Ever-popular camera rumor website Photo Rumors has conducted a poll to find the worst camera of 2024, and the results were something of a surprise. The poll was held on Photo Rumors' Facebook page, and asked the members of the group to cast their vote on cameras launched throughout 2024.
There were 29 cameras in the poll, ranging from compacts and action cams to top-of-the-line full-frame mirrorless models, and here it is (in alphabetical order), along with links to our reviews or most recent coverage.
- Canon EOS C80
- Canon EOS R1
- Canon EOS R5 Mark II
- Fujifilm GFX 100S II
- Fujifilm X-M5
- Fujifilm X-T50
- Fujifilm X100VI
- GoPro Hero 13
- Leica D-Lux 8
- Leica Q3 43
- Leica SL3
- Nikon Z50II
- Nikon Z6III
- OM System E-M1 Mark III Astro
- OM System OM-1 Mark II
- Panasonic Lumix DC-FZ80D
- Panasonic Lumix DC-GH7
- Panasonic Lumix DC-G97
- Panasonic Lumix DC-S9
- Panasonic Lumix DC-ZS99
- Pentax WG-8
- Pixii Max
- Ricoh G900 II
- Ricoh G900SE II
- Ricoh GR III HDF
- Ricoh GR IIIx HDF
- Sony a1 II
- Sony a9 III
- Sony ZV-E10 II
And the overall winner – or should that be loser? – was... the Canon EOS R5 Mark II – and by some margin, with a huge 28% of the vote. This came as something of a surprise, as the tagline for our review read "still the best damn camera you can buy", and Digital Camera World Editor James Artaius's verdict was: "I use a lot of cameras in my job, but this is simply the best camera I've ever used. Bold words, but the Canon EOS R5 Mark II backs them up. All the speed you need, all the resolution you could want, and an autofocus system you've only dreamed of."
Perhaps what riled the Photo Rumors audience so much was that the camera has been nigh-on impossible to get hold of, with constant shipping delays, and whether it was that significant an upgrade over the original R5.
In second place, with 11% of the vote, was the Sony A9 III. Again, this is a top-of-the-range flagship model with an enviable spec sheet, although it's pretty pricey, and I'd wager that's what irked Photo Rumors' audience so much.
Third place was a three-way tie between the Leica D-Lux 8, Panasonic Lumix S9 and Sony A1 II, each with a 9% share of the vote. While they may have their flaws – and the A1 II is stupidly expensive – they're still pretty decent cameras in our opinion, so perhaps it's more a tribal thing, with Photo Rumors' readers turning their ire against rival cameras to the brands that they personally use?
Not to be outdone, here is the Digital Camera World team's own take on the worst cameras of 2024…
