October 27, 2025
TOKYO – Compact digital cameras are getting a surprise boost in popularity after having been eclipsed by smartphones for some time.
The number of compact digital cameras shipped into the domestic market in 2024 slightly increased, the first rise in seven years.
In addition to their high degree of user-friendliness, aspects of compact digital cameras, such as how easily inventive pictures can be taken for posting on social media, are being seen in a new light.
Expanding sales space
BicCamera Inc.’s Yurakucho Store in Chiyoda Ward, Tokyo, expanded a compact digital camera sales corner in July. Currently, about 20 compact digital camera models are on the store’s shelves with the prices of most in the ¥10,000 to ¥30,000 range.
In the corner, there is a display comparing image quality of photos taken by smartphones and compact digital cameras.
A store employee said the main purchasers of the cameras are women in their 20s and 30s. One customer, a 34-year-old female company employee, said that with a compact digital camera, “I can take charming photos that are emotionally resonant.”
Since around 2024, the store has received a remarkable number of inquiries about such cameras.
A store representative said, “Their reasonable prices and unique aspects of the photos, such as textured image quality, have earned praise for the products. Momentum [in sales of compact digital cameras] is rising and we expect the popularity will continue for the time being.”
According to the Camera & Imaging Products Association, the number of compact digital cameras shipped to the domestic market has gradually fallen from its peak of 9.92 million units in 2007. In 2023, the number was 392,000, declining to one-twenty-fifth of the peak.
Casio Computer Co. withdrew from the digital camera manufacturing business in 2018, and Olympus Corp. sold its imaging business units, including digital camera manufacturing, in 2021.
Compact digital cameras later began attracting attention mainly among young people wowed by social media posts.
In 2024, the number of domestic shipments increased to 439,000, up by 47,000. This was the first rise in seven years.
While the latest smartphone models can take high-resolution photos with automatic image-processing functions using AI, compact digital cameras allow people to enjoy taking photos similarly textured to those taken with film cameras without using photo editing.
Shooting video in 4K
Digital camera makers regard the current situation as a business opportunity.
In April, Canon Inc. released a new compact digital camera model for the first time in six years. The new model can shoot video in 4K resolution.
In late October, Canon will release an upgraded camera model equipped with a lens capable of an optical zoom up to 12X. This is their first release of such a model in nine years.
Manabu Kato, an executive officer of Canon, said, “Because of rising demand among young people and for shooting video in general, the compact digital camera market is highly active.”
He also said the products are being wait-listed, as supply has not caught up with demand. “We want to increase production volume and supply volume,” he added.
Fujifilm Corp., whose flagship business was in photographic film, released a new compact digital camera model in June. Users can take photos similar to those shot with film cameras.
A young Fujifilm employee who likes using film cameras proposed the new model’s creation. Users of the model can take vertical photos by holding the camera sideways, making them suitable for mainstream social media posts.
The company sees people new to digital cameras as their target consumers. A company official said, “This is the epitome of the joy of photography.”
Sony Corp. released a new top-of-the-line compact digital camera in August for the first time in 10 years. The model was also designed for use by professionals.
The retail price is around ¥660,000. The functions to control image quality and autofocus are improved from previous models.
Production of the previous model has already ended. A Sony official said, “There were calls from users hoping for a successor model to be released.”