - Jun 13, 2026)*

*Camera type, sensor size and release date added by Digital Camera World

Used-market insights

Compact vs. mirrorless vs. DSLRs

Mirrorless cameras account for 80% of the Top 20, dominating the rankings with models from Canon, Nikon, and Sony.

The Ricoh GR IV is the exception. At just 228g, it is the only compact camera in the rankings (5% of entries), yet it is also the most-traded model overall.

DSLRs make up the remaining 15% of the Top 20. Nikon is the only manufacturer represented in this category, with the D500 (11th), D750 (17th) and D7500 (19th) all appearing in the rankings.

Lighter vs. heavier gear

The mirrorless era, now almost two decades old, brought photographers smaller and lighter camera systems.

This shift is visible in the data, with 15 of the Top 20 cameras (75%) weighting 600g or less. The remaining five models (25%) all exceed 600g.

Yet the persistence of heavier DSLRs suggests that weight alone is not the defining factor for photographers buying on the used market.

For many, the used market represents one of the last opportunities to get discontinued DSLR models – or to find a high-demand compact camera that can be diffivult to purchase new.

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Looking for a waterproof camera that can survive your next hiking trip, ski holiday, or beach adventure? While retro compact cameras are having a moment, rugged compacts remain the better choice for photographers who need a camera that can handle drops, dust, and water.

Unlike fashionable point-and-shoot cameras, the Pentax WG-8 ($426.95 / £429) and OM System Tough TG-7 ($549.99 / £449) are designed for use where camera phones and conventional compacts struggle.

Waterproof, shockproof, and freeze-proof, they're built for demanding adventures. Better still, both offer optical zoom lenses, dedicated macro modes and 4K video, making them far more versatile than an action camera alone.

Pentax WG-8

A real Captain Scarlet of a compact camera

The Pentax WG-8 is built tough to survive water, dust, drops, freezing temps – you name it.

It's perfect if you want a camera that's truly adventure-proof, without spending big. With a 20MP sensor and 5x optical zoom (approx. 28-140mm in 35mm terms).

It shoots decent photos and 4k video at 30fps. It also shines in ultra-close-up shots, and it performs well underwater and in extreme conditions where other cameras might fail.

It's a solid budget-friendly choice for anyone needing a tough, reliable camera for travel.

OM System Tough TG-7

Indestructable camera, impressive results

The OM System Tough TG-7 is built to be a companion on any adventure. It's waterproof, shockproof, and dustproof, so you never have to worry about weather or terrain.

Sure, its 12MP sensor is smaller than some other cameras, but that actually helps underwater photos by capturing more light where it's often dim. Plus, it shoots RAW and bursts up to 20fps – perfect for catching fast moments.

The TG-7 has a handy 4x zoom (approx. 25-100mm in 35mm terms) with a bright aperture and a standout macro mode that lets you snap amazing close-ups and 4K video.

It's simple, durable, and versatile – the perfect point-and-shoot to toss in your bag when you need a reliable camera that won't quit.

Discover more and browse the best travel cameras, best compact cameras and best point and shoot cameras

NiSi has released three new accessories designed for Ricoh GR compact cameras:

Nisi 49mm filter adapter MKII for GR III & GR IIIx: $32.99

This metal tube slots over the GR's lens, replacing Ricoh's GN-1 and GN-2 adapter rings. 49mm filters can then be fitted to the front, or the adaptor can provide a more stable mount for wide-angle conversion lenses and other accessories. The adapter features an auto-locking mechanism that holds everything securely in place, without wobble, and with no extra tools required. The adaptor is also compatible with NiSi's PR-5 Lens cap.

NiSi Wide Conversion Lens for Ricoh GR Series (GR III, GR IIIx, GR IV): $74.99

This 0.78x wide-angle conversion lens is built for street photography, travel, architecture, and any scenario when you want a wider field of view without sacrificing the GR’s speed and simplicity. On the Ricoh GR III / GR IV it widens the default focal length from 28mm- to 21mm-equivalent, or when fitted to the GR IIIx it converts the lens from 40mm- to 31mm-equivalent. The lens retains the camera's autofocus, metering, and shooting modes, and is Macro Mode compatible. A multi-layer, anti-reflective nano coating is employed to reduce ghosting and flare, while the barrel and caps are constructed from durable aluminum alloy. In order to use the lens, you will also need the separate Nisi 49mm filter adapter for your specific GR model.

NiSi JetMag lens hood kit for Ricoh GR IV: $89.99

Designed exclusively for the GR IV, this purpose-built hood-and-adaptor system is built for street and travel shooters, helping to protect the lens while also controlling harsh light. An included 49mm adaptor lets you use standard 49mm filters, while an auto-lock helps prevent rotation or loosening while shooting. The hood magnetically snaps on over the filter, then the lens cap snaps to the hood for quick protection between shots.

Until the recent revival in the fortunes of the humble, fixed-lens compact camera, or point-and-shoot camera, it’s fair to assume that, for most of us, this type of pocket camera had disappeared completely. 

By the 2010s, we were all using smartphone cameras, and so most low-resolution, standalone snapshots with their 3x or 4x optical zooms were banished to a drawer or listed on eBay. The manufacturers themselves also contributed to the demise of compact cameras. As demand decreased, they simply stopped manufacturing them.

Or did they?

Well, not entirely. While the vast majority vanished from retail, the compact cameras that survived offered something smartphones did not. 

I’m talking toughened, waterproof compacts that could be covered in mud, dirt and sand and simply rinsed clean without damage. Or accidentally elbowed off a table onto a stone floor and avoid shattering into several pieces, thereby allowing image capture to continue. 

To test durability, and because I was feeling cavalier, I once packed an early Kodak ‘tough’ series camera in airplane hold luggage. It arrived at my destination with lens glass shattered; but that was very much the exception rather than the rule.

Through the period post-2015 when digital compacts were mostly nowhere to be seen, OM System, formerly Olympus, and Ricoh/Pentax continued to market shockproof, freezeproof and water-proof cameras, as opposed to action cameras. All around them, bog standard compacts sunk without trace. 

Successful models offering the ability to shoot pictures and videos in conditions that would have been wholly unsuitable for most smartphones included OM System’s TG-7, and the rugged WG series from Ricoh/Pentax. Recent notable examples have included the flagship Pentax WG-8 and the entry-level WG-1000. Other models still selling at the time of writing include the Pentax WG-90 and near outwardly identical Ricoh WG-80.

Such cameras have consistently catered to a dedicated, niche subset of the compact camera market for sure, but they kept it going when others found the going too tough. There were toughened compacts released by the likes of Nikon (the Coolpix AW series) and Fujifilm (FinePix XP), for example, but these also got abandoned.

Obviously, the rugged cameras that stayed the course did so not just because they were alternatives to trashing our phones, but because of the different user experience. If, like me, you’ve been snorkelling or diving with a toughened compact and experimented with the various underwater-enhanced modes, you’ll know exactly what I mean. OK, so I’m not going to get mirrorless or pro DSLR-like quality, but for providing a visual memento, they’re perfectly fine.

And now, a mix of smartphone fatigue and social media has renewed and widened interest in cheap digital point and shoots at one end of the scale, and ‘slow photography’ options like the Pentax 17 film compact at the other. 

But, sitting in the middle, there was always consistently an alternative in the toughened, waterproof digital compact.

Beginning on July 01, a host of popular Ricoh GR Series compact cameras will see prices increase by 6-11% in Japan.

The announcement was made today, June 16, on the Ricoh Japan website. The company stated that recent increases in raw materials costs, as well as a “significant rise” in manufacturing and logistics costs, mean it can no longer produce GR models at current prices.

According to the announcement, six models are affected, including the GR IV, GR IV HDF, GR IV Monochrome, GR IIIx, GR IIIx HDF, and the GR IIIx Urban Edition.

With Ricoh headquarters based in Japan, it is unclear if the price changes will affect the camera's cost in other regions.

Originally launched as a premium film camera in 1996, the GR series has evolved into a lineup of ultra-compact, fixed-lens compact digital shooters widely regarded as some of the best for street photography. That popularity stems in part from an APS-C sensor hidden inside a body that looks like a basic point-and-shoot.

However, prices for these cameras have increased significantly across all regions in recent years, partly due to the long-term rise in compact camera popularity and more recent events such as AI memory demand.

In the US, price jumps have hit customers particularly hard, with the base Ricoh GR IV (2025) launching at $1,499 (£1,117 / AU$2,120), roughly 50% more expensive than its predecessor, the Ricoh GR III, when it was released in 2019.

Prices in Europe reflect similar hikes, with models such as the GR III and GR IIIx variants generally hovering around £950 (approximately $1,270 / AU$1,800), and special editions and new GR IV models around £1,200 (approximately $1,600 / AU$2,270).

According to Ricoh, the new prices will be seen on the Ricoh Imaging Store Japan and GR SPACE TOKYO – a physical Ricoh store in the Japanese capital.

But the company hasn't mentioned if third-party retailers will also pass the increased costs onto customers, nor if GR Series cameras will also become more expensive in other regions.

In light of the price increase, Ricoh has said it intends to “strive for even higher quality” products and service standards.

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For five months, Sony's new full-frame mirrorless was the No.1 camera in Japan at retailer Map Camera. But now, a two-year-old compact camera has reclaimed the top spot, beating the Sony A7 V.

