Tom Calton: Sony or Fujifilm – Which One Is REALLY Better?

Tom writes:

Sony and Fujifilm are currently two of the most popular mirrorless camera brands around – but which camera system should you investr your money in? Well, after owning and testing multiple Sony and Fujifilm cameras over the years, here’s my take to help you decide which of these mirrorless camera systems is the right one for you.

The Most Important and Beautiful Fujifilm Camera Will Be Announced Next Week!

Next week, on January 20/21, Fujifilm will announce the most beautiful instant camera I’ve ever seen: The Insta WIDE EVO! I’m sure Fujifilm will sell a ton of these because not only is it incredibly beautiful, but it also features a unique and cool element from the “film” era.

Let me tell you all about it:

I have the images, but the source has asked me not to use them. If you have images that I can share, please send them to me at: mirrorlessrumors@gmail.com or use this contact box. I can describe the camera in detail so that when the announcement happens next week, you’ll know I was telling the truth!

In my personal opinion, this is the most beautiful instant camera I’ve ever seen. It’s a “hybrid” instant camera, meaning it has a sensor and takes a digital image that you can choose to print afterward.

Here’s what I can tell you about it:

  • Silver buttons on the back (instead of the black ones found on the Mini Eco Hybrid).
  • A toggle switch and an additional five buttons on the back.
  • A large LCD screen.
  • On the front, there’s a 16mm f/2.4 lens with a toggle between wide and normal telephoto settings.

But the real highlight is this:

To print an image, you’ll need to rotate a classic film crank! It might sound impractical, but I believe this feature will resonate with many people because of the tactile “experience” it provides.

The Instax business is booming and generating a significant portion of the camera industry’s profits, far outweighing the contributions of digital X and GFX cameras and lenses. That’s why this camera is so important. Be sure to follow Fujirumors.com and Mirrorlessrumors.com for more updates on this exciting release. Hopefully, I’ll be able to share some exclusive images soon!

BCN has reported a notable increase in camera sales for 2024

BCNranking collected the sales data from a majority of the Japanese stores. And there is really good news! BCN reports:

After losing a lot of sales during the COVID-19 pandemic, the camera market is recovering in the post-COVID era. December sales volume was 123.7% higher than the previous year, showing a booming performance. Unlike PCs and TVs, cameras generally increased year-on-year until around last summer. There were times in the early fall when sales fell significantly below the previous year’s level, but they regained momentum in November and December and significantly exceeded last year’s level. Compact cameras with built-in lenses showed particular growth. December sales volume was 132.7% higher than the previous year. Meanwhile, sales volume of interchangeable lens cameras, whose momentum has slowed due to rising unit prices, continued to fall below the previous year’s level since August, but in December it rose to 101.0%, slightly higher than the previous year.

Canon led the camera market overall in December with a 25.5% unit sales share. Sales volume increased significantly to 151.4% compared to the previous year. Fujifilm, in second place with a market share of 18.6%, maintained its good performance with a 107.3% increase compared to the previous year. Kenko Tokina, which rose to third place for the first time with a market share of 11.8%, also put up a strong performance with a 256.8% increase compared to the previous year. However, Kodak, with a market share of 10.4%, was affected and ended up below double digits at 89.7%. Sony, which remained in fifth place with a market share of 9.7%, also fell below the previous year to 92.4%.

As is often the case, we don’t receive detailed reports from markets like the US, China, or Europe, which is unfortunate. The key takeaway here is that Sony holds just a 9.7% market share. This is largely due to their absence from the growing affordable compact camera market, which is experiencing a boom right now. In contrast, companies like Kenko Tokina and Kodak had strong years, as both offer popular compact models