The 12 most exciting cameras to expect in 2026 — from DJI's first 360 drone to the iPhone 18

Predicting the most exciting cameras for the upcoming year has become something of a tradition for me. Looking back at my shortlist from this time 12 months ago I correctly predicted 10 out of 12 new cameras, including the Canon EOS R6 Mark III, Sony A7 V and iPhone 17.

I had a couple of misses. A new Pentax SLR film camera is yet to materialize (though I did note it was unlikely for 2025), while the Lumix S1H II, which I really did expect, turned out to be a Lumix S1 II, my video camera of the year. Not a bad track record.

Some brands make this game easy – we can typically expect new Samsung Galaxy flagship phones in Q1 every year, and the latest iPhone around September. Others are less predictable, but as a camera nerd it's nonetheless fun to dream about what ...