Map Camera's new No.1 best-selling camera is the Fujifilm X100VI – an APS-C compact that we rated as the best retro compact camera on the market to date.

That might not sound surprising for one of the world's most sought-after cameras, except for one thing: the X100VI launched more than two years ago but remains notoriously difficult to buy. Whenever stock becomes available, demand appears strong enough to send Fujifilm's retro compact back into the Top 10 – and even to No.1.

Map Camera's top 10 best-selling cameras May

1. Fujifilm X100VI
2. Sony A7 V
3. Fujifilm X-T30 III
4. Fujifilm X-E5
5. Fujifilm X-M5
6. Canon PowerShot G7 X Mark III
7. Panasonic Lumix TX3 / ZS300 / TZ300
8. Sony A7C II
9. Sony A6700
10. Ricoh GR IV

Japan's new No.1: Fujifilm X100VI

When stock is available, photographers get a mix of classic rangefinder styling and modern APS-C performance, paired with a fixed 35mm-equivalent lens and Fuji's signature dial-based controls.

That blend of style, simplicity and image quality has helped the X100VI remain one of the most sought-after cameras on the market more than two years after its launch.

Four compacts in the Top 10

Compact cameras are very popular right now, offering a ready-to-shoot package in a pocketable form. Unlike camera phones, they give photographers a dedicated shooting experience with tactile controls.

The latest Map Camera chart reflects that trend. Alongside the Fujifilm X100VI, the Canon PowerShot G7 X Mark III ranks sixth, while the Ricoh GR IV comes tenth.

Interestingly, the newly launched Panasonic Lumix TX3 (ZS300 in the US, TZ300 in the UK) takes seventh place. While that might not sound spectacular, the compact has already shot straight to No.1 at Japanese retailer Yodobashi.

Launched in May 2025, the TX3 combines a 20.1MP 1-inch BSI CMOS sensor with a Leica-certified 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 Canon's PowerShot G7 X Mark III.

Given its strong start elsewhere, it wouldn't be surprising to see the Lumix TX3 climbing further up Map Camera's chart in the coming month.

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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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The Ricoh GR IV isn’t one camera – it’s a series of three with the GR IV, the GR IV HDF, and the GR IV Monochrome. As a fan of the retro photo look who has tested Ricoh’s HDF models in the past, I knew right away that the HDF would be the model that I would gravitate to. What I didn’t expect was that I would also fall in love with the Ricoh GR IV Monochrome.

When I rented the Ricoh GR IV Monochrome, I was a bit nervous. I’ve been a camera reviewer for more than a decade, but the GR IV Monochrome was my first experience with a true black-and-white-only sensor. So, I tried the GR IV HDF at the same time.

I expected to love the color camera more, particularly since it has my favorite filter, a warm diffusion, available at the press of a button. But when I returned home from shooting with the GR IV HDF and the GR IV Monochrome in the other, I found that I took more photos with the Monochrome.

There’s something creatively liberating about shooting without color. The photos from the Ricoh GR IV Monochrome were packed with drama and contrast. But perhaps the biggest draw for me is that I didn’t feel like I had to even open the photos in a photo editor. The images hit right fresh out of the camera. I always have a large to-be-edited pile, so this was a big draw for me.

I had to return the Ricoh GR HDF and Monochrome back to LensRentals weeks ago, but the Monochrome is the camera I can’t stop thinking about. My biggest hesitation is that the Monochrome costs more, and, of course, some scenes deserve to be shot in color.

The Ricoh GR IV series is a far more pocketable camera with an APS-C sensor compared to competing options. Along with long-time contenders like the Fujifilm X100VI, there are new choices like the Panasonic Lumix L10 or even the full-frame Sony RX1R III. But the Ricoh GR series is the advanced compact camera disguised in a point-and-shoot body – making it highly pocketable.

And I think that’s the big reason that I’m drawn to the Monochrome. If I bought a GR IV series camera, I would 100 percent be looking for a daily snapshot camera that I can take anywhere to capture the small everyday moments (without adding to my to-edit pile).

Black-and-white cameras are fairly niche and not for everyone. The original Ricoh GR IV is an excellent pocketable camera for daily snapshots, street photography, and travel. The GR IV HDF trades the built-in neutral density filter for a diffusion filter for a more film-like look. And the GR IV Monochrome goes colorless for more drama – and less noise at high ISOs.

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Dive deeper into the Ricoh GR series with this in-depth comparison of the GR IV, GR IV HDF, GR IV Monochrome, and GR IIIx. Or, take a look at the best compact cameras.

Ricoh remains the last major manufacturer still supporting traditional mirror-based DSLR cameras. But new signs suggest another popular Pentax DSLR could soon disappear from the market – just three and a half years after its launch in November 2022 – and this would be a loss for beginners and enthusiast photographers.

Major Japanese retailers, including Map Camera, have marked the Pentax KF as a "discontinued product", raising concerns that Ricoh may be quietly winding down another DSLR model from its shrinking lineup. The KF is one of the only and most accessible beginner-friendly models available new in 2026.

That follows several other signs for Pentax users in recent months. The Pentax K-3 Mark III production ended in January, while retailers listed the Pentax K-3 Mark III Monochrome as discontinued in February. In April, signs also emerged that the Pentax K-1 Mark II could be nearing the end of its lifecycle after one of its kit bundles disappeared from retailers.

Pentax KF: discontinuation hints

For many photographers, the Pentax KF represents something rare in the modern mirrorless world: an affordable, weather-sealed DSLR designed for people who start or simply enjoy photography.

In our guide to the best Pentax cameras, we ranked the KF as the best Pentax DSLR for beginners thanks to its balance of price, ruggedness and enthusiast-friendly features.

The camera combines hybrid AF (autofocus) in Live View with 4.5-stop IBIS (in-body image stabilization), a vari-angle screen and built in flash.

While it doesn't dramatically outperform rivals on paper, the KF delivers the classic Pentax experience many photographers value: durable construction, tactile controls, and dependable cold-proof performance down to 14°F (-10°C).

It's also one of the last affordable APS-C DSLRs that is available brand-new in stores or online – a category that has rapidly disappeared as the camera industry continues shifting toward mirrorless systems.

Although Ricoh has not officially announced the KF's discontinuation, retailer availability is becoming increasingly inconsistent across major markets.

Current availability & prices of the Pentax KF body

Several US and UK stores now list the camera as backordered, limited stock, special order or awaiting stock, while some retailers have removed listings entirely.

A combination like this often signals the final stage of a camera's retail lifecycle before an official discontinuation is confirmed by the manufacturer.

For photographers who still prefer the DSLR shooting experience – particulary optical viewfinders, longer battery life and traditional handling – the Pentax KF may soon become harder to buy new.

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Even though compact cameras may be making a comeback, few models are as unusual as the Ricoh GR IV Monochrome – a premium APS-C compact camera that is missing something most photographers wouldn't want to lose: color. Instead, it exclusively shoots in black and white.

Now the specialist camera has added a fourth major accolade to its list of awards, taking home the Editor's Choice Technology Award at the Camera Grand Prix 2026 in Japan, organized by the Camera Journal Press Club.

The latest win follows a string of recent honors for the GR IV Monochrome, including the Good Design Award, the DGP Imaging Award in 2025, and the TIPA World Award for Best APS-C Compact Camera.

Editor's Choice Technology Award: Ricoh GR IV Monochrome

The Camera Grand Prix 2026 states: "The Ricoh GR IV Monochrome is the first monochrome-only compact camera equipped with an APS-C sensor. To perfect monochrome expression, it features a dedicated monochrome image sensor.

"Furthermore, by eliminating color filters and interpolation processing, it maximizes the superior optical performance of the GR lens, demonstrating its true value in monochrome photography with high resolution, rich tonality and low distortion.

"Additionally, the ND filter found in the GR IV has been replaced with a red filter built into the lens unit, enabling impressive photographic expression that resonates with photographers.

"As a model commemorating the 30th anniversary of the "RICOH GR" series, its unwavering commitment to pursuing the ultimate snap shooter was recognized by CJPC members as a truly outstanding and unparalleled product, and it was selected for Editor's Choice Technical Award for the Camera GP 2026."

Camera Grand Prix

The Camera Grand Prix, established in 1984, is organized by the Camera Journal Press Club – a group of technical editors representing leading Japanese photography magazines and websites.

The awards celebrate standout products released in Japan during the previous fiscal year, with seven prizes given out this year.

• Camera of the Year: Sony A7 V
• Lens of the Year: Sony FE 50-150mm f/2 G Master
• Readers Award Camera: Canon EOS R6 Mark III
• Readers Award Lens: Canon RF 45mm f/1.2 STM
• Editor's Choice Technology Award: Ricoh GR IV Monochrome
• Editor's Choice R&D Award: Sigma BF and Fujifilm X Half

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The Sony A7 V has sat at the top of a number of best-seller lists since its launch in late 2025 – and for good reason, considering its mix of performance and price. But the popular mirrorless camera sits in second place on the latest list of trending cameras from US retailer B&H after another rather famous camera: The Canon PowerShot G7 X Mark III.

