Smartphones are undoubtedly the world’s most-used cameras, however some would argue that they don’t seem to be actual cameras in any respect. By lowering the act of photograph and video seize to mere level and shoot, they take a lot of the thought and course of out of it. Plus, let’s face it, they’re fairly ineffective at nighttime, or at efficiently capturing something shifting quicker than a pushbike.

The Canon EOS R100 appears designed for anybody who desires to ditch their cellphone, exit their point-and-snap consolation zone and embrace their interior photographer (or videographer) – and does not need to spend an excessive amount of cash doing so. At the moment accessible for below $600/£600 (with a zoom lens included), it is one of many most cost-effective methods to get your palms on a brand new interchangeable lens digital camera.

However is it any good, or has Canon lower too many corners in its effort to chop the price? After every week of snapping and filming with it, I am able to ship my verdict.

Canon/Pocket-lint

Canon EOS R100

The paucity of options will disappoint seasoned mirrorless photographers and video fans, however bells and whistles aren’t the purpose of this digital camera. The EOS R100 is easy however succesful, significantly for pictures, and appears like a really perfect entry level for novices seeking to grasp the fundamentals of digital camera use.

Execs

• Light-weight and compact construct
• Good human face-tracking autofocus
• Can shoot 4K video (at 24/25fps)

Cons

• No in-camera USB charging
• Fastened display with no contact perform
• Rolling shutter throughout video seize

Design

• Weight: 356g
• Dimensions: 116.3 x 85.5 x 68.8mm
• Largely plastic construct

The Canon EOS R100 is an inexpensive digital camera by Canon requirements, and it does appear and feel like one. That is to not say the design and construct high quality is shoddy or beneath par – the truth is it is completely tremendous for an entry-level mannequin. It is simply very light-weight and made mainly of plastic moderately than the magnesium alloy you see on pricier EOS R fashions. (The included RF-S 18-45mm F4.5-6.3 IS STM zoom lens can be plastic-built, however nonetheless contains optical picture stabilisation and near-silent autofocus.) And you may overlook about weatherproofing or IP scores – this factor is constructed to be used in dry, non-dusty circumstances solely.

It is small too, even by mirrorless requirements, and with a compact lens mounted (the equipment lens retracts to a low-profile form when not in use, so it counts as one) takes up little or no house in a bag. That being stated, its basic DSLR-style form feels comfortable within the hand – which is not at all times the case with compact, light-weight mirrorless cameras. The one time I discovered the EOS R100 awkward to make use of was once I mounted Canon’s frankly ludicrous 85mm F1.2 portrait lens on the entrance; this large, hefty piece of glass and the light-weight digital camera physique felt completely unbalanced. However look: in case you’re utilizing an virtually £3000 lens with a £600 digital camera, you are asking for bother.

The management structure is mostly logical and user-friendly, even when the tiny dimension of among the buttons may pose an issue to these with girthier fingers. I would have favored the video file cease/begin button specifically to be bigger and extra comfortably located; on this video-centric day and age I would count on it to get virtually as a lot use because the shutter button, in spite of everything. There’s additionally just one settings dial in an period the place most cameras have a minimum of two, which may grow to be annoying in case you’re a shooter who likes to exert management over each side of a shot.

Connectivity and shows

• 3-inch, 1.04-million dot LCD display
• USB-C, Micro HDMI and three.5mm mic sockets
• 2.4GHz Wi-Fi and Bluetooth 4.2

The show is the primary space the place the EOS R100 comes up a bit quick. The display dimension and show high quality are as much as snuff, however in contrast to most mirrorless screens as of late it lacks even rudimentary contact performance. What’s even worse is that it is a totally mounted display, allow to tilt, swivel or face forwards to help within the seize of selfies or vlogs. That is verging on a digital camera crime within the 12 months 2023, given we’re in an period the place virtually everyone desires to seize content material that includes their very own face sooner or later.

Instead for framing your pictures, there’s additionally a 2.36-million dot OLED viewfinder. It is small at 0.39 inches in dimension, however definitely helpful to have – particularly on brilliant, sunny days when glare could make the LCD troublesome to see.

Connectivity is just about what you’d count on from an entry-level mirrorless digital camera, which is to say it does not go above and past the fundamentals. There is a USB-C port for information switch, but it surely will not deal with battery recharging – one other main misstep on this footloose, digital-first age the place virtually each digital camera helps USB charging. No one desires to lug an precise battery charger round with them and hunt down an influence socket after they’re low on juice. For its half, although, battery life is superb: it is CIPA rated for over 400 pictures and you will possible get extra out of it than that.

You aren’t getting a headphone port for audio monitoring, however there’s a 3.5mm mic socket and a micro HDMI output (that does not help exterior recording – it is merely for exterior show functions). Storage comes courtesy of a single UHS-I SD card slot, situated on the underside of the physique subsequent to the battery.

The EOS R100 does help wi-fi picture switch and printing by way of its Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connectivity. Set up Canon’s Digicam Join app in your smartphone and you’ll use it as a wi-fi distant management or seize pictures instantly to share on social media.

Video and photograph efficiency

• 24.1MP APS-C CMOS sensor
• ISO 100 to 12800 (25600 prolonged)
• 8-bit 4K/25 or 1080/60 video recording

The EOS R100 relies round a 24.1MP APS-C sensor and DIGIC picture processing engine, and its imaging efficiency is stable. That is significantly true for nonetheless pictures, which have tremendous element and (sometimes for Canon) wonderful color copy straight out of the digital camera. The pictures simply look very nice, principally – and it’s also possible to shoot in RAW if you wish to post-process your personal pictures with extra management. The pattern pictures you see right here have been all RAW information I processed in Lightroom, and I am very proud of the outcomes; they’re definitely higher wanting than smartphone snaps.

The digital camera is not actually lower out for correct low-light work (a minimum of with the included equipment lens – a quicker lens like a 50mm F1.8 will fare higher in darker circumstances), and lacks in-body picture stabilisation, however that is to be anticipated in an entry-level mannequin. It could possibly shoot stills at an affordable pace of round 6fps too.

On the video aspect of issues it may possibly shoot 4K footage, however there are some restrictions: body charge is restricted to 24 or 25fps, there’s a big crop on the footage that reduces the sector of view, and the hybrid autofocus is turned off and changed in contrast detection autofocus solely.

Whereas this is not a very highly effective software for Extremely HD video seize, it fares higher with 1080p, dropping the crop, participating the total suite of autofocus capabilities and supporting a body charge of as much as 60fps. When you think about the EOS R100 is actually competing towards smartphones that may file 4K at 60fps, although, having to drop down in decision to realize that body charge is a little bit of a disappointment.

Autofocus is fairly good on the entire, nevertheless, with the digital camera supporting human eye and face recognition for its monitoring capabilities. It really works for each nonetheless pictures and video seize, and makes taking portraits, candid pictures and the like so much simpler. Sadly, it lacks among the wider recognition abilities of higher-end cameras, so it received’t monitor pets or autos.

Verdict

The Canon EOS R100 doesn’t push the envelope in any respect, and in some methods it appears like a throwback to the mirrorless and DSLR cameras of a decade or so in the past. However whereas, for example, the dearth of an articulated touchscreen or USB charging is disappointing, I believe there’s lots right here to understand – significantly for these coming into the world of devoted cameras for the primary time. The EOS R100 may not be very thrilling, and it definitely doesn’t work as a showcase for the most recent leading edge options, however it’s inexpensive, compact and nicely made, and its photograph high quality is superb.