The Best New Cameras of Spring 2026, From $170 Instax to a $10,500 Leica
It's been a huge few months for camera launches. Here are the six worth knowing about, from a retro Instax to Leica's flagship, and who each one is for.
Smartphones keep getting better, yet the camera industry has just had one of its busiest seasons in years. Canon, Nikon, OM System, Sony, Leica and Fujifilm have all launched new models since mid-year. Between them they cover almost every kind of buyer, from someone who wants to print party snaps to a professional shooting 8K video. Here are the six that matter, roughly in order of price, and who should buy each one.
Fujifilm Instax Pal 2
US$170 | Australian pricing to be confirmed | From late September
The original Instax Pal was a cute, palm-sized digital camera. The Pal 2 goes in a completely different direction. It's now a long, rectangular camera that borrows its look from the tiny 110 film cameras of decades past. It's still digital, so you shoot first and then choose which images to print on an Instax printer such as the new Instax Link Wide 2 (US$180).
Who it's for: anyone who wants the fun of film without the cost of film, and a camera that looks great sitting on a table at a party.
OM System PEN
A$1,499 body | A$1,799 with 14-42mm kit lens
The PEN name has a cult following, and OM System has brought it back with a stylish, compact Micro Four Thirds camera built around a 20MP sensor. The smaller sensor system keeps the camera and its lenses light, and the design leans into the retro charm that made the original PEN range so loved.
Who it's for: travellers and style-conscious shooters who want something smaller and more characterful than a typical mirrorless camera, without paying full-frame prices.
Nikon Z5IIC
A$2,399 body
Nikon's Z5IIC takes much of what makes the Z5II a strong entry-level full-frame camera and puts it in a squarer, rangefinder-inspired body. To make it smaller and cheaper, Nikon has removed the electronic viewfinder and a few other extras, so you compose on the rear screen, just as you would on a phone.
Who it's for: smartphone photographers stepping up to full frame for the first time. If you've never used a viewfinder, you won't miss it. If you have, try one in store before buying.
Sony RX10 V
US$2,299 | On sale since August
Nine years after the RX10 IV, Sony has brought back its bridge superzoom. The core idea hasn't changed: a 1-inch type 20MP sensor behind a fixed Zeiss Vario-Sonnar T* 24-600mm equivalent lens, so you can shoot a landscape and a distant bird without changing lenses. The update adds AI-based autofocus and 4K 120p video.
Who it's for: wildlife watchers, sports parents and travellers who want huge zoom range in one body and never want to carry a bag of lenses.
Canon EOS R8 Mark II
A$2,529 body | A$2,859 with RF 24-50mm kit lens
The original R8 was one of the lightest full-frame cameras you could buy, but it lacked in-body image stabilisation. The Mark II fixes that. It adds IBIS to the R8 line and introduces what Canon calls Dual Pixel 3D imaging technology, while keeping the compact, lightweight body that made the first model popular.
Who it's for: hybrid photo and video creators who want Canon colour and autofocus in a body small enough to carry every day. The kit is good value for a first full-frame system.
Leica SL3-P
A$10,500 body
At the other end of the scale, Leica describes the SL3-P as its most advanced full-frame camera yet. It has a 44MP backside-illuminated sensor, Leica's Maestro processor, 8K video and a hybrid autofocus system that combines phase detection, depth mapping and contrast detection across 819 AF points. Leica launched two new lenses alongside it.
Who it's for: working professionals and serious enthusiasts already invested in the L-Mount system, and anyone for whom a Leica is as much an object as a tool.
How to choose
- Just want fun prints: Instax Pal 2
- First "real" camera for travel: OM System PEN
- Cheapest route to full frame: Nikon Z5IIC
- Maximum zoom, no lens changes: Sony RX10 V
- Best all-rounder for photo and video: Canon EOS R8 Mark II
- No compromises: Leica SL3-P
One final tip: the lens system matters more than the body. A camera is a purchase you'll likely replace in five years, but lenses can last decades. If you're buying into a system for the first time, check the range and price of lenses you'll want next before you commit. For the Instax and the RX10 V, where local prices haven't been confirmed or listed here, check Fujifilm Australia and Sony Australia before you buy.
Sources: Canon Australia, Photo Review, DPReview
