Why Canon Going Small, Light, and Cheap With Its New EOS R100 Makes Sense

As we’ve been covering on the site for some time, the great digital camera war continues with no end in sight. While the first few years of the never-ending showdown between brands old and new like Canon, Sony, Panasonic, Fujifilm, Blackmagic, and more centered on chasing the highest pixel counts that they could cram into the smallest bodies (overheating and pricing be damned), the battlefield has now shifted towards the starter level content creators.

A case in point is the new Fujifilm X-S20 camera, which might be the best entry-level camera from its popular X line of APS-C mirrorless hybrid options. Not to be outdone, Canon has also unveiled its new Canon EOS R100 camera, which is set to be its smallest, lightest, and cheapest camera to date.

Let’s take a look at this tiny new Canon camera and explore how—despite its small size, weight, and price—it might actually end up being one of the brand’s most popular cameras to date and an excellent option for those looking to get started with content creation with an interchangeable lens camera for the first time.

Introducing the Canon EOS R100

Like many new cameras today, the new EOS R100 is designed for modern-day content creators and not necessarily for your usual video and photo pros. However, with a highly compact and portable frame, this mirrorless camera option is still able to offer a wide range of features that can suit a variety of multimedia applications, which include photo, video, and even streaming. 

Here are the full specs and features:

• 24.1MP APS-C CMOS Sensor
• DIGIC 8 Image Processor
• 4K 24p Video with Crop, Full HD 60p
• Dual Pixel CMOS AF with 143 AF Zones
• 6.5 fps Electronic Shutter
• 2.36m-Dot OLED EVF
• 3" 1.04m-Dot LCD Screen
• Creative Assist Mode
• Wi-Fi and Bluetooth with SD Card Slot

With an APS-C-sized 24.2MP CMOS sensor and Canon’s DIGIC 8 processor, the R100 will be able to provide UHD 4K and uncropped Full HD video recording, which is quite a feat for a camera that’s coming in at under $500 out of the box.

The R100 is also set to offer a native sensitivity range of ISO 100-12800 to support working in various lighting situations while still providing decent quality and dynamic range.

However, the real kicker for the EOS R100 is its price as it is reported to be available with a kit lens for less than $600, making this by far Canon’s cheapest entry-level camera option — and perhaps the best starter deal on the market.

Cheaper (and certainly smaller) than an Sony PlayStation 5Credit: Canon

Who is the Canon R100 for Exactly?

Now, for those reading about this EOS R100 coming from the perspective of a seasoned videographer or film professional, there’s obviously not much here for you. However, there might be more here than meets the eye for that next generation of content creators looking to shoot videos and photos on the run for their budding travel vlog YouTube channel or their freelance marketing career.

At this price point, the biggest rival for the R100 isn’t a higher-end Canon or other manufacturer’s mirrorless camera, but perhaps the smartphone in a content creator’s pocket. With its interchangeable lens system, if you’re a creator looking to break out of the limits of your built-in iPhone lenses, this might very well be the camera to introduce you to the wide world of mirrorless camera system digital photo and video.

Pricing and Availability

Ultimately, this is about as small and cheap as Canon can make a camera that is still capable of providing the most amount of the expected Canon specs and features possible. For what is an insane price point if you really think about it, this is a 4K capable video camera that has solid range and built-in autofocus. If you could start your career in the 2010s with a Canon 5D or 7D, then someone creating online content today could easily do the same with this camera.

Canon EOS R100 Mirrorless Camera

• 24.2MP APS-C CMOS Sensor
• DIGIC 8 Image Processor
• 4K 24p Video with Crop, Full HD 60p
• Dual Pixel CMOS AF w/ 143 AF Zones
• 6.5 fps Electronic Shutter
• 2.36m-Dot OLED EVF
• 3" 1.04m-Dot LCD Screen
• Wi-Fi and Bluetooth with SD Card Slot
• RF-S 18-45mm f/4.5-6.3 IS STM Lens

Body Only

$479

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