Digital camera sales are up, and Fujifilm just leapfrogged Nikon — here's what the numbers tell us | Tech Radar
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Digital camera sales are up, and Fujifilm just leapfrogged Nikon — here's what the numbers tell us
2025 makes good reading for the camera industry, especially Fujifilm
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Nikkei Inc's 2025 report is in, and it shows a growth in global camera shipments
Canon extends its lead at the top, while Fujifilm leapfrogs Nikon to #3
Fujifilm shipments have more than doubled since 2023
The global shipment numbers for digital cameras sold in 2025 are in from Nikkei Inc (see boxout) and they make for encouraging reading for the industry as a whole. But the news is particularly good if you're a fan of Canon or Fujifilm.
Nikkei Inc is Japan’s premier financial media group and the country’s equivalent to the Wall Street Journal or Financial Times. Its annual Major Products and Services Share survey is a definitive industry report tracking global market share across dozens of tech and manufacturing sectors — including digital cameras. These estimates are considered the gold standard for global accuracy, and its digital cameras data provides breakdowns by brand.
The biggest growth in shipments since the dawn of the smartphone was led by Canon once more, which tops the table with 4.5 million units (a huge increase of approximately one million more units year-on-year), while Sony maintained second place with 2.42 million shipments, following a much smaller increase.
It's a change in rankings, however, that catches the eye — Fujifilm leapfrogged Nikon to complete the top three; while Nikon's shipments saw a small dip, Fujifilm's grew significantly to surpass one million units, shipping 1.16 million versus 740,000 the year before (and 430,000 units the year before that).
Panasonic also enjoyed a major leap in shipments for 2025 to keep hold of position #5, while Ricoh Imaging stole sixth from OM Digital, thanks to the launch of its flagship premium compact, the GR IV.
You'll notice there's no mention of Leica or Hasselblad. That's because the numbers are for Japanese camera manufacturers only, which do in fact make up the vast majority of global digital camera sales.
Nikon and Fujifilm have been awfully quiet in 2026 — here's what I expect to happen next
I've listed the data for the last three years, below, but what can we can learn from the numbers?
The brands are listed below in order of camera shipments (and market share), with the year-on-year change in market share for 2025 in bold. You can find this data compiled at Mirrorless Rumors.
Canon – 4.5 million units (45.7%, +2.5%) Sony – 2.42 million units (24.6%, -3.9%) Fujifilm– 1.16 million units (11.8%, +2.8%) Nikon – 880,000 units (8.9%, -2.8%) Panasonic – 430,000 units (4.4%, +1%) Ricoh Imaging – 210,000 units (2.1%, +1.3%) OM Digital – 150,000 units (1.5%, -0.4%)
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Canon – 3,53 million units (43.2%) Sony – 2.33 million units (28.5%) Nikon – 960,000 units (11.7%) Fujifilm – 740,000 units (9.0%) Panasonic – 280,000 units (3.4%) OM Digital – 160,000 units (1.9%) Ricoh Imaging – 70,000 units (0.8%)
Canon – 3.34 million units (46.5%) Sony – 2 million units (27.9%) Nikon – 810,000 units (11.3%) Fujifilm – 430,000 units (6.0%) Panasonic – 260,000 units (3.6%) OM Digital – 180,000 units (2.5%) Ricoh Imaging – 60,000 units (0.8%)
To start with, it's important to understand that the numbers are for shipments only, and do not indicate revenue. Some brands specialize in pricey high-end gear, others cover a broader spectrum, meaning revenue rankings could be different.
For shipments, however, Canon remains the #1 camera brand, enjoying a huge growth in shipments for 2025. It covers more categories than any rival; DSLR, mirrorless and compacts, and has options for all budgets and experience levels, from the Power Shot V1 to the EOS R100 and EOS 5D Mark IV. Sony, meanwhile, has maintained its position in second place.
When we get to the rest, the numbers can be skewed somewhat year-on-year given the smaller numbers, based on busier or quieter product cycles. For example, Ricoh saw a big bump in shipments in 2025 with the launch of the GR IV, whereas it had no flagship new products the previous two years.
Nikon actually had a decent year, with its Tech Radar award-winning Z5 II. Even still, it has plateaued somewhat in recent years, now with a shift in focus to cinema gear following its acquisition of RED which may have acted as a potential shipments handbrake in the immediate.
There's no denying Fujifilm's impressive growth, however. Its numbers go beyond individual models, and point to an overarching demand for retro gear, sparked by the success of its own X100 series, especially the X100VI from 2024. Going from 430,000 units in 2023, to 740,000 in 2024 and 1.16 million in 2025 is remarkable, especially with global component shortages and delays to stock (and those numbers do not take into account Instax).
The X-E5, one of Fujifilm's more recent efforts (Image credit: Future / Tim Coleman)
Will the retro boom, which is also seen in Fujifilm's mirrorless cameras such as the X-E5, continue? 2026 has been a pretty quiet year so far for new products — in fact, no new Fujifilm or Nikon models so far — so I'm not so sure.
As a longtime Nikon fan, I'm a little worried. Its last new camera was the Zr from September 2025, and the Z5 II before that in April. It has seemingly abandoned beginner cameras and its Coolpix brand, too. Sony has arguably had the strongest year so far with the new A7R VI, FX5, and the revival of its popular bridge camera series with the new RX10 V, so I expect it to only extend its lead above Fujifilm.
What do you make of the shipment numbers? Which camera brand do you shoot with? Make sure you vote in our poll and have your say below.
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Tim joined the Tech Radar team as Cameras Editor in 2023 and has enjoyed more than 15 years as a tech journalist specializing in camera gear. He's previously worked at Amateur Photographer, for a photo accessory manufacturer and as a freelance photographer and video producer, with clients including Studio 44 and Canon. He also started a media team in Nairobi, Kenya, where he lived for a few years volunteering for a faith-based organisation. Tim is married, father of three children, and loves being active, primarily running since hanging up his football boots.
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