Black Friday camera deals 2022: what we expect to see

If you're looking for the best Black Friday camera deals, then you've come to the right place. We don't expect to see the bulk of the best camera deals until November when you will find discounts on a huge range of cameras in the Black Friday camera deals. Whichever side of the mirrorless vs. DSLR debate you are on, price cuts on both types of cameras were highly available in last year's sales. Any action camera, instant camera, or drone user could also bag a bargain too, such as the DJI FPV - We're going to prepare you for the Black Friday camera deals we expect to see in 2022 by answering any questions you may have before this year's holiday shopping event.

We know that there are some pretty good camera phones available these days, but there will always be a place for traditional cameras. Black Friday 2022 is a great time to pick one up, whether you're just starting out in your photography journey or a seasoned professional, there should be something for you. Black Friday isn't officially starting until Friday, November 25 this year, but Amazon is known to kick off its deals early and will have themed sales weeks in the run-up to the event. Then when the bargains start rolling in, we'll keep this page up to date with all the best offers on this page.

Black Friday camera deals

There won't be any official Black Friday camera deals until we get closer to November, but that doesn’t mean retailers and manufacturers will hold back from offering discounts in the interim. There are always plenty of camera deals on offer, so if you need a deal on a new action camera or Mirrorless camera right now, here are the best places to browse. 

Top US retailers:

Amazon: Regualy has cheap prices on camera gear (opens in new tab)
Adorama: Big Black Friday discounts on cameras and accessories (opens in new tab)
Apple: Save on your old iPhone with select trade-ins and offers (opens in new tab)
B&H Photo Video: Always has great deals on leading camera brands (opens in new tab)
GoPro: Early deals on Hero 11 Black and Hero 10 Black bundles (opens in new tab)
Walmart: Select deals on DSLR, Mirrorless, and action cameras (opens in new tab)

Top UK retailers:

Amazon: Regualy has cheap prices on camera gear (opens in new tab)
Apple: Save on your old iPhone with select trade-ins and offers (opens in new tab)
John Lewis: The latest deals on electrical equipment (opens in new tab)
Park Cameras: Amazing savings on cameras & lenses (opens in new tab)
Wex Photo Video: Great deals on the latest camera kit (opens in new tab)
Mixbook: Up to 50% off all items, including photo books & calendars (opens in new tab) 

Black Friday FAQs

When will the Black Friday camera deals start?

This year, the official Black Friday date is Friday, November 25, so camera deals will be available on this day. However, we do expect Black Friday camera deals to start a bit before this in 2022. 

The Amazon tradition of a one-day sales extravaganza has now become a longer event in recent years, taking away the panic of bagging the best deals on the day itself. Last year we saw deals appearing as early as October, with more bargains becoming available in the weeks leading up to Black Friday itself. So for the best Black Friday camera deals, keep an eye out on this page over the next month or two and especially in the week build-up before Black Friday.

If you do miss out on Black Friday itself, don’t worry, we’ve got Cyber Monday Camera Deals coming just after, and then the Christmas deals will be about at the end of the year too.

Where are the best places to find Black Friday camera deals?

The best Black Friday camera deals can be found right here:

Top US retailers:

Amazon
(opens in new tab)Adorama (opens in new tab)
Apple (opens in new tab)
B&H Photo Video (opens in new tab)
GoPro (opens in new tab)
Walmart (opens in new tab)

Top UK retailers: 

Amazon (opens in new tab)
Apple (opens in new tab)
John Lewis (opens in new tab)
Park Cameras (opens in new tab)
Wex Photo Video (opens in new tab)
Mixbook (opens in new tab)

Is Black Friday the best time to buy a camera?

As a general rule, Black Friday is a great time to buy a new camera, but not every deal is as good as it may seem – which is where we come in.

In some cases, retailers do mark up the prices of cameras in the run-up to Black Friday, in order to offer a seemingly bigger discount during the run of the actual sales event. This doesn't necessarily make them a bad buy though – on many occasions, their prices still drop to record-lows. But in the grand scheme, the percentage saving may not be quite as large as advertised.

In these situations, we'll only highlight the actual saving of any Black Friday deal based on the camera's recent price history, and we will make sure it's a genuinely good buy by looking further back. This isn't necessarily the norm, though, and many cameras do simply drop to their lowest-ever price for a brief period over Black Friday, particularly in Amazon's Lightning deals. These are often the best camera deals of the year.

Tips for buying a camera online

How to find the best Black Friday camera deals

Of course, the best Black Friday deals will be on this page as soon as they launch. We’ll bring you the top bargains from all the best retailers when the discounts start rolling in on and before Black Friday. But there are a lot of different cameras to choose from, and it can get overwhelming at times - especially for photography beginners. So we recommend making the most of our extensive camera knowledge to make sure you buy the right bit of kit for you come Black Friday. 

If you're new to photography, a good place to start is our best camera for beginners guide. Once you've got a feel for which type of camera might suit you best, check out our separate guides on the best camera for photography, the best mirrorless camera, and if you think you want to take advantage of the lowering prices of DSLRs, check out our best DSLR – we have the latest advice on them all.

