Kuaikeji, August 7 – Today, research firm Runto unveiled sales data for China’s action camera market in the first half of 2026, revealing explosive growth and a shifting competitive landscape.

The data indicates that during the first half of 2026, China’s online full-channel sales of action cameras surged to 3.119 million units, generating RMB 8.20 billion in revenue. This represents a staggering year-on-year increase exceeding 90% in both volume and value.

Runto highlights that the driving force behind this growth has transitioned from professional outdoor filming to everyday short video creation for the general public.

With the rising popularity of short videos, outdoor lifestyles, and lightweight user-generated content (UGC) creation, coupled with the expanding use cases in camping, cycling, diving, urban travel photography, and daily vlogging, action cameras have evolved from specialized gear for extreme sports into portable creative tools for the masses.

Brand Landscape: DJI and Insta360 Dominate

China’s domestic action camera market exhibits a highly concentrated brand landscape at the top.

In the first half of 2026, DJI and Insta360 jointly captured 89.4% of the sales volume share and 97.9% of the sales value share in China’s online action camera market, further intensifying the “Matthew effect”—where leading brands consolidate their dominance.

DJI emerged as the clear leader, securing an absolute advantage with 74.0% of online sales volume and 80.9% of sales value.

In segmented markets, DJI’s Osmo Pocket series claimed the top spot in gimbal camera sales, while its Action series, leveraging drone imaging algorithms and a comprehensive accessory ecosystem, led the wide-angle action camera segment.

Insta360 trailed closely, holding 15.4% of the overall online sales volume share and 17.0% of the sales value share.

Traditionally strong in the panoramic camera sector, Insta360 expanded its portfolio this year with the Luna Ultra gimbal camera, officially entering the gimbal camera segment long dominated by DJI. This move established a dual product line strategy of “panoramic cameras + gimbal cameras.”

Struggling Competitors: Marginalization of GoPro and Budget Brands

In contrast, other brands face significant challenges.

Excluding DJI and Insta360, the remaining brands collectively accounted for just 10% of the sales volume share and 2% of the sales value share.

GoPro, once synonymous with action cameras, is gradually being marginalized in the Chinese market. Runto notes that GoPro’s high-priced flagship HERO13 appeals to a narrow audience, while cumbersome editing processes and weak ecosystem competitiveness have led to a notable decline in its relevance for China’s mass short video creation market.

Meanwhile, budget brands like SJCAM and AKASO remain heavily reliant on overseas cross-border markets, with limited influence in domestic online and offline channels. Their market share for low-priced models continues to shrink.