APS-C Cameras Dominate List of 2025 Best-Sellers
Japanese retail analyst BCN+R has shared the top 10 best-selling interchangeable-lens mirrorless cameras of 2025, and Canon and Sony traded spots in the top five.
Japanese retail analyst BCN+R has shared the top 10 best-selling interchangeable-lens mirrorless cameras of 2025, and Canon and Sony traded spots in the top five.
With all the budget lens manufacturers available to a prospective buyer, it’s hard to separate the wheat from the chaff. Sirui is a well-known manufacturer of tripod gear, and when I heard they were making lenses too, I was very skeptical.
"Programmer by day, photographer by weekend" Cristian Băluță could not find the precise camera he wanted in the market, so he made it himself. Băluță expertly took the internal components from the Panasonic Lumix G9 II Micro Four Thirds camera and put them inside a Leica M replica body he made. It was a labor of love, and while the photographer admits the result isn't necessarily the dream camera he imagined, the project is incredible.
The new year is the perfect excuse to finally upgrade the lighting gear that shapes every shot you take. Whether you are refining a home studio, stepping into video production, or simply tired of fighting inconsistent light, better lighting delivers immediate, visible improvements to your work.
One retailer is giving away a Fujifilm X half as part of an X-T5 kit bundle, indicating that the compact half-frame-style camera might not be popular enough to move on its own despite a recent price cut.
Novachips, a memory manufacturer out of South Korea, has announced two new CFexpress Type B memory cards, one of which is the first to combine 4TB capacity with VPG 800 verification.
The Viltrox AF 56mm f/1.2 Pro lens announced last September is now available for Nikon Z mount mirrorless cameras. The APS-C portrait prime delivers an 85mm equivalent focal length and fast f/1.2 aperture, promising good sharpness and beautiful bokeh.
The Hasselblad X2D II 100C is the company's best demonstration yet of how medium format photography doesn't have to come with compromises. Gone are the days of huge, heavy cameras, sluggish and unreliable autofocus, and an obtuse user experience. The X2D II 100C delivers the exceptional image quality photographers expect from medium format and represents the mature roadmap of the company to stand out in the medium format camera industry.
Viltrox has again taken to Reddit to discuss some of its future lenses, this time revealing that its promised 50mm f/1.2 LAB and 85mm f/1.2 LAB lenses will arrive this year.
As PetaPixel reported this week, Asus and GoPro have come together and birthed a co-branded special edition Asus ProArt GoPro Edition laptop that looks to cater to content creators, but is that who is it really for?
The Pentax brand has been largely quiet for the last several years. Outside of the Pentax 17 and the K3 Mark III Monochrome, there has not been significant activity. Speaking to PetaPixel, Ricoh President Yasutomo Mori and Kazunobu Saiki, General Manager of Ricoh's Camera Business Division, both promise that Ricoh is committed to the Pentax brand, despite the quiet situation.
Nikon Corporation held a groundbreaking ceremony on January 7 to celebrate construction starting on two new buildings to strengthen Nikon's Japanese optical production and development capabilities.
Fujifilm Japan has announced the Instax Mini Evo Cinema camera, a unique take on the Evo series that focuses on capturing short videos but also combines that with the ability to shoot photos and make prints.
It's 2026, and Canon has been making full-frame EOS R-series mirrorless cameras since 2018. That has not stopped Chinese lens company Meike from releasing a new 85mm f/1.8 Mark II lens for Canon EF-mount DSLR cameras, which seems strange at first glance, but is actually a clever way to bypass Canon's restrictions on third-party full-frame RF lenses with autofocus.
Westcott's new FJ250 250Ws Touchscreen Strobe is an exciting entry-level monolight for photographers who need reliable power, fast performance, and a compact footprint on location. Positioned in Westcott's refreshed lineup below the FJ400 II and FJ800, the FJ250 replaces the popular FJ200 and introduces several user-requested upgrades into a more accessible package.
It's no secret that Eastman Kodak will license its branding to pretty much anyone and one recent example of this is a series of Kodak-branded storage and memory products. They promise some very impressive performance at a fraction of the cost of major brands, so what's the catch?
