The Canon EOS R100 is brilliant at what it does, and for whom it does it – and the haters clearly don't "get" it
(Image credit: Canon)
Canon makes a lot of mirrorless cameras, and the entry point to this ever-expanding ecosystem is the Canon EOS R100. It's a great camera, but a very specific one aimed at a very specific audience – and it seems that some people really don't understand that, choosing to bag on the camera for really bizarre reasons.
There's a reason I rank the Canon EOS R100 as the best camera for beginners, and the clue is right there: it's a beginner camera. It's not an all-singing, all-dancing performance camera. It's not a camera meant to conquer YouTube. It's not intended to be a professional or intermediate camera (even though you can get professional results out of it, if you know what you're doing).
No, the Canon EOS R100 is – and I don't mean this in any way pejoratively – a stripped-down, basics-first, fundamentals camera, designed solely to be two things: 1) friendly for beginners, and 2) super-affordable, so that newcomers can actually afford it.
At least one of those two points seems to have been lost on a lot of internet critics. They bemoan the build quality, they scoff at the specs, they create comparisons to other models that are both unfair and completely beside the point.
Let me make it very simple: this is a camera that, right now, costs $399 in the US and £399 in the UK with a lens. What other mirrorless camera on the market is as affordable as that? This is a direct replacement for the cheap beginner DSLRs that no longer exist – which has always been a gateway drug to get people into photography.
It has a great 24.1MP image sensor, and a fantastic autofocus system ripped straight from some of the best Canon cameras. Okay, there's no touchscreen interface and its 4K suffers a crop. The former point I agree is a glaring omission, but for Pete's sake – it's a way to keep that 400-buck price tag.
And as for the video, I truly believe this is intended as somebody's first stills camera – but one that also captures 4K video as an added bonus.
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So, don't listen to the haters and naysayers. Yes, the R50 is a better buy if you can afford it – but if you're brand new to photography, you've never picked up a "proper" camera and want to find your footing, the Canon EOS R100 is simply the best (and, crucially, most affordable) way to get started.
(Image credit: Canon)
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The editor of Digital Camera World, James has 21 years experience as a journalist and started working in the photographic industry in 2014 (as an assistant to Damian McGillicuddy, who succeeded David Bailey as Principal Photographer for Olympus). In this time he shot for clients like Aston Martin Racing, Elinchrom and L'Oréal, in addition to shooting campaigns and product testing for Olympus, and providing training for professionals. This has led him to being a go-to expert for camera and lens reviews, photo and lighting tutorials, as well as industry news, rumors and analysis for publications like Digital Camera Magazine, PhotoPlus: The Canon Magazine, N-Photo: The Nikon Magazine, Digital Photographer and Professional Imagemaker, as well as hosting workshops and talks at The Photography Show. He also serves as a judge for the Red Bull Illume Photo Contest. An Olympus and Canon shooter, he has a wealth of knowledge on cameras of all makes – and a fondness for vintage lenses and instant cameras.
