Japan’s No.1 compact camera is a cult favorite featuring 8-year-old tech and 40x zoom
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This compact camera features incredible 40x optical zoom (24–960mm equivalent) and is Japan's new No.1 . | Credit: Gareth Bevan / Digital Camera World
Japan's latest compact camera sales figures from major retailer Yodobashi are in – and in the Top 10 chart for the first half of August 2026 are many cult point-and-shoot cameras that are years old. At the top of the ranking sits a compact first released eight years ago, then relaunched in 2024 with essentially the same technology.
The Canon PowerShot SX740 HS / Lite takes the crown despite the wave of new compact camera launches lately, including Panasonic champions like the Lumix L10 or ZS300 / TZ300 . It is hard to find stock, with second-hand prices often climbing above its original RRP of $699.95 / £549.99 .
Yodobashi also reveals just how high demand is for some of the cameras on the list: four of the Top 10 are currently on backorder, including the No.1, the Canon PowerShot G7 X Mark III (No.2), Ricoh GR IV (No.4), and Fujifilm X100VI (No.5) – all made the ranking due to previously placed orders. Sony's ZV-1 I I also made the Top 10, despite being currently out of production.
Yodobashi's Top 10 best-selling compact cameras, 1st Half Aug 2026
1. Canon PowerShot SX740 HS / Lite
| Silver | Black backordered
2. Canon PowerShot G7 X Mark III
| Black | Silver backordered
3. Sony ZV-1 II
| Black | White currently out of production
4. Ricoh GR IV
backordered
5. Fujifilm X100VI
| Silver | Black backordered
6. Sony RX10 V
7. Panasonic Lumix TZ99 / ZS99
| Black | White
8. Canon IXY 650M / Elph 360 HS A / Ixus 285 HS A
| Black | Silver
9. Kodak Pixpro C1
| Brown | Black
10. Panasonic Lumix TX3 / ZS300 / TZ300
| Black | Graphite Silver
Canon's unbeatable PowerShot compact cameras
Review insight : "The Canon PowerShot SX740 HS makes an excellent everyday carry and is an ideal travel camera for your next vacation or family outing" | Credit: James Artaius
When the original Canon PowerShot SX740 HS launched in 2018, the compact camera market looked very different from today. Straightforward point-and-shoots were popular, while premium compacts (now found across the category) were far less common.
Canon clearly found a winning formula with the SX740 HS, and the Lite Edition keeps that formula largely intact. It uses the same core camera technology as the original, with the main difference being the removal of in-camera USB charging in favor of an external battery charger.
The appeal is easy to understand: a genuinely pocketable camera, a huge 40x optical zoom (24–960mm equivalent), and a familiar, straightforward shooting experience – a combination that remains difficult to replace, even as newer compacts arrive with more advanced technology.
Review insight: "In a first for Canon, the G7 X III has a stacked-design CMOS sensor, and the 20.1MP, one-inch device is coupled with the latest Digic 8 processing engine to enable continuous shooting rates of up to 30fps" | Credit: Chris George / Digital Camera World
Another Canon model making the list is the PowerShot G7 X Mark III, also a model that is years old. It launched in 2019, yet remains one of the most sought-after compact cameras on the market.
Compared with the SX740 HS / Lite, the G7 X Mark II has a 1-inch sensor and a bright 24-100mm equivalent f/1.8-2.8 lens with 4.2x optical zoom.
Featuring a sensor format that is used in many of the best compact cameras, it gives users a big step up in image quality from most camera phones or action cams , also when compared to the smaller 1/2.3-inch sensor of the SX740 HS / Lite.
The Canon G7 X Mark III is more expensive second-hand
Spotted on MPB, an online platform for used photography and videography equipment | Credit: MPB
Used prices are now often higher than the G7 X Mark III's original retail price.
While this might seem unusual for an older camera, renewed interest in compact cameras and the dedicated shooting experience that differs from shooting with a smartphone are key factors. Social media also helped fuel the point-and-shoot revival.
With the camera now difficult to find in stock, that popularity has collided with limited supply – pushing second-hand prices well above what you'd normally expect from a camera release in 2019.
So while newer compact cameras continue to arrive with more advanced technology, the latest Yodobashi chart shows that buyers are still driven to get one of the established Canon cult models, winning with their proven formula.
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