Cone-rod dystrophies are retinopathies in which cones are mainly affected and rod-cone dystrophies (retinitis pigmentosa) are retinopathies in which rods are mainly affected. The most common symptoms in cone-rod dystrophies are a progressive decrease in central vision and color vision loss. The most common symptoms in rod-cone dystrophies are night blindness and progressive narrowing in the visual field. The common point in both diseases is photoreceptor cell apoptosis and death resulting from genetic damage. The aim of this review is to present up-to-date and recent literature information on cone-rod and rod-cone dystrophies.