Canon EOS R50 #1 in Japan for 2025

While the high-end flagship camera models are always the loudest in terms of competition, it is clear that portability and affordability rule supreme in the Japanese market. Based on the 2025 annual sales report from BCN+R, the Canon EOS R50 has finally taken its place at the top of the list as the bestselling interchangeable lens mirrorless camera.

R50 Dominance

The success of the EOS R50, an APS-C mirrorless camera that is touted as the spiritual successor to the legendary M50 series, is one such indicator that there is a clear trend here. This is despite the overall trend of the industry migrating towards full frame sensors. The Japanese consumer is loyal to compact systems.

Canon’s plan to launch R50 bundles featuring third-placed EOS R10 in “Double Zoom Kits” continues to bear fruit. These bundles are very appealing to enthusiasts who appreciate having all they need in one box and saving money compared to buying a top-of-the-line camera.

Sony is Still in the lead

Even though Canon took the leading position, Sony was a close competitor with an unbelievable diversity in the rankings. The Sony ZV-E10 II took the second position due to the ever-rapidly growing vlogging and content-creation market. Indeed, Sony beat Canon in the number of units sold in the “Top 10” without at least four different models in the rankings to only two by Canon. Particularly, Sony took the only full-frame camera in the top ten rankings with the Alpha 7C II at the 8th position.

The Missing Contender and Market Shifts

There is another surprise in the 2025 data, and that is that the Canon EOS R100 was not included. Typically, the budget or entry-level offering from Canon is one of the leading products in these graphs because it has been one of the less-expensive options compared with other products. It's as if consumers of the entry-level product no longer want just that product, but want a certain level of functionality, as seen in the R50.

The 2025 Top 10 Best Sellers in Japan:

EOS R50 (Canon)
VLOGCAM ZV-E10 II (Sony)
EOS R10 (Canon)
VLOGCAM ZV-E10 (Sony)
α6400 (Sony)
Z50 II (Nikon)
FUJIFILM X-M5 (Fujifilm)
α7C II (Sony)
OLYMPUS PEN E-P7 (OM Digital Solutions)
Z 30 (Nikon)

Why It Matters

Japan is also known as a "bellwether" market in the global camera market. The camera market in Japan has been known to be one among those markets that purchase the maximum number of cameras per capita. The performance in the 2025 market also reflects that professionals have moved on to 8K and AI cameras, but "the pulse of the market" remains in compact and affordable APS-C cameras.