3 best cameras to watch out for

The Fujifilm X-T4 may not be a full-frame camera, but its smaller APS-C sensor allows it to be the best all-rounder for most photographers in terms of size and all-around value. It combines in-body image stabilization (IBIS), speedy burst shooting, and a larger battery than its X-T3 predecessor. Its autofocus is also fast and reliable in most situations.

When it comes to image quality, the X-T4's 26MP sensor remains class-leading for an APS-C camera, and it turns in an impressive performance when it comes to video, too. Fujifilm's fine range of X-series lenses also makes it a great, smaller alternative to its full-frame rivals – though if you're looking for something even more affordable than the X-T4, it's well worth considering its X-T3 predecessor, too. 

Read our in-depth Fujifilm X-T4 review

The Fujifilm X100V takes what was already a special camera and fixes all of its weaknesses – it's the perfect compact for the smartphone age. The concept is the same as before: a stylish, pocketable design, large APS-C sensor, unique hybrid viewfinder, and a fixed 23mm f/2 lens. All of those areas, though, have now been improved on the X100V, which brings a new tilting screen and improved autofocus performance, now 2 years old this is a camera to watch when the Black Friday sales come rolling in!

Our testing has found the image quality to be much improved, partly thanks to a redesigned lens, and the low-light performance to be better. One of our main complaints with the X100F was that its photos tended to be soft at f/2. Not so much with X100V, as we found it to offer great sharpness in the center, even at the widest apertures. Then there’s the higher resolution hybrid viewfinder – both optical and electronic – as well as support for 4K/30p video capture.  

Sure, you need to add a filter for full weather-proofing and the cost will be prohibitive for some. But, the X100V puts an impressive range of features into a polished, premium body, with a throwback style that sets it apart from the crowd – yet still fits perfectly in your pocket.

Read our in-depth Fujifilm X100V review

Recently replaced by the new flagship model, the GoPro Hero 11 Black, the Hero 10 will see good reductions come Black Friday, if you're looking for the second most polished, powerful action cam around (minus the Hero11 Black) – this is it. The Hero 10 Black's key upgrade from its predecessor was its new GP2 processor, which unlocked a range of useful features. We found some of those, like its ability to shoot 4K/120p video, to be genuinely impressive, while others – like its far more responsive touchscreen – felt like fixes for the Hero 9 Black's flaws.

The result is an action camera that's more versatile and fun to use than its predecessor, and a waterproof companion that's ideal for capturing outdoor adventures or vlogging videos in 4K. GoPro's highest-quality HyperSmooth stabilization, which is now available in more shooting modes, was excellent in our tests and remains a big boon over your smartphone. Better value is available elsewhere, not least in older GoPros like the Hero 8 Black, but we think the Hero 10 Black is worth the premium for most people.

Read our in-depth GoPro Hero 10 Black review

US: Last year's Black Friday Camera deals

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Mirrorless and DSLR cameras - save up to 65%
Mirrorless and DSLR cameras from the likes of Canon, Olympus, Sony, Nikon and many more were discounted in last year’s Black Friday camera deals. The biggest discount we saw was 65% off the Canon EOS 5DS but you could also get an impressive 38% off the Fujifilm X-T200 with 15-45mm lens, cutting the price by $300.

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Compact cameras - up to $300 off
In last year’s Black Friday camera deals we saw some serious discounts on some of the best compact cameras on the market at the time. From the cheapest prices we had seen on select GoPro cameras, to a 35% discount on the family friendly Fujifilm XP140, and a massive $300 off the Panasonic Lumix FZ1000, you could save big on some top brands.

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Drones - savings of 10%-36%
If you’re on the market for a device to record from the sky, you should be able to pick up a drone deal in the Black Friday camera deals. Last year most discounts on drones were around 10%, which saved you a decent amount of cash on the flying cameras. One of the best deals we saw was an impressive 37% off the DJI Mavic Air Fly More Combo, which fell to $729 at Amazon. For a more beginner-friendly option, the DJI Mavic Mini had a smaller but still decent discount of $70. 

UK: Last year's Black Friday camera deals

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Mirrorless and DSLR cameras - save up to 40%
Like in the US, there were DSLR and mirrorless cameras from a range of brands including Fujifilm, Canon, Nikon and Sony available last year. The Sony A7 III fell to a record low price at the time, thanks to the combination of an impressive discount and £200 cashback. The classic full-frame camera would’ve cost you just £1,445. Another one of our top picks in this category was a £230 saving on the Fujifilm X-T20, which was a great option for anyone looking to get into photography.

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Instant and Action cameras - save on GoPros and polaroids
You could bag a great deal on some of the more fun cameras on the market last Black Friday. The Fujifilm Instax Mini 11 and the Instax Square SQ6 had up to 20% for those polaroid lovers out there. For the action men and women amongst us, a huge range of GoPro Cameras were discounted by up to £150, including the latest action camera at the time, the GoPro Hero 9 Black.

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Drones - up to £170 off
Last year’s Black Friday camera deals bought us the lowest price anywhere in the UK at the time for the DJI Mavic 2 Pro, which had £170 off to lower the price to £1,179 at Maplin. At the other end of the spectrum, the Ruze Tello drone, which is great for beginners, had a 10% price drop at DJI.