Canon Claims 23rd Straight Year of Number 1 Share of Global Interchangeable-Lens Digital Camera Market

[Canon Rumors]

It's a new year and for the 23rd straight year, Canon is claiming the #1 sales spot in Global Interchangeable-Lens Digital Camera Market for 2025. This is quite the accomplishment, even if quantifying the claim is murky at best. This includes both mirrorless and DSLR cameras. Canon is still selling a lot of DLSRs, having […]

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[neuroanatomist]

It seems Canon make these claims through a “Canon Survey”. I have no idea how the survey works and Canon doesn't expand on exactly what the survey is. So take this claim with a grain of salt if you care. I do not, but it makes for good internet fodder.

Canon reports their actual unit sales and an estimate of the overall market, and the latter aligns closely with what Nikon reports and well with CIPA (with differences due to manufacturers reporting units sold and CIPA reporting units produced and shipped). So whatever their survey methodology, I presume Canon can count how many cameras they sell and do some simple math.

Go check out the Sony comment sections…….

Hard pass.

I expect Sony will soon announce that they are #1 as they did last year soon after Canon's 22nd year of being “number 1|”.

Previously, Sony has claimed the #1 spot based on camera revenue, presumably because when they consider units sold they are clearly #2, and being #1 sounds better even if you need to define that in a way your competitors don’t.

 

[John Wilde]

"Canon is still selling a lot of DLSRs, having sold somewhere around 600,000 of them in 2025."

Where does that estimate come from? Canon doesn't report that in their financial documents.

 

[neuroanatomist]

"Canon is still selling a lot of DLSRs, having sold somewhere around 600,000 of them in 2025."

Where does that estimate come from? Canon doesn't report that in their financial documents.

CIPA says there were 690,000 DSLRs shipped in 2025. In 2024, about 92% of DLSRs were sold by Canon (790,000 vs. Nikon’s 70,000).

 

[Maximilian]

Seems that competition is... DOOMED!

 

[Xpenelas]

CIPA says there were 690,000 DSLRs shipped in 2025. In 2024, about 92% of DLSRs were sold by Canon (790,000 vs. Nikon’s 70,000).

Not bad just selling 5 models worldwide.
4000D, 2000D, 250D, 5DmkIV and 1D X mkII

 

[P-visie]

CIPA says there were 690,000 DSLRs shipped in 2025. In 2024, about 92% of DLSRs were sold by Canon (790,000 vs. Nikon’s 70,000).

You forgot Pentax . Pentax sold 10.000 dslr’s in 2024, which is 2/3s of the number of dslr’s that Canon sold in a week .

 

[neuroanatomist]

You forgot Pentax . Pentax sold 10.000 dslr’s in 2024, which is 2/3s of the number of dslr’s that Canon sold in a week .

I didn’t forget, I chose to omit them from consideration due to insignificance.

 

[DocInfoSci]

I just think it's awesome that the R6 mark III was shown for this thread. I mean, we all know it's the very best camera and the other cameras, like the R1, are just hanging out for the sparkle to rub off on them.

But sheesh that's a lot of DSLRs still selling. Is it because commercial photographers are keeping a like-stock handy (less training) or because some people just like DSLRs? In Canada the price really hasn't budged, unlike EF lenses where discounts can be found every few months due to "overstock".

I'm mixed in my opinion about the state of lens craft, but I think that the R series cameras are the best of the full frame options out there these past few years.

 

[justaCanonuser]

CIPA says there were 690,000 DSLRs shipped in 2025. In 2024, about 92% of DLSRs were sold by Canon (790,000 vs. Nikon’s 70,000).

I am really surprised that so many DSLRs still are sold - I thought that I am a quite late adopter of ML cameras. Checking Amazon shows that many of the entry APS-C models, the 250D, 1100D and 2000D alikes, are still in stock, also new FF models, the 6D II and 5D IV. I couldn't find any news that Canon discontinued production of these FF lmodels, other than the 1D-X III which is discontinued. Obviously, it still makes economical sense to keep these DSLRs in production for a while...

 

[justaCanonuser]

You forgot Pentax . Pentax sold 10.000 dslr’s in 2024, which is 2/3s of the number of dslr’s that Canon sold in a week .

Pentax always was - and is - special

 

[Del Paso]

Pentax always was - and is - special

Unlike all these Canons, Sonies and Nikons, Pentaxes are boutique cameras for the discerning elite!

 

[David - Sydney]

I am really surprised that so many DSLRs still are sold - I thought that I am a quite late adopter of ML cameras. Checking Amazon shows that many of the entry APS-C models, the 250D, 1100D and 2000D alikes, are still in stock, also new FF models, the 6D II and 5D IV. I couldn't find any news that Canon discontinued production of these FF lmodels, other than the 1D-X III which is discontinued. Obviously, it still makes economical sense to keep these DSLRs in production for a while...