What would a parent do with the power to record a full game their son or daughter played in without touching the camera? The XbotGo Falcon just launched for pre-order at CES 2026 in Las Vegas as a $599 bet on capturing sporting events with the parallels of broadcast television.
Think Tank's redesigned Shape Shifter 25L and 37L backpacks promises to better serve photographers whether they are working in the field, transporting gear from shoot to shoot, or traveling afar. Think Tank specifically targets the backpack at fast-moving photojournalists, but it is built for all photographers who need to carry a lot of gear safely and access it quickly.
Ricoh Imaging approaches the design of its camera series with a very specific set of principles. That’s why the general look, feel, and function of the GR series of cameras hasn’t dramatically changed over the years.
Nikon has announced the Nikkor Z 24-105mm f/4-7.1 zoom lens for Nikon full-frame mirrorless cameras. While it is available on its own, the lens is also being paired as a kit with the Z5 II, giving photographers a third configuration option with one of the most compelling entry-level full-frame cameras on the market.
Hohem has announced its first SSD, a compact SSD with a flip-up USB-C plug that connects directly to an iPhone, enabling ProRes RAW video capture. The Hohem SSD-01 is much more than just a pocket-friendly SSD, though. It also has USB-C ports for power, attaching accessories, and recording audio.
Godox has officially unveiled the AD100Pro II Pocket Flash, bringing meaningful refinements to one of its most popular portable strobes.
Hohem has announced the iSteady MT3 series, bringing its latest artificial intelligence–driven tracking tools to a new generation of prosumer camera stabilizers. Designed to support mirrorless cameras, action cameras, and smartphones, the MT3 lineup focuses on intelligent subject tracking, flexible mounting, and long battery life in a compact, travel-ready design.
GoPro is getting into the personal computing space. Announced at CES, the action camera company is partnering with PC brand Asus in a ProArt GoPro Edition laptop, which the two companies say is designed specifically for modern content creators.
French smart telescope company Vaonis has unveiled Hyperia, a professional observatory it developed alongside Canon.
Australian display company Espresso Displays has unveiled the Espresso Lite 15, a new colorful, portable monitor that promises to be an excellent entry point for creators on the go who want a lightweight second-screen experience without breaking the bank.
The Kodak Charmera digital keychain camera, despite its significant technical shortcomings, has been a holiday hit. Companies could not wait to rip it off.
Japanese market analyst BCN+R's digital camera sales rankings for December 2025 are available now, and the Sony a7 V, which released last month, finished higher on the sales charts than the Canon R6 III did the month prior.
If you're looking at picking up a drone, you probably are thinking of one made by DJI, or another DJI, or yet a third DJI option. Others have tried, but largely, all have failed to get a solid foothold. However, this only refers to the drone market that appeals to the creative videographers. When it comes to the first-person view (or FPV) market, there are many brands vying for attention.
SmallRig has expanded its compact audio solutions lineup with the introduction of the S70 wireless microphone, designed for content creators, streamers, and professionals seeking studio-grade sound in a portable package.
Glyph has announced two new portable SSDs: the Atom EX40 and the Atom EX20. Both are described as rugged, high-speed NVMe portable SSDs that are built for high-intensity, demanding creative workflows. The company says most other SSDs aren’t designed for this kind of work, "but their spec sheets won't admit it."
Meike has officially released its new AF 23mm f/1.4 autofocus prime lens for APS-C mirrorless cameras, expanding its lineup of budget-friendly autofocus optics.
7Artisans is continuing its push into autofocus territory with the announcement of three new APS-C prime lenses designed to balance modern convenience with aggressive pricing. The newly unveiled AF 25mm f/1.8, AF 35mm f/1.8, and AF 50mm f/1.8 Lite target Sony E and Fujifilm X shooters looking for compact, everyday primes without the cost or bulk typically associated with first-party glass.
Alongside sharing its 10 best-selling digital cameras of 2025, major Japanese photography retailer Map Camera also revealed last year's 10 best-selling lenses. It's a diverse mix of affordable, versatile zoom lenses, compact primes, and professional-grade f/2.8 "holy trinity" zooms.