In fact, looking at the top ten trending cameras at US retailer B&H for April 2026, more than half of the options are compact cameras, which outnumber mirrorless seven to three. The top trending cameras at B&H across all camera categories are:

• Canon PowerShot G7 X Mark III silver
• Sony A7 V
• Canon PowerShot G7 X Mark III black
• Fujifilm X100VI black
• Canon EOS R5 Mark II
• Canon EOS R6 Mark III
• Fujifilm X100VI silver
• Canon PowerShot G7 X Mark III with accessory kit
• Canon PowerShot ELPH 360 HS A black
• Canon PowerShot ELPH 360 HS A silver

The Canon PowerShot G7 X Mark III has been experiencing viral social media fame – but that rise in demand means the compact camera is hard to find in stock. The one-inch sensor point-and-shoot is still out-of-stock at B&H, but the rise up the ranks hints that the retailer may have been able to ship more backorders as Canon continues to increase production.

The G7 X Mark III isn’t the only viral compact camera on the list. The Fujifilm X100VI is also on the list multiple times – one for each color option. Unlike the G7 X Mark III, the X100VI has a 40MP APS-C sensor, but it does sacrifice a zoom lens for that larger sensor. The mix of tech inside and retro design outside has the Fujifilm compact selling so well that more than two years after its launch, it’s still hard to find in stock.

While high-tech point-and-shoots tend to be the most viral options, affordable point-and-shoots are making a return with the Canon PowerShot 360 HS A (known as the IXUS 285 HS outside the US), also in the top ten. Eliminating the mirrorless bodies and looking at B&H’s trending compact camera list, the viral Kodak Charmera also slides onto the list, along with the 40x zoom Canon PowerShot SX740 HS and the APS-C compact Ricoh GR IV.

Best-selling mirrorless cameras in the US

B&H is a retailer that’s popular among general consumers, not just dedicated photographers, so breaking up the trending list by category offers additional insight. The top trending mirrorless cameras for April 2026 are:

• Sony A7 V
• Canon EOS R5 Mark II
• Canon EOS R6 Mark III
• Fujifilm X-M5 with XC 15-45mm kit lens silver
• Canon EOS R6 Mark II
• Sony A7 IV
• Nikon Z8
• Sony A6700 bundle with accessories
• Fujifilm X-M5 with XC 15-45mm kit lens black
• Sony A6700 with 16-50mm lens and accessories

Looking at the list, there are a number of interesting trends. First, older generations remain popular as a more affordable option that still offers pro features. The Sony A7 V may be the top seller, but the older A7 IV is still selling well. The same goes for the Canon EOS R6 Mark III, with the R6 Mark II following just two paces behind.

A number of the trending cameras cross geographical borders. The Fujifilm X-M5 also sat at the top of a recent year-long best-seller list at a retailer in Japan. The X-M5 is Fujifilm’s most affordable current model mirrorless body, and the small viewfinder-free design also touches on the compact camera trend.

The Sony A6700, which pops up on the list twice with two different bundles, is also more budget-friendly – at least compared to the A7 V – with a smaller crop sensor design.

On the flipside, the only Nikon on the list isn’t a budget model but the pro-grade Nikon Z8.

Looking at monthly trending lists offers insight into what cameras are selling well – but monthly numbers can easily be swayed by temporary sale discounts. For example, the Nikon Z8 has been steeply discounted lately.

But, based on the monthly trends I’ve seen so far this year in the US and Japan, I fully expect cameras like the Sony A7 V, the R6 Mark III, the Fujifilm X-M5, the Fujifilm X100VI, and multiple PowerShot compact cameras to continue to be popular options as 2026 continues.

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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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Camera trends make one thing clear: photographers want big capabilities inside a pocketable chassis. Compact cameras with oversized sensors like the Fujifilm X100VI and Ricoh GR IV have sold so well that finding one in stock is a challenge.

But with the success of those models comes another question: Will the viral success of large-sensor compact cameras mean that more are on the horizon?

I’m not the only one wondering if the cameras topping the bestseller lists will spark more like it. Recent talk on Chinese social media has rumors swirling about another competitor to the X100VI and GR IV coming, but the rumor has no hints of what brand or when.

I don’t have much confidence in a rumor that comes without any actual details, but it raises an interesting question. Compact cameras have been resurgent for some time now and, based on bestseller lists and the latest CIPA data, I don’t think the trend is slowing down any time soon.

Large-sensor compacts offer far superior image quality to camera phones, yet come in a design that’s often much smaller than mirrorless cameras.

At the same time, even smaller mirrorless bodies and pancake lenses have risen with the trends – which makes sense, as sometimes a travel-sized mirrorless can be cheaper and easier to find than those out-of-stock viral compact cameras.

I wouldn’t be surprised if more brands are working on compact cameras with a large sensor based on trends alone. But as hard as viral cameras like the X100VI are to find in stock, I don’t want to see copycats.

I’d love to see a camera that balances sensor size with a bit of zoom, as APS-C compact cameras tend to have fixed lenses. The 1-inch sensor Canon G7 X Mark III and Sony RX100VII fit that bill, but there are a handful of pancake lenses for APS-C mirrorless that are relatively small – and while zoom would make a camera a little bigger, I don’t think it’s entirely impossible.

Another category that I would love to see is a waterproof camera with a larger sensor. GoPro is sort of doing that with the Mission 1 Pro and point-and-shoot grip, but I still think a waterproof compact with a larger sensor geared towards still photos would sell very well.

The one thing that I want, but don’t expect, is a lower price point. Compact cameras are in demand, which tends to drive up the prices. The Fujifilm X Half still felt a bit pricey at launch, with its one-inch sensor and limited pro settings, which is why I lean more towards a pancake on a mirrorless as an alternative to the most popular compacts.

If the trends are any indication, there’s plenty of demand and room for more large-sensor compact cameras. The question is whether photographers will actually get more choices – and from what brands.

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The Sony A7 V has sat at the top of a number of best-seller lists since its launch in late 2025 – and for good reason, considering its mix of performance and price.

But the popular mirrorless camera sits in second place on the latest list of trending cameras from retailer B&H after another rather famous camera: the Canon PowerShot G7 X Mark III.

In fact, looking at the top ten trending cameras at B&H for April 2026, more than half of the options are compact cameras, which outnumber mirrorless seven to three. The top trending cameras at B&H across all camera categories are:

• Canon PowerShot G7 X Mark III silver
• Sony A7 V
• Canon PowerShot G7 X Mark III black
• Fujifilm X100VI black
• Canon EOS R5 Mark II
• Canon EOS R6 Mark III
• Fujifilm X100VI silver
• Canon PowerShot G7 X Mark III with accessory kit
• Canon PowerShot Elph 360 HS A black
• Canon PowerShot Elph 360 HS A silver

The Canon PowerShot G7 X Mark III has been experiencing viral social media fame – but that rise in demand means that the compact camera is hard to find in stock.

The one-inch sensor point-and-shoot is still out-of-stock at B&H, but the rise up the ranks hints that the retailer may have been able to ship more backorders as Canon continues to increase production.

The G7 X Mark III isn’t the only viral compact camera on the list. The Fujifilm X100VI is also on the list multiple times – one for each color option.

Unlike the G7 X Mark III, the X100VI has a 40MP APS-C sensor, but it does sacrifice a zoom lens for that larger sensor. The mix of tech inside and retro design outside has the Fujifilm compact selling so well that, more than two years after its launch, it’s still hard to find in stock.

While high-tech point-and-shoots tend to be the most viral options, affordable point-and-shoots are making a return with the Canon PowerShot 360 HS A (known as the Ixus 285 HS outside the US) also in the top ten.

Eliminating the mirrorless bodies and looking at B&H’s trending compact camera list, the viral $35 Kodak Charmera also slides onto the list, along with the 40x zoom Canon PowerShot SX740 HS and the APS-C compact Ricoh GR IV.

Best-selling mirrorless cameras in the US

B&H is a retailer that’s popular among general consumers, not just dedicated photographers, so breaking up the trending list by category offers additional insight. The top trending mirrorless cameras for April 2026 are:

• Sony A7 V
• Canon EOS R5 Mark II
• Canon EOS R6 Mark III
• Fujifilm X-M5 with XC 15-45mm kit lens silver
• Canon EOS R6 Mark II
• Sony A7 IV
• Nikon Z8
• Sony A6700 bundle with accessories
• Fujifilm X-M5 with XC 15-45mm kit lens black
• Sony A6700 with 16-50mm lens and accessories

Looking at the list, there are a number of interesting trends. First, older generations remain popular as a more affordable option that still offers pro features.

The Sony A7 V may be the top seller, but the older A7 IV is still selling well. The same goes for the Canon EOS R6 Mark III, with the Mark II following just two paces behind.

A number of the trending cameras cross geographical borders. The Fujifilm X-M5 also sat at the top of a recent year-long best-seller list at a retailer in Japan. The X-M5 is Fujifilm’s most affordable current mirrorless body, and the small viewfinder-free design also touches on the compact camera trend.

The Sony A6700, which pops up on the list twice with two different bundles, is also more budget-friendly – at least compared to the A7 V – with a smaller crop sensor design.

On the flipside, the only Nikon on the list isn’t a budget model but the pro-grade Z8.

Looking at monthly trending lists offers insight into what cameras are selling well – but monthly numbers can easily be swayed by temporary sale discounts. For example, the Nikon Z8 has been steeply discounted lately and is currently still listed for $900 off.

But, based on the monthly trends I’ve seen so far this year in the US and Japan, I fully expect cameras like the Sony A7 V, the R6 Mark III, the Fujifilm X-M5, the Fujifilm X100VI, and multiple PowerShot compact cameras to continue to be popular options as 2026 continues.

