Do you know what the awesome Fujifilm X100VI and the new Fujifilm X half have in common?

Both cameras are fueling a surprising comeback for compact digital cameras.

In fact, according to Price.com data (via デジカメinfo), interest in this category is rising fast — with monthly visits now surpassing 400,000 after years of decline.

The big driver of this revival in compact camera interest is Fujifilm.

The launch of the X100VI in March 2024 and the X half in June 2025 boosted Fujifilm to the #1 spot in Price.com’s rankings.

But it’s not just Fujifilm.

Panasonic Lumix models, Nikon compacts, and even Kodak cameras have seen renewed attention, proving that stylish, easy-to-carry cameras still have a place in a smartphone-dominated world.

Mentioned by photo.com are:

• Fujifilm X100VI
• Fujifilm X half
• Panasonic Lumix DC-TZ99
• Canon PowerShot V1
• OM SYSTEM Tough TG-7

For years the data told the same story: smartphones were killing the compact camera market, and most of us accepted it as inevitable. But Fujifilm has just proven us wrong.

But with all that talk about Fujifilm’s success as far as compact cameras goes, there is one camera that they refuse to update… and it would be their most awesome ultra-compact camera ever.

Nikkei has published the global shipment numbers of digital cameras sold in 2024. The numbers are based on data from CIPA and JEITA and have been reported by the Japanese website dclife.

Here are the numbers:

Mirrorless + DSLR Camera Shipments

2024

• Canon — 2.84M units (46.6%)
• Sony — 1.63M units (26.8%)
• Nikon — 830k units (13.6%)
• Fujifilm — 490k units (8%)
• Panasonic — 160k units (2.6%)
• OM Digital — 130k units (2.1%)
• Pentax — 10k untis (0.2%)

Note that the Canon DSLR cameras are still outselling Fujifilm mirrorless camera sales (790,000 vs 490,000 units). Most of those DSLR cameras are cheap Canon Rebel & Co cameras.

What this tells us: there are lots of people who still enter a camera/electronic store and want an “affordable camera that takes better pictures than my phone“.

Right now, Fujifilm is falling short in this segment: the X-E5 and X-T50 are priced too high, while the X-M5 lacks a viewfinder — a feature many still consider essential for a “serious” camera. The upcoming Fujiflm X-T30 III, however, could be exactly the model to fill that gap — provided Fujifilm keeps it in the true entry-level range, which will largely depend on the features they choose to include.

Mirrorless Cameras Shipments

Mirrorless is growing for all brands, but Fujifilm has experienced the strongest growth of all.

The chart here is probably for interchangable lens cameras, because dclife has a separate ranking for “compact cameras” like the Fujifilm X100VI and Ricoh GR series. But maybe it includes also the compact cameras, we don’t know that.

2024

1. Canon — 2.05M units (37.5%, +4.6% vs 2023)
2. Sony — 1.63M units (29.8%, +6.5% vs 2023)
3. Nikon — 760k units (13.9%, +20.6% vs 2023)
4. Fujifilm — 490k units (9.0%, +28.9% vs 2023)
5. Panasonic — 160k units (2.9%, +14.3% vs 2023)
6. OM Digital — 130k units (2.4%, +8.3% vs 2023)

2023

1. Canon — 1.96 million units
2. Sony — 1.53 million units
3. Nikon — 630,000 units
4. Fujifilm — 380,000 units
5. Panasonic — 140,000 units
6. OM Digital — 120,000 units

2022

1. Canon — 1.54 million units
2. Sony — 1.25 million units
3. Nikon — 530,000 units
4. Fujifilm — 360,000 units
5. Panasonic — 140,000 units
5. OM Digital — 140,000 units

2021

1. Sony — 1.4 million units
2. Canon — 1.17 million units
3. Fujifilm — 400,000 units
4. Nikon — 290,000 units
5. OM Digital — 200,000 units
6. Panasonic — 180,000 units

via dclife

Compact Cameras Shipments

Fujifilm has increased its shipments from 50,000 units to 130,000 units. And the number could have been significntly higher if cameras like the X100VI were not in short supply in 2024. It is not known if also Instax cameras are included in this data.

Only Ricoh and Fujifilm are able to grow in the compact camera segment.

2024

1. Sony … 470,000 units
2. Canon … 430,000 units
3. Fujifilm … 130,000 units
4. Ricoh … 60,000 units

2023

1. Sony … 470,000 units
2. Canon … 460,000 units
3. Fujifilm … 50,000 units
3. Ricoh … 50,000 units

via dc.life

The Sigma 12mm f/1.4 DC Contemporary is now in stock at BHphoto here.

• Sigma 12mm f/1.4 DC Contemporary
  BHphoto / Amazon / Adorama

The already highly overcrowded full frame digital camera market might soon get a new competitor: DJI.

In fact, strong rumors shared by DJI-Rumors (via L-rumors) say that on September 15, DJI will launch its first full frame digital mirrorless camera.

If you think that’s nonsense, I remind you that DJI already has a medium format mirrorless camera on the market, the Hasselblad X2D, because Hasselbad is owned by DJI.

Since they make a mirrorless digital cameras already, it’s not impossible that they might soon also offer a full frame mirrorless camera. Plenty of brands have their hands on multiple sensor sizes, so why not DJI too?

The new DJI full frame mirrorless camera will enter a highly overcrowded market, where Sony, Canon, Nikon, Panasonic, Sigma and Leica all have their full frame cameras offerings.

So while all brands will soon scrutinize DJI’s new full frame camera, it is mainly those offering FF cameras who will be most worried about it.

Fujifilm has no full frame camera and so far they have kept their word given to us in 2018: “we will NEVER go Full Frame“.

Sure, Fujifilm will look with interest at the DJI FF camera, but on the other side they are also those less worried about it, as it is not a market they are into.

Fujifilm made a clear choice:

• Medium Format: for those who want the best possible image quality at a “payable” price
• APS-C: if image quality is not the absolute and irrevocable paramount for you and you are therefore willing to accept compromises, then, since you are fine with compromises anyway, APS-C is the best balanced system in terms of size, price, features etc. – so at least say industry insiders from PetaPixel, DPReview and more

This was Fujifilm’s decision. May it be right or wrong, only time will tell.

But so far it seems Fujifilm is living a rather quiet and relatively successful life outside the overcrowded full frame market and they can look at the DJI full frame with no worries as opposed to other brands, who went all-in with full frame and now have a new and strong competitor coming.

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