The smartphone destroyed the digital camera trade. Now, offering a ”pictures expertise completely different from that of smartphones” is driving progress, Canon says

The rise of the smartphone is a close to match for the decline of the compact digital camera – and whereas the digital camera trade has struggled amid rising capabilities of smartphone cameras, manufacturers are seeing regular progress over the previous few years. An enormous driver of that progress? The pushback in opposition to the smartphone digital camera.

In a report to investors detailing the primary half of 2026, Canon Chairman and CEO Fujio Mitarai says a lot of Canon’s progress in 2026 has stemmed from robust digital camera gross sales. Compact cameras have been rising significantly nicely for Canon, as fashions just like the PowerShot G7 X Mark III discover newfound reputation amongst customers who discover smartphones can’t compete with the digital camera’s flash and zoom vary.

But, the CEO says that even mirrorless cameras have seen progress as a part of the development in direction of reaching for a devoted digital camera as a substitute of a smartphone. “As for interchangeable-lens digital cameras, sales increased due to a growing number of new camera users, particularly among young people, who are seeking a photography experience different from that of smartphones,” the report reads.

The report particularly names the Canon EOS R6 Mark III, a mirrorless camera launched late in 2025 that has been a frequent name among some bestseller lists, as a camera that has done particularly well.