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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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If you love the look of the Ricoh GR IV but not so much the $1,499 / £1,199 / AU$2,199 price tag (or the fact that it's sold out pretty much everywhere), George Holden is here to help.

The YouTuber and street photographer has put together a budget-friendly alternative to the GR IV, promising snap-shooting supremacy for just $200.

"I went down to the camera graveyard, dug up the head of a Magnum Photos Prodigy, and stuck it to the body of the local village idiot to create what is my fake Ricoh GR IV," says Holden in his video (which you can watch below).

The village idiot in question? The Olympus PEN E-PL6 – a pocket-sized interchangeable lens camera from 2013 with a 16MP Micro Four Thirds (MFT) sensor.

George picked this up for $106 / $80 / AU$149 on a trip to Japan.

"So, because of the great deal I got on this camera, I ended up going with the Lumix 14mm f/2.5 lens," which has an equivalent 28mm focal length (thanks to the 2x MFT crop factor) and is one of the best pancake lenses ever made.

"With this camera and lens combination, we now have a small mirrorless camera much like the Ricoh GR IV with the same 28mm full-frame field of view as the Ricoh GR IV's fixed lens. However, these cameras are far from equal in every way."

Holden highlights the obvious sensor differences, with the GR IV having a 26MP APS-C chip that benefits from over a decade of sensor development.

It also has 53GB of internal memory, an integrated ND filter, along with WiFi and Bluetooth connectivity. But if you listen to Ricoh's marketing spiel, the most important thing on the GR IV is Snap Focus.

Of course, Snap Focus is just a brand name version of zone focusing. So George assigned one of the E-PL6's customizable buttons to manual focus and, with a bit of clever shooting, neatly replicates the Ricoh feature.

He also points out that, despite being a camera from 2013, the Olympus actually has some features that the Ricoh lacks.

It has a touchscreen with touch-focus, face detect AF, a tilting LCD, double the burst shooting speed (8fps)… but there are also a few compromises and omissions, such as the lack of any exposure dials.

Still, you can't argue with the images that Holden produced with his poor man's GR IV. Take a look at the video and decide for yourself: when you can get such similar results from a $200 kit, do you really need a $1,500 camera?

If you're not already following him, I highly recommend checking out George's YouTube channel – especially if you're a fan of compact, street-friendly cameras and MFT bodies.

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Take a look at the best compact cameras and, if you're an existing GR owner, see our Ricoh GR IV vs GR III comparison to find out if it's really worth the upgrade.

New tech isn’t the only thing that has the list of best-selling cameras looking quite different from just a few years ago – trends for compact cameras and retro designs seem to have played a massive role in which cameras are coming out on top. A major retailer in Japan has just shared a year’s worth of best-selling cameras, and the list makes it clear that camera trends go well beyond the spec sheet.

Map Camera, a large retailer based in Japan where several major camera companies are headquartered, recently shared the list of best-selling cameras from the last fiscal year, between April 2025 through March 2026. And while the list contains several names that I expected to see, I wouldn’t have predicted how heavily the list is dominated by compact retro designs, nor that a brand outside of the three biggest names would take nearly half the top ten spots.

According to Map Camera, the best-selling cameras between April 2025 and March 2026 are:

1. Fujifilm X-M5
2. Fujifilm X-E5
3. Nikon Z5II
4. Sony A7 V
5. Fujifilm X100VI
6. Fujifilm X Half
7. Sony A7C II
8. Ricoh GR IV
9. Ricoh GR IIIx
10. Canon EOS R6 Mark II
11. Fujifilm X-T5
12. Nikon Zf
13. Fujifilm X-T30 III
14. Nikon Z50 II
15. Canon EOS R6 Mark III
16. OM System OM-3
17. Nikon ZR
18. Sony A7 IV
19. Canon EOS R5 Mark II
20. Fujifilm GFX100RF

I’m a Fujifilm shooter myself, but I was still surprised to see that’s the brand listed most on the list. I would have predicted the impossible-to-find-in-stock X100VI would be on the list alongside its mirrorless equivalent, the X-E5.

But the X Half had some mixed reactions at launch – it’s more affordable and retro, but doesn’t have RAW. The medium format GFX100RF is an excellent camera, but the price of medium format tends to make the genre a rarity among best seller lists. Yet, both of those cameras have been selling well in Japan.

Fujifilm’s most affordable – and most compact – current model takes the number one spot with the X-M5. The X-M5 doesn’t have Fujifilm’s best specs at 26.1MP with no viewfinder, but it’s small, affordable, and stylish, three things that have undoubtedly led to strong sales.

The X-E5 has fewer compromises than the X-M5 but is still rather compact – and it’s really the closest mirrorless to the viral X100VI compact camera. The X-T5 is Fujifilm’s retro SLR-inspired camera, and it has the weather-sealing and dual card slots that the X-E5 lacks. The X-T30 III likely makes the list for one of the same reasons as the X-M5 – it’s a more affordable but still capable option.

Nikon is also holding its own on the list. I’m not surprised that the Nikon Z5 II is the brand’s best-seller in Japan. The camera offers a full-frame sensor at a more affordable price point, and the low-light autofocus rating beats even pricier cameras.

The Nikon Zf also makes the list – which I find unsurprising because it’s one of the few retro-styled mirrorless cameras that offer a full-frame sensor. The Z5 II’s little sister, the Z50 II, also makes the list, along with the video-focused Nikon ZR.

The Sony A7 V is another camera that I would have predicted would hit the list – it’s been dominating Japan’s monthly ratings since its launch in December. The camera was only available for a few months out of the time period tracked by Map Camera – I suspect it may jump up a few spaces on the 2026 annual list.

Sony’s smaller full-frame camera, the A7C II puts a full-frame sensor inside and the rising trend for smaller camera systems. The Sony A7 IV, a longstanding favorite, also makes the list.

The Ricoh GR IV and older but longer-lensed GR IIIx is another camera duo that I would have expected to see on the list – but perhaps not so high up. The cameras pack APS-C sensors into a tiny design, and, like the X100VI, they are difficult to find in stock.

Perhaps the biggest surprise is that Canon nearly missed the top ten entirely – unusual considering Canon has been the number one seller of interchangeable lens cameras for 23 years. I wouldn’t let the rankings worry Canon fans, though – Canon has been posting record camera sales lately, so Canons are still clearly a popular choice.

The Canon R6 Mark II was the best-selling Canon mirrorless for the retailer, and its replacement the R6 Mark III – whose recent launch means it didn’t have 12 months of sales like some other models – also ranks high on the list.

The R6 series’ big sister, the R5 Mark II, also slides onto the list at 19th place.

There's just one Micro Four Thirds camera on the list: The OM System OM-3, a capable camera that blends the retro and compact trends nicely.

Camera sales in Japan don’t always translate to other regions, but with many camera brands based in Japan, the region’s best-seller lists are ones that photographers tend to watch.

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After winning both the Good Design Award and the DGP Imaging Award last year, the Ricoh GR IV has now added another major accolade to its growing list – this time being named Best APS-C Compact Camera at the Technical Image Press Association (TIPA) World Awards.

The TIPA World Awards recognize the best new photo and imaging products each year, celebrating innovation in technology, design, and user experience across the industry.

The winners are decided at TIPA's General Assembly, where leading photography publications – including Digital Camera World – vote on the most impressive launches. Out of 40 categories, the Ricoh GR IV was named the leading APS-C compact camera.

Why the Ricoh GR IV stands out

The Ricoh GR IV was praised by the TIPA for its compact yet highly capable design.

"Housed in a compact magnesium alloy body, the Ricoh GR IV delivers exceptional image quality in a truly pocketable form. Built around a high-performance APS-C sensor and sharp GR lens, it produces crisp detail, rich colour, and impressive dynamic range."

Beyond image quality, its fast AF (autofocus) and responsive, intuitive handling make it especially popular with street, travel, and everyday photographers. The combination of refined ergonomics and a non-nonsense shooting experience has long defined the GR series – a philosophy that became a cult formula.

Other standout features include 5-axis image stabilization, a built-in 2EV ND filter, and an ultra-fast shutter speed of up to 1/16000sec. While the GR IV was limited to a slower maximum shutter speed of 1/4000sec, the latest firmware significantly extends its capabilities.

The DGP Imaging Awards – Japan's leading competition for digital imaging excellence – highlighted: "The GR IV represents a complete new renewal – from the image sensor and processor to the lens and AF system – yet it never strays from the simplicity that defines the series."

In the words of the Good Design jury: "This sense of balance is truly masterful. The pioneering spirit of a quality compact digital camera is clearly evident in its deliberately unchanged design image and its refined details."

The TIPA also highlighted the Ricoh GR IV HDF, which introduces a built-in Highlight Diffusion Filter. With this, switching between crisp clarity and a softer, more cinematic rendering in-camera is possible.

Alongside it, the Ricoh GR IV Monochrome caters to dedicated black-and-white shooters, offering a more accessible alternative in a market where specialist monochrome cameras often sit at a premium price point.

The Ricoh GR IV was one of the most anticipated compact cameras of 2025, arriving six years after its predecessor.

For many photographers, it marks a long-awaited evolution of a well-loved formula – refining rather than reinventing the compact camera concept that made the GR series so popular in the first place.

