2024: by the numbers
We're closing in on 2025 fast, but we've got time for one last retrospective on the year that we'll soon be saying goodbye to. This time, we're going to take a look at some statistics – that may sound nerdy, but we promise it paints an interesting picture of where the photo industry is at large and gives a fun look at how the year has gone here at DPReview.
27: The number of cameras released this year2024 saw the release of 27 stills cameras, from major flagships like the Sony a9 III to minor refreshes like the Panasonic Lumix DC-G97 and models from plucky brands like Pixii. While we counted some largely video-focused cameras, like the Sony ZV-E10 II, that figure doesn't include cinema cameras like the Canon EOS C80 or action cameras like the GoPro Hero 13.
That's around six more than last year, depending on how you count them. While there are a few caveats – the 27 figure has some cameras that could be considered duplicates, like the Ricoh GR III HDF / GR IIIx HDF and G900 II / G900SE II – it still seems like the camera industry has been a bit more productive this year.
That's definitely nice to see – while 27 isn't quite as many cameras as were released in 2019 and 2020, 2021 through 2023 were largely stagnant in terms of the number of new releases. It's too early to say whether the upward trend will continue, but we can definitely say that we hope it does.
25 - Zoom lenses releasedIt's been a diverse year for zoom lenses, which is reflected in the sheer number of them that have hit the market. Panasonic released what it says is the smallest and lightest interchangeable zoom with autofocus for full-frame mirrorless cameras, but we also saw some massive pieces of glass, such as the Sony 28-70mm F2 and Sigma's envelope-pushing 28-45mm F1.8 zoom.
Not all the great zoom lenses were for full-frame, though. We picked the Fujifilm XF 16-55mm F2.8 R LM WR II as our best zoom lens of the year because it makes good on the promise of APS-C: it gives you slightly more range than the typical full-frame 24-70mm F2.8, while being around 1/3 lighter and smaller.
Whether you like bright zooms that are still compact or lenses that cover a massive range, 2024 had something for you.
43 - New prime lenses we tracked the release ofLet's make this clear right off the bat: that number almost certainly leaves out some prime lenses that came out this year, as the number of releases has exploded as it gets easier and easier to create a manual-focus lens with minimal or no electrical contact to the camera body.
However, we must draw the line somewhere unless we want to spend days trying to create an inevitably incomplete list, so we've settled on counting the lenses that we here at DPReview wrote about or added to our database.
That still leaves us with, frankly, a hefty number of lenses! The vast majority are also modern designs; they include autofocus motors and report information back to the camera. Another interesting statistic: 21 out of the 43 were released by brands other than the big manufacturers, by companies such as Laowa, Viltrox, and TTArtisan. We're truly spoiled for choice when it comes to prime lenses in 2024, a trend that will hopefully continue next year.
9 - Interviews with major manufacturersThroughout the year, we interviewed people and teams at several of the major camera and lens companies. We got to cover a wide range of topics – the state of the camera market, new technologies, and what photographers and consumers expect from their products. You won't be surprised to hear that AI came up a lot.
Below, we've listed the links to all of our 2024 interviews. You can also check out our articles where we asked manufacturers what they thought the most significant gear from the past 25 years is and gathered their thoughts on the state of the camera market as a whole.
- "We wouldn’t be here without the X100”: Yuji Igarashi on where Fujifilm goes next
- Full-frame Foveon sensor "still at design stage" says Sigma CEO, "but I'm still passionate"
- Ricoh’s big bet on a film renaissance: We interview the team behind the upcoming Pentax film camera
- Sigma CEO talks market trends, the challenge of innovation and the future for APS-C
- Nikon interview: "State-of-the-art technology needs to be embedded in our products"
- Panasonic interview: "We place emphasis on expanding customer value by expanding our circle of partners"
- Tamron interview: "We're already using AI technology to improve performance"
- "We have to meet all of their expectations" Sony talks diverse markets, AI and global shutters
- "We want to make greater use of deep learning technologies": Canon talks AI, 3D imaging, and third-party lens support
Since December 25th, 2023, we've been celebrating our 25th anniversary here at DPReview. 25 years covers a lot of camera history, so we've highlighted some major milestones throughout the 26 articles we put out this year to celebrate our 25th anniversary.
You can find the entire list of those articles here. Many of them are retrospectives on cameras that had a major impact in one way or another; looks back at the cameras that made 4K video accessible, started the mirrorless revolution, or that happened to be the first model we ever reviewed. There are also breakdowns of trends that have come and gone, as well as a few looks behind the scenes of what it takes to test cameras the way we do.
While this wasn't on purpose, 26 also happens to be a serendipitous number in relation to anniversaries; as of last week, DPReview is now 26 years old. We couldn't have made it this far without your support, and we look forward to another year bringing you news, reviews, sample galleries, and all the rest that comes with covering this industry.
Also, if you've read this far, you'll probably appreciate the 'DPR By The Numbers' widgets on our 25 years page.
46 - Issues of our newsletterThis year, we sent out 46 issues of our newsletter to our audience's inboxes, filled with news, sneak peeks, and more.
If this is the first you've heard of our newsletter, consider signing up! We use it to highlight our best stories throughout the week, articles from across the web that caught our attention and, of course, the latest photography news. We've got big plans for 2025, and you won't want to miss them.
