We’re six weeks into 2026 and there have been three major camera launches so far; the Leica Q3 Monochrom, Ricoh GR IV Monochrome and Fujifilm Instax Mini Evo Cinema.

That’s two pricey black-and-white-only compact cameras and a Super 8-style instant camera…that also shoots video.

In one sense, I’m hardly surprised. Compact camera shipments for 2025 rose by 30% year-on-year, driving the first real overall growth in camera shipments for many years.

However, there’s a growing sense that experience-led camera design over outright capabilities – in other words how a camera makes us feel – is what’s winning through.

Instagram chief Adam Mosseri posted in January that: ‘The camera companies are betting on the wrong aesethetic. They’re competing to make everyone look like a pro photographer from 2015. But in a world where AI can generate flawless imagery, the professional look becomes the tell.”

In other words, Mosseri thinks that quality photography is dead and blurry photo and shaky videos are the future. Could that future be retro cameras with dated tech?

Judging from 2026 so far, that tide could be turning already – the megapixel race is drawing less interest, and a growing part of the market is for quirky retro cameras.

A new dawn for camera design?

I remember the first digital compact camera I tried – my dad’s Nikon Coolpix 950. Released in 1999, it had a 1.9MP CCD sensor and a swivel body where you twisted one half to point the lens.

I later tried another Coolpix compact with built-in stand for hands-free shots way before selfies were a thing. Those were some fabulous, wild design ideas.

Could we be approaching a new dawn of wacky camera design ideas such as these? A rewind of the clock, where safe and serviceable models are a thing of the past?

If rumors are true, there could be a follow-up to Sigma’s BF – a mirrorless camera that broke the mold last year.

And Fujifilm is on a roll – it seems like every new model arrives with a new kind of feature; the aspect ratio dial in the GFX100RF, the Film Simulation dial in the X-E5, the film roll mode of the X half and yes, that Mini Evo Cinema with its Eras Dial.

It’s about time for new ideas, and frankly, I’m here for it. Sure, my conventional Nikon mirrorless camera serves its purpose for professional work – with its comfortable grip, logical button placement, and high-speed performance, it handles wonderfully for demanding assignments.

But it’s the weird cameras that could appeal to the masses in 2026. Gen Z loves the viral tiny Kodak Charmera keychain camera because its quality is awful. Enthusiasts are willing to spend extra on a pricey, no-color fixed lens compact like the GR IV Monochrome because of its limitation (and improved quality within that limitation).

Will leading camera makers want to get into this trend? Will we see Sony, Nikon, and Panasonic back in the compact camera game with new CyberShot, CoolPix and Lumix models, or is the booming secondhand market sufficient for retro camera fans?

Or is this just a fad that the big brands are riding out until ‘normal’ resumes?

Perhaps in 2026 we’ll see that less is more. A licence for designers to try new things. That’s what camera fans are wanting right now, it seems.

Truth is, of course, that there’s a place for both the functional and the fun. But what do you make of the new cameras of 2026? What would you like to see in future cameras this year? Hit me with your comments below!

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Tim is the Cameras editor at TechRadar. He has enjoyed more than 15 years in the photo video industry with most of those in the world of tech journalism. During his time as Deputy Technical Editor with Amateur Photographer, as a freelancer and consequently editor at Tech Radar, Tim has developed a deeply technical knowledge and practical experience with cameras, educating others through news, reviews and features. He’s also worked in video production for Studio 44 with clients including Canon, and volunteers his spare time to consult a non-profit, diverse stories team based in Nairobi. Tim is curious, a keen creative, avid footballer and runner, and moderate flat white drinker who has lived in Kenya and believes we have much to enjoy and learn from each other.