Last month we reported how Sony had overtaken Canon in the key Japanese mirrorless camera market, and the gap between the two companies is now even wider, according to the latest monthly data from retail analyst BCN.

Here are some of latest Japanese camera market statistics:

  • Sony enjoyed a 49.7% share of the Japanese mirrorless camera market in July, so it was the market leader
  • This is a big jump from June, when Sony had a 33.3% market share.
  • Canon was again in second place, this time with a 20.2% market share.
  • Back in June, Canon was at 25.7%, so it’s gone down.
  • Nikon came in third, with a 12.6% market share in July, again down from 17.4% in June
  • Despite the massive interest in the Fujifilm X100VI, Fujifilm, along with Panasonic and OM System, had to make do with a share of 5% or less.
    (As also reported by PhotoRumors.com)

The results are not entirely surprising, as Canon has already reported declining camera sales in Japan for the first half of the year, but this was before the recent release of the EOS R5 Mark II and the EOS R1.

Indeed, in its latest financial reports, Canon is more bullish about the camera division results going forward, so the company is not going to give up market share without a fight.

Sony ZV-E10 APS-C Vlogging camera
Sony’s ZV-E10 APS-C vlogging camera. Credit: Richard Sibley

Sony ZV-E10 selling very well

We did a bit of extra digging into the BCN data, which reveals that the Sony ZV-E10, an entry-level camera aimed at beginner vloggers and smartphone upgraders, was Japan’s mirrorless camera best seller in July (a Sony UK source also confirmed this camera is selling very well internationally).

In our original review, we praised the Sony ZV-E10 for being a great-value entry point in to Sony’s E Mount system, offering terrific features for vloggers and casual video users, outstanding autofocus and more.

Sony ZV-E10 with the included "dead cat"
The ZV-E10 with mic

You can now get some good deals on the camera, with Wex Photo Video selling it (body only) for £499.

Buy Now

Will Sony become number one globally?

Worldwide, Canon accounted for nearly half of the global digital camera market in 2023, with Sony second (26%) and Nikon third (12%), according to Statistica.com – so it will be interesting to see if Sony’s success at home transfers internationally.