We pay four times more for cameras than we did ten years ago – is the industry ruining photography?

Three digital cameras on a pink paper backdrop: a Fujifilm, Nikon Z7, and Canon, showcasing their distinct designs and lenses.

That photography always was and still is an expensive hobby or profession should be all too clear by now. Most of us don't even want to think about how much money has gone into gear since we started… but here's a fresh kick in the wallet: over the last decade, the average price we pay for cameras has quadrupled.

According to DC Life, citing Nikkei Industry Map 2026, the average price of digital cameras – including mirrorless, compact, other integrated-lens cameras and SLRs – is now around ¥97,000 (approximately $660 / £485 / AU$990). That's throughly 4 times the price tag from 2014.