Camera brands are focusing on mirrorless, but consumers actually want compacts – and that could spell big problems, report suggests

Recent reports suggest that camera makers have shipped the highest number of cameras in five years – but one company has just published data that suggests the future of the camera market may not be quite so optimistic. BCN+R, a company that tracks data on cameras as well as other consumer electronics, warns that the numbers indicate that brands are shipping more mirrorless cameras than they are actually selling. Why? The report suggests that brands are focusing on mirrorless cameras despite consumer demand actually favoring compact cameras.

Earlier this month, CIPA shared data that suggests that the camera market has largely recovered from the downturn during the COVID-19 pandemic. But, BCN+R says those CIPA numbers are based on shipments, not sales. BCN+R tracks actual sales rather than the shipments sent to retailers, the company says, and that sales data suggests that compact cameras still make up roughly 60% of sales.

BCN+R says that compact cameras made up around 66.7% of sales in 2018. But, while sales data shows an increase in mirrorless sales, compacts still make up around 65.4% of sales in the latest numbers from 2024. The ratio of mirrorless cameras to compact cameras rose from 18.4% in 2018 to 32.3% in 2024, according to the report.

How has the sales of compact cameras stayed roughly around 60% of total camera sales while mirrorless has grown over the same period? The growth in mirrorless sales has pushed out the DSLR from about 14.9% down to 2.3% of all camera sales. That means that mirrorless sales have grown, but not at the compact camera’s expense.

While those numbers support camera brands’ decisions to focus on mirrorless and largely quit making DSLRs, the data doesn’t support the move to stop making a large number of compact cameras. “What can be seen from these two figures is that the intentions of manufacturers and consumers are diverging,” the report, translated from Japanese, reads. “Manufacturers are shifting their focus to mirrorless single-lens cameras, which are more expensive than built-in lens cameras. On the other hand, consumers want built-in lens cameras.”

The report then goes on to suggest that, if this trend continues, mirrorless cameras will become overstocked, causing prices to fall, while still leaving relatively few options for those looking for a fixed lens camera.

While the report at first reads like a battle between CIPA and BCN+R, the suggestion that compact cameras are in high demand doesn’t seem far-fetched. Trendy compact cameras like the Fujifilm X100VI are nearly impossible to find in stock, driving up the price. Many, meanwhile, have turned to older compact cameras like the Canon G7X series because few camera brands are actually manufacturing many compact cameras anymore.

While brands should rightly focus on putting the most groundbreaking new features inside the mirrorless cameras that are used by the pros, the general consumer and influencers shouldn’t be ignored either. Leave the cheap chintzy compacts to the off brands, but bring back some of the compact cameras that can still do what a smartphone can’t, including large sensor advanced compacts, zoom-y bridge cameras, and waterproof point-and-shoots.

Consumers are already getting a taste of BCN+R’s prediction that compact cameras will remain hard to find – although I haven’t yet seen a general price drop on mirrorless cameras overall. I’ve already been working to educate camera buyers that pairing a compact mirrorless camera with a pancake lens may mean a lower cost camera with more features that’s still relatively small. That may continue to be the best way to get a small camera system without spending too much if BCN+R’s predictions prove true.

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