Canon has announced the EOS R100, a 24MP APS-C sensor interchangeable lens mirrorless camera that becomes the lowest MSRP RF-mount camera in their lineup.
The entry-level camera will arrive on store shelves in July 2023 at an MSRP of $479.99 body only, or in two bundle options with lens: $599.99 with an RF-S 18-45mm F4.5-6.3 IS STM or $829.99 with that lens plus an RF-S 55-210mm F5-7.1 IS STM lens.
To hit these price points, it seems Canon started by borrowing from the parts bins of existing cameras. They reused the sensor and Digic 8 processor from 2020’s EOS M50 Mark II, carried over the Canon LP-E17 battery from the M50, and set their engineers loose to seek other ways to reduce costs with a goal of creating the cheapest introduction to the R line. Unsurprisingly, they ended up excluding some features found in EOS R cameras at higher price points.
The OLED EVF is a relatively modest 2.36 million dot unit. The SD card slot only supports UHS-I cards. The rear screen is fixed and there is no touchscreen; to get those users must go up one tier to the R50. The R100 also opts for just one command dial along the index finger, skips a rear joystick and, like other entry-level EOS R cameras, has no IBIS.
It makes use of a single rear-curtain mechanical shutter, which means the camera doesn’t open a mechanical shutter to start an exposure but does close one to end it. This results in a lighter and less expensive shutter assembly but also has some byproducts such as limiting the camera’s burst rate. The R100 shoots at a very pedestrian 3.5 fps (Servo AF) or 6.5 fps (One-Shot AF).
We previously saw Canon take this same cost cutting measure in the EOS R8. We don’t have an R100 in hand yet, but we suspect the R100’s shutter assembly will run into some of the same issues the R8 ran into with image quality glitches that potentially creep in at very high shutter speeds (typically 1/1000 sec or faster) when used with very wide aperture values. (However, it’s unlikely anyone will ever fit a fast enough lens to the R100 to notice.)
Canon says it has included features that smartphone users enticed by an interchangeable lens system would enjoy.
Canon’s scene intelligent Auto (A+) and creative filter modes are present. These modes allow users to apply effects such as black+white and tilt-shift or tell the camera to prioritize a blurred background. Eye-detection autofocus is also supported along with face and body tracking. However, the R100 does not include animal and subject tracking.
On the video side, the older sensor and processor mean you get 4K (cropped) and 1080p (full-width) at up to 24p and 60p, respectively, though there is a vertical video capture option. And a feature called ‘Hybrid Auto mode’ takes 2–4 seconds of video before a still shot and automatically places it into a time lapse video.
According to Canon the R100 is compatible with all RF (with a 1.6 crop factor) and RF-S lenses, except for the Canon Control Ring Mount Adapter EF-EOS R, which will still act as an adapter but won’t allow users to use the control ring.
The R100 is identical in size to the R50, at 116 x 86 x 69mm (4.5 x 3.4 x 27in), but its 356g (12.5oz) weight makes it the lightest EOS R camera in Canon’s lineup.
Also released today is a new lens, the RF 28mm F2.8 STM.
Canon Introduces its Most Affordable, Compact, and Lightweight EOS R Camera Ever: The EOS R100
The Company Also Announced the Wide-Angle “Pancake” Style RF28mm F2.8 STM Lens
MELVILLE, N.Y., May 24, 2023 – Canon U.S.A., Inc., a leader in digital imaging solutions, is excited to announce the launch of the EOS R100 camera and RF28mm F2.8 STM lens, two new affordable compact and lightweight tools for entry-level and emerging content creators to elevate their skills.
The Canon EOS R100 camera was designed for new, first-time mirrorless camera or existing interchangeable camera users who previously enjoyed EOS Rebel or EOS M cameras. The camera touts key features such as a 24.2 megapixel APS-C size sensor, the DIGIC 8 image processor, 4K (Cropped) and Full HD (Full-Width) video at up to 24 and 60 frames-per-second respectively, Autofocus with eye and face detection, and Bluetooth™ and Wi-Fi® connectivity capabilities. For users who are making the EOS R100 their first interchangeable lens (ILC) camera, a significant advantage over using a smartphone camera will be lens selection. The EOS R100 is compatible with the complete lineup of RF and RF-S lenses, and EF and EF-S lenses can be utilized when using one of three available Canon EF-EOS R mount adapters (each sold separately). This selection of lenses includes the Canon RF28mm F2.8 STM lens, which was also announced today.
The Canon RF28mm F2.8 STM is a “pancake” style, value lens that targets a wide variety of users, from amateur to enthusiast full-frame and APS-C camera users. Key features of the new lens include:
Minimum focusing distance of 9.1 inches (0.23m) and a maximum magnification of 0.17x
Retracting feature that helps to shorten the overall length of the lens
Circumferential manual focus mode/control ring selector
Gear-type STM motor providing smooth autofocusing while capturing video
Built-in Control Ring provides quick access to multiple camera controls
7-blade circular aperture helps to provide beautifully blurred background and bokeh
Pricing and Availability
The Canon EOS R100 camera is scheduled to be available in July 2023 for an estimated retail price of $479.99 for body only, $599.99 with the RF-S18-45mm F4.5-6.3 IS STM lens, and $829.99 with the RF-S18-45mm F4.5-6.3 IS STM and RF-S55-210mm F5-7.1 IS STM lenses.
The RF28mm F2.8 STM lens is scheduled to be available in July 2023 for an estimated retail price of $299.99.