Part 2
Image: Gareth Cattermole via Getty Images
Heads up: this article is the second part of our wish list and predictions article for 2026. If you missed the first part, you can read it here (preferably before continuing this one; the outro will seem completely out of the blue if you haven't read the intro).
Click here to read Part 1
Canon - What we expect
The original EOS R7 was released in mid-2022, so it's probably about due for a refresh, possibly with a faster sensor and improved ergonomics. Whether we actually get one or not will likely be a bellwether for how much faith Canon has in the future of APS-C; at the moment, it has a very complete lineup of cameras, but seems to have left pretty much all the work on lenses to third parties like Sigma and Tamron (a tale as old as time). If the EOS R7 II comes out as a strong offering, it'll be a good sign for the future of Canon's mirrorless APS-C cameras.
We also wouldn't be surprised if Canon made a run at mirrorless tilt-shift lenses this year, given that they championed them in the DSLR era, and that the rest of their lens lineup is looking relatively complete. We also expect to see at least a few refreshes of the earlier lenses for RF mount if Canon feels like they could do them better, like Nikon and Sony have done with their second-gen 24-70 F2.8s.
Finally, Nikon's very good Z5 II has made Canon's entry-level EOS R8 seem a little off the pace, so we wouldn't mind seeing a refreshed version. If Canon really wanted to go for gold, it could use the sensor from the EOS R6 III, but realistically, updating the body to have a better battery, better controls and stabilization would probably be enough to get back in the race.
Canon - What we'd like to see
Most of the major manufacturers have told us they've seen demand for compact cameras, but so far, no one has actually released a new, photo-focused option. We'd love to see the sensor from the PowerShot V1 make its way into a body with controls better-suited to photography, but given that Canon somewhat recently told us that it's working on ramping up PowerShot G7X III production, we're not sure how likely that is. Maybe enthusiasts just aren't the audience companies are aiming for with their compacts.
If Canon is going to continue the EOS R3 line, this would be the year we'd expect to see a follow-up, but we doubt that'll happen. The original came out when Canon wanted to give pros a mirrorless option without undercutting its recently-released EOS 1DX III, but now that the EOS R1 is out, it's hard to imagine what an EOS R3 II could do to differentiate itself from the full-fat pro body.
We mentioned Canon's lens lineup looking relatively complete, but the one offering it's missing is a fast, ultra-wide prime for astrophotography, which we (and by "we," we mean Dale Baskin) wouldn't mind seeing.
We'd like to see Canon copy Nikon, Panasonic, and Fujifilm's homework for firmware updates
And if we're really stretching, we'd like to see Canon copy Nikon, Panasonic, and Fujifilm's homework by bringing improvements made in newer cameras to its older models via firmware updates. We strongly suspect the EOS R5 II could handle running the EOS R6 III's live white balance picker, and that it's possible to let you map pre-burst capture to a button on the EOS R1.
Ricoh / Pentax - What we expect to see
Given that they've already been announced, it's not a bold prediction to say that we expect to see the Monochrome and HDF versions of the Ricoh GR IV this year, but we are looking forward to them.
As for Pentax, we feel that if we don't see a new film camera or DSLR from them this year, it'll be a pretty clear signal – intentional or otherwise – that they're no longer participating in the camera market. When we interviewed them in early 2025, the company said it would "carefully research the market and then listen to [its] users and DSLR fans," and then draw a business roadmap. That would imply there wasn't one before, making it hard to believe that we'll see a new camera with a Pentax badge on it this year.
Ricoh / Pentax - What we'd like to see
We'd love to see a Ricoh GR IVx with a 40mm equiv. lens, but it may be a bit too soon after the release of the IV for that, yet.
If our dreams came true, we'd also get a new film camera from Pentax, perhaps a full frame follow-up to the Pentax 17. It's hard to tell how likely that is – it's our understanding that camera's development was driven by an engineer who's now left the company – so unless the Pentax 17 sold really well, there may not be much motivation left to continue that work.
OM System - What we expect to see
The camera that stands out most in OM System's lineup is the budget-friendly OM-D E-M10 Mark IV, as it still has Olympus' nameplate and branding. While the company could theoretically give it the OM-5 treatment, updating the branding and adding USB-C and the new menus, we don't necessarily think it's likely. OM System has made it clear that it's doubling down on the adventure and nature crowd, rather than mass market consumers, and it's hard to tell whether it could make a theoretical OM-10 live up to that reputation while still keeping it at a reasonable price.
With that said, OM System has shown it's capable of surprising us. Shortly after we released our article last year, saying that we didn't expect much from them, the OM-3 arrived at our desks, clearly signaling that there's still something left in the tank there... or that they have great products that they keep waiting in the wings just to prove us wrong. If that's what it takes to get another good Micro Four Thirds camera, though, we'll take it.
