Camera shipments fall, while compacts hold up better

Camera shipments from January to August 2026 fell short of last year’s figures: DSLRs saw the steepest decline, and shipments of mirrorless models also fell. Compacts are showing stronger momentum, but a third year of market growth seems unlikely.

Digital camera shipments in 2026 trail last year’s figures

Global digital camera shipments increased for the second consecutive year in 2025—the first time in nearly two decades. However, CIPA data for January–August 2026 suggest that continuing this trend will be difficult.

Manufacturers shipped 5,704,012 digital cameras in the first eight months of the year. The statistics cover Japanese manufacturers but exclude companies such as Leica and Hasselblad. Given the breadth of the available data, CIPA figures remain the most comprehensive benchmark for assessing the industry.

Over the same period in 2025, 5,889,031 cameras were shipped, compared with 5,269,672 in 2024. This year’s total is therefore still below last year’s, but above the figure from two years ago. Shipments also grew overall in 2024, ending the year on a strong note. In 2026, the monthly peak came in April, after which figures declined. It is still difficult to predict how the remaining months will fare.

DSLRs continue to lose ground

Shipments of DSLRs have fallen the most: since the start of the year, they are down about 35% compared with the same period in 2025. This is according to CIPA data reviewed by Nikon Rumors.

Fewer manufacturers are making DSLRs. Nikon has effectively moved away from the format, although just a couple of months before the statistics were published, it released firmware updates for several DSLR models. Ricoh Pentax has officially ended production of its current DSLRs. Canon, which is not focused on developing new DSLR cameras, remains the last major seller of this type of device, but its segment is also shrinking.

Previously, growth in mirrorless camera shipments more than made up for the decline in DSLRs. That has not happened so far in 2026: shipments of mirrorless models have fallen by more than 5%. The decline is modest, but it interrupts the previous positive trend.

Compacts deliver a stronger performance

The picture is different for cameras with built-in lenses. In CIPA’s classification, this category also includes all-in-one superzooms, though they are not usually considered compacts. The segment is made up primarily of models such as the Canon PowerShot G7X III, Fujifilm X100VI, and Ricoh GR IV. These digital cameras are in high demand.

In most months of 2026, shipments of cameras with built-in lenses exceeded those in the corresponding months of 2025. Shipments fell by a few thousand units in May, and June and July also came in below last year’s figures. August, however, was especially strong: manufacturers shipped 244,822 cameras, compared with 184,163 in August 2025 and 147,342 in August 2024.

The next important benchmark is October. In 2025, that month was one of the strongest of the year for the compact digital camera market, with 288,183 devices shipped. Matching or exceeding that result will be difficult.

For now, a year that began promisingly for the digital photography industry is looking less favorable. There is still time for the situation to improve before the end of 2026, but a third consecutive year of growth in digital camera shipments now seems unlikely.

Illustration: Canon. Background image used under license from Depositphotos.com.