Half of the bestsellers on this list are compact cameras, including this unexpected cheap point-and-shoot

Compact cameras have been rising up the sales rankings, but the latest data from a key retailer is highlighting some unusual trends. Map Camera, Japan's biggest camera store, typically publishes a list of the top ten most sold cameras that’s dominated by interchangeable lens cameras.

Half of the retailer's February rankings, however, are made up of compact cameras, which Map says is “quite an unusual occurrence.” The list also includes the rare appearance of a more affordable point-and-shoot camera on a list typically dominated by high-end models: the Panasonic Lumix DC-TZ99.

Looking at retail trends in Japan, where many key camera brands are based, can offer insight into the industry as a whole, which is why Map Camera’s monthly rankings are often eagerly analyzed. As a specialist camera store, Map’s list of most sold models is typically made up of interchangeable lens cameras and high-end compacts rather than affordable consumer point-and-shoots – which is why the store’s February sales rankings are so interesting.

Unsurprisingly, the top-selling camera for February is the Fujifilm X100VI – a popular compact that is now more than a year old but is still seeing long waits, due to the demand for the little camera exceeding what Fujifilm has been able to manufacture in the last year.

But, February is the first time that the X100VI has been number one since May 2024, as the retailer limits the orders based on shipments. Map Camera says that the number of orders it receives has gradually increased, raising the number of orders that it's been able to accept.

The second most-sold camera at the Japanese retailer is the Nikon Z50 II, is a relatively new body launched in December. The mirrorless camera’s mix of a compact design and speedy autofocus with an APS-C price tag is proving to garner some attention.

Third and fourth place goes to the Ricoh GR IIIx and GR III, respectively. Both compact cameras – nearly identical except for the different lenses – are older options, with the GR III a 2019 model and the GR IIIx a 2021 release. But the compact trend has driven up demand for the cameras, both packing 24MP APS-C sensors in a pocketable form factor.

Those compacts are followed by the Sony A7C II, which Map Camera speculates rose on the list thanks to a cashback sale, and the Fujifilm X-T50, which dropped in rankings from January.

But perhaps the biggest outlier on the list is the Panasonic TZ99 / ZS99. Map Camera explains that it's rare for a consumer compact to end up on the top ten list. Occasionally, some cheap cameras around ¥20,000 (about $135 / £103 / AU$213) will make the list, but the TZ99 costs triple that. Map notes that it “cannot remember a case in a long time” where a similar camera has made the top ten rankings.

The TZ99, however, is one of the early responses to the growing popularity of dedicated compact cameras, making it one of the few newer choices. The TZ99 has a typical small point-and-shoot sensor but pairs it with a 30x zoom in a small body. The Nikon Coolpix P1100, another one of the few recently released fixed lens cameras, just missed the list at the 11th place spot – although the P1100 is a bridge camera, which dwarfs the tiny TZ99 with its hefty 125x / 24-3000mm zoom.

Finishing the top ten list is the Nikon Zf in eigth, a retro-inspired full-frame camera, the advanced compact Leica D-Lux 8 in ninth, and the full-frame Sony A7 IV in tenth.

Month-by-month data can be less indicative of overall industry trends than annual data, as it's more easily influenced by factors like sales events. The X100VI, X-T50, A7C II, Zf, and A7 IV on the February list also ranked on the retailer’s 2024 overall data. Interestingly, the February data doesn’t include a Canon at all (two were on the 2024 list) and only a single Nikon (three were on the 2024 overall list).

While the data from Map Camera can offer some industry insight, the retailer is local to a single store in Tokyo and tends to be popular among younger generations, which means that trends in other countries and even in Japan overall can differ from the retailer rankings.

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