The R6 II Propelled Canon to #1 in Mirrorless and Full-Frame Cameras in 2024
Canon announced that it had solidified number one in interchangeable lens cameras, mirrorless cameras, and full-frame mirrorless cameras in the United States in 2024 thanks to the runaway success of the R6 II, which was the top-selling full-frame camera in the region last year.
It doesn’t end there: Canon also says it secured number one in full-frame cameras, lenses, and mirrorless lenses in the United States based on sales. All of this data comes courtesy of Circana, a retail tracking service in the United States that looked at sales nationwide in major photography verticals including lenses and full-frame cameras. It is the same tracking service Canon has used since 2021.
“Customers are Canon’s greatest strength, and we strive to exceed their expectations – with hard work, quality products, and innovation front and center, we’ve reached number one within the industry in the U.S.,” Hiroto Kato, vice president, Business Planning & Strategy at Canon, says. “At the core of Canon is our employees who have helped to achieve this great success while empowering our visual storytellers.”
Canon’s announcement marks the fourth straight year it has claimed number one in mirrorless, although this announcement this time is more specific than previous years. Like in previous announcements, Canon didn’t specify any of its sales numbers but it did name specific categories and even a camera model, indicating that the data to back up its claims has grown stronger. That said, Sony typically disputes Canon’s claims of “number one,” so it remains to be seen if Canon’s claims of victory will go unchallenged.
Sales of the EOS R100 were likely very strong last year, even if the camera was unlikely to provide much in the way of profit margin. In April, Canon discounted the entry-level camera to around $400 and maintained that low price through the holiday season. While PetaPixel highly recommended against buying it, that deal likely proved too tantalizing for many beginners to pass up.
Last March, Canon said that its goal was to achieve “overwhelming number one share” of the mirrorless camera market by 2026. Securing the number one position in the United States across multiple categories is certainly a major step forward toward that goal, although it’s not clear what the company considers “overwhelming.”
Canon considers Sony its biggest competitor. In an interview last year, Canon pinned its hopes on the EOS R1 as a major stepping stone to maintain its lead over Sony. However, the R1 was not met with the critical acclaim that Canon probably expected. Luckily, the EOS R5 Mark II didn’t falter and was one of the best cameras released last year.
Image credits: Elements of header photo licensed via Depositphotos.
