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PRICE: £669
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Canon EOS R100 This entry-level model has much to offer – not only to its target market, but also to those with more experience
and everything, taking more shots in a day than I’d usually make in a week. It was a truly liberating experience. I should point out, of course, that the R100 is very much a proper camera, despite sitting at the bottom of Canon’s ever-growing mirrorless line-up. Designed to lure in novice photographers, smartphone deserters in search of superior image quality and family users keen to shoot and share quickly, it has a solid spec that will help all of the above get great photos and video. Admittedly, not much of the specification will moisten the palms of a seasoned photographer, but for the target audience, it’s pretty much perfect. The APS-C sensor offers a healthy 24.1-megapixel resolution, for example. There’s a 2.36m-dot EVF and fixed three-inch LCD. It can shoot continuously at up to 6.5fps and offers 4K video at up to 25p, albeit with a 1.65x crop. There’s more appeal to be found with the guided UI, which will help those with minimal photography knowledge begin to get fantastic images without needing to know their apertures from their elbows. Plus, this handholding functionality is backed up by reliable autofocus and metering systems, so there are fewer bad frames. But let’s pause any spec discussion for a moment. While the R100 was in the PN office, I thought it would be a good idea to get it into the hands of a target user, to see whether it has the necessary appeal. Enter 17-year-old Ellie Jennings, an arts student with an interest in photography, but whose output has so far been limited to her smartphone and a Fujifilm Instax
TESTED BY ROGER PAYNE
SOMETHING STRANGE HAPPENED when I was testing out Canon’s most recent mirrorless model. Incredibly compact and lightweight, it’s almost too tiddly to be a proper camera, yet this transformed the way I used it. With more costly models, I tend to take a more considered approach to image making. Lighting is examined, the subject studied, composition carefully thought through. But with the R100, I photographed anything SPECS › Price £669 with 18-45mm › Sensor 22.3x14.9mm APS-C CMOS › Resolution 24.1 megapixels › Imaging engine Digic 8 › Sensitivity ISO 100-12,800 (expandable to 25,600) › Metering Evaluative, partial, centre-weighted, spot › Exposure modes PASM, Scene Intelligent Auto, Hybrid Auto, 10 Scene Modes and Creative Filters › Exposure compensation +/-3EV in 1/3EV steps › Image stabiliser Digital IS (movie only)
camera. She had the Canon for a week and told me what she found: “I really like how compact the camera is. It’s easier to carry around when you’re out and about and easier to balance without using a tripod. It is definitely suited to someone with smaller hands. I like the minimal design and how accessible different features are – it’s easy to use. “My favourite part is the creative filters setting,” Ellie continued. “They were fun to play around with. On the downside, I’d have preferred a larger screen, which would have been more helpful when reviewing my shots; you’re not able to see as much detail without zooming in.” Had Ellie spent more time in the R100’s company, she would have had time to get to grips with the connectivity options, which include a quick way to share the images via the Canon Camera Connect app. A robust, reliable wireless connection between camera and smart device, it makes it very easy to get pictures to friends, relatives or social media streams within seconds of capture. Back in my hands, I enjoyed the simplicity of operation and was quickly able to navigate to key functionality using the buttons and command dial. The one thing I really didn’t get used to, however, was the 18-45mm kit lens. It has to be twisted
› Shutter speed range 30secs to 1/4000sec, plus bulb mode; flash sync at 1/250sec › Shooting speed Up to 6.5 frames per second › Autofocus modes One-shot, servo, manual › Viewfinder 0.39in OLED with 2.36m dots and 0.95x magnification › Rear LCD 3in fixed, 1.04m dots, no touchscreen › Movie recording 4K/25p, Full HD/59.94p, HD/119.88p › Storage media SD/SDHC/SDXC, UHS-I compatible › Connectivity Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, HDMI Type D, USB-C, USB 2.0, 3.5mm audio out
“WITH THE R100, I PHOTOGRAPHED ANYTHING AND EVERYTHING... IT WAS A TRULY LIBERATING EXPERIENCE”
aimed at, but I would assume this is a cost-based decision above all else. Performance is impressive. Despite my frustrations with the lens, it does deliver decent images, while metering and AF are typically Canon; accurate and speedy. Video functionality is fine for wannabe YouTubers, or anyone recording family memories, and while native ISO only stretches to 12,800, that’s plenty for most applications. PN
to get ready for shooting, but the twisting action alone doesn’t switch the camera on – this has to be done via the top-plate switch. It’s a minor annoyance, but one that did catch me out on more than one occasion. As I’m not a regular touchscreen user, I didn’t miss one on this camera, but if you’re craving smartphone-style functionality, you’ll be disappointed. Admittedly, it does seem to be rather a strange omission given who it is
› Power LP-E17 battery › Dimensions (wxhxd) 116.3x85.5x68.8mm › Weight 356g body only › Contact canon.co.uk
SMALL BUT SWEET The petite profile of the R100 combines with its unarguable functionality to make it a surprisingly potent option
26 Photography News | Issue 110
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