The biggest event on the camera calendar is next week! Here's what to expect from the CP+ 2026 trade show in Japan

The biggest event on the camera calendar, CP+ 2026, is happening in Japan next week. The show is taking place from February 26 to March 01 at the Pacifico Yokohama convention center in Yokohama, Japan – and I'm going to be there live on the show floor.

CP+ has played host to some of the biggest announcements in the industry, as all the major players try to exert dominance on their shared home court – Japan being the home of digital imaging and camera development. With all the big brands bringing their best wares, there's going to be plenty of exciting news coming out of Yokohama!

Last year I was on the show floor for the debuts of cameras like the Sigma BF and Canon PowerShot V1 – along with other cool things like Tamron's giant Godzilla vs Mecha Godzilla display and Nikon's cocktail bar that served camera lenses. You can take a look at my TikTok guided tour below:

What is CP+ 2026?

CP+ is the Camera and Imaging Show, an annual event held in Japan attended by all the major players in the camera industry. The big brands have historically timed their first announcements of the year to coincide with the show – giving us a glimpse of what we can expect over the next 12 months.

For photographers lucky enough to attend the event in person at Pacifico Yokohama, CP+ means the chance to see and try the latest gear, along with attending seminars and workshops to learn a few new skills.

When is CP+ 2026?

CP+ 2026 will be held from Thursday February 26 through Friday March 01 at Pacifico Yokohama.

There is also a virtual component to the event, enabling visitors to "attend" from the comfort of their own home. Take a look at the online event list for more information.

What to expect from CP+ 2026

In the past, manufacturers have used CP+ to set out their stall for the year to come – often announcing new products or revealing new technologies, which give us a taste of what's on the way.

Here's what I expect at the show, along with some persistent camera rumors about what might be there…

Canon at CP+ 2026

Having recently dropped its hybrid tag team, the Canon EOS R6 Mark III and EOS C50, Canon's 7K bodies are are likely to take center stage at the show. Which is fair, given that they're two of the best open gate cameras you can buy. The Canon RF 14mm f/1.4L VCM and RF 7-14mm Fisheye have only just launched, too, so they'll be taking up prime real estate.

Everyone is expecting the Canon RE-1 retro camera to appear in April, to mark the 50th anniversary of the Canon AE-1 film camera, and CP+ would be a great place to make the announcement and start building up momentum for the hype train.

Speaking of anniversaries, it's also the 30th anniversary of the PowerShot brand. There's obviously the Canon G7 X Mark III 30th Anniversary limited edition, but I suspect there might be more PowerShot cameras on the way this year. Interestingly, it's also the 30th anniversary of the Ixus brand – so could we see another new point-and-shoot camera?

There are plenty of reports that the Canon EOS R7 Mark II and Canon EOS R10 Mark II will launch this year, too, so it will be interesting to see if the company gives us any hints or even a full reveal on its next APS-C bodies.

Nikon at CP+ 2026

There's been plenty happening in Nikon Land lately, with the Nikon ZR signalling the first official crossover product between the Big N and Red. As the first member of the new Z Cinema lineup, we could well be looking at new optics to flesh out the first-party cine lens lineup.

It's been widely speculated that the Nikon Z9 II was being prepped and tested at the Winter Olympic Games. The flagship camera is certainly due an update and, if it has indeed been in the hands of ambassadors and pros in Milano, it could signal that a development announcement is about to be made.

Personally, given how big a part of its booth the Nikon Zf and Zfc were at last year's show, I'd love to see Nikon roll out some more retro-styled primes to go with its retro cameras!

Sony at CP+ 2026

There's a whole lot of chatter around Sony right now. Obviously the Sony A7 V has just dropped, so that's going to be the crown jewel of its CP+ lineup. But there's even more intrigue surrounding its six-year-old sister camera.

Everyone wants to know what's going on with the successor to 2020's Sony A7S III – and, accordingly, the Sony FX3, FX6 and ZV-E1, all of which share the same image sensor and core technology and all of which definitely feel due an update. Especially with the C50 and ZR breathing down their necks.

The most fascinating chatter, however, revolves around Sony's next generation of medium format sensors – something which might directly influence what's announced by another brand…

Fujifilm at CP+ 2026

Fujifilm has really doubled down on innovative, quirky, creativity-focused products recently. The half-frame Fujifilm X Half has struggled to find an audience, with some retailers giving them away as freebies with other cameras, but the "instant camcorder" Instax Mini Evo Cinema seems to have generated a lot of positive interest.

Creativity will, I'm sure, be central to Fujifilm's offerings at CP+. Instax is enormously popular and profitable, so it will definitely take center stage – and while I don't think we'll see a new camera as such, we may well see (like last year) a new color variant revealed for one of the Instax lines.

Elsewhere, the company will want to focus on the Fujifilm GFX Eterna as a serious option for filmmakers. It was only present inside a glass case last year, so I expect it to be much more prominently positioned – again, especially with the Canon EOS C50 and Nikon ZR capturing most of the headlines.

With regard to X cameras, everyone is expecting the Fujifilm X-T6 and the Fujifilm X-Pro4 to arrive sometime this year. I imagine they will probably merit their own X Summit events, rather than being revealed in Yokohama, as that's how Fujifilm usually rolls.

But perhaps there will be a surprise reveal – maybe even with news that the Evo Cinema's "Eras" video filters will be making their way to the GFX Eterna and X Series cameras!

Panasonic at CP+ 2026

Panasonic was plenty busy last year, rolling out the latest iteration of its flagship S1 series. But while we got a Lumix S1II, S1IIE and S1RII, conspicuous by its absence is a successor to the OG Lumix S1H – which hasn't seen an update since it launched in 2019.

Rumors have been rife that the S1HII is launching imminently, again joining the C50 and ZR as "FX3 killers" taking aim at Sony's crown. And we know that Panasonic has at least three registered but unreleased cameras that are ready to roll – with one of them fitting the professional tier in which an S1H successor would sit.

One of those other cameras looks like it could be another Lumix compact camera, probably a lower-level point-and-shoot aimed at the resurgent demand in that area (which was expertly served by the Lumix TZ99 / ZS99 last year). Come on, Panny – give us a new compact with a viewfinder and you'll rake in the money!

OM System at CP+ 2026

Things have been pretty slow in OM land, and the company needs to do something to inspire confidence from its customer base. Last year's magnificent OM System 50-200mm f/2.8 IS Pro was a brilliant lens, but it's another step down the "birding and big lenses" road rather than the "Micro" of Micro Four Thirds that user like myself want to see more of.

So, what realistically could OM show this year? I would be surprised if we saw a new camera announcement, even though the user base is clamoring for everything from an OM 10 to a successor to the Olympus PEN-F – a camera that is so enduring and cult-like, that just this past week two prominent YouTubers have made videos about it. And it's a decade old!

Certainly, OM would set headlines ablaze with the mere mention of the phrase "PEN-F II". However, with the OM System OM-3 effectively being the closest we'll get to such a camera, I think it's more realistic that we'll get a special edition Titanium OM-3 – which would both pay homage to the Olympus OM3Ti and also fit OM's playbook of releasing titanium special editions.

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