DJI shipped more cameras in 2025 than all the Japanese camera makers put together. Figures from research firm IDC show DJI shipped 10.4 million handheld cameras last year, the first time it has passed 10 million. Japanese camera industry body CIPA reported 9.44 million cameras shipped by its members in 2025, covering mirrorless, DSLRs and fixed-lens compacts. That was their best result since 2019, but still behind DJI alone.

The wider market is growing quickly too. According to IDC, global shipments of what it calls “handheld smart cameras” rose 83% year on year to 16.65 million units in 2025, worth RMB 46.1 billion. DJI had about 62% of the market. Insta360 was second with more than 3.4 million units, and GoPro lost share. IDC expects the market to pass 40 million units by 2030.

Looking at the categories, action cameras made up more than 8 million units, up 61%. Gimbal cameras such as the Osmo Pocket more than doubled, and 360° cameras passed 2.5 million units. IDC says growth is being driven by short-form video, vlogging and social media.

The comparison does need some care. As PetaPixel noted when it first reported the figures, IDC’s category covers action, 360° and gimbal cameras, which CIPA doesn’t count. Many people buying an Osmo Pocket or an Insta360 aren’t choosing it over a mirrorless camera. They may never have bought a traditional camera at all, or they use one alongside the other.

Even so, the figures are a significant moment for the industry. Ten years ago, the idea that a drone company would outsell Canon, Sony, Nikon, Fujifilm and the rest combined would have seemed unlikely. It also makes the current US restrictions on DJI look more significant, given how important the US market is to the whole camera business.

IDC handheld smart camera market 2025: key figures

What it means for photographers

For traditional camera makers, the message is that the fastest-growing part of the market is compact, stabilised and app-connected cameras. We’d expect more crossover features, such as better stabilisation, vertical video and phone integration, to keep appearing in mirrorless cameras as Canon, Sony and others try to win back some of that audience.