The Canon EOS R6 III Is Off to a Spectacular Start in Japan
Map Camera, one of Japan’s largest photography retailers, has released its monthly sales charts for brand-new and used camera models. The Canon EOS R6 Mark III, PetaPixel‘s Camera of the Year, delivered an outstanding debut, topping the November sales charts “far ahead” of second-place.
As reported by Digicame-Info, Map Camera’s sales breakdown explains that the R6 III, which released near the end of the month on November 21, finished “far ahead of the second-place finisher.”
Map Camera notes that after Canon announced the R6 III on November 6, the retailer opened preorders on November 11. Shortly after preorders opened, Canon announced a potential shortage due to excess demand, particularly for kits featuring its two different RF 24-105mm zoom lenses. However, Map Camera notes that initial shipments of the body-only version were “plentiful,” and most of the R6 III’s sales in November were the body-only version, while the kits remain on backorder despite improving supply.
As the major retailer notes, the R6 III’s predecessor, the R6 II, had been a mainstay in the top 10 sales rankings for years, falling out only recently amid rumors about the R6 III. Map Camera believes the R6 III will experience similar success, given its features and initial demand.
The second best-selling camera of November is another very popular new model, the Ricoh GR IV. As Map Camera notes, the supply of the GR IV remains unstable. Each time Map gets a new allotment, it opens up a fresh batch of preorders, and they sell out. Anecdotally, while the PetaPixel team was recently in Japan, it saw people lined up to get lottery tickets for a chance to purchase a Ricoh GR IV.
The premium compact camera is a substantial upgrade over its already fantastic predecessor, and Map Camera expects it to continue to sell exceptionally well. Its success will only be limited by the number of units Ricoh can actually produce.
Rounding out the top three is the Sony a7C II. Sony had been running a cashback campaign on the camera that ended in October, helping propel it up the sales rankings. However, given the success of this campaign, Sony launched another one in Japan starting in mid-November. Map Camera notes it as “certainly encouraging purchases” of the older a7 III.
The rest of the top ten best-selling new cameras in November include the Fujifilm X-E5 in fourth, the Nikon Z5 II in fifth, and then the Nikon ZR, Fujifilm X-M5, Ricoh GRIIIx, Nikon Zf, and the Sony a7 IV.
Map Camera and PetaPixel alike wonder how the brand-new Sony a7 V, which was announced earlier this month, will impact its sales charts in general and also the demand for older Sony cameras like the a7C II and the a7 IV. Will the R6 III remain on top even as the a7 V arrives in stores later this month? It’s an interesting question to consider. Preorders for the a7 V in the U.S. are already very strong.
Map Camera makes special mention of the Fujifilm X-M5 in seventh place. Until very recently, this camera, which was initially released in November 2024, has been in short supply. Map Camera notes the situation is improving, and believes the X-M5 may land even higher on the list for December as supply stabilizes. Speaking of Fujifilm, the X-T30 III released on November 28, just before the end of the month. It didn’t make the top 10, but it did finish in 11th with just a few days of sales.
As for used camera sales, the most popular used camera in November at Map Camera was the Fujifilm X-M5, followed by the Nikon Z50 II and the Sony a7 III. The rest of the best-selling used cameras are available on Map Camera’s website.
Image credits: Header photo by Erin Thomson for PetaPixel
