Sony FX5 released in July 2026
We are most of the way through July and I have been sitting here trying to work out why 2026 feels so uneventful. So I went and counted. Turns out it is not just a feeling. Nine new cameras have been announced this year. Nine. At this exact point last year we were already at twenty three.
That is a genuinely big drop, and it is not a blip in the way I first assumed. Here is the same January to late July window, year by year:
- 2021: 9 cameras
- 2022: 10 cameras
- 2023: 15 cameras
- 2024: 21 cameras
- 2025: 23 cameras
- 2026: 9 cameras
So we have fallen all the way back to 2021 levels, which was about as rough as it got for new gear. For the full year, 2025 finished with 36 cameras and 2024 with 33. At the current pace 2026 is not getting anywhere near either number.
Nine new cameras by late July, against twenty three at the same point in 2025. 2026 is the slowest release year since 2021.
The other thing that jumps out once you line them up: a good chunk of these are not really new cameras. They are variants. Same sensor, same resolution, different flavour. That is not automatically a bad thing, and I will get to why, but it does explain a lot of the quiet.
Ricoh GR IV Monochrome
The Ricoh GR IV Monochrome was announced January 14, and it is the third GR IV to land in five months. The original GR IV showed up in August 2025, the GR IV HDF in December, and now the black and white only model. Same 26 megapixel APS-C sensor across all three, so if you are trying to work out what actually changed, the Monochrome against the standard GR IV is the comparison to run.
Dedicated monochrome sensors are a proper niche, and I am not going to pretend otherwise, but the people who want one really want one. If you have ever shot a Leica Monochrom you know the look is not something you can fake in post.
Ricoh GR IV Monochrome Key Specs
- Announcement Date: 2026-01-14
- 26MP - APS-C CMOS Sensor
- No Anti-aliasing (AA) filter
- ISO 160 - 409600
- 28 mm (18mm FF equiv.) f2.80 Prime Lens
- Sensor-shift Image Stabilization( Up to 6.0-stops)
- 3.00" Fixed Type Screen
- 4.0fps continuous shooting
- Full HD - 1920 x 1080 video resolution
- Built-in Wireless
- 262g. 109 x 61 x 33 mm
- Read the Review
- Check Price at: Amazon, B&H Photo
OM System OM-3 Astro
The OM System OM-3 Astro arrived February 10, and again it is a variant rather than a new body. The OM-3 itself came out in February 2025 with the same 20 megapixel Four Thirds sensor, so this is a targeted astro version of a camera we already knew. Worth putting them side by side before you decide the Astro is the one you need.
I have a soft spot for this one. Four Thirds gets written off for low light, but the OM bodies have some of the best computational features going, and an astro focused build is a smart use of that.
OM System OM-3 Astro Key Specs
- Announcement Date: 2026-02-10
- 20MP - Four Thirds Stacked BSI Live MOS Sensor Sensor
- No Anti-aliasing (AA) filter
- ISO 200 - 25600 ( expands to 80-102400)
- Micro Four Thirds Mount
- Sensor-shift Image Stabilization( Up to 7.5-stops)
- 3.00" Fully Articulated Screen
- 2360k dot Electronic viewfinder
- 120.0fps (120.0fps Electronic) continuous shooting
- 4K (DCI) - 4096 x 2160 video resolution
- Built-in Wireless
- 496g. 139 x 89 x 46 mm
- Weather-sealed Body
- Read the Review
- Check Price at: Amazon, B&H Photo
Panasonic Lumix DC-ZS300
March 24, and the Panasonic Lumix DC-ZS300 is a legitimately long wait, because the ZS200 it follows came out in February 2018. Eight years between travel zooms. Still a 20 megapixel one inch sensor, and the eight year gap comparison is a fun one to look at.
Pocketable long zoom compacts have been a dying category for years, squeezed out by phones on one end and small mirrorless on the other, so it is honestly a small surprise to see the line continue at all.
Panasonic ZS300 Key Specs
- Announcement Date: 2026-03-24
- 20MP - 1″ MOS Sensor
- ISO 125 - 12800 ( expands to 80 - 25600)
- 24-360 mm F3.3-6.4 Zoom Lens
- Optical Image Stabilization
- 3.00" Fixed Type Screen
- 10.0fps continuous shooting
- 4K (UHD) - 3840 x 2160 video resolution
- Built-in Wireless
- 337g. 111 x 66 x 45 mm
- Also known as Lumix DC-TZ300
- Replaced Panasonic Lumix DC-ZS200 Compare
- Read the Review
- Check Price at: Amazon, B&H Photo
Panasonic Lumix L10
May 12, and the Panasonic Lumix L10 is the odd one out in this list, because it is the only 2026 camera with no direct predecessor in our database. A 20 megapixel Four Thirds body under a name Panasonic has not used before in this lineup.
