Canon has just announced the new Canon EOS R7 and EOS R10, its first two RF-S mount cameras with APS-C sensors. But rumors are already circulating that a Canon EOS R100 model is on the way with an even lower price tag than the EOS R10. And in these tough financial times, that could be very good news for amateur photographers.
According to the latest rumors, the EOS R100 will sit below the EOS R10 and become a new entry point for buyers who want an affordable mirrorless camera. In theory it could be like a Canon EOS M50 Mark II, but using lenses from the RF family instead of the now less exciting EF-M type.
The RF lens series was initially made for full-frame cameras, but newer RF-S lenses are now made specifically for those with APS-C sensors. Rumors suggest that more of these RF-S lenses are on the way, which would be good news for the EOS R100.
the japanese website asobinet (opens in new tab) predicts the camera will arrive in the first half of 2023. While the site describes its source as “unreliable”, the generally reliable Canon Rumors (opens in new tab) says “we think that a camera body under the Canon EOS R10 It’s very likely.” We’ve combined the latest speculation with our thoughts on what we’d like to see from what’s expected to be Canon’s cheapest RF-mount camera.
Canon EOS R100 price and release date
There are no current pricing rumors for the EOS R100, but the Canon EOS R10 gives us an estimate to consider. This high-end camera is $979 / £899 / AU$1,499 for the body alone.
It seems feasible that the Canon EOS R100 could cost a similar amount with a kit lens (like the new RF-S 18-45mm F4.5-6.3 IS STM below), or have a body-only price of a few hundred dollars less. .
Some suggest it could be as low as $599, matching the current EOS M50 Mark II. That’s the best-case scenario, though, and we wouldn’t be too surprised if the new model was a little more expensive.
The Canon EOS R100’s job is to modernize the EOS M50 Mark II a bit, address some of its video weaknesses, and give more casual photographers a lens system that doesn’t feel like a dead end. Here’s what we expect to see from the camera.
1. Design: Can the EOS R10 get smaller?
There are two obvious routes the Canon EOS R100 could go, and both have been mirrored by a pair of affordable cameras from Sony.
Like the Sony A6100, Canon could produce a camera with all the usual bits of hardware, like an electronic viewfinder, but incorporate low-end specs. Or it could strip the thing more broadly to specifically appeal to content creators on a budget – like the Sony EV-Z10.
The latter would undoubtedly be more interesting. But the name Canon EOS R100 strongly suggests that it will be more of a classic and versatile APS-C camera, like the Canon EOS M6 Mark II.
Low-cost, pro-style cameras are generally smaller and lighter than more expensive ones, but ways to reduce the EOS R10’s mold design aren’t immediately obvious. This camera does not have any official water or dust proof, does not use an IBIS mass addition system and weighs 429g accessible with battery and SD card. This is certainly not heavy. The large RF-S lens mount doesn’t help either – the body can only get so small.
However, Canon could reduce the grip and potentially use a slot EVF like the Canon EOS M6 Mark II. That would eliminate the lump on top of the other R-series models. And the packages with and without the EVF would allow Canon to lower the entry price even further – although you can bet you’ll pay above the odds if you decide to buy it later.
Using a lower quality hull would also help to lighten weight and reduce costs a bit. We complained about the EOS M6 Mark II’s build quality in our review, but if that’s what it takes to get the Canon EOS R100 at the right price, the sacrifice might be worth it.
Canon may also choose to simplify the controls a bit, perhaps removing the Canon EOS R10’s dial for the shutter button – because if the design is as compact as we’d expect, there’s little room in the grip for it.
2. EVF: 2.36 million points, please
The best argument for an optional removable viewfinder on the EOS R100 is that the EOS R10 is practically the lowest quality level that provides a good experience. It has an EVF of 2.36 million dots, equivalent to 1024 x 768 pixels.
An EVF of 1.44 million points is the step below, which equates to 800 x 600 pixels. While the Sony A6100 uses an EVF of this resolution, this camera was released in 2019 – four years before the R100’s expected release. Times change and expectations rise.
An ideal result for the Canon EOS R100, however, might be a rangefinder-style EVF placement, where it’s next to the camera rather than in the center.
That would give the camera the sleekest form of the EOS M6 Mark II, without completely getting rid of the EVF or downgrading it to a weird ‘optional extra’ that sits on the hot shoe. However, this is not typical Canon styling and raises the question of whether there would be room to fit it into the camera, when available body space is already reduced by the larger RF lens mount.
Initially, we thought the cost could also be prohibitive – a 2.39 million point EVF for $599? But then we remember that the EOS M50 Mark II has this same resolution for the same price. The crop needed here will be the magnification, meaning the EVF image will look relatively small compared to that of a high-end camera.
3. Sensor and AF: Dual Pixel CMOS AF II
The Canon EOS R100 will likely use the same sensor as the EOS R10, a 24MP APS-C sized chip. As such, it will take photos of comparable quality to this camera.
This also means the camera will have a very similar autofocus system as the AF points are right there on the sensor. Canon calls this AF system the Dual Pixel CMOS AF II. The Canon EOS R10 has 651 points when using standard autofocus, or 4,503 when manually selecting single-point AF positions.
Considering the Canon EOS R100 will likely also have the Digic X processor, there’s little reason not to have the EOS R10’s eye, face, body, vehicle and animal tracking.
Of course, Canon could choose to leave out some of the secondary object recognition modes to create a clearer delineation between the R10 and R100.
4. Performance and buffering: is 14fps realistic?
The only current suggestion about the performance of the Canon EOD R100 as per leaks published by asobinet (opens in new tab), is that it will shoot at up to 14fps. That would be much faster than the FujiFilm X-T200’s 8 fps and notably faster than the Sony A6100’s 11 fps.
Still, these speeds are a little slower than the Canon EOS R10’s 15 fps (mechanical shutter) and 23 fps (electronic shutter) speeds – so not entirely unrealistic.
It’s also unlikely that you’ll be able to shoot for very long before filling the Canon EOS R100’s buffer, after which the camera slows down as it releases data.
You can probably shoot for a few seconds at most when shooting raw files, or a handful when capturing JPEGs, but that should still be enough to capture a few in-focus shots of the family dog.
5. Video: 4K/30p full width
A leak from Asobinet suggests the Canon R100 will be able to shoot 4K video at 30 frames per second, but not 60fps.
This would match APS-C competitors around the same price. The FujiFilm X-T200 is limited to 4K/30p, while the video-focused Sony ZV-EV10 can only record in 24p and 30p. At some point entry-level APS-C cameras will start offering 4K/60p, but it seems unlikely that the Canon EOS R100 will be the camera to make that leap.
What we want to see is 4K/30p and 4K/24p without cropping, which means the footage is oversampled from 6K of data. There should also be solid electronic/software stabilization for those wanting to casually shoot 1080/60p video.
We also want to be able to use PDAF (phase detection) autofocus in 4K. As much as anything else, it’s about consistency of experience. The user shouldn’t waste time wondering why the AF performance suddenly gets so bad when you start recording 4K videos.
The Canon EOS R100 will not, however, be a laser-focused camera for content creators. Canon’s advanced EOS R10 model doesn’t have a flat log shooting mode, so the R100 is unlikely to have one either. And this camera’s HDR PQ mode may be missing, which records in 10-bit YCbCr4:2:2 color.
However, much of the R100’s target audience will be baffled by terms like Log and 4:2:2. Its job is to be easy to use and affordable, and by elevating the video capabilities above those of the EOS M50 Mark II, Canon should be able to make the EOS R100 an attractive option for those who want mirrorless on a budget.