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The pocketable design and APS-C sensor has propelled the Ricoh GR series to legendary popularity. But the Ricoh GR isn’t one camera – it’s five (six if you count an Urban Edition).

The Ricoh GR series is an easy choice as one of the smallest APS-C cameras around. Choosing between the Ricoh GR IV, GR IV HDF, GR IV Monochrome, GR IIIx, and GR IIIx HDF feels a bit more complicated.

But I’ve used most of the Ricoh GR series – including the GR IV HDF, GR IV Monochrome, and the GR IIIx – and choosing one from the trendy series isn’t as daunting as it sounds.

The Ricoh GR IV: The “base” model

Best all-arounder

The Ricoh GR IV is the standard, current model in the GR series, released in 2025. The camera continues the GR series legacy of large sensors in tiny bodies, putting a 25.74MP BSI CMOS sensor and a 28mm equivalent lens into a camera that weighs just 262g.

The GR IV upgrades the sensor from the GR III series, though the change in resolution is a minor 24.2MP up to 25.4MP. The bigger upgrade is the new processor, the GR Engine 7. The GR IV has a noticeable improvement in autofocus performance and stabilization.

But, there’s still a lot that hasn’t changed. With 4fps and 1080p video, the GR series still isn’t made for action or video – it’s designed for street and documentary photography.

One of the biggest things to note is the lens. The GR IV uses a 28mm equivalent f/2.8 lens. That’s a wide view that’s good for street photography and landscapes, but less ideal for genres like portraits.

The Ricoh GR IV HDF: The film-like filter

The best GR camera for a film-like look

There’s really only one key difference between the Ricoh GR IV and GR IV HDF: the filter that’s included. The base model uses a built-in ND filter, which is helpful for getting long exposures during the day.

The HDF model trades that out for a diffusion filter. Diffusion filters soften the light,k creating “blooms” that give light sources a lovely glow. If you’re after a film-like look, the GR IV HDF is the right choice – just know that it doesn’t have the ND filter of the base model. The sensor, the processor, the size – everything else is the same. You could put your own HDF filter on the GR IV, but that requires buying an adapter that makes the camera quite a bit larger.

One other difference? The GR IV HDF is slightly more expensive than the GR IV.

The Ricoh GR IV Monochrome: Iconic Black & White

The best Ricoh GR camera for low noise and black-and-white photography

The Ricoh GR IV Monochrome has one major difference that’s right in the name: this is a black-and-white-only camera that can’t shoot color images.

Most digital cameras can switch back and forth between color and monochrome modes, so why create a camera that can’t shoot in color at all? Removing the filter that allows the sensor to see colors means there’s one less layer between the light and the sensor.

I had my doubts that such a simple change would be very noticeable, but I was quite surprised when I shot the GR IV HDF and GR IV Monochrome side-by-side and compared the images. The GR IV Monochrome has much less noise, even at low ISOs. The DNG files were also quite flexible with the highlights and shadows.

Black-and-white cameras aren’t for every photographer. But I wasn’t sure that I would like the GR IV Monochrome – and then I was actually quite enamoured with it, once I got it in my hands. If you want to shoot black-and-white documentary photography that needs little editing, then the GR IV Monochrome is an excellent option.

Instead of an HDF filter or an ND filter, the Monochrome has a built-in red filter. This adds a lot of contrast, particularly with the way it renders blue skies.

Like the GR IV HDF though, the GR IV Monochrome is more expensive than the base model – Ricoh says creating this camera wasn’t a simple matter of removing the filter, but ensuring the sensor and lens were calibrated for the best results.

The Ricoh GR IIIx: The older but longer lens model

The best Ricoh GR camera with a 40mm lens

While Ricoh has discontinued the GR III, the GR IIIx has not been discontinued. The GR IIIx has one key difference from the GR III: The lens. The GR IIIx uses a 40mm equivalent lens instead of a 28mm.

The 40mm focal length is widely considered to be fairly similar to what the human eye sees. So while the GR IV sees a wider view, the GR IIIx has a closer crop that feels more like what you see with your eyes. That longer lens is better for genres like portraits and getting in a little closer on street scenes.

The longer lens makes the Ricoh GR IIIx slightly heavier than the GR III, but actually a fairly even match weight-wise with the Ricoh GR IV. This camera also has a conversion kit that allows it to capture an even closer view.

But, as the “III” suggests, the GR IIIx has the older sensor and processor – and of course, it’s not clear when a GR IVx may arrive. Still, I prefer the longer lenses to wide angles, so the GR IIIx is still very much a valid option. And as an added bonus, as the older model, it’s often more affordable than the GR IV.

Check the price of the Ricoh GR IIIx Urban Edition too – this camera is internally the same as the GR IIIx, but the special edition has a metallic gray color and a blue lens ring. The other differences, like the “Snap Distance Priority Mode” were added to the standard model with a firmware update.

The Ricoh GR IIIx HDF: The longer lens diffusion model

A longer lens and a more film-like look

Take the GR IIIx and add the same HDF filter from the GR IV HDF, and you have the GR IIIx HDF. This has the longer lens, but again swaps out the ND filter for the diffusion filter for glowing light sources and a more film-like look.

I’ve used most of the current model GR series cameras now, and while the sheer number sounds daunting, the differences between the options are fairly straightforward. The Ricoh GR IV is an excellent all-arounder, the GR IV HDF the more film-like. The GR IV Monochrome is stellar for black-and-white documentary shots. And I still love the longer 40mm lens from the GR IIIx, which also comes in an HDF variant.

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The Sony A7 V has topped best-seller lists since its launch at the end of the 2025 – and one retailer in Japan says the full-frame mirrorless isn’t just attracting creators using older A7 cameras but photographers switching from other brands.

The insight comes from Map Camera, a major camera retailer in Japan. While sales trends in Japan – and just from one retailer – don’t always translate to other markets, with many major camera manufacturers based in Japan, the region’s sales lists tend to carry some clout. (And the Sony A7 V has similarly been a best-seller in the US.)

The retailer says that the Sony A7 V’s March sales figures exceeded the previous month, noting that while many shoppers were upgrading from previous A7 models, others were first-time Sony users. “The Sony phenomenon that has swept through the market with each new model release in the A7 series is once again powerful,” the retailer wrote (translated by Google).

While Sony’s most recent mirrorless camera is topping the best-seller list in Japan, the A7 V isn’t the only camera from the brand on the list of top ten. The next Sony on the list is from the fall of 2023, the Sony A7C II, a more compact model in the brand’s line-up, while the crop sensor Sony A6700 also came in on the list at ninth place. The model before the A7, the A7 IV, was also the retailer’s best-selling used camera for March.

Looking at the rest of the March bestsellers, a clear trend continues to emerge: size matters, as many of the top sellers are smaller mirrorless bodies, along with three compact cameras.

The March 2026 best-sellers at Map Camera include:

1. Sony A7 V
2. Fujifilm X-T30 III
3. Fujifilm X-E5
4. Sony A7C II
5. Canon PowerShot SX740 HS
6. Ricoh GR IIIx
7. Fujifilm X-M5
8. Ricoh GR IV
9. Sony A6700
10. Nikon Z5 II

Matching Sony with three cameras on the list, Fujifilm’s best-seller hits are all mirrorless cameras with a design that focuses on smaller bodies. The Fujifilm X-T30 III is arguably best described as a happy medium camera – it’s rather compact, but it still has a viewfinder; it doesn’t have the most advanced specs, but it’s one of the brand’s more affordable mirrorless cameras.

The X-T30 III is followed by the Fujifilm X-E5, which is the mirrorless that’s arguably closest to the bestselling X100VI compact camera, which is still hard to find in stock. Coming in at 7th place is the X-M5, which is both Fujifilm’s most compact and most affordable current mirrorless body.

The only Canon on the March list is the Canon PowerShot SX740 HS. It’s unsurprising to find a PowerShot on the best-seller lists, considering the return of the compact camera – even if it is one from 2018. But, photographers may be more surprised that the Canon EOS R6 Mark III, which launched around the same time as the A7 V, hasn’t made the list despite being a top seller in the US.

Two Ricoh GR compact cameras make the list. Interestingly, it’s the older, longer lens GR IIIx that ranks the highest – although that could be because the new GR IV is being released in limited quantities, along with differences in the price and lens.

Nikon slides into the list in the tenth place spot – but it’s not surprising to see the Z5 II on the list, with its balance between price and features, including a highly-rated low-light autofocus.

Choosing a new camera should be about the features, not the trends, but the bestseller lists can hint towards key trends in the camera industry.

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In a camera market where the most desirable compacts seem to vanish the moment they hit the shelves, the Ricoh GR IV Monochrome feels like a rare thing indeed: a genuinely exciting premium compact that you can actually go out and buy.

Ricoh’s monochrome-only GR is not some gimmick or dressed-up special edition. It is a purpose-built black-and-white compact based on the GR IV platform, with a 25.7MP APS-C sensor, a fixed 28mm-equivalent f/2.8 lens, and a sensor designed specifically for monochrome capture rather than color.

That alone makes it unusual, but what makes it even more interesting right now is that B&H, Adorama, and Amazon are all showing it as in stock and available to add to cart.

And that is exactly why the hype around this camera feels so justified. The GR line already has a cult following among street photographers, documentary shooters, and anyone who likes the idea of serious image quality in a camera that disappears into a coat pocket.

