Trends have revived the compact camera from near extinction – but how shortlived is the point-and-shoot craze? The buzz around premium point-and-shoots could have staying power, suggests data from a stock-market-ticker-like chart graphing the price of used cameras. According to retailer MPB’s Used Camera Gear Price Index, the price of used compact cameras is still up by about ten percent from three years ago. However, the price of used mirrorless cameras has dropped right alongside the older DSLRs.
MPB, which specializes in pre-owned photo and video gear, tracks the pricing trends for second-hand cameras, then charts the data in an interactive Used Camera Gear Price index – which feels a bit like a stock market ticker for photographers. The data shows that, at the start of 2025, the price of used premium compact cameras is still up by about 10% in the US compared to three years ago and up by more than 22% in the UK.
The compact camera price seemed to peak around August last year for both the US and the UK. The price of second-hand Fujifilm cameras jumped around the same time, suggesting that the trends could be affected by the popularity of the Fujifilm X100VI – a compact so hard to find that used versions were selling for more than the new list price. On the same chart, Canon, Sony and Nikon prices all fell by more than 25% over the last few years in the UK, with a bit more stability in the US as Sony dropped by 13%, Canon 16% and Nikon 20%
That same chart tells a different story when looking at the cost of both used DSLRs and mirrorless cameras. While the drop in DSLR prices may not be surprising, as the top brands focus on mirrorless, the newer mirrorless camera category seems to have fallen right alongside the older interchangeable lens format.
Over the last 36 months, the price of used mirrorless cameras has dropped by about 17% in the US while DSLRs fell by about 35%. The difference between the categories is even narrower in the UK, where the price of used DSLRs has dropped by about 26% and mirrorless 27% over the same time period.
Europe seems to buck those trends a bit, with the compact camera nearly breaking even in the 36-month price difference after a 35% jump at the start of 2022. Used mirrorless prices are down by about 21% compared to 2022 and DSLRs by 29%.
Prices show more stability when looking at a 12-month period, with compact prices up by around 6%, mirrorless down by 6% and DSLRs dropping by about 17% in the US. Looking at the UK, compact camera prices are only up by about two percent compared to a year ago, where DSLRs dropped by about 9% and mirrorless by around 15%.
Those small numbers in the compact camera category suggest that the compact craze isn’t about to fizzle out anytime soon. But, with few manufacturers offering compact cameras after sales dropped several years back, the cost of used models could be more indicative of the trends than new gear. The MPB price tracker, however, only shows “premium compact cameras,” not the used single-digit megapixels that are trending among Gen Z.
Combining all the categories, the price of used gear has dropped by about 13% over the last 36 months in the US, about 20% in the UK and around 18% in Europe.
The charts, however, only track the price of used cameras and don’t offer insight into how many of those cameras are actually being sold. Looking at the top ten most popular products sold on the platform can offer a glimpse of insight, however.
Out of MPB’s ten most popular cameras sold over the last three years in the US, only two didn’t drop in price: the Sony A6000 and the Fujifilm X-T5, the latter interesting to see in the top ten as it's a current model that is still widely available new. In the UK, the Sony A6000 and Fujifilm X100V are the only two in the top ten that increased in price over the last three years.
Tracking the price of used camera gear offers a different take on the industry numbers that look at the sales of new-in-box cameras, such as the latest CIPA figures. The used data offers insight into which cameras retain their value, but may be more indicative of what budget-seekers are buying, as those willing to pay more for the latest tech won’t be looking at used gear in the first place.
The interactive Used Camera Gear Price Index is available from MPB – but I should warn you, the interactive charts can be rather addicting.
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