Worth watching purely because it is the only genuinely fresh nameplate of the year so far.
Panasonic L10 Key Specs
- Announcement Date: 2026-05-12
- 20MP - Four Thirds CMOS Sensor
- ISO 100 - 25600 ( expands to 50-25600)
- 24-75 mm F1.7-2.8 Zoom Lens
- Optical Image Stabilization
- 3.00" Fully Articulated Screen
- 2360k dot Electronic viewfinder
- 11.0fps continuous shooting
- 6K (UHD) - 5760 x 2880 video resolution
- Built-in Wireless
- 508g. 127 x 74 x 67 mm
- Read the Review
- Check Price at: Amazon, B&H Photo
Canon EOS R6 V
May 13, and the Canon EOS R6 V is the one that made me look twice. The EOS R6 Mark III was announced in November 2025 with a 32.5 megapixel full frame sensor. The R6 V arrived roughly six months later, with a 32.5 megapixel full frame sensor.
Two R6 bodies inside seven months, same resolution, same format. Whatever separates them, it is not the megapixel count. This is the one pairing in this post where I would genuinely tell you to run the full comparison before spending anything, because on paper these two sit extremely close together.
Canon R6 V Key Specs
- Announcement Date: 2026-05-13
- 32MP - Full frame CMOS Sensor
- ISO 100 - 64000 ( expands to 50 - 102400)
- Canon RF Mount
- Sensor-shift Image Stabilization( Up to 7.5-stops)
- 3.00" Fully Articulated Screen
- 12.0fps (40.0fps Electronic) continuous shooting
- 7K - 6912 x 4608 video resolution
- 180fps High-Speed Video
- Built-in Wireless
- 688g. 141.8 x 83.3 x 79.7 mm
- Weather-sealed Body
- Read the Review
- Check Price at: Amazon, B&H Photo
Sony Alpha A7R VI
Also May 13, and the Sony Alpha A7R VI is a real generational jump rather than a variant. 67 megapixels, up from 61 on the A7R V, which had held that number since 2022, and the A7R IV before it going back to 2019. Sony sat on 61 for a long time, so the VI against the V is the upgrade question a lot of people are actually asking.
For my kind of shooting this is the interesting one. When you are cropping hard into a bird frame, resolution is not a spec sheet flex, it is the difference between a usable frame and a deleted one. Six extra megapixels will not transform anything on its own, but on the high resolution body it is the number that matters most.
Sony A7R VI Key Specs
- Announcement Date: 2026-05-13
- 67MP - Full frame BSI-CMOS Sensor
- No Anti-aliasing (AA) filter
- ISO 100 - 32000 ( expands to 50 - 102800)
- Sony E Mount
- Sensor-shift Image Stabilization( Up to 8.5-stops)
- 3.20" Fully articulated Screen
- 9440k dot Electronic viewfinder
- 30.0fps (30.0fps Electronic) continuous shooting
- 8K - 8192 x 4320 video resolution
- 120fps High-Speed Video
- Built-in Wireless
- 713g. 133 x 97 x 83 mm
- Weather-sealed Body
- Replaced Sony Alpha A7R V Compare
- Read the Review
- Check Price at: Amazon, B&H Photo
Leica SL3-P
June 25, and the Leica SL3-P is the third variation on the SL3 body. The SL3 landed in March 2024 at 60 megapixels, the SL3-S followed in January 2025 at 24, and the SL3-P now slots in between at 45. If you are choosing, the P against the original SL3 is the place to start.
Leica running one chassis at three different resolutions is a very Leica move, and I mean that fondly. Pick your sensor, keep the body.
Leica SL3-P Key Specs
- Announcement Date: 2026-06-25
- 45MP - Full frame BSI-CMOS Sensor
- No Anti-aliasing (AA) filter
- ISO 50 - 200000
- Leica L Mount
- Sensor-shift Image Stabilization( Up to 5.0-stops)
- 3.20" Tilting Screen
- 5760k dot Electronic viewfinder
- 15.0fps (40.0fps Electronic) continuous shooting
- 8K - 8064 x 5376 video resolution
- 120fps High-Speed Video
- Built-in Wireless
- 852g. 141 x 108 x 85 mm
- Weather-sealed Body
- Read the Review
- Check Price at: Amazon, B&H Photo
Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX10 V
July 9, and the Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX10 V is easily the longest wait on this list. The RX10 IV came out in September 2017. That is nine years. A lot of us had quietly written the line off, so seeing what nine years actually bought us is the first thing I looked at.
Bridge superzooms are unfashionable, but I will defend this category for wildlife. One sealed body, enormous reach, nothing to swap in the field, no sensor dust. For travel where I do not want to carry a long lens and a body, an RX10 has bailed me out more than once. Same 20 megapixel one inch sensor as before, so the story here will be everything around it.
