Camera sales have hit a four-month slump, but Japan’s biggest camera brands are making 25 percent more compact cameras than last year
The August CIPA numbers show a continued slowdown for mirrorless camera shipments, with a slight growth for compact cameras
Camera sales have experienced a four-month decline, but Japan's leading camera manufacturers are producing 25 percent more compact cameras compared to last year. According to the Camera and Imaging Products Association (CIPA), camera shipments in 2026 are at 96.8 percent of the 2025 levels for the first eight months. This downward trend is observed across various camera categories.
However, mirrorless cameras have seen a decrease to 93.8 percent of last year's production, while fixed lens cameras, including compact and bridge cameras, have grown to 115.3 percent of the previous year.
DSLR sales have dropped to 65 percent of the previous year, indicating a continued shift away from this format as brands concentrate on mirrorless models. Despite this, there has been a slight increase in DSLR shipments in August 2026, with more than double the amount shipped compared to July. This increase has been particularly notable in the Americas, as well as China and Europe.
When examining sensor sizes, cameras with sensors smaller than full frame saw a modest growth of 103.6 percent in August 2026 compared to the previous year. Conversely, full-frame and larger cameras witnessed a decline to 89.4 percent of the 2025 production numbers. For compact cameras, production figures for the first eight months of 2026 are at 125.7 percent, reflecting a significant increase compared to last year.
This surge in production is due to the rising demand for compact cameras, which have been in high demand since 2024. Some brands, such as Canon, have announced plans to increase compact camera production in the second half of 2026 in response to this demand.
Despite the overall decline in camera shipments, CIPA's August 2026 data indicates that production for mirrorless cameras is at 93.1 percent of 2025 levels. While the industry's overall shipment numbers are still above the 2024 levels, it is important to note that CIPA only collects data from brands based in Japan, which excludes major camera brands like Leica, Hasselblad, and Kodak. Additionally, action camera manufacturers like DJI, GoPro, and Insta360 are not included in CIPA's statistics.
Written by urgent.news from Digital Camera World's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