The price of low end DLSRs are still a defining factor vs mirrorless. Examples of where this is important:

- Developing countries where COGS/revenue for photography businesses is low. I did rough calculation of wedding photographers in the past covering China/India and Indonesia equating to ~40% of global population with (back of the envelope) calculation of middle class Gross National Income between USD1k-14k/yr. Choosing middle class as low income is less likely to afford a photographer and high income will pay handsomely anyway.
Having a DLSR is a key "professional" selling point vs a phone camera.

- Specific photography sectors to maximise profit eg cruise ships and school photos.

Of course, there are others anywhere in the world where people want a step up from cameras, buy the cheapest "proper" camera and realise that their phone is better and leave them on the shelf.

5Div/1DXii are for replacements for the rusted-on optical viewfinder/long battery life users. Film cameras are still being sold.....

 

[neuroanatomist]

Unlike all these Canons, Sonies and Nikons, Pentaxes are boutique cameras for the discerning elite!

Oh, I absolutely agree! In fact, here's one of those discerning elites (or obtuse plebeian, take your pick):



...none other than 15 year old me on Christmas morning, holding my first SLR fresh from the box – a Pentax A3000.

 

[Old Man FL/FD]

Oh, I absolutely agree! In fact, here's one of those discerning elites (or obtuse plebeian, take your pick):

View attachment 228088

...none other than 15 year old me on Christmas morning, holding my first SLR fresh from the box – a Pentax A3000.

I’ve never defected!

Here’s me in 1973 with my first SLR – Canon FTb.



Currently, my hair is considerably shorter on the sides and almost nonexistent on top. Paisley (shirt) prints must have gone in and out of style five times since then.

 

[Navism]

I remember R6 mkii is the best selling in 2024 in usa so Sony didn't say anything after 2024.
If R6 mkii is still sellling in 2025, I don't think A7V help a lot.

 

[Del Paso]

Oh, I absolutely agree! In fact, here's one of those discerning elites (or obtuse plebeian, take your pick):

View attachment 228088

...none other than 15 year old me on Christmas morning, holding my first SLR fresh from the box – a Pentax A3000.

Shall I confess that I loved my Pentax MX?
Edit: I forgot my ME...

 

[dolina]

@neuroanatomist confirms that Canon’s #1 global market share is based on actual unit sales. While Sony has previously claimed the top spot using camera revenue they remain #2 in total volume. In the Full Frame Mirrorless market Sony leads worldwide with approximately 44% share. Canon follows in second place with 31% and Nikon holds third with 17%. These companies dominate the professional market while brands like Panasonic and Leica make up the remaining small percentage.

I have a personal interest in the Medium Format digital market and discovered that Fujifilm is the clear leader. They own about 65% of the market because their GFX system is more affordable than competitors. Hasselblad holds roughly 22% of the share and the rest belongs to niche brands like Leica and Phase One. This segment is much smaller than full frame but generates high revenue per camera sold.

As @John Wilde and @justaCanonuser noted DSLRs still have a presence despite the shift to mirrorless. CIPA data shows 690,000 DSLRs were shipped in 2025 which is a 31% drop from the year before. Most of these sales come from Canon’s entry-level models like the 2000D. @David - Sydney correctly points out that these remain popular in developing countries because they are cheaper than mirrorless options. Been living in the Philippines for a few decades and I was told locally that dSLR bodies/lenses are not being imported here anymore for the past few years. I know because I made inquiries about the 5D Mark IV, 1D X Mark III in 2020 and even that 2000D this month for a picker friend. My personal guess is that developed markets like the US & EU where the mindshare among consumers is "dSLR" and not mirrorless so they reflexively ask for "dSLR" even when the whole market is moving to MILCs. However for professionals and those interested in "full frame or bigger" the market has moved almost entirely to mirrorless bodies like the R5 Mark II or the Sony A7 series.

neuroanatomist and @P-visie mentioned Pentax but their sales are insignificant in the global share for full frame or medium format. While @Del Paso calls them boutique cameras they do not compete with the "Big Three" in unit volume. For those tracking the top of the market the competition is strictly between Sony, Canon, and Nikon for full frame, and Fujifilm for medium format.

 

[justaCanonuser]

5Div/1DXii are for replacements for the rusted-on optical viewfinder/long battery life users. Film cameras are still being sold.....

If you mean new, recently produced film cameras, Canon is out of this business since decades, even Nikon discontinued their last film SLR, the professional F6, finally in 2020. There are only very few makers of new film cameras left, besides Lomo and these low-fi makers, Pentax revived the half 35mm film format with their fancy 17. This is a horribly overpriced underspeced plastic thingy for naive young hipsters that has only two positive aspects: it is a good training for classic zone focusing, since its simple viewfinder doesn't support focusing, and it brings users to think first and then hit the button (like in the old film days). I had the opportunity to use one Pentax 17 past year, and I immediately hated it. It would be okay if this this camera would be offered for 50 $, but nearly 500 US-$? That's crazy, but obviously there is a Zeitgeist market that Pentax has spotted.

 

[justaCanonuser]

Shall I confess that I loved my Pentax MX?

It was a nice little gem of a tiny 35mm SLR already with TTL! My first real SLR was a Nikon FM-2, I still have it...