The Monochrome version turns that appeal up another notch because it does something most brands are too cautious to even attempt: it commits fully to black-and-white photography. Ricoh says this is the first GR model designed specifically for monochrome work, and both Ricoh and reviewers have leaned into the idea that removing the color filter array allows the camera to deliver cleaner detail, richer tonal gradation, and a more focused photographic experience.

That focus is, to me, the whole point. In an age when every camera is expected to be a hybrid content machine capable of doing absolutely everything, the GR IV Monochrome goes in the other direction and becomes more desirable because of what it refuses to do. It only shoots black and white, and that is exactly why so many photographers are obsessing over it.

While Ricoh has built in a switchable red filter and added dedicated monochrome image controls designed to produce everything from crisp, contrasty files to grainier, more silver-halide-inspired looks. That is not just spec-sheet theater. It is a camera aimed directly at photographers who want to think in light, shadow, texture, and tone rather than endlessly deciding which film simulation gets them closest to the real thing.

There is also no getting around the fact that scarcity has become part of the compact camera story. Desirable fixed-lens cameras have spent the last year or so bouncing between waitlists, backorders, and blink-and-you-miss-it availability, and that has only added to the GR IV Monochrome’s momentum.

Recent coverage has described the camera as highly anticipated and noted that it is back in stock at B&H and Adorama, while other reports on the compact sector have emphasized just how many popular models remain difficult to find. So no, I do not think this is literally the only popular compact camera still in stock, but it certainly feels like one of the few enthusiast compacts with real buzz that you can buy right now without joining a queue and hoping for the best.

What I also like about the GR IV Monochrome is that it knows exactly what it is. It is not trying to out-Fujifilm Fujifilm, and it is not pretending to be a pocket Leica either. It is a Ricoh GR through and through: small, direct, discreet, and deeply appealing to photographers who care more about seeing than showing off.

The matte-black finish, monochrome styling, built-in red filter, and stripped-back photographic mission all add to that sense of identity. Even reviewers who point out its limitations seem to come away impressed by how much the camera gains from its singular vision, especially for street photography and everyday documentary work.

So is the Ricoh GR IV Monochrome the only popular compact camera still in stock? No, not in the strictest sense. But it may well be the most interesting compact you can actually click “buy” on at the moment, and that counts for a lot.

In a market obsessed with overhyped shortages and endless backorders, something is refreshing about a camera that is not just desirable, but obtainable. Better still, it earns that desirability honestly. The GR IV Monochrome is not getting attention because it is rare. It is getting attention because it is bold enough to be unapologetically niche, and in today’s camera world, that might be the smartest move of all.

Looking for a rugged, waterproof, and adventure-ready camera for your next hike, five, ski, or biking excursion? Two great budget outdoor cameras are now available at a discount from B&H Photo.

The Ricoh Pentax WG-8 in black is now just $446.95 at B&H – you save $50 off its original price of $476.95.

The OM System Tough TG-7 in black is now just $549.99 at B&H – you save $100 off its original price of $649.99.

Ricoh Pentax WG-8: A real Captain Scarlet of a compact camera
The Pentax WG-8 is built tough to survive water, dust, drops, freezing temps – you name it. It's perfect if you want a camera that's truly adventure-proof, without spending big. With a 20MP sensor and 5x optical zoom (approx. 28-140mm in 35mm terms).

It shoots decent photos and 4k video at 30fps. It also shines in ultra-close-up shots, and it performs well underwater and in extreme conditions where other cameras might fail. It's a solid budget-friendly choice for anyone needing a tough, reliable camera for travel. Read more: Pentax WG-8 review.

OM System Tough TG-7: Indestructable camera, impressive results
The OM System Tough TG-7 is built to be a companion on any adventure. It's waterproof, shockproof, and dustproof, so you never have to worry about weather or terrain. Sure, its 12MP sensor is smaller than some other cameras, but that actually helps underwater photos by capturing more light where it's often dim. Plus, it shoots RAW and bursts up to 20fps – perfect for catching fast moments.

The TG-7 has a handy 4x zoom (approx. 25-100mm in 35mm terms) with a bright aperture and a standout macro mode that lets you snap amazing close-ups and 4K video. It's simple, durable, and versatile – the perfect point and shoot to toss in your bag when you need a reliable camera that won't quit. Read more: OM System Tough TG-7 review.

Discover more and browse the best travel cameras, best compact cameras and best point and shoot cameras

DSLRs are steadily disappearing from the modern camera market – and now there are growing signs that this full-frame flagship could be next.

Ricoh remains the only major manufacturer still committed to mirror-based cameras, but recent developments suggest its lineup may be shrinking – again. Following a series of discontinuities, new clues point to the K-1 Mark II potentially being on the way out.

The popular DSLR kit with the 28-105mm f/3.5-5.6 lens is now listed as 'discontinued' at major Japanese retailers, including Bic Camera, and marked as 'completed product' at Kitamura. Could the K-1 Mark II body-only version soon follow?

Discontinuation hints

Last year, the production of the Pentax K-3 Mark III ended, followed in March 2026 by the Monochrome version – a niche model that had only been on the market for around three years.

Now that the K-1 Mark II lens bundle has left the market in Japan, it's fueling speculation that the full-frame DSLR could be next.

It's important to note, however, that a bundle being discontinued doesn't automatically mean the camera body will follow – factors like new lens versions, updated bundles, or changes in retail strategy can also play a role.

That said, this pattern is common in the camera industry – and it could fuel even more rumors for a successor. Combined with mixed signals from retailers in the US and UK – some showing 'limited stock' or 'special order' – it suggests that overall K-1 Mark II availability is gradually shrinking.

Current availability & prices

So, for anyone considering a K-1 Mark II, now is a good time to buy a sealed DSLR rather than relying on the second-hand market, which could become the only option if global stock continues to shrink.

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Compact cameras have become so trendy that the most popular models come with “out of stock” warnings and long waiting lists. But when it comes to the most popular compact camera that’s actually possible to buy, one retailer in Japan thinks it has the answer: The Sony ZV-1 II.

The insight comes from Japanese retailer Yodobashi’s top ten best-selling compact camera list for the first half of March 2026. The Sony ZV-1 II isn’t the first camera in that list, but removing four compact cameras that are perpetually out-of-stock that had a large shipment to waiting list customers propels the ZV-1 II to the top.

The most popular compact cameras at Yodobashi

According to Yodobashi, these are the best-selling compact cameras for the first half of March 2026:

1. Canon PowerShot SX740 HS (backordered)
2. Sony ZV-1 II
3. Kodak Pixpro C1
4. Panasonic Lumix TZ99 / ZS99
5. Canon PowerShot G7 X Mark III (backordered)
6. Canon IXY 650 / ELPH 360 HS
7. Ricoh GR IIIx (backordered)
8. OM System Tough TG-7
9. Fujifilm X100VI (backordered)
10. Sony RX1R III

The Canon PowerShot SX740 HS, PowerShot G7 X Mark III, Ricoh GR IIIx, and Fujifilm X100VI are cameras that are so popular, that they’re out-of-stock at Yodobashi, but the retailer notes that shipments for the customers who have backorders propelled those four cameras back up to the top of the list.

Those four hard-to-find cameras don’t come as much of a surprise. The Canon PowerShot G7 X Mark III has achieved viral status that makes it hard to find, despite the manufacturer increasing production, a trend that has bled into other PowerShots like the SX740 HS.

The Ricoh GR III has been replaced with the GR IV, but the GR IIIx, the version of the compact camera with a longer lens, has not. Like the new GR IV, the older long lens compact camera is still challenging to find in stock.

The final backordered camera on the list is the Fujifilm X100VI, which is now more than two years old, but its viral status continues to make the compact camera with an APS-C sensor and retro dials hard to find.

Popular compact cameras that are actually in stock

Eliminate all those cameras that are hard to find, and what’s left? Well, that list of popular compact cameras that are actually easy to find in stock starts with the Sony ZV-1 II.

The ZV-1 II is more of a vlogging compact camera than the stills-oriented RX100 VII, but the vlogging camera is more affordable than the RX100 series. The ZV-1 II still packs in a 20.1MP one-inch sensor and 18-50mm lens, along with a flip-out screen.

Next on the list, the Kodak Picpro C1 combines several trends together – it’s a point-and-shoot, but it also has a classic look, carries the Kodak name, and comes in at an affordable price point.

The Panasonic Lumix TZ99 / ZS99, a compact camera with a 30x zoom lens, also makes an appearance on the list – and not for the first time. The popular zoom compact has topped the Yobodashi list before, but falls to fourth in March. Panasonic has announced the ZS300 / TZ300 since the bestseller list closed March 15, so it will be interesting to see if the new launch makes an appearance on upcoming bestseller lists – it has half the zoom of the TZ99 / ZS99, but uses a larger one-inch sensor.

The only PowerShot not backordered on the list is the Canon IXY 650, which is called the ELPH 360 HS in some regions. It’s a more affordable model with specs behind the SX740 HS and G7 X Mark III.

The OM System Tough TG-7 – my personal favorite beach camera – also remains among the trending models in Japan. The TG-7 doesn’t pack a larger sensor like some advanced compacts, but the ability to go more places with its waterproof body.

Finally, rounding out the list is a luxury, high-end compact: The Sony RX1R III. The RX1R III packs a 61MP full-frame sensor into a compact body with a 35mm f/2 lens – and comes with a price tag to reflect those high-end specs.

