Fresh shipment data from the Camera & Imaging Products Association (CIPA) for 2025 shows that mirrorless cameras keep growing, and that most interchangeable-lens cameras being sold are not full frame at all, but APS-C and Micro Four Thirds.
Out of more than 9.4 million cameras shipped worldwide in 2025, around 6.3 million were mirrorless models, while DSLRs fell to just over 690,000 units.
Mirrorless up, DSLRs down
CIPA's latest report confirms what most of us have been seeing in camera announcements for a while now.
Mirrorless shipments in 2025 reached about 6.3 million bodies, which represents roughly 112.5% of the previous year's levels. That's actual year-on-year growth rather than just holding steady. Meanwhile, DSLR shipments dropped to just over 690,900 units worldwide, only 69.3% of what we saw in 2024.
In other words, mirrorless isn't just the future anymore. It's the present. And the traditional DSLR market continues to shrink.
Smaller sensors outsell full frame
For 2025, CIPA began breaking out interchangeable-lens camera shipments by sensor size, and this paints a really clear picture.
APS-C and Micro Four Thirds bodies accounted for more than 4.45 million units shipped. Full-frame and larger (including medium format) reached around 2.54 million units.
So despite all the marketing focus on high-end full-frame systems, the majority of buyers are actually choosing cameras with smaller sensors.
This makes sense when you look at where these cameras sit in the market:
Price: APS-C and Micro Four Thirds models typically launch at more accessible price points, which makes them attractive to newcomers and enthusiasts who don't want to commit full-frame money on day one.
Size and weight: Smaller sensors usually mean smaller bodies and lenses, which is brilliant if you travel, hike, or just don't fancy lugging around a heavy bag.
Reach: The crop factor effectively gives you more telephoto reach from the same focal lengths, which is really handy for wildlife, sports, and distant subjects.
The flip side is that wide-angle work becomes trickier, as you need much shorter focal lengths to get the same field of view as full frame. Of course, if you love ultra-wide landscapes, you just have to adjust your lens choice. You’ll be looking for shorter focal lengths to get the same view as a full-frame setup, but there are some fantastic, tiny wide-angle lenses out there that do the job perfectly.
Regional trends: where DSLRs still hang on
When you zoom into the regional breakdown, DSLRs haven't vanished everywhere at the same pace.
In the Americas, DSLR shipments were still at 86.9% of their 2024 level. That's a decline, but not a total collapse. In Europe, the figure was 61.7% of the previous year. In Japan, fewer than 14,500 DSLRs were shipped, only about 47.3% of the 2024 volume. And in China, just over 28,250 DSLRs went out, which is 33.1% compared with the year before.
This suggests that in markets like Japan and China, the shift to mirrorless has been more decisive, while in the Americas and Europe there's still a meaningful base of DSLR users and buyers.
crop systems still dominate, but the gap is narrower
The lens numbers tell a similar story, but it's slightly more nuanced.
CIPA members shipped more than 10.6 million lenses worldwide in 2025, which corresponds to 102.8% of the 2024 figure, so lens sales are growing alongside cameras.
Lenses designed for sensors smaller than full frame accounted for about 5.82 million units. Full-frame and larger lenses reached more than 4.77 million units.
Here the split between crop and full-frame glass is tighter than it is for camera bodies. This implies that full-frame shooters are more likely to invest in multiple lenses, while many crop-sensor buyers stick with a kit zoom or a minimal setup.
Compacts: a small comeback from a very low base
Compact cameras are also seeing a modest resurgence, though the segment is still a shadow of its early-2010s heyday.
CIPA's report notes growth in compact shipments in 2025, but they remain far below the peak of the point-and-shoot era around 2010.
Today's compact buyers tend to be people looking for something clearly better than a phone. Often that means premium compacts, travel zooms, or niche models, rather than the mass-market "family camera" of the past.
What these trends mean for photographers
A few practical takeaways if you're deciding where to invest next:
You don't need full frame to be "serious". The majority of new interchangeable-lens cameras sold in 2025 were APS-C or Micro Four Thirds, and the lens ecosystem around them is clearly healthy.
Full frame is increasingly a committed choice. The tighter body numbers but strong lens sales suggest that full-frame systems are being used by photographers who are happy to invest more heavily in lenses.
DSLR systems will keep shrinking. There's still life in DSLRs in some regions, but the long-term trend in shipments is firmly downward.
For most photographers, especially those who value portability or are budget-conscious, sticking with or moving to a modern crop-sensor mirrorless system remains a very smart choice.