Sony RX10 V Key Specs
- Announcement Date: 2026-07-09
- 20MP - 1″ Stacked BSI-CMOS Sensor
- ISO 100 - 12800 ( expands to 64 - 12800)
- 24-600 mm F2.4-4.0 Zoom Lens
- Optical Image Stabilization( Up to 4.5-stops)
- 3.00" Tilting Screen
- 3680k dot Electronic viewfinder
- 30.0fps continuous shooting
- 4K (UHD) - 3840 x 2160 video resolution
- 960fps High-Speed Video
- Built-in Wireless
- 1111g. 136 x 95 x 151 mm
- Weather-sealed Body
- Read the Review
- Check Price at: Amazon, B&H Photo
Sony FX5
July 22, and the Sony FX5 is the most recent release of the year at time of writing. 16 megapixels, full frame, dropping into the cinema line above the 12 megapixel FX3. The FX2 came in at 33 megapixels back in May 2025, so Sony is clearly spreading this range out. The FX5 against the FX3 shows how differently they have pitched these two.
Lower resolution on a cinema body is a feature and not a compromise, bigger pixels and less to read out. Not a stills camera, and not trying to be.
Sony FX5 Key Specs
- Announcement Date: 2026-07-22
- 16MP - Full frame BSI-CMOS Sensor
- ISO 80 - 409600
- Sony E Mount
- Sensor-shift Image Stabilization
- 3.50" Fully articulated Screen
- 10.0fps continuous shooting
- 5K - 4992 x 3328 video resolution
- 240fps High-Speed Video
- Built-in Wireless
- 750g. 132 x 79 x 86 mm
- Weather-sealed Body
- Read the Review
- Check Price at: Amazon, B&H Photo
So What Is Going On?
Break the nine down and the pattern is hard to miss. Four are variants of cameras that already existed: the GR IV Monochrome, the OM-3 Astro, the R6 V and the SL3-P. Two are refreshes of lines that had been dormant for the better part of a decade, the ZS300 after eight years and the RX10 V after nine. Two are proper new models in an existing family, the A7R VI and the FX5. That leaves exactly one, the Lumix L10, arriving without a clear ancestor.
I do not think this is manufacturers running out of ideas. Cameras got extremely good a few years ago, and once autofocus reliably nails a bird in flight, there is not an obvious yearly upgrade to sell. Variants let a company serve a niche without funding a whole new body, and honestly the GR IV Monochrome and the OM-3 Astro are better uses of engineering time than another half stop of nothing.
The flip side, if you are shopping: there is very little pressure to buy right now. Last year's body is very close to this year's body, and in the R6 case that gap is about six months wide.
All Nine, Side by Side
Here is the full 2026 lineup in one table so you can see how they actually stack up against each other:
| FEATURE and SPECS COMPARISON | |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
| Model | Ricoh GR IV Monochrome | OM System OM-3 Astro | Panasonic Lumix DC-ZS300 | Panasonic Lumix L10 | Canon EOS R6 V | Sony Alpha A7R VI | Leica SL3-P | Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX10 V | Sony FX5 |
| Sensor Resolution | 26.0 MP | 20.0 MP | 20.0 MP | 20.0 MP | 32.5 MP | 67.0 MP | 60.0 MP | 20.0 MP | 16.0 MP |
| Announced Date | 2026-01-14 | 2026-02-10 | 2026-03-24 | 2026-05-12 | 2026-05-13 | 2026-05-13 | 2026-06-25 | 2026-07-09 | 2026-07-22 |
| Camera Type | Large Sensor Compact | Pro Mirrorless | Large Sensor Compact | Large Sensor Compact | Pro Mirrorless | Pro Mirrorless | Pro Mirrorless | Large Sensor Superzoom | Pro Mirrorless |
| Sensor Type | CMOS | Stacked BSI Live MOS Sensor | MOS | CMOS | CMOS | BSI-CMOS | BSI-CMOS | Stacked BSI-CMOS | BSI-CMOS |
| Sensor Size | APS-C | Four Thirds | 1″ | Four Thirds | Full frame | Full frame | Full frame | 1″ | Full frame |
| Sensor Sensitivity | ISO 160 - 409600 | ISO 200 - 25600( expands to 80-102400) | ISO 125 - 12800( expands to 80 - 25600) | ISO 100 - 25600( expands to 50-25600) | ISO 100 - 64000( expands to 50 - 102400) | ISO 100 - 32000( expands to 50 - 102800) | ISO 50 - 200000 | ISO 100 - 12800( expands to 64 - 12800) | ISO 80 - 409600 |