OM System - What we'd like to see
When we interviewed OM System executives at CP+ in 2025, there was a lot of talk about a new Pen, continuing the line of cameras focused on "ultimate beauty and the ultimate craftsmanship." While so many manufacturers have told us that most people simply don't buy rangefinder-shaped cameras, we think OM System's ethos of travel and compactness would really work well with the concept. We're imagining an X100 rival with the OM-1/3's sensor, and while it almost certainly wouldn't come cheap, it could be a very interesting option in a market starved for truly tiny cameras.
Nikon - What we expect
Nikon is one of the few brands where I think you can make some confident predictions about what might arrive this coming year. The Z9 is a little over four years old, which is a typical lifespan for one of its flagship cameras. In addition, we've seen Nikon move towards introducing the Content Credentials image authentication system, and the current Z9 lacks the hardware to deliver it. It's impossible to know whether a replacement would use the same sensor (perhaps as a Z9S) or if there's some excellent next-gen sensor waiting in the wings to form a more substantial upgrade. We'll have to wait and see.
The other model that seems likely is a ZfcII, bringing the Z50II's improved AF and processor into the company's Instagram-friendly retro body. Of course, it could turn out that most of the demand for a classically-styled camera was from the established, enthusiast audience, rather than the younger, more social media-focused crowd that the original Zfc was aimed at, in which case perhaps the bigger Zf already plugs the gap, but we think there's room for both.
Nikon - What we'd like to see
The other model that looks due for replacement, if the sales figures justify it, is the Z30. To us, it seems like an opportunity to brand it as the ZRc and borrow some of the buzz the ZR has created. We'd expect it to still be a little more vlogging-centric than the ZR and, if we had to choose, we'd probably prefer to see a newer sensor (in both this and the hypothetical ZfcII) rather than 32-bit float audio and Raw capture, but let's see what happens.
Finally, in light of the release of the DX Nikkor 16-50mm F2.8, we'd still love to see a spiritual successor to the D500. Modern AF, a fast sensor and a decent buffer, perhaps in a recycled Z6 body, would be a lovely thing. A big battery and image stabilization would be the cherry on the cake. We're not holding our breath, though.
We'd also like to signal to the Universe (and Nikon's product planning department) that a Z-mount version of the 300mm F4 PF would be excellent, so long as there are no awkward interactions with on-sensor PDAF. And, even though it looks really unlikely, at this point, we feel we should hold out a little hope for an updated Z7 model, even if it's not clear how it'd fit in the lineup.
Tamron - What we expect to see
Image: Tamron
Given that Tamron's bread and butter is lenses that are slightly off the beaten path, it's not particularly easy to guess what its next move will be. This year, we saw it complete its "trinity" of G2 F2.8 zooms, which leaves us thinking that it will revisit some of its more obscure existing lenses to improve their optics and potentially tweak their focal ranges.
Tamron - What we'd like to see
Image: Tamron
While the market for primes is tipping towards saturation, it's hard not to wish that Tamron would play a more significant role in it. The company has a few offerings, like its 90mm macro, but perhaps it could take the same "find a niche and fill it" approach that it does with its zooms.
Tech - What we might see
We have a longer article going into the tech that shaped 2025, and we suspect the trends we discussed in it will continue to have an impact in 2026. If we had to bet which one will make the biggest splash, it'd be partially stacked sensors that increase readout speeds without the negative impact on dynamic range in stills that we initially thought they might come with.
While we're interested in seeing whether a higher resolution full frame option that uses the tech will appear, we're perhaps more excited about its application to other sensor sizes. If OM System and Panasonic had access to a Micro Four Thirds sensor that was fast, but not as expensive as the stacked model from the OM-1 and OM-3, or if Fujifilm had a 100MP medium format sensor that read out as quickly as previous-gen full frame ones, it could open the gates for some very interesting cameras.
We'll also be keeping a close eye on whether any manufacturers follow Sigma and Hasselblad's lead in adopting UltraHDR JPEGs. Unlike the HDR output options available in most cameras today, the format allows for more dazzling images straight out of camera, without giving up standard JPEG's broad software compatibility or harming the viewing experience on a standard DR display.
Summary
So those are our best guesses and biggest hopes on what's in store for the coming year. If our exercise in grading our 2025 predictions is anything to go by, we wouldn't recommend taking any of it to the bank. As always, the point has mostly been a bit of fun... and if we can inspire any product managers to subtly bend upcoming releases to our whims, so much the better.
Of course, we're just humans and aren't attuned to every data point and hidden trend that may be out there, lurking in plain sight. Maybe we should check in on the AI to see if it's churned out any bright ideas...
Oh. It's just told us that Canon is going to make a retro-styled model with a wind-on lever that shoots Ultra HDR JPEG in the vertical format and will only capture video in open gate. We're pretty sure it's just as thoroughly confused by recent trends in the industry as we are and is hallucinating, but after last year...