Other World Computing (OWC) unveiled the world's first Thunderbolt 5 8TB drive that is bus-powered, meaning it doesn't require a separate power adapter. The new 8TB version of the existing Envoy Ultra Thunderbolt 5 SSD breaks new ground and is designed for creatives on the go who require the ultimate external SSD performance.
Nearly a year to the day after unveiling its Thunderbolt 5-equipped ThunderBlade X12 RAID SSD solution for professional creators, Other World Computing (OWC) has announced that its ThunderBlade X12 RAID SSD now comes with double the maximum capacity, bringing it to a whopping 192 terabytes (TB).
Audio company Shure unveiled the MV88 USB-C, a new USB-C stereo microphone, today at CES Unveiled 2026. The Shure MV88 combines a classic stereo condenser mic with a USB-C connector, promising accessible, high-quality audio on a smartphone or tablet.
We got not one, not two, but three fantastic mid-range full-frame cameras in 2025: the Panasonic Lumix S1 II, the Canon EOS R6 Mark III, and the Sony a7 V. These join the Nikon Z6 III, which launched just 18 months ago. The mid-range mirrorless camera segment has never been this competitive, fresh, and fantastic, which is outstanding news for photographers.
There are so many fantastic, capable digital cameras available these days. Nearly every new camera from all the major manufacturers can take great photos, has reliable autofocus, and offers a competitive feature set. Ultimately, the biggest differentiator between most cameras is the experience of using them. 2025 delivered many new cameras that not only provide a great experience, but a different one that celebrates the act of photography itself and what it means to capture photos.
Didn’t quite unwrap the camera gear you were hoping for under the tree this year? The good news is that the best time to upgrade is often right after the holidays, when major discounts open up on serious photography equipment.
The Kodak Charmera keychain camera has been a smash hit. Sold in blind boxes, the 1.6-megapixel retro-styled toy camera was one of the biggest photo gifts of the holidays. However, straight out of the box, its capabilities are arguably a bit lacking, thanks in large part to its tiny built-in lens. That's where expert camera modifier James Warner, or Snappiness as he's known online, comes in. What would happen if you gave the Kodak Charmera a better, bigger lens?
Leica is working on developing its own image sensors again, an exciting and interesting development in an industry where there is not all that much diversity in image sensor technology.
Big Japanese photo retailer Map Camera revealed its best-selling digital cameras of 2025, and the results are a surprising mix of very popular, high-end cameras and cheaper compacts, including the best-selling camera of them all, the Kodak PixPro FZ55.
I saved the best for last. Sigma had a truly remarkable year, launching a beautiful new camera and a diverse, large array of incredible lenses. There's a very good reason Sigma was PetaPixel's Photo Company of the Year for a second straight year. The company even rebranded! There's a lot to cover, so let's get right to it.
This year, Leica celebrated the 100th anniversary of the Leica I, the first 35mm camera. That alone makes it an excellent year for the legendary German company, but it was also jam-packed with new cameras, lenses, and, as always, special edition product launches.
The action camera market, once almost entirely owned by the American company GoPro, is now dominated by Chinese companies like DJI and Insta360, which together hold nearly 90% of the market share in Japan.
I know the title says "Grading Ricoh Pentax," but spoiler alert, Pentax didn't release anything new this year, and even discontinued a camera in Japan. 2025 was all about Ricoh and the long-awaited GR IV premium compact camera.
PGYTech is expanding its creator-focused gear lineup with the launch of the OneMo Tactical Backpack, a rugged camera and drone pack designed for photographers and filmmakers who work far beyond paved paths.
The new manual focus Brightin Star 35mm f/1.4 is the Chinese company's latest affordable lens for full-frame mirrorless photographers. Launching at just $159.99, the fast 35mm prime delivers high-end image quality and a robust build.
This one will be short and sweet, as Tamron released just two lenses this year. This output is not far off the three lenses the company launched in 2024 and matches Tamron's pair of new lenses in 2023.