DigiTimes行业综述：运动相机高增长、大疆影石占近九成份额，GoPro陷持续经营疑虑——均为旧数据汇总无新增催化

After two years of recovery, the digital camera market is slowing in 2026, with action cameras and handheld smart cameras taking over as the next growth engines. Optical industry observers say consumers no longer expect one camera to cover every scenario, instead choosing specialized devices for specific uses—a shift that has made action cameras the clearest winner.

Camera shipments stall
Data from the Camera & Imaging Products Association (CIPA) show that global digital camera shipments reached 4.356 million units in the first half of 2026, nearly flat from the same period in 2025, up just 0.5%. Although shipments posted first-half growth for the third consecutive year and reached their highest level for the period since 2019, growth has essentially stalled. Shipments began declining in May, with June shipments falling more than 14% year-over-year to 713,000 units.
Looking at product categories, Japanese manufacturers are focusing on higher-priced models, while compact cameras still have room to expand. Single-lens reflex cameras continue to lose relevance, showing that the traditional camera market has shifted from competing on volume to competing on average selling price.
Action cameras accelerate
Action cameras are performing very differently. IDC estimates that global shipments of handheld smart cameras surged to 16.65 million units in 2025, more than 80% higher than the previous year. The research firm expects the market to double and exceed 40 million units by 2030, implying an average annual growth rate of about 20%.
Global action camera shipments reached approximately 2.01 million units in the first quarter of 2026, up nearly 40% year-over-year, indicating that momentum remains strong.
Product segmentation is also driving growth. In the first quarter, shipments of thumb cameras, which emphasize compact designs and detachable lenses, jumped more than 3.5 times. Traditional all-in-one action cameras recorded more moderate growth of about 16%, while panoramic cameras exceeded 500,000 units for the quarter, up more than 50%.
Industry players say the needs of cyclists, skiers, vloggers, and first-person content creators differ significantly. Brands are responding by dividing their product lines into wearable, panoramic, and gimbal-based categories to target different user groups.
DJI and Insta360 dominate while GoPro struggles
IDC's first-quarter data for handheld smart cameras show DJI controlled approximately two-thirds of the market, while Insta360 held about 20%. The two Chinese brands together captured nearly 90% of the market. GoPro, once the dominant brand in extreme-sports imaging, saw shipments fall by one-third from the same period in 2025, leaving it with a market share of just 6%.
GoPro and Insta360 have taken sharply different paths. GoPro's 2025 revenue fell nearly 20% to US$652 million, and the company posted a US$93 million loss. It recently announced plans to cut nearly one-third of its workforce.
With surging memory prices also driving up costs, GoPro acknowledged in a filing with the US Securities and Exchange Commission that substantial doubt exists about its ability to continue operating. Industry observers generally believe GoPro's foray into drones not only ended unsuccessfully but also slowed research, development, and product refreshes in its core camera business, ultimately costing the company its leadership position.
Insta360, by contrast, continues to move its products upmarket. Founder JK Liu has identified fully automated camera robots as the company's next development target.
As action cameras evolve from simple recording tools into smart devices that integrate AI tracking, automatic editing, and other functions, the definition of the product continues to expand.
Supply chain eyes fragmented orders
Players in Taiwan's optical supply chain also believe that although higher memory prices will hurt the action camera market in the short term, the market's long-term growth trajectory remains unchanged. Lens and module makers such as Asia Optical and Canon are expected to benefit from the opportunity.
Action cameras come in numerous models and are refreshed rapidly, generating more fragmented orders than traditional cameras. Suppliers that can quickly produce prototypes and flexibly allocate production capacity will therefore be better positioned to secure business.
Overall, the camera industry has entered an era in which consumers choose devices based on specific scenarios. Memory costs and tariffs remain short-term uncertainties, but action cameras, supported by demand for social video and outdoor activities, are expected to remain the fastest-growing category in the imaging market.