Why the first Chinese mirrorless cameras will massively disrupt the market and why that's a good thing

Date:
Sun, 30 Aug 2026 10:00:00 +0000

Description:
Want one of the best mirrorless cameras? Chances are it'll come from Japan. But a new superpower is rising up in the camera industry.

FULL STORY ======================================================================Copy link Facebook X Whatsapp Reddit Pinterest Flipboard Threads Email Share this article 0 Join the conversation Follow us Add us as a preferred source on Google Newsletter Subscribe to our newsletter Almost all of the big names in cameras Canon , Sony , Nikon, Fujifilm , Panasonic , OM System, Sigma,
Ricoh, Pentax and others hail from Japan, the birthplace of digital photography.

Want one of the best mirrorless cameras ? Unless it's a Leica or a
Hasselblad, right now it'll come from Japan. But a new superpower is rising
up in the camera industry, and that's China. Take DJI , which is
headquartered in Shenzhen. It has surpassed GoPro to lead action cam sales, and dominates numerous other sales charts with its pocket vlogging cameras
and range of drones . Latest Videos From TechRadar Watch full video here:

Insta360, meanwhile, leads the way in 360 cameras . And within interchangeable-lens camera ecosystems, Chinese lens manufacturer Viltrox is
a growing force, producing lenses for Sony, Nikon and Fujifilm cameras and, more recently, L-mount.

A string of recent reports and rumors suggest that certain China-based manufacturers are about to break new ground by producing their first mirrorless cameras and I think this could be the dramatic shake up that the industry needs. You may like Insta360 wants to replace photographers with an imperceptible photography robot The best mirrorless cameras, based on
in-depth testing 'There is a line AI cannot cross Insta360 founder defends controversial 'photography robot' plan Image 1 of 2 In another nod to photography, Insta360 made a 'retro' kit for its 4K Go 3S modular action cam, which features an optical waist-level viewfinder (Image credit: Insta360) Viltrox has a large collection of lenses for Sony, Nikon, Fujifilm and
L-mount cameras. Could it's own mirrorless camera be next? (Image credit: Tim Coleman) Image 1 of 2 View Original Image 2 of 2 View Original What Chinese mirrorless cameras can we expect? First, there are the concrete reports. Insta360 CEO Jingkang 'JK' Liu revealed the 360 camera specialist is making not one but two mirrorless cameras . He described one of these as being "a shape no one thought of" that has "the potential to completely change the way we take pictures", while leaked pictures of the other point to a minimalist Micro Four Thirds body .

Liu's reference to a new camera shape, along with the Insta360 CEO's recent post about replacing photographers with "intelligent photography robots" (remarks he clarified somewhat when I interviewed Insta360 ) has me thinking that a completely new kind of camera could be on the cards. Get daily
insight, inspiration and deals in your inbox Sign up for breaking news, reviews, opinion, top tech deals, and more. Contact me with news and offers from other Future brands Receive email from us on behalf of our trusted partners or sponsors By submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.

And it's not just Insta360. Viltrox, which makes superb lenses for multiple camera systems many of which I have reviewed, most recently a superb 'pancake' optic is in an excellent position to disrupt Canon and Sony's 70%-plus share of the digital camera market.

For many, mirrorless cameras are simply unaffordable, and Viltrox could
change that situation. Viltrox makes top-quality lenses for a fraction of the price of proprietary optics, though it's yet to produce a zoom lens (I'm expecting one soon enough, though). If it could apply that same value principle to an equally high-quality camera body, it could potentially dominate the beginner segment of the market, with its own lenses already in production. For many, mirrorless cameras are simply unaffordable, and Viltrox could change that situation.

Think about it: Viltrox might have already made the lenses for a future Viltrox mirrorless camera. Currently, it makes optics for the full-frame and APS-C formats (we're yet to see a Micro Four Thirds lens, despite a teaser suggesting we should have some by now ). What to read next Retro boom sees Fujifilm leapfrog Nikon in major camera market shake up Nikon and Fujifilm have been awfully quiet in 2026 here's what I expect to happen next Insta360 Luna Ultra vs DJI Pocket 4: I've tested both, here are my first impressions

If I were a betting man, I'd put my money on a beginner-level Viltrox mirrorless camera in the APS-C format, with an L-mount. Why so? We've seen reports of two new Viltrox APS-C format prime lenses for L-mount .

Two new lenses don't mean much in isolation. But when you consider that there are no current APS-C format camera bodies using the L-mount, that begs up the question: why make lenses that no current camera can use, unless you're
making that camera yourself?

I might be getting ahead of myself. But an industry that's long been
dominated and shaped by the big three Canon, Sony and Nikon, more recently joined by Fujifilm, which has wrestled third place from Nikon after it
sparked a surge of interest in retro cameras could do with a shake-up.

I don't mean another AI-powered shake-up, along the lines of the Nano banana-equipped Caira camera , which can make live edits to your photos in-camera based on word prompts, but a shake-up that makes mirrorless cameras more affordable, and in which the form factor / handling playbooks are ripped up. Those are the kind of changes I'd be excited to see. Follow TechRadar on Google News and add us as a preferred source to get our expert news, reviews, and opinion in your feeds. Today's best drone deals DJI Osmo Action 6 379 329 View See all prices DJI Mavic 4 Pro 2,459 2,299 View See all prices We check over 250 million products every day for the best prices



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Link to news story: https://www.techradar.com/cameras/mirrorless-cameras/why-the-first-chinese-mir rorless-camera-will-completely-disrupt-the-market-and-why-thats-a-good-thing


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