| Lens Mount | Fixed lens | Micro Four Thirds | Fixed lens | Fixed lens | Canon RF | Sony E | Leica L | Fixed lens | Sony E |
| Image Stabil. | Sensor-shift ( up to 6.0 stops) | Sensor-shift ( up to 7.5 stops) | Optical | Optical | Sensor-shift ( up to 7.5 stops) | Sensor-shift ( up to 8.5 stops) | Sensor-shift ( up to 5.0 stops) | Optical ( up to 4.5 stops) | Sensor-shift |
| Eye Tracking Focus | | | | | | | | | |
| Weight | 262g | 496g | 337g | 508g | 688g | 713g | 852g | 1111g | 750g |
| Dimensions | 109 x 61 x 33mm | 139 x 89 x 46mm | 111 x 66 x 45mm | 127 x 74 x 67mm | 141.8 x 83.3 x 79.7mm | 133 x 97 x 83mm | 141 x 108 x 85mm | 136 x 95 x 151mm | 132 x 79 x 86mm |
| Weather Sealing | | | | | | | | | |
| Animal Eye Tracking | | | | | | | | | |
| Focus Stacking | | | | | | | | | |
| Post Focus | | | | | | | | | |
| Focus Bracket | | | | | | | | | |
| Minimum Shutter | 30 sec | 60 sec | 60 sec | 60 sec | 30 sec | 30 sec | 3600 sec | 30 sec | 30 sec |
| Maximum Shutter | 1/4000sec | 1/8000sec | 1/2000sec | 1/2000sec | 1/8000sec | 1/8000sec | 1/8000sec | 1/2000sec | 1/8000sec |
| Continuous Drive | 4.0fps | 120.0fps | 10.0fps | 11.0fps | 12.0fps | 30.0fps | 15.0fps | 30.0fps | 10.0fps |
| Built-in Flash | | | | | | | | | |
| Max Video Reso | 1920 x 1080 | 4096 x 2160 | 3840 x 2160 | 5760 x 2880 | 6912 x 4608 | 8192 x 4320 | 8064 x 5376 | 3840 x 2160 | 4992 x 3328 |
| Video fps at Max | 60p, 30p, 24p | 60p, 50p, 30p, 25p, 24p | 30p,24p | 60p, 30p, 24p | 60p,30p,24p | 30p,25p, 23.98p | 24p | 30p,25p,24p | 120p, 60p, 50p,30p,25p,24p |
| Video Formats | MPEG-4, H.264 | MPEG-4, H.264, H.265, HEVC | MPEG-4, AVCHD, H.264 | MPEG-4, H.264, H.265 | MPEG-4, XF-AVC, H.264, H.265 | MPEG-4, XAVC S, XAVC HS, XAVC S-I, H.264, H.265 | H.264, H.265 | MPEG-4, AVCHD, XAVC S | MPEG-4, XAVC S, XAVC HS, XAVC S-1, H.264, H.265 |
| Battery Life | 262 | 590 | 360 | 410 | 640 | 710 | 383 | 630 | 600 |
| RAW Video | | | | | | | | | |
| Webcam | | | | | | | | | |
| Anti Flicker | | | | | | | | | |
| Microphone Port | | | | | | | | | |
| Headphone Port | | | | | | | | | |
| Wifi | | | | | | | | | |
| Weather Sealing | | | | | | | | | |
| Timelapse | | | | | | | | | |
| Screen Type | Fixed | Fully articulated | Fixed | Fully articulated | Fully articulated | Fully articulated | Tilting | Tilting | Fully articulated |
| Top LCD | | | | | | | | | |
| LCD Size | 3.00" | 3.00" | 3.00" | 3.00" | 3.00" | 3.20" | 3.20" | 3.00" | 3.50" |
| Screen dots | 1037000 | 1620000 | 1240000 | 1840000 | 1620000 | 2100000 | 2332800 | 1620000 | 1440000 |
| Touch Screen | | | | | | | | | |
| Viewfinder | | | | | | | | | |
| Viewfinder Type | Optical (optional) | Electronic | None | Electronic | None | Electronic | Electronic | Electronic | Electronic (optional) |
| NFC | | | | | | | | | |
| Selfie Friendly Screen | | | | | | | | | |
| High Resolution Mode | | | | | | | | | |
| AF Joystick | | | | | | | | | |
| Bluetooth | | | | | | | | | |
| Full-size HDMI Port | | | | | | | | | |
| Gyro data Stabilization | | | | | | | | | |
| Vehicle Tracking | | | | | | | | | |
| Live Composition | | | | | | | | | |
| Price | Amazon, B&H Photo | Amazon, B&H Photo | Amazon, B&H Photo | Amazon, B&H Photo | Amazon, B&H Photo | Amazon, B&H Photo | Amazon, B&H Photo | Amazon, B&H Photo | Amazon, B&H Photo |
If there is a second half surprise coming, it has about five months to show up. My guess is we finish the year somewhere in the mid teens, which would make 2026 the thinnest year for new cameras in a long time. Not the worst problem to have when the gear we already own is this good.
