I'm often asked why I bother reporting on camera rumors. It certainly doesn't win me any points with camera companies, who understandably hate leaked and unapproved information, and of course there are as many landmines as treasure chests when you're dealing with unofficial reports.
But here's the thing: while a lot of camera rumors are a dumpster fire of internet nonsense, a surprising amount of smoke leads to fire. And in recent years, a whole lot of reports have come true – even if some of the finer details were a bit fuzzy.
Canon released its pseudo-retro camera, the Canon EOS R8 Mark II; Nikon launched a "photo version of the ZR" in the form of the Nikon Z5IIC; OM finally brought back the OM System PEN… plenty of water cooler chatter has proven true!
As always, take everything you read with a good pinch of salt. But these are the latest camera rumors to give us an idea of what might be coming in 2026 and beyond…
Canon rumors 2026
Canon is always the subject of more camera rumors than any other manufacturer, in large part because it has been the most prolific photographic patenter for 41 consecutive years. And these patents are often the first clues we get as to what is coming in the next wave of cameras.
We've had a fairly quiet year so far, with the Canon EOS R6V coming as a hybrid go-between based on the same architecture as the EOS C50 and R6 Mark III, followed by the R8 Mark II – a heritage-inspired body which may or may not be the long-rumored Canon retro camera.
So what Canon rumors can we expect to come to fruition in 2026 and 2027?
Canon Analog Concept Camera
This one came completely out of left field, but almost single-handedly justified my trip to CP+ 2026!
Canon unveiled something totally unforeseen: the Canon Analog Concept Camera. This retro-style box camera has a top-down, waist-level, optical viewfinder and fully manual focus, making it a real love letter to old school photography.
The images it produces on its (at present) 6MP image sensor are delightfully tactile and vintage, but come packed inside a retro-futuristic design – making this feel a bit like what Instax has been trying to do of late.
The Canon designers behind the camera showed me two different design concepts for the product, and the company was inviting feedback from showgoers at CP+ on which was favorite – along with what kind of price would feel appropriate (from $190 / £145 / AU270 to $630 / £475 / AU$900).
There's no guarantee at all that this camera will ever make it to market, but I spoke to the heads of Canon Inc and they are very aware of how well it has been received… fingers crossed! Check out my hands-on for more info.
Canon EOS R7 Mark II
Rapidly becoming a unicorn camera, the Canon EOS R7 Mark II was rumored for much of 2025, then it was apparently bumped to 2026 and now the rumor mill says that it will launch at CP+ 2027 – the Japanese super show taking place in February.
Whether that renders previous rumors about its capabilities moot remains to be seen. However, it had been suggested that the R7 Mark II would be Canon's first APS-C camera to match the resolution Fujifilm's 40MP bodies.
The jump to 40MP reportedly comes with a boost to 8K video – though apparently limited to UHD (7680 x 4320) rather than DCI (8192 x 4320) so that the streams aren't crossed with the EOS R5 Mark II.
This jibes with reports that the R7 Mark II will have a physically bigger body (said to be comparable to the R5), likely to accommodate a heat dispersion system.
Canon EOS R10 Mark II
Quite a few products are coming up to their life cycle renewal season, including the Canon EOS R10. This brilliant little body is a hot seller for the brand, frequently topping the sales charts in Japan, thanks to its powerful specs for a very budget-friendly price.
Sitting between the Canon EOS R50 and EOS R7, it's tricky to see how to upgrade the R10's specs (24.2MP sensor, 23fps burst, 4K 60p video) without treading too much on the toes of the upcoming R7 Mark II (above). However, if the R7 Mark II does indeed jump to 40MP / 8K territory, the R10 Mark II could receive some choice updates.
Resolution may well be one of them, if Canon decides to keep using the R7's 32.5MP sensor, perhaps along with a bump to 30fps shooting. I wouldn't imagine the R10 Mark II to inherit in-body image stabilization or weather sealing, though.
More Canon Ixus and PowerShot models
Everybody in the world knows that digicam-style compact cameras have been selling like gangbusters – and believe you me, Canon knows it too.
It already made efforts to service this category with the Canon Ixus 285 HS A / Canon PowerShot Elph 360 HS A, but there are constant reports and camera registrations that suggest more affordable compacts might be on the way.
However, the global social / political / economic / everything situation is wreaking havoc on all kinds of technology and cameras – including compacts. The net result is that component shortages are derailing Canon’s efforts to make more compact cameras – including new or resurrected lines.
Canon PowerShot V3
The PowerShot V1 (above) didn't initially get the respect it deserved, which is perhaps because it was a vlogging and videography-oriented compact camera. Bringing yang to the yin, it sounds like the Canon PowerShot V3 will be the model aimed at photographers.
From what I hear, the camera will have the same 1.4-inch sensor as the V1, but will ditch the 16-50mm content creator range in favor of a 20x zoom that might top out at around 500mm – perfect for stills shooters. And if it retains the V1's 30fps burst shooting, I think this could be a serious seller.
Canon EOS R3 Mark II
The R3 sits in a strange position in Canon's lineup, now that the R1 is here. Once the placeholder product until an official flagship was announced, some feel that it's a lame duck given that the actual flagship outclasses it in every way.
However, many of the innovations of the R3 made their way into the R1 (and indeed the R5 Mark II). Does the R3, then, become the technology launchpad of the EOS R family? The camera that debuts the latest tech, before it is further refined for the tentpole products?
I can certainly see sense in that. The Canon EOS R3 Mark II could, for example, be where the company debuts its first global shutter sensor – testing the waters with the sensor tech (which, it should be remembered, does come with a number of compromises) before doubling down on it in the R1 Mark II. Indeed, there are rumors that Canon is ready to launch a camera with a global shutter sensor.
At the same time, though, it could equally be that there is no further need for the R3. With the original camera now being three years old, the next few months are going to be very interesting…
More camera rumors: Nikon rumors • Sony rumors • Olympus rumors • Fuji rumors • Panasonic rumors • Hasselblad rumors • Leica rumors • Ricoh & Pentax rumors