Bestseller lists can be influenced by factors like temporary sales and discounts, as well as stock issues, but watching the lists as they come out offers some hints as to which cameras are most popular – the Yobodashi list regularly hints towards what’s trending in Japan.

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Don't buy a camera just because it's trendy – these are the best compact cameras, as selected by real photographers.

If there’s a photo style that will never go out of style, it’s black and white photography. But, when I had the chance to try a camera with a dedicated monochrome sensor for the first time, I wasn’t sure what to expect – so I shot with its color sibling at the same time. I spent two weeks shooting with both the Ricoh GR IV HDF and the GR IV Monochrome.

The Ricoh GR IV series looks so similar that I could barely tell the two cameras apart – the lack of color on the GR logo on the front and the Red Filter shortcut on the back is what gives the Ricoh GR IV Monochrome away, at least without powering the cameras on.

Nearly every modern digital camera can shoot in black-and-white in-camera by switching the color profile to a black-and-white option. But the Ricoh GR IV Monochrome can’t see color at all. It’s missing the color filter array that allows digital cameras to see in color.

The missing color array on the GR IV Monochrome means the camera can’t shoot color – though there are multiple monochrome color profiles to choose from. Why take the time to build tech that can’t shoot in color in the first place, when color cameras have a monochrome mode? Eliminating the color filter array allows more light to come through and hit the sensor.

I wasn’t sure just how much of a difference that missing color filter would make, but I was blown away when I examined the images up close. The images from the GR IV Monochrome were much cleaner, with not only less noise but also smaller, smoother grain in the high ISO shots.

What I found even more surprising is that the difference was even noticeable at base ISO – the GR IV Monochrome can shoot as low as ISO 160, and the GR IV HDF at ISO 100. Still, the Monochrome camera had far less noise.

Looking at the RAW files, I could also brighten up the shadows on the GR IV Monochrome quite a bit more than the shadows on the GR IV HDF, even when using a black-and-white profile on the color camera.

The difference is one that’s best viewed by looking at the photos in full resolution. I’d be hard-pressed to tell which photo came from which camera in, say, an Instagram post.

The Ricoh GR IV Monochrome was my first experience with a dedicated monochrome camera – and I certainly didn’t hate it. If I wanted a documentary-style camera that churned out JPEGs that didn’t need retouching, the GR IV Monochrome would be on my short list.

I loved shooting with the GR IV HDF too – and I’m particularly fond of the positive film color profile. Some scenes are just better in color.

I never thought I would have trouble choosing between a more expensive monochrome camera and a more affordable variant that can shoot in both color and black-and-white. But, after trying both cameras, I suddenly understand the hype behind monochrome-only cameras.

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For a deeper comparison between the two cameras, read the Ricoh GR IV Monochrome review. Or, dive into the Ricoh GR IV HDF review, or, if you prefer a built-in ND filter over a diffusion filter, the Ricoh GR IV review.

If there’s a filter that stays on the end of my favorite lens more often than not, it’s a warm diffusion filter. But compact cameras are a bit harder to outfit with filters, which is why the Ricoh GR IV HDF has one built right in.

The specs on the Ricoh GR IV HDF are a near-identical match for the camera without the HDF in the name. The key difference? Ricoh included a built-in HDF filter that can be turned on and off with a press of a button to create softer blooms of light and taper that modern camera sharpness.

I spent two weeks with the Ricoh GR IV HDF – a rental provided by LensRentals – and that built-in HDF makes this pocketable camera feel more film-like than the original.

Ricoh GR IV HDF: Specifications

Ricoh GR IV HDF: Price

The addition of a built-in diffusion filter doesn’t come without a cost, as the Ricoh GR IV HDF sits at a slightly higher price point than the original GR IV. In the US, it’s about $100 more, about £100 more in the UK, AU$200 in Australia, and CA$100 more in Canada.

That puts the Ricoh GR IV HDF at a price of about $1,599 / £1,299 / AU$2,399 / CA$1,999. Demand for the GR IV series has been high since launch, so be wary of third-party sellers asking for more than that list price.

Ricoh GR IV HDF: Design & Handling

The variants of the Ricoh GR IV are near mirror images of each other – which means the GR IV HDF has the same iconic compact size of the original GR IV. The camera weighs just 9.2 oz / 262g with a battery and microSD card installed.

Despite housing an APS-C sensor that’s more often found in mirrorless cameras than compact cameras, the GR IV HDF is a pocketable camera; it is just 1.3 inches / 32.7mm deep – the only measurement that’s not smaller than the dimensions of my iPhone 15 Pro.

While the camera looks like a basic point-and-shoot, it still has a hot shoe slot, a dial housing manual and auto modes, and two wheels for adjusting exposure settings. The grip is fairly shallow, but it’s more comfortable to hold than my smartphone.

At the back of the camera, controls for exposure compensation sit right at my thumb. The HDF filter is turned on and off with a quick press of the Fn button, plus the menu arrows double as shortcuts for things like ISO and macro mode.

The reason I love the built-in HDF? The camera only supports filters with an adapter, which makes the camera less pocketable. With the GR IV HDF, a diffusion filter is there right with the press of a button.

Ricoh was able to cram a good amount of features into such a small camera. I did miss having a viewfinder at times, and I always find the microSD card format a bit of an annoyance. But I think those sacrifices are largely worthwhile to put such a big sensor (and bright lens) into something that looks more like a basic point-and-shoot than a mirrorless camera.

The GR IV HDF isn’t cheap, though, and the build isn’t that of a budget point-and-shoot. The camera’s body feels metallic, and there’s a subtle pebbled texture to the grip. One minor gripe? Weather-sealing was also left out for the sake of size, so while the camera is small enough to go anywhere, it’s not built to go out into rain, snow, or dusty/sandy conditions.

Ricoh GR IV HDF: Performance

The Ricoh GR IV HDF isn’t a jack-of-all-trades sort of camera. It’s built to be a compact camera with a big sensor for street photography, documentary photography, and travel. The GR IV HDF isn’t a sports camera or action camera – and neither were its predecessors. It snaps photos as fast as 4 fps, which feels a bit like the camera speeds of 15 years ago. That’s not news for fans of the Ricoh GR series, however, as the compact camera was never really built for speed.

But, I did find a noticeable improvement in the GR IV HDF’s autofocus performance compared to the GR III HDF. The camera seemed to lock on a bit faster than the earlier model and had fewer misses. In low light and in macro mode, the focus noticeably lags a bit more. Still, even at a walking pace, the camera tends to drop focus with subjects moving towards the camera.

Like the original GR IV, the Snap Focus is a helpful mode that simplifies the longstanding practice of zone focusing. Using this mode, you tap the screen to focus on a distance, and the focus is then locked in at that distance. On the side of the screen, a green marker will show the range of distances that are in focus, based on your focus point and aperture settings.

Upgraded stabilization also gives the camera a nice boost, both in low light and to create some motion blur without a tripod.

With the same lens and sensor as the original GR IV, image quality is identical between the two cameras, with one exception: The built-in HDF, or highlight diffusion filter. Diffusion filters are one of my favorite tools for getting a film-like look – it spreads the light out into softer “blooms” of light and softens the modern camera's sharpness just a bit. The original GR IV has a built-in ND filter instead, useful for darkening long exposures, which the GR IV HDF lacks.

The Ricoh GR IV doesn’t have traditional filter threads as a compact camera, so the ability to get the softer look at the press of a button is a fantastic tool to have. With the filter activated, images are a little less sharp and light sources spread out much further.

This creates a more film-like look – which I was particularly fond of when I swapped the camera’s color profile to “positive film” which offers warmer, richer colors than the more neutral standard profile. I really loved the colors in this setting; it’s a color profile that I feel didn’t really need to be adjusted much in post and was ready-to-go right as JPEGs.

Otherwise, image quality performance is on par with the original GR IV. With a built-in lens tailored specifically for that sensor, sharpness is excellent, even at the widest aperture and towards the corners. If that’s too sharp, the HDF filter is there for a softer look.

The wider lens is excellent for street photography and landscape captures, though I spotted some of that classic wide-angle distortion when trying the camera at more classic portraits. There’s still some background separation – not the kind that you’d find with a longer focal length, but an impressive bit of pop for a pocketable camera.

High ISO performance is solid, thanks to the APS-C sensor and conservative resolution. Shots at ISO 64000 are still plenty usable, and while noise is noticeable, I wouldn’t call the photos that I shot at ISO 12800 throwaways either. It’s worth noting that the GR IV Monochrome does outperform the HDF in noise at both low and high ISOs, with very fine grain ISO, but that’s at the cost of sacrificing all color.

DNG files are highly flexible. I was able to recover quite a bit of shadow detail in this shot that I exposed for the sky, but left the silos too dark.

The GR IV HDF isn’t really much of a video camera – it’s there at Full HD, but without autofocus tracking or manual controls, it’s not a highlight for the GR series in general.

Ricoh GR IV HDF: Verdict

The Ricoh GR IV HDF is the more film-like camera in the series, thanks to its built-in diffusion filter that creates soft blooms of light – paired with the positive film color profile, and I didn’t even want to retouch the images in post. The GR IV HDF continues everything that we loved about the GR IV, but adds that diffusion filter for a softer look and blooms of light.

Like the original, it’s important to understand what the GR IV HDF is and is not before considering a purchase. It’s not an action camera, nor is it a camera that can shoot every genre with ease.

