After it topped Map Camera’s sales charts in December and outsold all four of the next best-selling cameras combined, the Sony a7 V has returned to Earth in Map Camera’s January sales rankings, although it remained the best-selling camera of the month.
As reported by Digicame-Info, the new 33-megapixel Sony a7 V full-frame camera, an exceptional mid-range digital camera for photographers and videographers alike, the camera’s sales performance at Map Camera came down from its astronomical levels in the prior month.
Map Camera says that while the a7 V’s lead in December was “overwhelming,” its lead in January has shrunk considerably.
“Sales volumes have also dropped significantly compared to last time,” the major Japanese photo retailer says.
Map Camera’s monthly sales data does not perfectly capture the photography market in Japan or the globe at large, but the retailer is a major one and it appeals to serious photographers more than general-purpose electronics stores do. Its monthly sales data is among the best and most useful in the entire industry. If the Sony a7 V’s sales dropped off in a big way at Map Camera month-over-month, it is notable.
Map Camera notes that there was a slight supply issue in the first part of January, although it got ironed out by the second half of the month.
“The drop seems quite sudden,” the retailer explains.
Nonetheless, despite a fairly high launch price and significant backlash from some very vocal online critics, the Sony a7 V has undoubtedly had a successful launch. The camera has sold well at retailers across the globe and so far as has seemingly outpaced its closest competitor, the Canon EOS R6 Mark III, which released less than a month before the Sony a7 V. Notably, the R6 III is nowhere to be found on Map Camera’s best-selling cameras of January.
The rest of the top 10 is full of other familiar faces, though. Per usual, Fujifilm has a strong presence. The Fujifilm X100VI finished in second, which one might think indicates that Fujifilm has solved the popular compact camera’s supply woes. But no, that’s not the case. Map Camera quickly sold through all its inventory.
“We can only hope that the situation improves in 2026,” Map Camera says about the X100VI’s inventory issue.
The Fujifilm X-E5 finished third, while the X-M5 and X-T30 III landed in fifth and sixth spots.
The Sony a7C II was the fourth best-selling new digital camera of January, while the Sony a6700 was ninth.
Ricoh had two models on the list as well, the GR IIIx in seventh and the GR IV in 10th. Like with the Fujifilm X100VI, the Ricoh GR series cameras, including the new GR IV, sell out almost immediately at all retailers, including Map Camera. It’s impossible to say just how many units Map Camera could sell of these cameras, if supply were stable.
Nikon landed a single camera on the best-seller list, the Nikon Z5 II in eighth. The Nikon Z5 II has been a very successful launch for Nikon, frequently appearing on Map Camera’s list of best-sellers.
Map Camera also publishes the 10 best-selling used digital cameras each month, and in January, the Sony a7C II finished first, followed by the Sony a7 III, Canon EOS R6 Mark II, Sony a7 IV, Ricoh GR IIIx, Ricoh GR III, Nikon Z50 II, Fujifilm X half, Fujifilm X-T5, and the Nikon Z fc.
Image credits: Header photo by Erin Thomson for PetaPixel