What’s coming next from Canon, Sony, Nikon and more? Find out in our round-up of the most exciting cameras of 2022.
The photographer’s curse is a gnawing feeling that, no matter how good your current kit is, a crucial missing piece is just around the corner. Yes, your camera is better than almost every photographic tool from the past 150 years, but the cameras of 2022? They’re destined to hit ‘Peak Photography’ and elevate your almost-great Instagram feed to new heights. Even when we know it’s a mirage that somehow doesn’t dampen the fun of camera future-gazing. And there are good reasons to believe that 2022 will be another great year for camera launches. Aside from the grim realities of chip shortages, we have fully-cooked mirrorless systems from Canon, Sony, Nikon and Panasonic all competing for our attention, not to mention fresh innovation from the likes of Insta360 and Alice Camera. Against all the odds,2021 was a vintage year for new cameras, even if that hasn’t yet been reflected in shipments and sales. That momentum is likely to continue into 2022, with the year looking particularly exciting for hobbyist shooters. Now that the big players have established their pro bodies – like the Canon EOS R3, Sony A1 and Nikon Z9 – it’s time for that innovation to filter down to more affordable cameras. We have Fujifilm ready to join the stacked-sensor game with the long-awaited Fujifilm X-H2, Panasonic finally ready to unleash the Panasonic GH6 for video shooters, and OM System preparing to channel the innovative spirit of Olympus with a new launch of its own. Add a sprinkling of intriguing new players and you have the recipe for another year of defiant innovation in the post-cameraphone era. Honorable mentions to cameras that are missing from our list include the Fujifilm Instax Mini Evo (due to launch globally in February 2022), the rumored Sony A9 III, and a long list of future smartphones, including the Google Pixel 7 and iPhone 14 Pro. We’ve also avoided conjuring up rumored dream cameras that have no current basis in reality. So with that in mind, it’s time to begin the slideshow. Starting in reverse order, here are the most exciting cameras of 2022… Okay, Leica cameras are mainly exciting to those with bulging Bitcoin wallets, but even for non-CEOs, there’s something reassuring about the stubborn traditionalism of the M-series. The Leica M11 isn’t yet official, but it’s an almost-certainty given recent leaked images – and it could divide opinion if rumors are to be believed. The latest whispers from the likes of Leica Rumors suggest the M11 will have a new 60MP full-frame sensor, with modes for 50MP,36MP and 15MP snaps to help manage your file sizes. More controversially, it seems Leica will be removing the baseplate design that’s been a staple of M-series cameras since 1954. On the old Leica M3, you’d remove this baseplate to load film into the camera’s base. This unusual design stayed on later models like the digital Leica M8 in 2006, even though it made changing the battery and memory card a faff. But it seems Leica is now sensibly updating it on the M11 with a similar design to the Q2. One thing will stay the same though – the M11 will be pricey, like its $6,495 / £5,599 / AU$9,699 predecessor. Aren’t Olympus cameras dead? Yes, officially deceased since the announcement in October that the new owners of Olympus’ imaging arm would be releasing models under a fresh ‘OM System’ brand. However, the spirit of the company, whose cameras date back to 1936, may live on if the hype coming from OM System proves correct. The company has promised that it’s «developing a new interchangeable lens camera» for the Micro Four Thirds system that will «bring photography to the next level.» Interestingly, OM System says it will improve image quality «through the use of computational photographic technology.» This is slightly ironic, given that Olympus effectively blamed smartphones for the demise of its cameras. Not that OM System will be entirely new to computational photography. Olympus cameras have previously pioneered software tricks like Live ND, which composited multiple images in-camera to create a slow-shutter effect. And it’s this heritage that OM System is planning to build on with its new release. What will the camera look like? It’s not clear yet, but there’s a clue at the bottom of the image above. The least likely camera in this list to see a 2022 launch is also one of the most exciting. The formula demanded by Nikon fans is simple: take the glorious design of the Nikon Z fc, which was inspired by the 30-year-old Nikon FM2, and apply it to a full-frame mirrorless camera. Then call it the Nikon Z f and start printing money. It sounds simple, but will Nikon do it in 2022? All we have to go on is Nikon’s response to our gentle prods back in August, when it told us: «Depending on how the Z fc is received by the market, and on customer demand, we will continue to explore ideas for future models.» In the words of Lloyd Christmas, «so there’s a chance.» The good news for those hoping for a Nikon Z f – its most likely name, given it’d be a ‘fusion’ of old and new, but go beyond the ‘casual’ aspirations of the Z fc – is that sales of the Z fc appear to be strong. In July, Nikon released a statement warning of delays to Z fc shipments due to demand outstripping supply – although it’s possible this was also due to reduced production capacity.