But the compact design and capable sensor make it an excellent camera for documentary-style images, street photography, and travel. Images are sharp, noise is well-controlled, and there’s some lovely background separation considering this is a compact camera with a wide-angle lens.

The final question is whether or not to go with the original Ricoh GR IV or the HDF. If you’re a pixel peeper and crave super sharp images, you can save yourself a little cash by opting for the original. But if you love the softer, more film-like look, then the price difference is worth it – the cost difference is around the cost of a high-end diffusion filter, only you don’t need to remember to pack it.

Ricoh GR IV HDF: Alternatives

Most cameras don’t like to advertise what they can’t do, but with the Ricoh GR IV Monochrome, it’s right in the name: this camera can’t shoot in color.

Admittedly, when I picked up the Ricoh GR IV Monochrome, it was my first experience using a camera with a dedicated monochrome sensor, and I wasn’t quite sure what to expect. What I found was all of the compact design that the GR series is known for, but with less noise, a highly flexible dynamic range in post, and epic drama stemming from the built-in red filter.

The first time I took the GR IV Monochrome out for a shoot? I thought, "This is a camera with attitude.”

I spent two weeks with the Ricoh GR IV Monochrome, a rental provided by LensRentals, and I’m going to have a hard time sending this one back.

Ricoh GR IV Monochrome: Specifications

Ricoh GR IV Monochrome: Price

The Ricoh GR IV Monochrome costs more than the version that can see in color – and by quite a bit. In the US, there’s a $600 price bump for the Monochrome version. Elsewhere, it’s a £400 / CA$600 / AU$1,000 price hike.

That brings the camera to a list price of about $2,196 / £1,599 / AU$2,999 / CA$2499.

That price is certainly nothing to sneeze at, but there are relatively few choices when it comes to cameras designed exclusively for black-and-white photography. The biggest brand doing Monochrome cameras is arguably Leica, which makes the GR IV Monochrome look cheap by comparison.

Ricoh GR IV Monochrome: Design & Handling

The most impressive part about the Ricoh GR IV series is how much advanced imaging tech is packed into a camera that looks like a basic point-and-shoot. No, the GR IV Monochrome isn’t basic, but to anyone unfamiliar with the photo industry, it looks like I’m just shooting with a simple compact camera.

The Ricoh GR IV series is arguably the most pocketable of large-sensor compact cameras, and the Monochrome version follows that same design.

I shot with the Ricoh GR IV Monochrome and the GR IV HDF at the same time – the only way I could tell the two apart is by looking either at the shortcut button at the back, which is for a red filter on the Monochrome and for a diffusion filter on the HDF, or looking for the darker GR logo on the front of the Monochrome. All three members of the GR IV series have a very similar but impressively small build.

The compact camera weighs just 262g (about 9.24 oz), including the memory card and battery. The camera is just 109.4mm or 4.3 inches wide. Even including the small grip, it’s an impressively slim 32.7 mm / 1.3 inches if you have the camera powered off. (The lens extends out a bit from the body with the camera on and ready to shoot.)

That makes the camera highly pocketable – impressive considering it’s hiding an APS-C sensor inside. Although, of course, there’s some risk to stashing a pricey camera inside of a pocket instead of a dedicated camera bag.

Which brings me to my next point: the Ricoh GR IV Monochrome isn’t weather-sealed. That’s one of the sacrifices made to create such a tiny camera. While a sealed camera would be larger, that makes it a bit less flexible for a camera that you carry nearly everywhere – except in the rain or dust.

Weather-sealing isn’t the only sacrifice for the small size. My two biggest annoyances? There’s no viewfinder, and the memory card is the microSD format. Photos are composed instead with the fixed, non-tilting LCD screen. It’s a bright screen, but it can be harder to see in bright sun than an electronic viewfinder.

The control layout feels well thought out for such a tiny camera. There are two dials to control manual settings, a locking mode dial, and a plus-minus toggle by the thumb for ISO or exposure compensation. There’s a dedicated shortcut button for the red filter, while others like macro mode and burst are built into the arrow keys.

Like the advanced camera that it is, there’s still a hot shoe slot at the top and a tripod mount at the bottom. The tiny size doesn’t leave much room for ports, but there is a well-hidden USB-C port. A small button on the opposite side puts the camera in video mode.

Ricoh GR IV Monochrome: Performance

The Ricoh GR IV series is known for its big sensor in a small design – it’s not known nor really designed for fast action. Ricoh doesn’t even list the burst speed among the official specifications, but it comes down to about 4 fps. This isn’t a sports camera.

But, if you understand what the Ricoh GR IV Monochrome is before picking it up – which is to say that it’s more for documentary and street photography – then the camera hits the mark.

I’ve used earlier GR III series cameras, and while the GR IV Monochrome’s autofocus speed isn’t going to break any records, there is a noticeable improvement. The face and eye detection works well, albeit it lacks animal eye detection entirely.

Autofocus locks on fairly quickly in good light. Indoors in low light, there’s a noticeable lag in the darkest corners, but the focus will still lock on if you place the focus area on a high-contrast area, like the edge of the object.

The continuous autofocus will drop a few frames – and in fact is tucked under the area modes rather than a separate setting. Similarly, in video mode, the autofocus is slow – but at least smooth – to transition. But again, this camera wasn’t built with action in mind.

Let’s get to what the GR IV Monochrome was built for then: black-and-white photographs. The Ricoh-Pentax brand is no stranger to colorless sensors, but this is the first time that a monochrome sensor has come to the GR series.

The sensor is designed specifically to pair with the camera’s built-in lens, which is an 18.3mm or 28mm in a full-frame equivalent. That’s a nice wide focal length for street photography and landscape captures – but you’ll see some of that wide-angle distortion if you snap portraits with it.

While the aperture is bright at f/2.8, wide-angle lenses aren’t really known for their bokeh. Images shot at f/2.8 still have some nice background separation, and points of light are rendered as smooth bokeh balls. For the most bokeh, the GR IV Monochrome does have a macro mode, which offers some nice flexibility for a compact camera.

While the GR IV Monochrome can’t see color, the camera still has several “color” profiles built in. I could choose whether I wanted a more standard look, or switch to softer contrast or higher contrast right in the camera.

One of my favorite features is the built-in red filter – it’s a longstanding tool for black-and-white photography that absorbs blue and green, but still lets red light hit the sensor. The red filter creates phenomenal contrast, particularly outdoors, where the blue skies will suddenly appear dark and dramatic.

Because it blocks some types of light, I also used the red filter as a sort of makeshift neutral density filter to take long exposures during the daytime. Of course, that’s a downside if you want to use the red filter indoors.

Between the different color profiles and red filter, the GR IV Monochrome has a very flexible range of light that it can capture. It’s capable of both dramatic, high contrast scenes, as well as softer, lower contrast scenes.

Ricoh GR IV Monochrome vs. GR IV HDF

One of the reasons to eliminate the color filter array rather than just use in-camera color profiles to capture black and white is to allow more light to hit the sensor. One of the benefits? Decreased noise.

To put that theory to the test, I tried the GR IV HDF at the same time that I rented the GR IV Monochrome and took similar photos across similar conditions. I couldn’t help myself: I took some shots in a black-and-white color profile on the HDF as well to directly compare with the Monochrome.

At ISO 12800, the noise coming from the GR IV Monochrome is much smaller and smoother, whereas the noise dots on the color GR IV appear much larger. Noise is noticeably much cleaner on the Monochrome than the GR IV HDF. There’s still noise that high, but it’s a far more pleasing noise that doesn’t distract from the photo, even zooming in. The noise feels the closest that I’ve gotten to pleasant noise on a digital camera rather than film.

I expected ISO 12800 to look better on the Monochrome, but I was blown away by the difference in bright light. The base ISO on the Monochrome is slightly higher at ISO 160, where the HDF can shoot down to ISO 100, but the black-and-white camera is far cleaner even at these low ISO settings.

The Monochrome’s smoother noise does give the photos the appearance of being slightly sharper than the color camera when pixel peeping. On the DNG files, I was able to lighten the shadows more in post than the images shot on the HDF, suggesting more flexibility in post, as long as you don’t want that flexibility to include colors.

Ricoh GR IV Monochrome: Verdict

The Ricoh GR IV Monochrome was my first experience with a colorless camera – and there was honestly a bigger difference in image quality than I expected next to a color camera. Noise tends to be more beautiful than distracting and less noticeable than on the color GR IV. I could recover a bit more shadows in post. And the built-in red filter is a phenomenal way to add contrast on a camera that doesn’t have the traditional filter threads.

Like the rest of the GR series, the GR IV Monochrome is impressively small. It’s a pocketable camera that comes without having to sacrifice sensor size or aperture.

I did miss having a viewfinder and weather-sealing, but advanced compact cameras with an APS-C sensor and a viewfinder tend to be significantly larger. The camera also isn’t built for action – and there are better options out there for fast bursts and snappy autofocus.

My biggest hesitation? There’s quite a price difference between the GR IV and the Monochrome. I’m having a hard time with the idea of paying more for a camera that can technically do less. But, as black-and-white cameras go, the GR IV Monochrome is actually one of the more affordable choices.

The Ricoh GR IV Monochrome is a niche camera – but for the photographer looking for black-and-white shots with lovely noise and a pocketable design, it’s an excellent choice.

Ricoh GR IV Monochrome: Alternatives